A blog about me, my fitness goals, and the inability to stick to one form of exercise for more than a short period of time. Oooh I see something shiny!
Showing posts with label yoga. Show all posts
Showing posts with label yoga. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
I'm a REAL runner!
Why am I a real runner??
I popped my first blister! It was not as painful an experience as I thought it would be. I think the worst part was when I touched the hot part of the safety pin after sterilizing it and then dropped it back into the sink. My 2nd toe looked like it was growing another toe on the side and it was very painful. So it had to go.
Also, I learned today that I'm not supposed to wear cotton socks. Whoops.. maybe thats why my feet are always overheated and I'm getting blisters in the summer. What kind of socks does everyone else like to wear? I read online teflon or dry wick socks are the best. I looked around and they are all so expensive!! I've spent so much money on exercise stuff, and I love all of it, but I was happy to be done spending more money!
However, my feet are starting to look like runner's feet with callouses and blisters popping up. I'm well on my way to becoming a runner!
In other news:
On my google reader, I follow Well and Good NYC, which is a website that has information about living healthy in NYC. There are blog posts, reviews, exercise tips, beauty tips etc etc.
I was reading through the recent articles/blog posts when I came across this article. Hilaria Thomas Baldwin is going to head up a new yoga place called SoulYoga. So why do I care?
This is why: Yoga Vida is Spanish for Yoga Life. I really liked Hilaria as an instructor! That's cool... I just read an article about a Yoga instructor that I have had.
But wait... it gets crazier... when I took her class, she was Hilaria Thomas. NOW she is Hilaria Thomas BALDWIN. Yup, she is the 28 year old who married Alec Baldwin. I took a yoga class with Alec Baldwin's wife! I really like Alec Baldwin (especially when he hosts SNL) so it seems really cool to me.
Anyway, moving away from my 15-year-old like moment... I'm still impressed at Hilaria Thomas' promotion to heading up SoulYoga, which will no doubt become a massive hit and very popular in no time. Especially because she seems to have devoted followers from Yoga Vida - I remember people being very bummed when she announced she was taking a break from teaching for several months.
Moving on...
I apparently have had bronchitis for the last 2 weeks. So no wonder it has felt like I am breathing underwater for 2 weeks when I run. I went to the pulmonologist on Friday and he prescribed a wonderful Z-pak for me and voila... I'm all better. Most bronchitis infections are viral, but he said since it hadn't gone away in a couple weeks, he'd prescribe an antibiotic and that might help. Guess it was bacterial, or maybe it wasn't bronchitis. He also switched my steroid inhaler to Symbicort, which is less abrasive on my throat.
So yesterday I went for my first post-bronchitis run. Apparently, it was not normal for me to feel like I can't breathe, because yesterday I felt great. I ran 4 miles in 41 minutes. Hence the massive blister on my toe and my hazing into the running world.
When did you have your first "I'm a runner moment"? What kind of socks should I buy?
Friday, July 6, 2012
Class Review: Exhale Vinyasa Flow
A few months ago, my friend and I got a Lifebooker deal for 3 classes at Exhale spa for $45. That's a great deal - their single classes are $37 for a core fusion and $26 for a yoga class. Steep pricing for a girl on a teacher's salary.
We went to a Core Fusion class back in April (I can't believe it was that long ago) and haven't had the opportunity to use the other 2 classes since then. SInce we had off on the 4th of July, but not the days around it, we were both in the city for a day off and we decided to try a yoga class.
The yoga studio was gorgeous (see left). It had beautiful floors and was very large. The door (the wooden piece in the forefront of the picture) was awkwardly heavy and oddly not sound proof given its weight.
There were only about 7 people in our class which was pretty cool - I guess not that many people go to Yoga classes on the 4th of July.
The class itself was pretty good. I was surprised at how hard it was considering it was a not a hot yoga class. I always except not hot yoga to be easy, but it really isn't.
The instructor was really good. She was descriptive in her directions and provided corrective notes as needed. I also really liked how she broke down the plank/upward dog/downward dog flow... she went through it painfully slowly, but it was very helpful for me because I never go from plank to upward dog correctly.
For those of you who know me, you will remember that a few years ago at Inner Strength, the owner actually stood on my hands in an attempt to get me to position into downward facing dog correctly. He also manually guided me through the flow several times... but still I have struggled with this and usually just try my best. I actually found it helpful the way the Exhale instructor verbally broke it down as it was easier for me to conceptualize and it also made me feel less frustrated (it was initially really embarrassing to have the owner of a studio manually guide you through half a class...but over time I've accepted that that happened...)
It was a pretty standard yoga class - there was not a balance series, which is always my favorite part, but I've found that a lot of studios in NYC don't regularly do all the different balance poses at once/in one class like Inner Strength did when I went there.
