Tom's Favorite Things : #Yoga @CorePowerYoga

When I was a young lad, when not reading books and doing math puzzles, I loved being outside. As with most kids in the suburbs, playtime meant hours at the park. Tennis, basketball, soccer, riding bikes...you named it, we did it.

That streak of activity started to dwindle as I got older.  By the time I had hit my stride in the professional world, I realized that my successes in the board room was taking a toll on my body.  I didn’t get a gentle reminder of this, but rather found myself with constant back pain. 

It was the worst.

Since I was in the thick of growing my businesses, sleep was already a commodity in short supply. Add to that chronic pains and it was a miserable combination.

I was talking with my friend Brion over dinner one night.  Brion was a successful lawyer a few years older than me.  Somehow the topic of growing older and ache and pains came up.  He swore that visiting a chiropractor helped him.  His wife tried to convince us to do yoga.  Little did I know how fortuitous that short conversation would be.

After a few months with a chiropractor, I was feeling better. For all the progress, it felt like applying a Band-Aid to a massive wound. If I missed a week or got too wrapped up to do stretches at home, the pain would return immediately. 

I needed something more.

Around that time, a new yoga studio was opening right down the street.  They were giving away 2 free weeks of yoga - no strings attached.  I had only tried yoga once before; Bikram Yoga in the wrong clothes in Houston in the middle of summer is a disastrously hilarious experience. I thought this could be a great chance to see what all the hype was about.

The studio is called Core Power Yoga.  I tried their beginners level yoga class.  To be honest, I wasn’t impressed.  I didn’t have that physical or spiritual awakening I was expecting. 

Hm.  Dismayed, I moved on.

I fancied myself somewhat of a competent cyclist, so I tried their spinning class.  It was hell on two wheels.  When you are used to outdoor activities like running and cycling, and then move them inside to treadmills and spin classes, something gets lost in the translation.

Finally, like Goldilocks, I tried the last option, and it fit just right...and yes, it changed my life.

I am not in this picture.

Hot Power Fusion is a series of 26 postures performed in a precise order. It is set to music and practiced in a room heated to approximately 105 degrees for around 75 minutes.  I thought after going for a week or two that the repetitive poses would become boring- but it still hasn’t.

As soon as I signed up for a membership, I dug deeper into the history and evidence behind the powers of yoga. I have found that yoga means something different to everyone. For some it’s a kick-ass workout.  To others it’s a religious and almost mystical experience. And for some, it’s a mental detox.  I found myself straddling all three of these camps and finding peace in this ambiguity.

I now have some yoga clothes and a mat from Lululemon (yes, I know...I’m that guy).  I continue my practice and think I have finally found a sustainable solution to keep me going for years to come. 

If you get a chance, give it a shot- what’s the worst that could happen?