Yoga is Not Always the Answer

After getting through my first semester of grad school, I wanted to try and be more active. I wasn’t quite sure what I wanted to do, but over and over I was being inundated by suggestions from other grad students and friends my age. All of these suggestions had one word in common: yoga.

It’s supposed to make you healthier, more flexible, centered, calm, and improve your concentration, sex life, posture, etc. The list goes on and on. Yoga was going to change my life, forever, according to the internet.

Luckily, my college offered free yoga classes and my friend had an old yoga mat. My roommate also wanted to try the legendary activity of yoga so one Thursday night, we ventured to our first yoga class. Everyone was wearing really tight pants and bending in positions that I thought would equate to pain and general unenjoyment.

I tried to get myself into a new mindset. I wanted to challenge myself and see if this could be a new habit for me. Unfortunately, the first class was not a pleasant experience. I found myself dreading the next class but pushed myself because I didn’t want to give up just yet. The experience did not improve.

One night after gazing at the purple yoga mat rolled up in the corner of my room, I realized that yoga just wasn’t for me. I decided to embrace an activity that I looked forward to everyday. Boston is a city for walking. I realized that I was putting aside time just to walk to the subway, to enjoy the beautiful bike path near my apartment, to take long walks in the public garden.

Why not embrace an activity that motivates me and brings me enjoyment? Although yoga works for many people, it wasn’t the right answer for me. What works for other people might not work for you. Figure out what makes you happy.