The Yoga Paintings of Jan Hyde
I had always disliked yoga. I actually really loathed yoga. I just didn’t have the yoga personality. I had things to do, people to see, places to go and you mean to tell me I need to cover myself in a blanket and do Shavasana? If you have never practiced yoga, Google it. It’s the corpse pose. I guess I didn’t have an appreciation for lying still in a corpse-like posture while listening to meditation music and seagulls. And the mere thought of oming in a room full of people made me want to snicker because it just seemed so silly.
I first tried yoga in a class that was held above the garage of a woman my sister knew. It was a nice studio and Mary seemed like a nice person, but each week when my mom, sister and I went, I felt more and more stressed. I found that I just couldn’t stand the slow pace; the quieting of the mind. I did the 6 week session and declared that yoga just wasn’t my sport. I tried it one more time at the local Y and the instructor showed up wearing jeans to teach the class and she would actually fall asleep, complete with loud snoring, during Shavasana. The only time she seemed like a yoga “teacher” was the time that I sat silently while everyone else omed their three oms; one to the room, one to the earth and one to the universe. She would look at me and sternly say, “let’s try that one more time.” Please don’t make me om!
That was about 8 years ago and I had the idea in my head that yoga actually made me angry. When my MS specialist told me that yoga was a very good exercise for people with MS, I still avoided it for several months. On one of my last rides home from Pilates, I happened to drive by a studio that just caught my eye. It was an old mill building with a brook running beneath it. I went online, found the website and saw that the schedule was very flexible. There was no commitment to take a set amount of classes. My friend S had been trying to get me to revisit yoga and when I told her about this studio she tried a free class. She loved the place and assured me that there was no oming involved. I decided to give it a go. It was a large, but not too large, stylishly Zen studio, comfortably warm and dimly lit. I immediately felt comfortable there. The first class I tried was a Vinyasa Sundown Flow and it was very physical. I felt challenged in that it required a lot of upper body strength and the instructor moved rather quickly from one pose to the next, thus the flow aspect. It was nothing like any yoga class I had ever done and while maybe that class was too physical for a beginner, I bought a five class pass and started trying different classes twice a week.
One of my favorite classes is the beginner class on Monday mornings and I find it to be a fantastic way to begin the week. On sunny days, the large windows that wrap around three sides of the studio, provide yoga mat sized sunny patches that make me feel like a cat in the sunshine. The instructor is so warm and engaging, I would probably om while standing on my head if that is what she asked of me. While that was probably an exaggeration, I have been known to now om on occasion and it no longer feels wrong to me. Shavasana has become my favorite part of class. Last night I went to a gentle yoga with mediation class and the instructor went around the class during this quiet time, massaging each students head and using aromatherapy oil to give a blessing on our foreheads. It felt amazing to have my MS rattled head pampered in such a way. I have also participated in a work shop that was 3 hours of restorative poses, which essentially was an afternoon of creative Shavasana and was simply amazing.
I have caught yoga fever and I’m not looking for a cure. Whether or not you have a specific health issue, yoga seems to be an all around whole body fitness routine that not only engages your physicality, but also your mind. As anyone with MS has experienced, closing your eyes while standing straight with arms at your side results in an automatic swaying of the body, but yoga has improved this for me personally as it is excellent for challenging your balance. I highly recommend it and suggest that you don’t give up before trying it at several studios to find your comfort zone. May the pure light of your spirit shine and guide you through each day… Namaste.
msguided journey 
I’ve always wanted to try yoga but because I’m overweight and the MS has totally taken over my body I haven’t been able to try it. I do have a yoga DVD that is specifically designed for people who are overweight and disabled, like myself, but even that I find to be a challenge. I mostly find challenge in my body stiffness, which medicines can’t seem to touch. Ah, to be able to bend and stretch without spasms. Your descriptions make me want to purr like a cat in the sun!
Thanks for stopping by. Have you tried the Terry Wahls diet? It is quite effective for weight loss with the possible side effect of being beneficial to helping to prevent or alleviate MS symptoms. I’ve lost 15 lbs since December. That aside, I am the stiffest person in my yoga classes but it is truly a judgement free zone. Everyone’s journey is their own. Try it…
Hey, have been reading your blog. Great courage and my hat off to you for taking a leap of faith and stepping outside the lines, taking control of your own healing.
I went through a very similar experience with bowel disease. Swap out MS for IBD and the medication names, leave all the food stuff there, and what I experienced is very similar to yours.
I don’t know how much things were progressing before, but it seems like they have levelled off.
I have a suggestion for an extra boost, try juicing. Don’t stop what you’re doing, but you can easily double your vegetative nutritional daily intake, buy adding a pint of freshly juiced, vegetable juice to each meal. All the goodness of raw food. If you try it, try one of the single auger type juicers, they’re much easier to use, the juice is way better, and they’re easier to clean.
I’m so glad to be crossing paths with you on our yoga journeys. Peace and love.
Namaste.
Thanks for stopping by and same to you.
@ J…thanks for stopping by. I may explore the juicing option. So many people are on that trend. I just love the crunch and textures of whole fruits and vegetables so I am not sure if drinking them is for me. Most people are amazed at how many srevings I can fit into my 115 lb body and seing I no longer indulge in bread and pasta I need some texture in my diet!
Hi there! Love your site! I am also “om”ing it up DAILY! Plus I started the Wahl’s recovery diet about two weeks ago, plus I am doing meditation. I recovered my right foot function with yoga, I have eleminated the high spasticity medication dosage with yoga and diet…all this being said, I have not been “officially” diagnosed with MS, right now my fancy neurologist has diagnosed me with unspecified demylinating disease of the central nervous system…aka MS ….I plan to challenge him in my diet, yoga, meditation recovery program. I pray he will support me in this. Nice to find someone else who is rockin some of these options. Hugs,
Olivia
i wish I could get to yoga daily. I’ve been lucky to get there once a week lately. I know it really helps and I’m going to try to make a better effort. You may need a new doctor who isn’t afraid to call it like it is especially if it means the difference between being able to be prescribed MS disease modifying drugs. Then again maybe you are better off just doing what your doing and never latching on to the MS label. Thanks for reading my blog.
I just started doing yoga last week via a free trial from Groupon… And I will most likely spend the money for the monthly membership when the freebie is over. I love it. It’s such a good workout and so calming. Anyway, I remembered your post about yoga and just wanted to comment that I think it’s wonderful! I hope all is well and you still get to practice too.
Natalie, I remain a fan of Yoga and a believer in its benefits, but I haven’t been to a class since the beginning of Summer. I have returned to Zumba, because I missed aerobic exercise. I need to find a way to put Yoga back into my routine as well as Qi Gong, which I felt was a huge benefit as well. Best wishes on your Yoga journey!