Pros:
1) I liked the instructor's descriptiveness
2) The 7 person class was nice, but probably not normal for Exhale Spa
3) It's always refreshing to do not-hot yoga once in a while
Cons:
1) I like more balance poses, also there were no shoulder stands which I like
2) Exhale is waaay too expensive
3) The door was not sound proof, which was annoying towards the end of the class when the next class was milling around outside.
Do you prefer Hot Yoga or Regular Yoga? What is your favorite part of a Yoga class?
We went to a Core Fusion class back in April (I can't believe it was that long ago) and haven't had the opportunity to use the other 2 classes since then. SInce we had off on the 4th of July, but not the days around it, we were both in the city for a day off and we decided to try a yoga class.
There were only about 7 people in our class which was pretty cool - I guess not that many people go to Yoga classes on the 4th of July.
The class itself was pretty good. I was surprised at how hard it was considering it was a not a hot yoga class. I always except not hot yoga to be easy, but it really isn't.
The instructor was really good. She was descriptive in her directions and provided corrective notes as needed. I also really liked how she broke down the plank/upward dog/downward dog flow... she went through it painfully slowly, but it was very helpful for me because I never go from plank to upward dog correctly.
For those of you who know me, you will remember that a few years ago at Inner Strength, the owner actually stood on my hands in an attempt to get me to position into downward facing dog correctly. He also manually guided me through the flow several times... but still I have struggled with this and usually just try my best. I actually found it helpful the way the Exhale instructor verbally broke it down as it was easier for me to conceptualize and it also made me feel less frustrated (it was initially really embarrassing to have the owner of a studio manually guide you through half a class...but over time I've accepted that that happened...)
It was a pretty standard yoga class - there was not a balance series, which is always my favorite part, but I've found that a lot of studios in NYC don't regularly do all the different balance poses at once/in one class like Inner Strength did when I went there.
Pros:
1) I liked the instructor's descriptiveness
2) The 7 person class was nice, but probably not normal for Exhale Spa
3) It's always refreshing to do not-hot yoga once in a while
Cons:
1) I like more balance poses, also there were no shoulder stands which I like
2) Exhale is waaay too expensive
3) The door was not sound proof, which was annoying towards the end of the class when the next class was milling around outside.
Do you prefer Hot Yoga or Regular Yoga? What is your favorite part of a Yoga class?
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Yo-yo-yogalini
Tip for all New Yorkers looking for free exercise: Like all Lululemon and Athleta stores in NYC. They post free events frequently as status updates.
Which is how I found the Sunday Salutations class through Lululemon. Lululemon Lincoln Square does a Sunday Yoga class in their store every Sunday at 9:15am. Except for the month of June... they are doing their free class at the Nalini Method studio. For those of you who stalk me, you'll know that I've wanted to try a class at Nalini Method (it's on the list of classes I want to take), but their drop-in price is not aligned with my "exercise for cheap" policy.
So I was PUMPED to discover this free class at a place I've wanted to try!
I woke up at 7:45 on Sunday morning (yes, I got up at 7:45 on Sunday morning. That in itself deserves a pat on the back... I'm not a late sleeper, but 7:45 is still quite early.) I took a very challenging 90 minute hot yoga class at NY yoga on Saturday, so I was looking forward to a relaxing non-heated 60 minute yoga class.
I did not do my research correctly.
I was right; Nalini Method does not have traditional yoga classes. The Sunday morning class was a Yogalini class, which their website describes as:
YOGALINI Our brand new signature class which is the ultimate marriage of Nalini Method and Yoga. Picture a yoga mat with ankle weights! Get into a Vinyasa flow and center your body with this challenging class.
Ankle weights! That is not what I was picturing for 9:15 on a Sunday morning!
OK, fine, after collecting my needed materials for class, I resolved that this was no walk in the park yoga class and I'm getting something even better than what I expected! I'm taking an actual Nalini Method class.
The class was pretty good. It was a lot of repetitions with lighter weights and incorporating yoga and pilates poses into weight training. It was definitely exhausting and I had to take some of the bars out of the ankle/wrist weights a couple of times because my arms felt like jelly. Overall, the actual class was not that much different than the barre classes I've taken.
However, the instructor, Rupa, who is also the founder of the Nalini Method, was fantastic. One thing I really liked was that they have white boards along the walls and she personally introduces herself to everyone and then writes their name on the wall so she can provide personal feedback. I thought it was amazing. Normally, I wonder if instructors are just talking vaguely when they provide praise, but I felt like she was direct and specific to people. That made me a lot more confident in my movements. I also liked when she gave me corrective feedback. She was direct, easy going and thorough. She didn't need to be hands on because her directions of what to fix were detailed without being confusing. I knew that I was doing something incorrectly and then I knew exactly how to fix it.
