Yoga

Some 15 years ago I decided to become a Yogi. Without a lot of thought or without any really I decided I wanted to become good at yoga. I knew nothing about yoga.  I am sure I read an article someplace that said yoga is good for runners, will open your hips....and so what I saw was yoga will make me a faster runner.  

This was what my class was like- not kidding

With a 3 and 5yo my time was limited.  I did extensive research, meaning I googled yoga near me, and impulsively bought a 7 day pass to the Bikram studio 2 miles from my house.  Having read nothing all about Bikram I decided to run to the class, double up my workouts.  I took off with my towel, yoga mat and water bottle crammed in a backpack.  I am wearing running clothes.  Upon arrival I am taken back by the aroma in the room, "what is that smell?"  I am subtly smelling my armpits to see if that smell is emanating from me.  No, it was the carpeted floor.  

I plop down and lay there for a few minuntes and people are streaming in, packing the room, almost touching my mat.  Meanwhile I am wondering why is it so hot in here? I am eagerly awaiing for the instructor to come in and turn on the air. But when Don or Ron or Lon came i wearing a speedo he cranks up the heat and starts...I am stunned and sandwhiched between a lot of people.  I am clueless, in the back, following along, sweating a river and I reach for my bottle and Don/Ron/Lon says NO and wags his finger at me.  " As a reminder we have scheduled water breaks"  What ?  I can't drink water when I like.  So this 7 hour class or 90 minutes ends and I am prone, trying not to puke, smelling the horrific carpet thinking, wow that was awesome.  I crawled home.

all you do every time

Only because I was a committed yogi or really obstinate did I return.  I drove back, fully hydrated and went in there sloshing around with 2 bottles and  8 towels. Don/Ron/Lon nods at me and I smirk.I am ready to kick ass today.  I am eager to see what today brings but well you know Bikram it was the same as yesterday.  I am trying to get into it and well hydration plan was working but I could no longer move as my bladder was bursting.   I head for the door and sneak out.  The other natzi  receptionist stops me as I go to return to class and tells me " you cannot go back in there, it will disrupt the class"  WHAT?  45 minutes later I left and quit being a yogi.

10 years went by.... triathlon was a part of my life and once again the 4 letter word came up again YOGA.  "its good for you"  "keeps your body whole" blah blah blah...ok this time I really did read about the various yoga practices.  Bikram was out!  

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I read up on the others... Ashtanga - same poses, same order- NO. Hatha- more relaxed, sounded boring and I was looking for something between the death march of Bikram and too relaxed. I tried Iyengar but all the props turned me off. I settled on Vinyasa but realized I sucked at it- the flow was a challenge. 

 Someone suggested CorePower- they recently opened near my old house and offered all kinds of classes.  Mistakenly the first class I went to was Sculpt- holy cow- yoga on steroids,  105 degrees, hopping music and weights. it was sick, but I kinda liked it. 1- I could guzzle water and 2- I could leave at any time and come back.  In any case I found a place I liked- I  could to Core Power 1- interting and warm, CorePower 2- hot and harder, Hot Power Fusion- well you can imagine. I committed twice a week and went.

Confession- I never really liked it. I wanted to like it but the hot classes were so well HOT and draining when i was tired and some of the restorative classes were like sleeping at home.  So I quit going.  I stop and start yoga, go for a while, commit, pay $$ so I feel badly for not going, but don't want to go.  I want to want to go, but I don't. 

I have gone off and on but I know I NEED to go and coach subtily hinted " You are not doing YOGA"  ...  So just joined ClassPass, which I feel kind of badly about as my good friend Heidi was working for a competitor that went out of business. I kinda feel like I am cheating on her somehow- weird I know.  But for $99 I have a choice of 20+ yoga classes a day within 10 miles of my house.  This way I can try out places and find one that works.

HOT is not happening now- I am tired and sore from major training and need this to be a positive experience not a "fuel up for it"

Some sort of Iyengar makes sense-- lots of props for my inflexible body.  And I have to find a yoga class that is NOT a workout- I have plenty of workouts happening. 

Yesterday I checked out https://yoga80.com/   I went to a Vinyasa class called Hip Opener.  Walking in the class I knew I could handle it on a recovery day, just by looking at the other yogi's.  When I walk into some Yoga6 or CorePower Classes and everyone is twisted like a pretzel, weighing 90 lbs and ripped - you know it will be a hard class.     This was super mellow, lots of props and I left feeling good. So this is now a Monday staple! 

I need to find another class.... and I will get to harder hotter yoga but not when I am so tired. 

Frankly this is more fitting for me