When I was growing up, I dabbled with several different forms of physical activity. As a young child, I enjoyed chasing my brother around the house or riding my little red tricycle in our small backyard. When I turned five years old, life became more structured at the house. My mother started taking my brother and me to organized sports in the form of enrichment classes through the local parks and recreation program. We participated in group tennis lessons, swimming lessons at the local pool. I also spent years ballet/tap dancing, and Chinese folk dancing. My involvement with these activities narrowed to competitive swimming for the municipal team and junior varsity tennis team in high school.
My Introduction to Yoga
As a curious undergraduate student at University of California, Riverside (UCR), I wanted to try different gym classes at the new recreation center. I took several morning yoga classes and I really enjoyed trying the poses. When I moved back home to LA for teacher education, I felt at ease going to pilates and dancing classes at the local studio. Although I had early exposure to many different recreational activities, I struggled to find a workout that I savored and missed. My consistency would fade as I transitioned to new jobs, move to another city, and traveled for conferences.
My Hot Yoga Story
My hot yoga story originated when I experienced a major roadblock personally and professionally. I had been six years into my Ph.D. program at UCSB and I was in the middle of writing my dissertation. Although, I was still funded with a string of teaching assistantships and making decent progress, I felt physically and emotionally exhausted.
I recalled a conversation with my significant other about our New Years’ Resolutions. We came to consensus about prioritizing our health and fitness in the year 2020. Although the health and fitness resolutions seemed cliché and not likely to be addressed, we gradually tweaked and modifying our habits. We spent hours on the phone sharing our favorite life hacks, workout routines, and sharing healthy recipes.
Even though I made major progress with my health and wellness, I had yet to experience healing. In June 2021, I tried hot yoga in Downtown Santa Barbara and the first workout was an epic struggle. Perhaps my biggest fear with yoga was getting started again. I had not bent down to touch my toes in over a year, so I anticipated even more difficulty maintaining my balance with the more advanced poses.
The instructors at Power of Your Om (on State Street) helped me tremendously when they modeled the techniques, explained which muscle groups were supposed to be engaged. With their coaching, they also enabled me to gain wider range of motion with blocks, straps, and modifications.
Whenever I entered the hot yoga studio, I knew I invested in my wellness. I stored my tote bag and my sandals in the cubby outside the hot room. As I quietly entered the hot room, all the stress I carried in my mind and body melted away. I rolled out my mat, set up my blocks, sat down, and closed my eyes.
When I sat on my mat with my eyes closed, I became a younger, joyful version of myself. I spent so many hours standing or sitting in front of the computer. When I sat on my rear end without my phone, I was transported back to “rug time” (See Author’s Note at the end of the post.) from childhood. The yoga instructor asked us what we wanted to do with the time spent together. Intentionality was so important at every step. I also savored the practice of gratitude.
In a way, hot yoga was more than just a workout or a break from dissertation revisions. It became a safe place for me to quiet my mind. I disconnected from all the calendar alerts, zoom calls, and the news reports.
As much as I struggled with the poses, I knew I had to push myself even a little bit more and try my hardest to finish the session. These difficult workouts served as metaphors to many other challenges I encountered over the years. When I progressed and stretched further than the previous session, I feel accomplished and empowered.
Hot yoga is the most difficult part of my day and makes the rest of my day run so much smoother. The peace I experience after my yoga class is like the sparkle I carry around wherever I go.
Author’s Note: Rug time is used to describe when small children gather and sit on an area rug in an elementary school classroom for announcements from the teacher, read-aloud activities, or group games.
Lilly C. Lew Ph.D. 