Honestly, the format of the class was not that stand-out compared to Core Fusion, Figure Four, the Bar Method etc, but Rupa was a star of an instructor.
Pros:
1) Rupa was great
2) Free!
3) Overall a good work out
Cons:
1) Not free other than these 4 Sundays in June
2) A unique concept, but still felt familiar.
3) I was not mentally prepared for a weight training class - I didn't even bring water with me because I thought it was an easy yoga class!
I would definitely do this class again! If the Nalini method was cheaper, I would love to try out other classes at the studio. I'll have to keep an eye out for other great events like this one from Lululemon!
Have you ever had an insrtuctor you really liked? What free events do you like to go to?
Which is how I found the Sunday Salutations class through Lululemon. Lululemon Lincoln Square does a Sunday Yoga class in their store every Sunday at 9:15am. Except for the month of June... they are doing their free class at the Nalini Method studio. For those of you who stalk me, you'll know that I've wanted to try a class at Nalini Method (it's on the list of classes I want to take), but their drop-in price is not aligned with my "exercise for cheap" policy.
So I was PUMPED to discover this free class at a place I've wanted to try!
I woke up at 7:45 on Sunday morning (yes, I got up at 7:45 on Sunday morning. That in itself deserves a pat on the back... I'm not a late sleeper, but 7:45 is still quite early.) I took a very challenging 90 minute hot yoga class at NY yoga on Saturday, so I was looking forward to a relaxing non-heated 60 minute yoga class.
I did not do my research correctly.
I was right; Nalini Method does not have traditional yoga classes. The Sunday morning class was a Yogalini class, which their website describes as:
YOGALINI Our brand new signature class which is the ultimate marriage of Nalini Method and Yoga. Picture a yoga mat with ankle weights! Get into a Vinyasa flow and center your body with this challenging class.
Ankle weights! That is not what I was picturing for 9:15 on a Sunday morning!
OK, fine, after collecting my needed materials for class, I resolved that this was no walk in the park yoga class and I'm getting something even better than what I expected! I'm taking an actual Nalini Method class.
The class was pretty good. It was a lot of repetitions with lighter weights and incorporating yoga and pilates poses into weight training. It was definitely exhausting and I had to take some of the bars out of the ankle/wrist weights a couple of times because my arms felt like jelly. Overall, the actual class was not that much different than the barre classes I've taken.
However, the instructor, Rupa, who is also the founder of the Nalini Method, was fantastic. One thing I really liked was that they have white boards along the walls and she personally introduces herself to everyone and then writes their name on the wall so she can provide personal feedback. I thought it was amazing. Normally, I wonder if instructors are just talking vaguely when they provide praise, but I felt like she was direct and specific to people. That made me a lot more confident in my movements. I also liked when she gave me corrective feedback. She was direct, easy going and thorough. She didn't need to be hands on because her directions of what to fix were detailed without being confusing. I knew that I was doing something incorrectly and then I knew exactly how to fix it.
Honestly, the format of the class was not that stand-out compared to Core Fusion, Figure Four, the Bar Method etc, but Rupa was a star of an instructor.
 |
| The class: I'm nearest to the door with the white floral tank top and black capris Picture from the Nalini Facebook page |
Pros:
1) Rupa was great
2) Free!
3) Overall a good work out
Cons:
1) Not free other than these 4 Sundays in June
2) A unique concept, but still felt familiar.
3) I was not mentally prepared for a weight training class - I didn't even bring water with me because I thought it was an easy yoga class!
I would definitely do this class again! If the Nalini method was cheaper, I would love to try out other classes at the studio. I'll have to keep an eye out for other great events like this one from Lululemon!
Have you ever had an insrtuctor you really liked? What free events do you like to go to?
Monday, May 14, 2012
Free Yoga!
Every Thursday, Lululemon sponsors free Yoga in Bryant Park from 6:00-7:00. As we all know, I'm newly obsessed with Lululemon, but can't afford any of their clothing, so I'm pumped I can afford something that they offer!
I decided to run to Bryant Park from work and then go to Yoga. I work on the Upper Westside, so the distance from my school to Bryant Park is almost exactly a 5K. I changed and left work and headed to Central Park for a nice run through the park.
As a resident of the West Village, I don't have that much experience with Central Park. I don't live that close to it, so I don't go there much. And when I do, we usually wander aimlessly and I'm not using it to get from point A to point B. I entered the park at 93rd street and headed towards the loop. I get to the loop and one way looks like its going directly east, and the other way looks like it is going directly west and possibly even out of the park. I decided to go east because Bryant Park is east of work, so at some point, I have to get east. Several blocks into this run, I look over to my left and realize that Central Park West is still next to me. I can't be going East if I'm running along an Avenue! I had to run out to the street to see where I was and yup. 99th street. Dammit.
