In the beginning...

Beginning something (anything) new as an adult can feel downright intimidating. Yoga, perhaps, is the quintessential example of a perceived challenging activity to try at a later age and stage of life. If you’ve never practiced yoga, it might seem bathed in mystery, created solely for bodies fully capable of twisting and moving into a variety of impossible shapes - or at the very least for folks who can effortlessly touch their toes. You might imagine the studio community to be an eclectic blend of chanting vegans, who smell of essential oil and say namaste after every sentence.

Believe me, I get it. I showed up to my first hot yoga class in my running gear and tennis shoes. When I opened the studio door and a blast of hot humid air hit me right in the face, I almost turned around and left. There was already another student behind me though, encouraging me to go inside. So, I did. She whispered for me to take off my shoes. And she also informed me the little hand towel I had brought (to gingerly dab at the sheen of light perspiration I guessed may appear on my brow) was nowhere near big enough.

I was terrified.

I won’t lie. It was indeed challenging. But here it is fourteen years later and it’s been an integral part of my life ever since that day.

I wasn’t able to touch my toes when I started. I was injured and imbalanced. What’s more, I was incredibly mentally inflexible. I often wonder what would have happened if that woman wasn’t standing behind me to usher me in. Sometimes we all need a little extra nudge when trying something new.

I can tell you that trying a new class might feel intimidating. It will probably be physically and (hopefully) mentally challenging as well. I can also tell you the instructors and staff at Pineapple Life are here to encourage you, cheer for you, and support you every step of the way. The best decisions are often the scariest. But that, my friends, is where all the magic is.

(And for the record, though some of us are vegan, some of us certainly smell of essential oil *guilty* and we may say “namaste” a time or two, we are an altogether approachable, friendly bunch) :)