Melissa Anderson
I've worked with computers for years, doing support on other people's computers where I had no control over the ergonomics of the setup. In addition I've always tended to bite off more than I can chew and created a lot of stress in my life. Eventually, of course, it caught up. I stepped back a little, gave up the caffeine that propelled me though a ridiculous schedule, and found myself in really horrible shape. In addition what had become chronic lower back pain, I had stiffness in the joints that felt like it should belong to a much older person.
I tried several yoga classes, but most of them were way beyond where I was at, even the beginning classes. Sure they told me to just do what I could, but I was so far away that I often left feeling discouraged, injured, or worse than when I came. Verna's class has been so different. We focus on more specific areas so I can actually see where I'm at and feel changes. And after a year of attending class from 2 - 4 days a week, I can say that I have always left feeling better than when I arrived, some days dramatically so, some days just a little, but it's easy to come back when you build up that kind of certainty!
Having tried yoga off and on for years, I know it's not for everyone at every point in their life. I don't tend to be evangelical about things just because they prove incredibly valuable to me. But I would gladly share that I have been able to find a detachment from stress and a perspective that I take with me when I leave the yoga mat that I couldn't find anywhere else.
I'm beginning my second year of regular yoga practice. I'm a former high school teacher and currently a web developer and information architect by trade.