Yoga Is A Regular Ego Adjustment

I first tried yoga back in the 1970s in high school when a buddy and I heard about a class that was being offered and tried it. The class met once a week and was in a church basement. The instructor, a young Indian man, wore traditional Indian clothing, which was always orange, and a turban.  So, I would guess that he was a recent immigrant.. He always joked, "How do you know I have ears?  You've never seen them.  I could be like a snake."

I still have the handouts he gave us.  The papers, titled "Shankar Yoga Society," tell about the history, science, and awakening of the Kundalini.  The classes were around three hours long and started with breathing exercises, moved into postures, and ended with a meditation, but we kept focused on the breathe during the entire class.

For many years after, I think I kept an awareness of yoga, even though I didn't formally practice.  My earlier exposure to the practice helped me with breath and body awareness during my years as an actor.

I first tried hot yoga a few years ago after finishing grad school.  I went to Bikram a couple times and then to Hot Yoga Therapy in Kernersville.  Although I liked the sweating and the challenge of hot yoga, I got bored with the lack of instruction.  However, I started dating and later married a hot yoga teacher, Rebecca Jordan-Turner.  So, I became a regular practitioner at Revolution Hot Yoga.  I believe in her passion and enjoy the workout and sense of community of the studio.

When I started hot yoga, I was going to the gym routinely, but couldn't seem to lose a bit of fat around my gut. Once I started practicing regularly, that was gone within a couple months. Since hot yoga, my diet has gotten better, I drink a lot more water, and my flexibility has increased.  

I'm certainly much older than when I first tried yoga which requires that I be very forgiving of my knees.  Since practicing regularly, I have observed that my body can be quite different on a day to day basis.  I try to listen, adapt, and not expect to be able to do what I did yesterday.

As a children's librarian, I have to stay limber.  I'm constantly scanning low shelves, lifting books, walking, and sitting on the floor or kneeling.  It's important that I'm able to match the energy of my patrons and get them excited about books, and I find yoga keeps me young!

The hardest part of hot yoga, for me is getting to the studio.  Once I'm in the room I'm good to go.  It can be difficult to get there on days I don't want to go.  I still get frustrated when I see a newcomer be able to do postures that I can't manage yet, but I know that's just my ego.  So yoga gives me a regular ego adjustment as well.

This is Pete Turner doing his "balancing stick with a book" pose.

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