Who is the bear? (Blog Assignment #1)

Who is the Upward-facing Bear...

...and why is he so upward-facing?

Hello all of my conceptual yogis and yoginis! This is the Upward-facing Bear, commonly known as Josh Barlow. I am a proud Baylor Bear, who also has a slight obsession with yoga and fitness. I have always really loved yoga since I was little. I remember turning on channel 46 in the wee hours of the morning when I was supposed to be long asleep to do yoga on the fitness channel. Since then, yoga was something that I always have done sporadically. However, once I hit college, God sent down the Group X program at Baylor and saw that it was good. Once I joined that program, I knew I was hooked. I would go to classes more religiously than my own school classes. Then one day, my instructor said that she would be graduating and that the department was in need of more instructors. The next words out of her mouth changed the game. "You would be a great instructor." That was some far-off dream that I though I could never do and was not even good enough to do. However, despite this, I pursued it. A year and a half later, here I am.

Having taught yoga for a substantial amount of time, I find myself using its concepts and practices in everyday life. Yoga has taught me to find my true north and be happy with who I am. I have done many different types of yoga, from paddle-board yoga, bikram, and ariel yoga to regular hatha flow, vinyasa flow, and even the occasional ashtanga yoga session. I chose this class because I saw no better way than to combine my academic life with one of my passions. I hope to have a deeper understanding of yoga not only to enhance my practice, but to also have more to bring to my students, so that hopefully, I can impact someone the way my first instructor inspired me. Hopefully, after this class, I will have a much deeper understanding of yoga and what it means to me. Also, I will have friends that share the same passion that I have for this ancient art.

Now, why am I so upward-facing? Throughout my life, I have had many difficulties, ranging from depression and eating disorder to social anxiety and poor self-esteem. One thing that yoga has taught me is that you will never find where you need to go if you never look up from your problems. Upward-facing dog is a pose that allows your energy to erupt from the heart, feeling the openness of the world. From this, I have learned to always look up, because the best is yet to come. Your journey is what you make of it, so why not make it the best it can be?

Namasté, my friends.