A new beginning [Part 2] - yoga in Serbia

So my "new beginning" needed to address a major issue that I'd been struggling with: being happy to be alone.

Yoga is hugely popular in the West, and has been for a really long time, but to be honest, I never quite got it. I thought it was just stretching and chanting and that people did it either to improve flexibility (kind of like physio), or simply to hop the pop-culture bandwagon.

Having dealt with a lot of "hits" since my arrival, both my mom and a friend (from back home) had suggested yoga as not only something to occupy my time, but a healthy way to learn to deal with all the icky things in life. So I began reading more about the principles and ideas behind it, and figured: what-the-hey, it couldn't hurt.

To my surprise, yoga appears to be as popular here as it is in the West. Having concluded Serbs are far less openly emotional/sensitive than Canadians, I thought it would be difficult to embark on finding a suitable yoga studio - but I quickly became overwhelmed with the number of studios and amount of classes offered.

After a lot of google-ing and sending out a ton of emails requesting information on pricing and scheduling, true to Serbian-form, I only received replies from two yoga studios (which are only a short drive away) making it much easier to compare and make a decision.

So I had my first ever yoga class today, and of all places, in Serbia! And it was... interesting. Having no previous knowledge of yoga whatsoever, I really did my homework on what to expect, and I don't think anyone really captured the awkwardness you feel at first. Moreover, because the class is instructed in Serbian, I cheated and kept my eyes open to see what body parts she was referring to (like the part where your neck meets your head. Don't judge - I just proved that I don't really know how to describe it in English either). On a more positive note: the place I went to provided all necessary equipment/props. Also, as opposed to what I read, it was not frowned upon to ask some questions and clarifications while getting into poses - but this could be because there were only 6 people in the class (which the instructor mentioned is only typical of cold rainy days like today).

In terms of the yoga itself, it was more painful and strenuous than relaxing, that is, until we did the sort of relaxation/meditation/visualization/nap-time thing at the end - which ultimately made me decide to sign up and give it a real go. As cliché as it may sound, I did have some moment of clarity, and amid all the negative and painful thoughts creeping into my head, I really want to be "at peace" and to "release" all those thoughts - like the instructor said. I left feeling empowered or something... and decided to take myself out to dinner - and actually sit in a restaurant alone: another first.

If yoga can motivate me to do all that, I'm in!... And being able to flip my body into ridiculous shapes is just a bonus!

small step = small pasta for dinner