"If you try sometimes, you might find…" (from Jen)

Resolutions. Yup, it’s just about that time. I read a friend’s New Year’s blog on the topic, and it was about going after what you WANT, as opposed to what you think you SHOULD. OK, I get it, but maybe it’s because I’m reading Keith Richards’s LIFE that I think sometimes it’s really more about getting what you NEED. And we don’t always recognize it, right?

In September, my office moved away from the yoga studio where I practiced, so I took a breather from it. Frankly, I was not feeling it—a combination of taking fast-paced, advanced classes where I felt my precision slipping away and a lack of community, despite the name on the joint. I thought I’d give my neighborhood branch of the gym a try for yoga, since I loved the other classes there. At the risk of sounding like a yoga snob, I’ll admit my bias—in my experience, gym yoga has not been that good. If I did find a good class, it was condensed with little variety and zero philosophy.

So I set off for class the next Tuesday morning with little expectations, and suffered through a very long opening downward facing dog. Then another. Oh, and another. And then lots of holding everything. I couldn’t wait to leave. And yet, I knew I had to stay. My body (and my mind) needed the discipline, and I needed to take my practice down a notch. Staying at the studio where they know my level (and let’s face it, where there IS an element of competition) wouldn’t have allowed for that. I became a regular on Tuesday mornings. Eventually, I began to look forward to it.

Finally in town for a weekend, I tried a Saturday class, and wow — an hour and a half session with all the trappings of a vinyasa class, complete with a dedication, a heartfelt series of ohms, pranayama, and a proper savasana. I felt lucky to have found this class, so I pushed on to Sunday morning, where I found a third class – this time with an impish dude who was the closest thing to a fellow BuddhaBabe – he pushes the class to the edge, but keeps his humor.

I felt lucky this autumn, having found three new teachers to guide the teacher within me, and I look forward to practicing with them in 2011. Ever the multi-tasker, I’m psyched to be maximizing my gym membership and saving on studio fees. I’m sure I’ll be checking out some new studios this year to stretch and experiment, or I’ll head out on another retreat with the money I’m saving!

So why not try this as your resolution: Try something new this January, and you might get exactly what you need from the class you’d least expect!