Chair Yoga ~ new exercise class

Today was the start of our new Gentle Chair Yoga class, meeting every Tuesday from now until April 25th.  Our instructor (Lucy) said the first and most important rule for us is to "do no harm," citing ahimsa, the Jain principle of nonviolence toward all living things.  Today we did mostly upper body work, as the 16 of us in the group learned what our elderly bodies can and can't do.  Maybe next week I can share a photo of the class.  It was good to see Eunice, who was in a health class with me a year or so ago.  And I think I've made a new friend.

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Megan's half-hour class wasn't working for me, because she plays any kind of music and then does exercises "against" the music.  Having started piano lessons at five years old ... and having played glockenspiel in the marching band ... and having played bassoon in junior high and high school concert band and orchestra and the Chattanooga Youth Symphony, I do things in TIME with the music, not against it.  In Megan's class, I had to close my ears (hard to do!) and try to follow her closely ... or else cut loose and go as fast as the music, rather than following our leader.  It's too much mental work.

So today, I'm back to yoga with another teacher.  I enjoyed the "real" yoga class I joined decades ago when I could still get down on the floor easily, and this one is off to a good start.