Yoga: 26th of March '14

I don't know if this is just my opinion but I think I have improved from last week's class. I believe that I am more flexible and focused during class today. I feel like I could reach the tip of my toes better. My back is straighter when doing this movement, although only a little. And, I was able to hold my laugh during the meditation and other practices that require me to close my eyes. Today the yoga class did some movements that are different than the movements we did last week. We were asked to bend our knees and hold our hands together above our heads. We were timed and we raced to be the last one standing. It was quite challenging but I finally won! Yeay! After today's class I feel challenged to be better than the rest of my yoga class members.

Yoga: 19th of March '14

Today is my first yoga class. I realized that the movements done are repeated every week. The people in my class are already familiar with the movements while I have not so I felt quite left out. I was kind of lost because the movements go in a sequence and they go quickly too. Before today's class, I thought that yoga is an easy sport activity. After joining today's class, I understand that yoga is not that easy. I sweated a lot and I was unable to do certain movements. I think today's class was quite hard for me because I am not flexible. However, not only that, I think I find today's class a bit heavy also because I did not do any sports activity lately.

In the beginning of yoga class, we did a meditation. The purpose of this is to relax our muscles and free our minds of any stress. I found this activity hilarious. The instructor spoke in a rhythm as if she was singing so I laughed and ruined the day's meditation. Thinking back about it, I am questioned by ethical issues. Is this meditation the one which purpose is to unite the body, mind and soul? Is it considered right in my religion's perspective? I thought about it for awhile and realized that the purpose of this meditation is not to unite the body, mind and soul but solely to relax our muscles and minds. What relaxing our minds means is also different from uniting the body, mind and soul. It just means that we need to forget our burdens so that we can focus during the yoga activity, since focus is really needed to do certain movements in the yoga activity (e.g. when we need to balance ourselves with one leg).

In overall, I find today's class interesting and am looking forward for the next class.

Yoga: Action Proposal

Please comment on how this activity will help you to achieve the Learning Outcomes as IB CAS requirement?

            Yoga lessons are not so physically demanding and I need sport activities like that. Through this activity, I am not only hoping to maintain my physical health but also am hoping to be more flexible. When I was young I was able to do a split and now I can’t barely touch my toes. Although I might not be able to achieve what I have achieved during my childhood, I am hoping to at least be more flexible than I am right now.

Learning Outcomes:

• Increase my awareness of my strengths and areas for growth

Yoga is something new for me, so I will be able to develop new skills by taking this activity. I will widen my range of skills, and this way, I will be able to increase my awareness of my strengths and areas for growth.

• Undertaken new challenges

I have never done yoga before, so this activity is surely a new challenge for me. I will have to familiarize myself with the new types of movements in sport.

• Shown perseverance and commitment in their activities

Throughout the activity I will encounter many challenges. Since I am so not flexible right now, I know for sure that in the beginning I will have some difficulties keeping up with what the instructor tells me to do. This will require me to persevere and be committed in yoga. Since yoga builds and requires flexibility, skipping a lot of yoga class will make me inflexible again. Yoga is a demanding activity in terms of commitment. Thus, taking yoga as my CAS activity will force me to show perseverance and commitment.

• Work collaboratively with others

Undertaking this activity means that I will have to listen to the yoga instructor carefully. I will have to do all the movements that the instructor wants me to do and since the movements might be very specific, listening is a very important skill in this yoga activity. Listening is a part of the skills needed to be able to work collaboratively since working collaboratively does not only require talking but also listening. Thus, taking yoga as my CAS activity will allow me to practice my listening part of skills that are needed to work collaboratively with others.  

• Considered the ethical implications of their actions

Yoga is a controversial sport. Some people believe that yoga is a process in which we are trying to unite our body, soul and spirit to reach enlightenment. By taking this activity, I will be able to prove that not all types of yoga are like that. Some types of yoga are really sport activities that are similar to gymnastics.

• Develop new skills

I have never done yoga before so taking this activity will for sure develop in me new skills. I may have done ballet and tried gymnastics before but never yoga. So I am curious to know what different skills yoga is going to teach me.