Saturday I experimented with a new form of exercise. Jessica and I ventured outside of our comfort zones and went to a hot yoga class. Let me just tell you, I have a whole new level of respect for people who can contort their body into the various positions the yoga instructor calls out.
It started out cozy. It was a rainy Saturday so being in a quiet, warm and dark room had its perks. However, it didn't take long to realize I was out of my league. It was apparent that Jess and I were the only beginners in the room. Anyone who has ever said yoga is easy is so wrong. This is one of the better workouts I've had in a long time. It was... fun (in a painful sort of way) to push my body past the limits I thought I had.
I expected to go in for a peaceful workout.. Man, was I wrong! I do think that it would eventually be a relaxing thing, but the first class was mentally and physically exhausting. Yoga takes an extreme amount of concentration. I found this hard to do while thoughts like "Is this supposed to hurt there?" and "I didn't even know a human body could do that..." were zipping through my head.
Overall, I think yoga could be a great thing. If it was something I could work at - like any exercise, I think the benefits would be huge. However, realistically prices for monthly yoga memberships are out of my budget. The only way I was able to attend this class was a free trial pass I received at my work's health fair. I am considering trying to find free YouTube videos that walk you through it, but I feel like I need an instructor to watch and ensure I have good form.
For anyone that is wanting to give yoga a try, here are a couple of tips.
1. Start off in a beginner's class. Just because you work out does not mean you should jump up to the normal classes. Most likely you will realize yoga is stretching and strengthening muscles you didn't even know were there.
2. Look for places that offer community classes at a discounted rate. I know the place we went to, Yoga on Baxter, offers a community class every Saturday morning for just five dollars.
3. Set up in the back of the room so you can observe the more experienced students before attempting the various positions. There is definitely a learning curve associated with yoga.
4. Call ahead of time and make sure the place you are going rents yoga mats at a reasonable price. I wouldn't recommend purchasing your own mat until you know it's a form of exercise you want to pursue.
Thanks for reading!
Melody
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