Everything Under The Tropical Sun

We went to yoga… could you believe it?! We actually pushed through!!! Isn’t it amazing?! I heard no excuses… no alibis… nothing. Not-a-thing. I was so amazed.

So we went to this little yoga center hidden away in the middle of the city. They teach Ananda Marga yoga. You can check out their website: www.yogaincebu.com and apparently, they’ve been around for quite some time now. They hold 8 sessions for beginners held twice a week: Tuesdays and Thursdays. We get a certificate when we’re done… (uhm, what it’s for… its benefits… I really don’t know.) but what I forgot to ask was what happens if I still want to stay at the beginner level? Do I pay again for another 8 sessions of beginners yoga?

The good thing is if we decide to advance to the intermediate yoga classes, once we’re done with it, we can join the classes for free… all we have to do is donate a little for the food and the use of the facilities. Not bad huh? Though the facilities were less than appealing. It’s definitely not commercial yoga since the class was half asanas and half meditation.

I’m grateful for the meditation part. My husband and I were both able to point out where we are in our own lives because of it. What happens when you quiet your mind? What comes to mind when you shut everything else out? What can you learn from it? Just being aware of what we try not to think of on a normal day gives us power over our thoughts. At least that’s how I treat it. How can you have power over something you don’t know exists? Since I’m now aware that I have certain insecurities with some of the things that I’ve done recently, I can deal with it right? Instead of pushing my insecurities in the back of my mind and let it fester and brood… forgotten but so active… a dangerous combination. Before it gets out of hand, I’m aware… I can acknowledge its presence… I can deal with it. Wonderful.

I’m happy that we were able to go and I didn’t hear much complaints from my husband. He actually generally enjoyed the session and we’re going back tomorrow. Yes. Tomorrow. Can you believe it? After a year… my life partner and best friend finally fulfilled his promise. In his own time. I’m so happy.

About 8 months ago… I wrote about my disappointment when I thought I was able to convince my husband to do yoga with me. I also said that with or without him, I’d go on my own.

*sigh*

I never did.

It was when my husband started reading all these running related stuff when he found out that yoga is an encouraged parallel practice/exercise to running. I think it aids in stretching… prevents muscle fatigue, etc. (sorry, I didn’t do my research) And as soon as I heard “yoga” while sharing what he’d learned… I didn’t care what else he said. First thing I did was I went out and bought him a yoga mat… unfortunately, the only available color is fuchsia/purple combination… so he’ll be using the yoga mat he gave me and I get to use the new one.

The yoga schedule we’re looking at is 6:30 PM every Tuesday and Thursday. We were supposed to go last Thursday but my husband didn’t feel too hot so we ended up going home instead. I thought that it was the end of that. But again, I need the support and yoga partner, I asked him again if we’re going to do yoga tomorrow, he said yes! I’m still keeping my hopes at bay because so many things can happen between now and tomorrow evening. 24 hours.

Please keep your fingers crossed for me! Include your toes… your eyes… hahahaha!

It’s the middle of December already and we have not… I repeat, HAVE NOT gone to check out the yoga place near our house. I was so ecstatic to be able to enroll my husband to yoga. My positive attitude didn’t falter even when Kara-Leah of Prana Flow NZ commented that it’s one thing for one to say something and it’s quite another to actually do it.

Right now, I’d have to agree with her. She’s a yoga instructor and her partner isn’t enrolling in any of her yoga classes. Isn’t practicing, period. So I’m resigned to the fact that maybe my husband might just be agreeing with me simply to shut my big mouth up. I don’t usually nag but yoga was something that turned me into a broken record.

So yeah, maybe Kara’s right. Or maybe it’s because it’s the holidays and so many things are going on. I’m still keeping my fingers crossed that we’ll be able to go during the first week on January. If not… well, I’ll go ahead and do my thing. I don’t care whether he comes or not anymore. He’ll just suffer the consequences like: late dinner, large belly, no meat, large belly, no wife to accompany him home, large belly… (ya get it, hubby?! — he reads this blog.) Hehehehe.

I’ve been trying to find a way to get my husband to enroll in yoga classes with me. This is because I found it very difficult to go to the gym or work out without him as my exercise buddy.

About 3 years ago, I made a feeble attempt to convince my husband to enroll in yoga classes with me. A slew of excuses came flooding in: 1. He’s too busy; 2. The classes were too early (6am); 3. He thinks yoga will just make him fart everywhere (because of the poses); AND HIS BIGGEST CONCERN: 4. It’s a sissy exercise program and definitely not for him.

It was so frustrating to get him to go. I knew that working out in a gym with treadmills, weights, and that whole enchilada wasn’t for me. I found it too taxing for my body that I’d find myself feeling spent by the time my day started. Since I knew I can’t make going to the gym my lifestyle. I knew I had to find another “workout” that could be part of my life.

Yoga is it. It’s the perfect workout that fits my lifestyle and personality. It was something I could see myself doing ’til I’m 80… or maybe some form of it. But the thing is, I let the fact that I don’t have a buddy to go with affect me. I know I shouldn’t but I love sharing things with my husband and since this is a lifestyle type of thing, I was hoping he’d join me.

Here we are three years later and what do you know? A man I admire and adore, someone I’ve never even met was instrumental to convincing my husband that yoga is THE exercise. It was none other than Bear Grylls. We saw his Sahara Desert episode wherein he performed yoga. I forgot why he did, I think it’s because he had to refrain from over heating. But that was the clincher.

I looked over at my husband and saw him nodding in agreement when I said: “See? Even Bear Grylls does yoga! It’s not a sissy exercise!” He was convinced. I couldn’t ask for a better spokesperson. But in his feeble attempt to seem like his first impression was valid, he couldn’t help himself and said: “That’s easy!”

I took out my yoga book, turned the page to where the pose Bear Grylls just did and asked him to try it. He did and admitted it was difficult. He finally came to his senses. Yoga is NOT a sissy practice.

Now, it’s just a matter of finding the right place to go to. I found one that’s near our house and we’re going to go and check it out before the month’s out. YEY!!! One giant leap towards Yoga!