Showing Myself Some Love With Yoga: A First
By admin
First off, thank you all so much for the support and love I received yesterday. It’s wonderful to know that I am not alone and that we all have our insecurities. Thank you.
Secondly… TGIF! I can’t wait for this weekend. So much is going on that I am super giddy. I hope you have fabulous plans laid out as well.
More on those later…
Let’s talk about a first for me that happened this week.
I tried a Vinyasa yoga class.
With the half marathon last weekend and the 17K mountain trail run this weekend, I decided to show my body (especially my legs) some appreciation and treat them to a yoga session.
Now, I have done yoga before… in college I actually took it for a semester. But it sucked, and the entire class basically had us hugging stability balls. To say it put a bad taste in my mouth for yoga was an understatement. I didn’t understand what I was suppose to be getting out of it. I felt more tired and just bored at the end of each 50 minute class.
I didn’t cross yoga off all together because I knew I had probably just had a bad instructor who cared less about the class.
Fast forward a few years… last year I tried a hot yoga class. I really enjoyed it but didn’t love it. I did however have the “ah-ha” moment that yoga is suppose to bring a feeling of strength, control, relaxation, and overall peace into your body and life.
Okay, that sounds a bit “yoga-ish” but it’s true. I would have enjoyed doing more sessions but this particular place was expensive and none of their classes fit into my personal schedule. So I moved on.
Welcome running. Tight hips, hamstrings and lower back means extra stretching for this girl. In prep for a good run, I knew that yoga could only help me out.
You mean, I actually got to wear my LuluLemon for… Yoga!?
I remembered a new studio about 5 minutes from my house so I checked out the schedule. Right now I actually have free mornings twice a week so when I saw they had an 8-am class I paid the $ 12 online and help my spot!
Yoga House Of Charleston
It didn’t help that I got stuck in traffic. That 5 minute drive ended up taking 20 minutes. To say I was extra tense and flustered would be an understatement. But as soon as I walked in I was greeted with calmness and positivity from the instructors.
Instant relief. I dropped my sweats off in the locker room and prepared myself for my class:
Why did I pick the Vinyasa Level 2 class?
Because it fit well with my schedule. It seemed relaxing yet still enough to challenge me. And since it offered modifications I assumed that I would be fine.
The class was pretty small, and the instructor, Katie was amazing. She would explain the transition moves perfectly so I never felt like the “new girl”. If I wasn’t right where I should be, Katie would calmly walk over and help to align my body properly.
Did I mention Katie just had a baby 6 months ago? She looks fabulous!
The best part?
At the start of class while we were enjoying some deep breaths in downward dog, she came and slightly massaged eucalyptus balm on our shoulders. For the entire class, each time I breathed in my lungs were filled with the amazing aromas. It was double relaxation!
The strangest part of the class.
This happened at the beginning too. While I am all about deep breathing, I am not used to “OMMMMing”. So it caught me off guard when during our warm-up breathing everyone began to OM loudly. I quickly re-focused and the OMs only lasted a few breaths before moving into poses.
I am so glad I pushed out of my comfort zone of weights and running to give this class a go. It was exactly what I needed and even 3 days later, I am still feeling the calming affects.
The Yoga House is located in a strip mall so to be honest I wasn’t sure what to expect. But it was beautiful. The studio was spotless, the floors were shiny, the matts were clean. It was exactly what I was looking for.
After class I got to talking with one of the owners, Beth. She is so passionate about her art and love. She explained a few other classes to me and I think she convinced me to try her Yin-Yang class. Saying it was perfect for my athletic habits.
Sold!
I also love that they aren’t stuffy at all. Tonight in fact, they are offering Vino & Vinyassa. Come take a yoga class and follow it up with wine. Sounds good to me. Unfortunately because of dinner plans, I won’t be making it (and the fact I have 1 more week till I can get my vino drinky drink back on).
But seriously, if you’re from Charleston I recommend The Yoga House.
If you’re not from Charleston, check out facilities by you and give yoga a go. I am so thrilled that I did. Now I am just trying to figure out how to add it into my life more regularly since this great free morning schedule isn’t going to last much longer
- Have you tried yoga before?
- What’s your favorite type?
Note: The Yoga House did not endorse this post. I located them, paid for my own class and these are my own opinions.
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