A a student new to observing yoga, even if you are experienced at practice, begin your journals by observing the physical environment, the community of people who attend classes and frequent your practice space, and your impressions feelings and observations about what you are doing while "doing yoga". 

Yesterday I went to a yoga class at the studio that I have been attending for about a year and a half now.  The physical environment is inviting, it's not a completely open floor plan.  It's hard to critique this space because it has become a place of comfort.  I don't have to think when I walk in, I know the drill.  I walk up to the front desk, give them my name, put my donation in the jar and walk into the room where we leave our things.  There are a few couches in this room, along with a wall of cubbies to leave all of our extra winter belongings that we don't need in the studio.  I then walk down the long hallway to reach the bathroom.  I set up my mat before I went to the bathroom to get a spot that was open, the class was more full than normal.  Since the last time I had went to yoga they had moved the blocks, so I started walking to the back of the room only to realize I was hitting a wall and quickly made a detour.  The people who attend class were practically all women, I'd say between their 30's and 50's.  There were 3 men in the class, 2 of which had come together and the other is going through his teacher training program.  Most of the women sat with their friends, and if they didn't know anyone they sat quietly on their mat before the teacher started speaking. I notice a lot of people do this- they'll lay down on their mat with their eyes closed.  I'm sure that some do it just to relax before class, but I believe a lot do it because it's uncomfortable to look around and not know anyone in a crowded room.  I always like to make a point to talk to the people around me, I don't want anyone to feel alone.  Humans are meant to interact.  This studio isn't like studios that I've been to in Philadelphia, where everyone is really intense and probably don't even realize they're in a room with other human beings.  

It's hard for me to describe my feelings and impressions of yoga, but I know that they've definitely changed in my year and a half of practice.  I know my motivations revolve around the facts that: 1. I know I'm going to sweat 2. I care about my body and I want a good workout 3. I have scoliosis and yoga helps me feel more centered 4. I used to be a dancer, and the motions of yoga are some what of a lesser supplement of dancing 5. It's freezing outside and I want to be in a warm room, making outside seem more manageable.  While I'm "doing yoga" I try not to think much at all.  I try to focus on my breath, to control it rather than just allow my body to function for me.  I think about the sweat dripping down my body and how fascinating it is that our bodies do that.  The first time I ever sweat (sweated - past tense of sweat) was in a yoga class.  Like I said, I used to dance- I danced for 10 years and it was my whole life.  I loved it, and I still love it.  The program that I was involved in became too intense for me and I decided I wanted to experience other things.  If I had stayed dancing I wouldn't have been able to do anything throughout high school which I felt was important at the time.  I was always yelled at because I wasn't sweating- they told me I wasn't working hard enough if I wasn't sweating.  So my inability to sweat became traumatic almost for me because I thought I was working as hard as I could, but my body just didn't perspire.  Everyone else could sweat, why couldn't I ?! I personally was okay with getting yelled at because I thought sweating was gross, everyone dripping salty body fluids - no thank you.  I've gone off topic- point is I realized I could sweat in yoga (granted because it's 90 degrees in the room) but still it was very exciting! This coming week I will hopefully be able to fit in a different studio space so that I may get a fresh perspective on practice.