Hendry: Time and yoga cure all stresses

Nothing beats the early-November slump like a nice visit from your long-distance romantic interest. Although it made for a lovely weekend, I imagined no one really wanted to read about romantic strolls through Falls Park in Sioux Falls.

So I squeezed in a more legitimate work-out before my deadline, and between it and the encouragement from my boyfriend last weekend, I’m feeling more positive than I have in weeks.

My schedule this week had me largely confined to a morning visit to the gym, and the least terrifying option was Yoga Incorporated.

I actually really enjoy yoga. It’s low impact enough to not be too intimidating or debilitating, but it’s still enough of a challenge to make me feel like I accomplished something. Yoga Inc. takes things a step further with hand weights, stability balls and other moves to add a bit of an extra challenge.

I tend to get a little nervous whenever extra equipment is involved, so I walked into the studio looking to copy someone who seemed to know what they were doing.

It was just early enough in the day that the usual college-aged athletes were either still in bed or otherwise engaged, and I realized quite happily I was the youngest person in the room. Granted, I was still by far the most out of shape, but the friendly chit-chat and “good mornings” from the handful of attendees was a great break from the usual shy or standoff-ish crowd I tend to encounter.

This was the most comfortable I’ve ever felt at the gym. I was even more delighted that the chipper instructor dimmed the lights at the top of the class, because I hadn’t even made time for a sip of coffee before stumbling to the morning work-out.

Truth be told, this low-key workout in a gentle and encouraging atmosphere was exactly what the doctor ordered. I’m pretty high stress, and I appreciate yoga’s emphasis on deep breaths and slow, deliberate movements.

After so many weeks of scurrying here and there, cramming as much as I can into every day and still feeling behind, the chance to slow down for an hour made for a lovely and relaxing start to yet another full day. Even as I broke a sweat with awkward crunches on the stability ball, I knew attending this class first thing in the morning was a great decision.

This stressful semester has often left me feeling bogged down and pessimistic. Even with the added endorphins this quest for fitness has brought me, there have been some days recently when I haven’t been able to shake those gloomy moods.

Yet I’ve found the secret of my bettered outlook is two-fold — spending quality time with the people closest to me, and taking time to slow down and breathe deeply. My newfound optimism in the face of the homestretch of the semester has me so refreshed I may just make Wednesday morning Yoga Inc. a part of my weekly routine. And maybe next time I won’t follow it with a bottle of soda to keep me awake after that deep relaxation.