My Journey into Yoga

January 11, 2014

This is a guest post by acclaimed yoga instructor Nadine Johnson.

I remember my first yoga class very well. I stumbled into a level 3 /4 Ashtanga inspired practice at an infamous studio in San Francisco called It’s Yoga. No music, no props. There was a wild character teaching yoga and over one hundred people on their mats. My baggy t-shirt and sweat pants were barely noticed. My borrowed mat wasn’t looked down on. I was welcomed as-is.

The class was challenging on many levels. As a first time yogi, I should have been directed to a slower paced class. But, naturally, that first downward dog was hard. My hips and shoulders were so tight. And, I wanted to grip my mat to hold myself up by sheer will. But, I came back the next day, to a slower class, of course. It got a little easier day by day and year by year.

Eventually, I could do Utthita Parsvakonasana (side angle pose) with my hand on the floor. Success! I was officially an intermediate yogini. My ego was satisfied. I could even bind, clasp hand behind my back. When I moved on to another studio and considered teaching something happened. My teacher handed me a block. What was THAT for? Clayton Horton was more reserved and traditional than my last teacher. He put my hand on the block and opened me into the full pose. The real pose.

Nadine in Utthita Parsvakonasana (side angle pose)

Pop! That was the sound of my bubble/ego bursting. With my hips and chest open, I could barely hold the pose. I certainly couldn’t put my hand on the floor. I had poor alignment for over 8 years. Eight years of an almost daily practice! I felt stupid, betrayed and like less than a yogi. Why didn’t anyone tell me!

So, I started over. I was instantly put into the Beginner’s Mind that so many teachers talk about. And, I was driven to teach. With a decade of teaching behind me, I have the confidence to help beginners find a solid foundation in alignment from the beginning. And, I enjoy helping intermediate yogis, as I was, deepen their practice into a healthier space. In the upcoming retreat, I’ll continue that tradition. Giving knowledge and individual guidance.

Today, I still struggle with Utthita Parsvakonasana. Some days are better than others. But, no matter what, I listen to my body on my mat in that day, with full knowledge that the benefit of yoga isn’t in feeding my ego but in holding a pose in ease.

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Nadine Johnson lives in her hometown, San Francisco, working, volunteering and teaching yoga while maintaining a strong practice and balanced life. Patience and inward focus have been key elements of her practice for almost 20 years, which is grounded in Ashtanga Yoga as taught by the late Sri K. Pattabhi Jois in India. Nadine came to yoga while working in a competitive corporate environment. The practice made both her work and personal life more creative and more enjoyable.