What I do when I don't do derby

People tend not to think this when they look at me, but I really, really enjoy yoga. I've been practicing it on and off for about a year now, since a woman at work started running classes in the morning. I went along as part of my "say yes to everything that comes your way" expecting it to be a sedate, boring version of exercise, but very quickly got hooked. I'm not the most diligent of yoginis, I find it hard to practice at home as my mind tends to go blank after about 15 minutes and I can't remember any asanas (poses), and with the recent move and upheavals, it's taken me a little while to settle, find a new class or two and find some calm.

Between relationships breaking down, moving house, huge stresses at work (schoolchildren can be hard to work with: who knew?) and some other bits and bobs, I have been under a lot of stress. I took up smoking again, stopped cooking actual food (I seem to live on toast and peanut butter these days, maybe the odd can of beans in the evening. I'm not eating much, put it that way). Whilst I appreciate that these troubles are minor in the current climate, it's hard to relax and let go, and with my recurring leg-fails the last week or so meaning that derby has been curtailed, I've felt worse.

The solution? Get back into yoga.

OK, so a lot of people would argue that it's not really exercise. Honest, I can see where they're coming from. I'm back from an hour and a half long class and I didn't break a sweat. So far, so fakexercise.

However.

It does a lot for your core strength and flexibility (very useful in derby). It teaches you how to focus on your body and what it's doing (again, derby). It teaches you how to breathe through something physically difficult (jamming), and how to stay calm in pressure situations (bout, scrimmage, training etc. etc.).

I'm feeling about a hundred times better today than I did yesterday, and yoga's definitely been a part of that feeling better. I've even managed to go without a single cigarette today, so I've decided to put an end to that nonsense. Yoga classes cost more, but are way better for me and my stress levels in the long run...