When I was a young teenager, yoga was nothing like it is now. I mean, the poses were the same but that’s about it. Yoga was this freaky foreign exotic “thing” that hippies did and no one else really knew anything about it. Yogurt (yoga/yogurt – work with me, people) was like that too. Unless you had immigrant parents like I did, and then it was something that was always in your fridge much to your friends’ disgust. Don’t even get me started on kale – another staple at my house and none of my friends’ during the 1970s. I was eating kale and yogurt decades before they were cool. If I don’t live to be 100, I’ll be pissed. But I digress…
When I was a young teenager, I saw a hand-lettered sign outside a church that offered free yoga in the basement. I don’t know how I knew what yoga even was as there was no internet in those days and I lived in a small, conservative southern Ontario town. How did people learn anything back then? I was THERE, back then, and even I can’t figure it out now! I probably read about it or saw it on the news as I was very into counter-culture from a young age and trying desperately to catch onto the tail-end of hippie-dom – I felt cheated by being born just a tad too late to partake in the full glory of it all. Anywho…there I go again, digressing...me and a couple of friends did end up going to the church basement to check out the yoga class being offered.
So, let me set the scene. There is a group of us in this dingy church basement – people are in a variety of outfits. Some of us are in exercise “leotards” – plain black with tights. Some of us are in t-shirts and shorts or sweatpants. We are all shoeless. I forget what the teacher was wearing or anything else about them – I think the teacher was female and youngish but don’t quote me.
There are no yoga mats. We are on the bare floor. There are no yoga blocks, yoga towels, yoga bands, yoga water bottles. No yoga clothes or gear…you get the picture. The instructor leads us through an hour of poses (asanas). There is a shavasana meditation at the end. Mind-blowing! Then we go home. There is no expectation of money changing hands for either party. As I recall, back then it was JUST. NOT. DONE. Yoga instruction was supposed to be freely given. No one taught yoga for the dollahz. There was no yoga “industry” as yet. It was just this weird kind of spiritual-y exercise that almost no one knew about (in my little corner of the world, that is) and I loved it.
A few months later my mom gifted me a little paperback yoga instruction book, written by an Indian lady and on every page was a picture of her (in her leotard) in a new pose with accompanying text on what it did for your body and your health. I used to have the book next to me on the floor of our family room as I tried to enact the asanas on my own, after the church basement yoga sessions had ended. I think by this time there was also a yoga show on American public television, but our house got 2 channels pre-cable so I only found out about it years later.
Then “Aerobics” hit, and I found a new love. I even participated in aerobi-thons, jumping around for hours to raise money for some cause or another. Ahh, the 80s! Scrunchies and leg warmers and neon and slouch-socks. Good times, good times. And leotards that were high-cut and anything but plain black.
I think yoga started being an “industry” around the 90s…I was busy with 2 little kids then on top of working, so most of the late 80s to mid 90s is a bit of a blur to me. But when I could raise my head up again, I noticed there were yoga classes being offered at the community centre and after-hours in school gyms and I started going to these. Still no yoga mats; we used exercise mats instead. No yoga clothes, but our aerobics gear worked well for this. And, it was no longer free. But pretty reasonable, as yet.
I think around 2010-ish our little village got an actual yoga studio – I had been taking classes at the rec centre with this instructor and he had become so popular that it was the next logical step for him to have his own place. Now the classes were getting crowded and pricey – not that I begrudge Mike the money – the studio was/is beautiful and the instruction was/is first-rate. But I couldn’t afford the time or $$ to go more than once per week, and his class schedule and mine didn’t always work out.
I still signed up for yoga sessions from time to time with some very good instructors at my local rec centre, but once a week just wasn’t enough for me and I dreamed of being able to develop a regular and more frequent practice. I bought many yoga DVDs to do at home but they didn’t quite satisfy – either the instruction was lacking or the poses felt rushed or it was beyond my current level. And the background music usually sucked. “When I retire”, I would say, “then I will be able to do more yoga, somehow and somewhere.”
So here I am retired for almost a full month and I am happy to report that I have been successful in starting a regular yoga practice – at home! And boy, do I need it! I have a long way to go to regaining my former state of flexibility, if that is even possible.
I’m so happy that I’ve found my dream instructor, on YouTube – believe it or not! Adriene Mishler as a yoga instructor is absolutely top notch, in my opinion. Yoga with Adriene is a popular website and channel (6 million subscribers, including moi!) with loads of free yoga videos of varying lengths and levels. For me, Yoga with Adriene is like stepping back in time to the early 70s, when yoga was free and yoga teachers seemed to be on a holy mission just to get yoga “out there” to the North American masses.
