November 10, 2008 at 7:00 in the morning, I ventured to a journey of finding “my center. ” Off I went to Citigym in Waterfront to attend my first yoga class which was handled by Kate Luym, an Ashtanga yoga instructor. The class started with breathing, inhaling , exhaling and holding our breath for four parts. This was easy. For the difficult part, we were asked to do the Samasthiti or Perfect Standing Pose by standing and finding our center, lifting our toes and spreading them wide. Kate Luym said that it was better to spread our toes wider for balance. We were asked to rock subtly from heel to toes to find the center line of our toes.
Once found, we were asked to stop rocking and committed the pose to memory. Our attention was then directed upwards, with every part of the body aligned and we reached both hands upwards, elongating the spine. Then came Surya Namaskara A or the Sun Salute A Pose by standing and finding our center, distributing evenly our weight over both feet. We stretched our hands on the sides then over our heads, as if reaching for the sun (since we were inside the gym, it was as if we were reaching for the ceiling). As we exhaled, we slowly bent down, touching the earth. As we inhaled, our gaze was lifted but our hands remained firmly on the ground.
After this, we proceeded Padahastasana or the Foot to Hand Forward Bend Pose which consisted a standing position with hands on our hips then we were instructed to bend, not from the waist but from the hip joints. I was supposed to touch the floor in that same position but I could not. I hurt really bad. So, I took a break, not just from that position but from that yoga class altogether as by body ached. I had the chance to interview Kate Luym. She said that Ashtanga yoga also known as Power yoga is the preferred choice of athletes. I always thought that yoga is 80% meditation and 20% stamina.
But is type of yoga, which was derived from the Raja yoga, is actually the opposite of my misconception as Ashtanga yoga focuses heavily on strengthening a person’s stamina and endurance. She noted that even the so-called beginner’s poses are physically demanding, if not impossible for some. However, she maintained that this type of yoga, just like the others, aims to find the center “where the mind, the body, and the spirit meets. ” She assured me that I was not alone in having to take a break as the first session was overwhelming but she further challenged me to finish the four-week session.