How Sting and Howard Stern got me to do yoga

I first became interested in actually doing yoga when I was living in Tiburon, California and working in Emeryville across the Bay. That was in the mid 1990’s. While I drove to work I often listened to Howard Stern when he wasn’t being too obnoxious. As he said himself, the reason he was so popular on his morning radio program was because he had no competition. One morning when I was caught in traffic I chanced to hear Howard Stern interviewing one of my favorite musicians, the rock star, Sting.

As I drove along I heard Sting tell Stern why he did yoga. Stern seemed fascinated, as was I. Sting explained how he did a lot of other physical exercise and considered himself to be in very good shape. Then one day a friend of his, probably a musician, who was a yoga devote convinced Sting of the value of yoga by showing him some of the yoga poses.

If I recall correctly, up to this point in time, Sting had no interest in yoga and thought he was in good shape without it. The prevailing view of yoga at that time, at least in this country, was that yoga was not a guy thing. After observing his friend’s yoga poses, to Sting’s amazement, thinking he was in good shape, he could not do the poses. He was so impressed he took up yoga and said during the interview with Howard Stern said that he then gave up all his other exercise activities. Yoga was enough and accomplished all that he had been doing before, like running, and more. That was more than ten years ago and when I see Sting in recent times he sure does look to be in great shape.

Hearing by accident that interview with Sting so impressed me I signed up for a yoga class in near by Mill Valley the next week.

I confess that every time I attended those 90 minute yoga class, somewhere in the middle of the session, pushing myself through to keep up with the class, strained and sweating I would think to myself, “I’m not coming back here? Why am I torturing myself like this? I really can’t do this. I’m hopeless!” I should explain that In the beginning of the warm ups and at the end with the cool down and meditation I did not have those bleak thoughts but they did break through in the middle of every session.

Then, after the class, the magic happened. When I got home I felt fantastic! And I not only felt fantastic then but this feeling of well being lasted for days. If I began the class depressed or worried those feelings dissipated at well.

Stuff happens and I had to leave California and move back to Connecticut. I could not go to yoga classes but would get down on the floor in my living room and attempt to do some yoga poses. To my delight, one day as I was rolling on the floor doing some leg stretches, I looked over and found that my beautiful cat, Mystery, was rolling around with me - her paws in the air. Magic and Mystery Being a cat, I didn’t hear her slip quietly and gently beside me. She seemed to be following my movements. I couldn’t believe it! This cat lay next to me and did yoga with me and seemed ecstatic to have me there with her on the floor. Perhaps cats think we are being cats when we get on the floor and stretch.