I’ve started with her beginner videos – going back to the basics with a beginner’s (yet again!) mind – as I begin treating my formerly desk-bound self to some full body stretching and mindful posing.
I’ve made it a lovely ritual – this daily yoga practice of mine – I light candles, put a heavenly scent in my diffuser, and (thanks to my daughter’s recommendation) I cue up DJ Taz Rashid on Ye Olde Spotify, to be the background accompaniment to Adriene’s calming and knowledgeable instruction as I prepare to meet myself on the mat.
And always, afterwards: a lovely bit of shavasana at the end of it all.
ADIDAS – All Day I Dream About Shavasana 😉
Do you yoga?
Namaste and rock on,
The WB
With regular practice, you’ll regain your flexibility in no time, Deb. Plus other benefits from yoga. I’ve been practicing yoga for many years, started out with Ashtanga and have moved to Hatha. I’m taking classes twice/ week and do yoga on my own, too. Namaste!
That’s great to read, Natalie! Thank you and namaste 🙏 💕
I yoga when I can and it’s not nearly often enough. And when I yoga, I yoga with Adriene too. I found her several years ago and nobody is better for what I’m looking for. Thanks for the reminder that I need to get back to it. I feel so much better when I do.
You are most welcome, Reticula 💕 That woman is a gift!
I am in stitches with your yoga-yogurt connection!!!
And OMG! a blast to the past – I did aerobics to Kathy Smith VCRs as well. And I even owned those scrunchy leg warmers!
More power to you, Deb! Enjoy your daily dose of yoga & serenity (?).
Hehehehe! Thank you Ju-Lyn. 💕
Ahhh – this was fun. A reminder that in comparison, I was a lump until my mid-40s. No leotards, scrunchies, slouchy socks, or other cool paraphernalia of the times for me. Anything that suggested physical effort and sweating was shunned if I could get away with it.
Yogurt on the other hand, was a household staple. We do after all share a similar background 😉
A daily stretching routine and irregular attendance at various yoga classes became a staple for me when I started running, then cycling, then swimming, now hiking. I credit my then-coach for insisting it was the best thing I could do for my aging body. I can’t begin to imagine what state of immobility I might be in now if I hadn’t heeded her advice … says the woman who has been battling an IT band issue since early December.
Keep on rocking that yoga mat, Badass.
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/71/af/89/71af89251d6c2507569fa40dc25865c7.png
Yeah! Late bloomers unite! I ran my first 5K in my 40s and went on to do 5 half-marathons. I get you, girl. 💕 We’ll probably be competing in body building competitions in our 70s 🤣
Oh my … the images that popped into my head 😳 😆
I started doing yoga wearing the leotards like the ones in the advert. I felt I was so stylish. The classes were on a university campus in an old recitation hall that hadn’t been cleaned in a decade. There was much sneezing. We used old blankets as our mats. From that beginning I’ve practiced yoga off and on over the decades. Sadly, all my favorite teachers around here have retired, so I’m flying in the wind about yoga. I’m going to check out the link you shared. Adriene might be my new teacher.
Let me know what you think, Ally Bean!
Hi, Deb – After I stopped laughing about the yogurt, scrunchies and kale, I got a well-needed kick in the butt from this post. As soon as I retired, I began regular yoga practice at a nearby studio. That continued for 4 years. 9 months ago, my yoga muse left abruptly and I’ve never (yet) made it back to the studio. Time to give yoga with Adrianne a try! Thank you for the reminder!
You are most welcome, Donna 💕 I hope you like her. Or else we can no longer be friends. JUST KIDDING 😉
Yoga (or yogurt, for that matter) didn’t crop up in my southern Ontario consciousness until Jane Fonda hit the workout circuit. I seem to recall owning (or perhaps just coveting?) a florid pair of leg warmers.
I’ve partaken, I’ve benefited, but mostly I keep my distance. I know it has benefits. I know I feel better after a session. But I STILL have issues with body consciousness that go way back… not unlike the wee elephant from Joanne’s link – the one with her face planted in the surf.
I hear that. Yoga is not supposed to be competitive or stressful – until you end up in a class with a bunch of cooler-than-thou Lululemon clad yogis who are looking down at you in your 15 year old neon Lycra. Another reason to love my home practice!
I have never done yoga and never plan to but my older brother and his buddy from where he used to live have been doing it twice a week for five years. They loved it until they got a new instructor recently who keeps telling them to get yoga pants if they want to continue in her class. They’ve been wearing sweats. I can’t even picture 80 something old men in yoga pants! I understand her not being able to see their form but my point is an instructor makes all the difference in whether or not you enjoy a class and I’m so happy you found what works for you!
