What happened after inviting my boyfriend to yoga…
December 5, 2017 Ashley 0 Comments
“Wanna come to yoga class with me?”
This I asked my boyfriend on Thanksgiving morning.
Yeah, I realized it was a bit of a reach.
Almost as much of a reach as Kristen, our cousin-of-Gumby instructor, would be making us do toward our toes an hour after he (to my open jawed face) said: “Sure.” Actually, I wasn’t terribly surprised. My boo ‘n I have established this awesome sort’ve dynamic where I tour around in his totally different from mine world, and he does the same in mine. Sometimes we stay and hang out. Sometimes we say no thanks and hand back the brochure. This one was going to be especially fun, though. Why? Because since school kicked into high gear, I myself had un-yoked from my daily yoga carriage ride and tumbled out onto opposite of limber land. And, admittedly, I was having trouble re-mounting the mat again. At first, I thought it’d make the whole thing awkward. I thought it’d have him asking why I sucked so bad when I champion this hobby like I’m getting a commission from the boss of vinyasa himself.
But, actually, that’s exactly why asking my sig other to join me was the best decision I could’ve made.
(Actual photo of people who aren’t us.)
See, I’d assumed that because he’s a man’s man (see: overly manly man meme with fists coming out of his fists’ fists) he woudn’t’ve liked it. Like maybe it’d seem too “woo woo”. Or girly. Or that the music was too eyeroll-y. But, to my surprise, by the end, he was loving it – and kicking azz at a lot of poses he’d never known about before. Holding up a hand’s width of distance between his fingers, he told me (amazed), “I stretched by this much more in just 75 minutes. I could never do that before!”
What’s more, his success at certain poses I’d never dared to try – spurred my own motivation to give those poses (plus a few new ones) a go. (“If he can do crow, I can do crow!”) It brought a whole new level to the typical yoga classes I’d past attended – and left, totally bored. Now I have a reason to get back to the mat on my own time – to challenge myself with the new stuff I’ve learned. Even better? Now I’ve got a new yoga partner. I mean, if it wasn’t shock and awe and wonder enough that the love of my life loved something new I’d intro’d him to, his next comment was a supercharged cognitive atomic bomb: “We should make this a weekly thing.”
Hellz to the yeah.
And what’s the takeaway? That you should rope your beau into yoga with you? Maybe. But the real point here is this: if you wanna get back on track with your fave weight loss (or maintenance) activity, especially during the holidays, maybe ask your friend, lover, family member, or even that cute barista who knows just how to foam the top’ve your latte to join you. As you reignite your love for your former fitness activity, you might just deepen the dynamic of whoever you’re with too.
They’ll find something new they like – which is great for them, sure; but it’s also great for you inasmuch as it generates those I-did-something-cool-for-someone-who-isn’t-me feel good hormones. That, in turn, makes you wanna make healthier lifestyle choices for yourself. What’s more, it reinforces your own fitness paths. (Just like my own motivation to get back to backbends and such, after showing bae the yoga world, like I was Aladdin on a magic yoga mat carpet). Then, finally, for the selfish bonus: now that you’ve inducted a new member to your fave cardio cult or sweat squad, that means you’ve now got something invaluable. A workout buddy. And nada keeps you on track like a partner who’ll keep you in check.
So, if you feel like you’re falling off your fitness sleigh this season, recruit a few new accountability reindeer.
And ride that badboy back into body awesomery.