yoga, walking, gym, t'ai chi, oh my!

The reason I started walking was to lower my blood pressure naturally. I really don't like taking drugs. But that wasn't enough motivation, so I started doing charity walks. And the rest they say, is history.

So in this quest I have walked a lot. I have become the sodium police. I eat better, but not great. I haven't reduced my blood pressure significantly. I haven't lost weight worth mentioning. My stress is at aln all-time high.

I am in a rut.

So since western medicine and ideas haven't worked, I'm heading east. Yoga and T'ai Chi.

I guess first we have to start with the back story. In the late  80s, early 90s, I lost significant weight. I walked, took Jazzercise classes that I was lucky I didn't kill myself, water aerobics at the YMCA (Loved them. But it requires a Y membership and wearing a swimsuit in public!) and something called callanetics at the old YWCA on Market Street. It always struck me as the next level of yoga. It was gentle and required a lot of stretching. When I started at LC, I signed up for a beginners yoga class at lunchtime. If that was beginners, I'm a monkey's uncle. I took a walking workshop, and some clumsy attempts at aerobics. I was never, and I don't think I ever will be a gym rat.

Almost two years ago my friend Karen died of breast cancer. She worked with a group called Living Beyond Breast Cancer. They host a fund raising yoga class on the steps of the art museum, and I signed up. Went. It was fun. Came home excited. Looked at local price sheets and said too expensive. This year, I did it again. (See blog entry May 16). Again, I was energized. Again I started doing research.

This time I found that the neighborhood place, the Yoga Loft, has a free beginners workshop on the first Friday of the month. We went last night. It was good. They broke things down in bits. I could do much of it. She also gave us alterations if you couldn't perform something. The followup is a 101 course Saturday and Sunday. But this weekends was canceled because nobody signed up. So I guess I have to wait for July. Then I'll have to figure out how to pay for a set of classes. Maybe after that I can just use a video. My friend Angel has several. Her and the wee one do yoga together.

This morning I walked with Mary Liz, and she told me about free T'ai Chi at the church on Market Street. I had seen T'ai Chi in parks and things in the past. It looked relaxing. It's free. Why not? So after Sharon and I got back from the gym I went. I think it could be realizing once I learned what to do. Much was very complicated. I was lost frequently. But I'd like to go back. If I plan my time right I could walk over, do T'ai Chi, and walk back. Kill two birds with one stone. The Martial Arts place down the street also offers it. I'll stop by one day and see how expensive it is. The Yoga Loft is running a free workshop June 29th. I think I'll go. And maybe find a dummies video, too.

We'll see I think both yoga and T'ai Chi, like walking, must be done regularly to be effective. Both stress breathing properly and good posture and alignment. All difficult for me. Will I follow thru?