ABSOLUTE TORTURE!!! I had so much trouble sitting still. I knew that I had reached my limit (which eventually was at seven minutes) when my body would start to shake, particularly my arms. Nearly everytime I prana yama-ed I had the impulse to fall over and roll around on the floor, to which I occasionally complied when the time was up for the position. Further, we were instructed to breathe deep and concentrate our thoughts on breathing. This also proved troublesome as my mind worked as such:
"Think about breath. I am thiiiiiinking about my breath. Breathe deep....like they were teaching in Vocal Techniques. I wonder if this will also help with singing. I like where I sit in that class. I'm so glad there's an elevator in the Tanner Building. I nearly die having to climb up the stairs when leaving Richards. It's so gorgeous outside. BREATH. Yes, thinking about breath. Air coming in, and out. Trees make oxygen. I love trees. They're especially beautiful this time of year. I like their green!..." etc. etc.
Eventually, with lots of practice, I would get so focused on prana yama that Elves would come and do strange things to me while I was in concentration. I set up a camera to catch them in their mischief:
I didn't quite catch them amidst the action, but you can see what kind of silliness they do. I tried another day:
Failed, again, so I reset the camera for another attempt, but the little pests went even further:
Okay, so I never caught them to prove that it really was elves, but obviously something crazy was going on.
Anyway, as I've grown more accustomed to prana yama and other yoga stuff, I have noticed incredible BENEFITS from it. It's not so much an irritant to do, but it actually can be quite fun when I focus on the process, as prescribed by my professor (who was a hoot; he helped prana yama and yoga become more tolerable, especially as he would joke at the beginning of our prana yama time by flashing his hands out at the class, as if he were casting a spell, and proclaim, "Now, see God!!"; our final in the class was juggling two balls with one hand, as juggling also helps with focus and process-orientation).
General benefits that also have crossed over into my acting is a stronger focus on the present and enjoying the process of accomplishing what is happening rather than the finished product. The focus of yoga is spinal health, and from this, I've felt more stable and sure as a physical being. I feel my existence and feel more whole. I am deliberate. Another benefit is the release of physical/emotional tension (which are correlated; you feel emotions in your body, after all; why shouldn't they be connected?). From this, I am more physically free and openly expressive. A felt emotion is more commonly released through expression.
Overall, I feel I can say I've been much happier this semester, as I've learned something that helps me feel more peace and that releases emotional crap that I've gathered from the past or that I feel during my day and choose not to express, whether because it is not fitting the scenario or because I feel the results would be negative or unnecessary (or obviously rude—and therefore, unnecessary and negative). I'm not so much worried about what others think or how they may perceive me. I don't have those worries as much, anyway, as I get older, but even still, those worries have dropped even more. I don't need to worry about whether something is going to make me popular or well-liked or any of those sorts of things. My value can come from within myself, but of course, this is most often benefited from serving others but is not dependent on the praise of people.
I've even found a song I really like by Chantal Kreviazuk called "Weight of World." As I've come to understand its meaning, I've tried to live by it, and life is wonderful. I hope you enjoy it:
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