Wow! That instructor sounds terrible and very anti-yoga in philosophy. She should be happy to have these elders in her class. I’ve heard of these “my way or the highway” instructors and am glad I have never encountered one. I hope your brother and his friend find a better instructor soon.
I’ve done a lot of different types of fitness stuff and always found yoga difficult. Maybe that means I need it? Good for you, though! And thanks for the trip down memory lane. I love those photos!
I don’t know if that means you need it, Tracey. I think it can be very difficult, with the wrong instructor. That’s why I love Yoga with Adriene so much. She is very reassuring and tells people to listen to their own bodies and find their own poses instead of feeling like a failure if they can’t look like the “pros”.
When I first retired, I investigated yoga but found it very pricey in our area. It cost 4x a regular gym so I went with a gym instead. I’d love to do an intro and then try it at home. Maybe I will. As for yogurt, I loved it way before it was popular. I came from an Austrian-German family who used sour cream in everything and yogurt is just a hop away from sour cream. Sometimes I made my own and I always got plain and added fruit as I wanted. That commercial stuff is so sweet. Makes my teeth curl. There are so many things I loved about the 80s but you can’t beat today’s exercise clothes!
Agreed, Kate! I used to make my own yogurt too (overnight in the oven as well as in a commercial yogurt maker), and also agree about the sweetness of flavoured yogurts. I used to love fruit-bottom yogurt because I could just dip the tip of my spoon into the fruit mix on the bottom to adjust the sweetness level to a more tolerable (to me) state. Now I love plain Greek yogurt – the higher the fat content, the better. Which I can doctor up (or not) with add-ins as I please.
We are yogurt sisters! I did the dippy-dippy with fruit on the bottom too. Especially when I was in a pinch and didn’t have time to doctor up my own.
👍😁
We’re very close in age! I also missed out on that total hippie thing. Did go to coffee houses in Montreal and fell in love with Jesse Winchester!
We had kale in our house, we immigrated from Ireland.
I didn’t get into yoga until a lot later when it was pricey! Would love to find somewhere reasonable and during the day now. But I think I will check out the site you mentioned!
Yeah, we just missed the hippy “boat” but luckily a bohemian lifestyle and being “boho” is popular again so I feel I’ve got a second shot at it 😜. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it. 😁 Jackie, I think you might be very pleased with Yoga with Adriene. I know I was. 💕
Deb, thank you so much for the link to Adriene. I was just discussing this last week with my therapist and we were brainstorming on where I could go for beginner yoga. It’s nice to know I don’t have to go anywhere except my living room. I just subscribed to Adriene so thank you again. – Also. Those scrunchies and leg warmers are back in full force now. 😀
Oh, that’s great Mimi! I hope it works for you 💕 I had no idea scrunchies and leg warmers were making a comeback. I’m in 😁
Good move Deb, keep that up and you’ll reach 100 and be in excellent shape. Now that’s worth doing.
Leslie
Thank you Leslie 💕
<3 <3
This is awesome Deb! Thanks for the links and I can’t wait to check it out. Totally agree about how yoga is so commercial now it kinda takes away from the original purpose… not really, only if you let it (isn’t that a yogi way of thinking?) My parents were immigrants too, and we always had yogurt in the fridge.
OK, so now I need to start thinking like a yogi 🧘♂️ 😁 Thanks CG 💕
Thanks for the push, and for two beautiful gifts – music and Yoga, can’t go wrong.
Great! Glad you think so Suzanne – I do too. 💕
Deb, Very funny on the kale, yogurt, pissed. I used to actually make yogurt when my daughters were babies. What was I thinking? I was an aerobics addict too when I was a young Mother. Yes, sanity. Whatever it took.
I read your post last night, Deb, and I did get caught up in the music. Very witty on the ADIDAS. Long story short, I got addicted to Bikram about 4-5 years ago. First, as my daughter’s guest on a free weekend. The studio is right across the street from where I was working. A VERY busy street, and I would dash across after work to make it to class on time almost every day. Risking my life for the zen, decompression, rebirth, challenge. 914 classes later. Yes, Shavasana is the best pose. Namaste.🙏
Hi Erica – I can’t take credit for the ADIDAS as it was something Adriene said in the first video I watched of hers, that resonated with me. I thought it was funny too because usually people usually use ADIDAS for All Day I Dream About Sex…and these days I will always choose shavasana instead, to dream about 🤣🤣🤣 Is Bikram the “hot” yoga? I am afraid to try that due to my heat exhaustion problems.
