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# I Survived My First Yoga Class
- URL: https://justincox.com/blog/2016/08/i-survived-my-first-yoga-class/
- Published: 2016-08-01T22:48:54.000Z
- Updated: 2023-06-17T00:51:10.000Z
- Description: Discover the surprising benefits of yoga for stress relief and tension reduction in this personal account of a youth minister's experience.
- Author: Justin Cox
- Tags: Life, #mission-trip

In the real world, I’m the [Minister to Youth and Families at a church in Downtown Orlando](http://firstchurchorlando.org/?ref=justincox.com). On top of the tragedy that fell just blocks from my office, I spent this summer on four mission trips with various groups of teenagers. Since June 6 I spent more nights on blow-up mattresses and vinyl pads than I did in my own bed.

Would you believe this frequent travel schedule, along with being parent to 100 different children — none of which are actually mine — produces stress and tension? Just a **small* amount. Add in sleeping (or **not* sleeping) on the floor or on a wooden board, also known as a “camp bed,” and the end result is twisted shoulders and messed up muscles.

During my short stays back in town, I’d visit a massage therapist. Her task was simple: put me back together long enough to survive the next week. After one session she suggested I try a yoga class. Learning a few basic stretches that could be preformed while on trips could help remove tension and stress — at least that was the theory.

Due to a parent meeting for the next trip and debrief of the previous one, there was only one class I could attend in the six-days I was home. My wife and I booked the class: Warm Vinyasa. I had no idea what it meant and the fancy schedule app had no description, but my wife said it should be fine for my noob status.

This has been [the hottest summer on record](http://www.livescience.com/55469-2016-could-be-hottest-year-on-record.html?ref=justincox.com). In June I spent a week sleeping in 90+ degree heat with no air flow in the Dominican Republic. I spent four-days working in a shade-less field in Starke, Florida with daily heat indexes pushing 114 degrees. None of those things produced as much sweat as that 60-minute yoga class. It wasn’t even close.

The Aussie woman instructing began with a simple pose: at least that’s how she referred to it. To me, it was a test in flexibility and stamina — both of which I have none. About 10 minutes in I felt like I was going to die. I was soaking wet and trying not to fall over or, even worse, somehow get tangled up within myself. At the time, this felt like a very real possibility. Between the heat, the pain in every one of my muscles, my inability to balance or bend or flex or, well, anything, I very much wanted to die.

But then I **didn’t* die.

In fact, by the end of it when I was lying on the floor trying to sink into the ground or whatever, I didn’t feel half bad.

I didn’t like the heat. I didn’t like the sweating. I didn’t like not being able to follow along with the instructor. But, **I liked the class*?

I’ve got a second class scheduled. While I’m pretty sure I’m not going to become some tie-died spandex wearing hippie who “goes to yoga,” there might be something to this whole stretching and balance thing. If it does help relieve stress and tension, then I guess all the pain is worth it.

At least, that’s what people who go to yoga tell me.