Yogasm

What is a yogasm, you ask?  Allow me to explain... Yogasm-(n.) A feeling, not unlike an orgasm, that one experiences during yoga.

You don’t need to be living in Utah to imagine that it is not the California of yoga studios. The yoga studios in Utah County are few and far between and one must be open to trying new styles. Just a year ago, while living in D.C. I was spoiled. There was a yoga studio for every style, on every block and since I was working at Lululemon, I didn’t have to do much to find them.

Then I get married, I move out to Utah, I’m working at a marketing company and all of a sudden I’m the Utah County yoga community virgin. I took some classes here and there, but nobody ever told me that combining two incomes also meant combining bills for two. My practice was suffering and I was itching to get back into a studio.

Jump forward 10 months, to now. A few weeks ago, I heard of an ashtanga studio opening up (my heart jumped), and it was reasonably priced (I gulped), and it was only five minutes away (I died). And this wasn’t even my yogasm!

As much as I dislike when others do this, I’m tempted to describe my experience as indescribable, but I’ll spare you.

I walked into the newly opened studio and it was alive. There were 30 people there for the same reason I was, ready to engage our bodies in our passion. It was the perfect non-tense, non-pseudo, mingle of yogi’s. The practice started. Throughout the practice there was laughter, intense focus, audible breathe, sweat, and recognized bliss. The practice ended.

As we all joined together in ‘namaste’, I felt it…YOGASM! I felt hyper. I was in the right place. I was where I needed to be.

Two weeks and eight classes later, I feel stronger; and my practice, whether in the studio or at home, feels neater.

You don’t have to be living in Utah or suffering from a lack of studio time in order to experience a yogasm. A yogasm will come in different ways for everyone. Perhaps you just kicked up into handstand for your first time, or you successfully took your first ujjayi breathe. The best part?  You are not born with a predetermined amount of yogasms -- you can have any many as your beautiful self creates. But take note, they should be cherished and remembered, so that when you are lacking passion and motivation you can turn to them for inspiration.

Have you ever experienced a yogasm?

*I promise this will be my last play on words with the word yoga*

image via Carlyn G. Photography