For the last month and half, I along with my partner in crime Frack have been attending yoga classes. I'm bad at stretching after my workouts.. I mean really after working out the last thing I want to do is sit and stretch.. unless its on my bed with a pint of ice cream.
I was reading how Yoga is awesome for runners because it teaches you how to breath and sustain during distance runs. I found a studio that wasn't cheesy, and too New York. It's actually an Outreach and Meditation Center, and offers free classes in Dharma and Meditation. Even my yoga classes have a "suggested donation" of $12. I don't mind paying because they are great people and I feel guilty not paying for the service.
Anywho, my experience with yoga is a few classes at Bally's with Mojito back in 2004, and a yoga DVD that I did maybe once. So needless to say, I didn't know Hatha from Inyegar or sanchalasanna from utanasana. My yogi Annie is taking care of that with mild form of torture known as our beginners class.
First off the room is HOT, its not bikram (Hot yoga) but it sure as hell feels like it. As you've learned from previous post.. I'm a sweaty mess. I keep a towel with me at all times during yoga. Nothing like holding downward facing dog with sweat rolling down your face and onto your mat making it slippery as hell. I've nicknamed my yogi the Marquis de Sade, because she likes to make us hold these poses for what seems like minutes but it really only a few seconds. On top of that she like to tranisition to the next pose pretty quickly.
She also likes to come up behind you and fix your pose. Usually when I see her coming my way, I know the pain is coming. She likes to push you deeper into a pose, or correct your form. Our class is pretty small so it's easy for her to spot a victim. Case in point, we're in the middle of a bow pose. (See illustration) The Marquis sneaks up behind me and i start getting nervous. I hear her voice getting closer. Next thing I know she's got my legs and is pulling them up in the air and my vertebra make a cracking noise. I think I blacked out for a second because Frack says I screamed "GOOD GOD, that hurts!" and let out a gutteral moan. It hurt like hell but my lower back felt great the next day.
I'm loving yoga, and my stamina and flexibility have improved immensely, I'm even starting to go twice a week. Yes, some poses are hard because my boobs get in the way and each week Annie pushes us harder and harder. She even admited that its not a true beginner class but more like beginner/intermediate and she doesn't plan on changing it anytime soon.
Namaste.
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