Yoga

My wife Jilda is a certified Yoga instructor and she is very good. She teaches at local gyms, community centers, corporate facilities, and substance rehabilitation centers in the area. She has been doing yoga for a long time and she finally convinced me to give it a try.
I resisted for a long time because I thought it was a bunch of hooey. But I'm man enough to admit when I am wrong and I WAS wrong.
I took the first class and what looks like gentle moves and stretches are a lot harder than they look...especially when you hold the position for eight or ten breaths. Within the first ten minutes, I was sweating rivers. I had to hose off the mat after class. I learned to focus on breathing and trying to do the poses as good as I can. As Jilda says, "it's a journey." If you don't do the poses just right, you do them better next time.
When I told the guys at work that I was doing yoga, they thought I had lace on my underwear but I've been practicing for over a year and I discovered some remarkable things: I can look back over my shoulder at yield signs without turning my body around like grandpa did. I can walk up stairs without getting winded. I can bend down and tie my shoes without sitting down and the treadmill test I took in September was the best one ever. I stayed on the treadmill 50 percent longer than the test I had the previous year and the only thing I've done differently is yoga.
Your body is an amazing machine and the most important thing you own. If you do not take care of your body, you cannot enjoy other things in life. Money cannot buy you good health.
Do yourself a favor and attend a yoga class. If you are afraid of what others might say, buy a yoga tape or DVD and practice in the privacy of your home. Try it for about six month and see for yourself.
Breathe