I did not know the “other” phrase for ADIDAS. Good grief, I have led a sheltered life. Thanks for enlightening me, Deb. 😉Yes, Bikram is 90 minute, hot yoga. I had many preconceived ideas until I started. If you are at all curious, I wrote a post about it for Sue’s Sizzling Towards 60 and Beyond site last year, as to what really happens in that yoga class. I will check out Adriene with all the great reviews. Enjoy your weekend. 🙂
What an awesome retrospective on yoga and yogurt. Ain’t it grand to have lived so long to have this perspective AND to have time to explore your interests? A funny post. I love your voice in this one. I hear a new Deb emerging.
Wow! Thank you Susanne 💕
Namaste, Widow.
Thank you for this exceptional piece of work.
Thank you Hook! 💕
My husband and I talk about taking up yoga… does that count? A new studio is just about to open that is so close to our house that it would be really difficult to make excuses. That old ad for the leotards really brought back memories… not only of those form-fitting togs, but of the form I used to have.
Well, it counts with me because I talked about yoga for decades without doing it more than sporadically. 🤣🤣🤣 Yeah, I feel that way about the leotards too Janis 😜
I did yoga twice a week for a smidge over a year in 2018 and into 2019. But then yoga broke me. Not yoga’s fault. I am naturally broken (as my parents’ say, I was their practice run, they got it right with my brothers, lol). But I haven’t been able to go back to it yet (2019 was a horror year trying to get me even a little unbroken). I hope I can because I think the stretching is good, although I am the worst yoga student ever, lol.
Be gentle with yourself, AJ 💕
Your post reminded me of my first pregnancy and video workouts with none other than Jane Fonda. And before that, going to my very first gym – I think it was called Kelly Lynn’s – to work out with my mother. I had forgotten what we wore to the gym back then until seeing your catalog page with the leotards. Yup, that was our active wear at Kelly Lynn’s.
I would like to take a few yoga classes. We do a little yoga as part of our gym warm up now but have never been to a real class. Probably not doing it right at all. Good for you to have been ‘into’ yogurt and kale before it was cool!! You wear it well.
😄 Thanks! A lot of people have commented on the leotards. Hard to imagine that these and grey or navy sweats were pretty much the only fitness options back then, other than sport-specific outfits.
Ah I so enjoyed this post!! So well written and had me smiling in acknowledgment and chuckling out loud.
When I was fifteen and living in South Africa, my friend dragged me to a yoga class on Saturday mornings. We were the only students and the teacher was a tiny Indian woman who sat on our backs to push us lower in certain poses and she burnt incense which made it all very exotic!
As a young mom in Chicago there was one yoga studio but I was more drawn to aerobics and had the colored leotards and cut off tights haha. And then I discovered pilates for a while.
And finally back to yoga in 2000 and been at it ever since. I feel as though yoga “saved my life” more than once. When I had breast cancer surgery for eight hours in 2005, the nurses wondered what I was doing before my surgery, folding over forwards and deep breathing. Even then yoga was not exactly mainstream as it is today. They definitely thought I was super weird. But I went into surgery relaxed and calm thanks to yoga.
I try to get in at least a short practice at home as often as possible and then strive for at least two classes a week, and in a good week, three. The beauty of living in Asia is that classes are $6-$8 a class. And I discovered that the more I do it, the less hard it is. and when I don’t do it, my body gets tight and I get grouchy. The more space I create in my body the more space I grt in my mind. It really works for me.
Peta
Thanks Peta 💕 As a young mom I really needed aerobics to burn away the frustrations of parenting wee ones- it helped me readjust my attitude on the days that I thought I would jump out of my skin if I heard “mommy?!” one more time. (Their dad was not shouldering his part of the load so care of the kids/house was almost all on me, with no respite.)
Now I need yoga for all the reasons you mentioned. I’ve only been back at yoga for a week, but I already feel much better and a tad more limber. I know it will only get better 🙏
Deb, it was funny to read about your teenage experiences of yoga in small town Ontario. I was growing up in small town northern BC around the same, also just a little too young to catch the hippie era. Although, our town was ten years behind the times and filled with draft dodgers and back-to-the-landers, so I kind of managed to be a fringe hippie after all (and now I’m married to a former hippie). Someone in my home town was enlightened because we had yoga as part of our phys-Ed instruction in junior high school. Fast-forward 35 years, and I signed up for a community yoga class with my teenaged daughter. And then I finally started practicing yoga regularly in 2016, the year before I retired.
Jude
So jellie of you having yoga for phys ed! We had all the regular stuff till grade 12 when we were introduced to some wild stuff like curling 🥌😁