A few years ago I was able to spend a summer living and working in Northern California. While staying there, I lived with my aunt who is a general health fanatic. At the time, she belonged to a speed walking group that was in training for a half marathon in San Francisco in the fall, and definitely put my cardio skills to shame.

She also belonged to a really great gym and I signed up with her for the duration of my stay. Now generally when I go to the gym, I am going there to do some intense cardio, burn off some calories and throw around a few (pretty light) weights. This has always been what I believe a good workout to entail, however, my dear auntie decided that I should expand my horizons and come to yoga class with her.

For one hour, I mostly laid on my back, sometimes sitting up and contorting into various stretches, focusing on my breathing, trying to inhale and exhale at the appropriate times, as per the instructor. The experience was supposed to be a relaxing and soothing one, but I was just frustrated and discouraged because I really could not get the breathing thing down and I was pretty angry that I had a wasted an hour at the gym that could have been used on the elliptical machine or the Stairmaster, burning calories and sweating profusely.

Needless to say, that was my first and last trip to yoga class -- until the beginning of this semester at Butler. Of course, my aunt was pretty incredulous as to why I signed up for a class when I hated it so much the first time, but she ended up feeling justified that I was giving it another shot. I, myself, don’t really understand what possessed me to enroll, but I think that the Tai Chi class didn’t fit in my schedule, so I had to resort to yoga as my second choice.

Now I am forced to attend class in order to pass, and -- I dare say -- I greatly enjoy the practice of yoga, five years later. I don’t know if it is because I am more open-minded in my old age or if I am just lazy and now care less about burning calories -- just kidding. In all seriousness, I find that yoga not only energizes me for the day but also works to build some core strength and to maintain my flexibility.

Therefore, while I still can’t really get the whole “Inhale/ “Exhale” pattern down in the slightest, I find that doesn’t really matter so much. I am more inclined now to concentrate on what some good contortionist-like stretching of my muscles can to do improve my day.

Maybe now my aunt and I can try a class again sometime, without me complaining.