I ended up running an extra 12 blocks total, which apparently really slowed me down. The other issue that I encountered was when I exited the park at Central Park South. MIDTOWN IS CRAAAAZY!
I thought that 6th avenue wouldn't be so bad, but I was dead wrong. I could not run basically from Central Park South to Bryant Park, so that 15 block leg took me like 20 minutes.
Lesson learned... if I'm going to run a 5K for training purposes, make sure to avoid midtown.
I got to the park at like 5:56 and found one of my friends who was meeting me for yoga. I got a mat, but he wasn't able to. He said he didn't care because it was kind of cool to do yoga on the grass, so thanks because I wanted a mat!
The class was pretty straightforward- lots of Vinyasa flows. The teacher was from NY Yoga and she was very pregnant but also very energetic. There were almost 200 people doing yoga, which was pretty awesome. We were towards the back, so it was a little hard to see her at times, but since I have yoga experience, I was able to follow along to what she was saying without as many demonstrations. For newbies, it would be beneficial to show up early and practice in one of the front few rows (maybe not the front row as it's always helpful to see what other people are doing). The instructor did a very good job explaining modifications you can make to make a pose harder or easier based on your flexibility, strength and experience. Considering there were so many people there, it would have been very easy for her not to do this, and I appreciated that she took the time to mention binds when appropriate or leg changes when appropriate.
I'm a little ADD (as you can tell by my blog post title), so it was a little hard for me to concentrate on yoga at all times. I kept looking around and looking at the sky and looking at the buildings and then I would realize I'm supposed to be doing something else. However, that's just me. It was a very New York experience. Also, I would say its not for people who don't like being watched. I did feel kind of like part of a yoga flash-mob. People would take pictures and I heard tons of tourists stop, watch and talk about us for a while.
Pros:
1) It was free!!
2) It was awesome to do yoga outside. Other than my distractibility, it was great to be on the grass and to be in NYC enjoying the city while still doing yoga.
3) The instructor was really good for someone who had to teach to that many people
Cons:
1) People will watch you
2) You don't get any physical correction and you can't always be sure the people around you are doing the right thing, so supplementing your yoga practice with smaller classes as well would be beneficial
3) I happened to get cold at the end of this class, but that won't be an issue in a few weeks. I just didn't have a sweatshirt because I'd come straight from a run.
In short, I would definitely do this again! It was free, fun and relaxing. Great way to enjoy NYC without spending any money.
Do you get distracted working out outside? Have you tried any free classes around NYC or anywhere else?
I ended up running an extra 12 blocks total, which apparently really slowed me down. The other issue that I encountered was when I exited the park at Central Park South. MIDTOWN IS CRAAAAZY!
I thought that 6th avenue wouldn't be so bad, but I was dead wrong. I could not run basically from Central Park South to Bryant Park, so that 15 block leg took me like 20 minutes.
Lesson learned... if I'm going to run a 5K for training purposes, make sure to avoid midtown.
I got to the park at like 5:56 and found one of my friends who was meeting me for yoga. I got a mat, but he wasn't able to. He said he didn't care because it was kind of cool to do yoga on the grass, so thanks because I wanted a mat!
The class was pretty straightforward- lots of Vinyasa flows. The teacher was from NY Yoga and she was very pregnant but also very energetic. There were almost 200 people doing yoga, which was pretty awesome. We were towards the back, so it was a little hard to see her at times, but since I have yoga experience, I was able to follow along to what she was saying without as many demonstrations. For newbies, it would be beneficial to show up early and practice in one of the front few rows (maybe not the front row as it's always helpful to see what other people are doing). The instructor did a very good job explaining modifications you can make to make a pose harder or easier based on your flexibility, strength and experience. Considering there were so many people there, it would have been very easy for her not to do this, and I appreciated that she took the time to mention binds when appropriate or leg changes when appropriate.
I'm a little ADD (as you can tell by my blog post title), so it was a little hard for me to concentrate on yoga at all times. I kept looking around and looking at the sky and looking at the buildings and then I would realize I'm supposed to be doing something else. However, that's just me. It was a very New York experience. Also, I would say its not for people who don't like being watched. I did feel kind of like part of a yoga flash-mob. People would take pictures and I heard tons of tourists stop, watch and talk about us for a while.
 |
| The very end of yoga. As you can see, I put socks on because my feet were cold. |
1) It was free!!
2) It was awesome to do yoga outside. Other than my distractibility, it was great to be on the grass and to be in NYC enjoying the city while still doing yoga.
3) The instructor was really good for someone who had to teach to that many people
Cons:
1) People will watch you
2) You don't get any physical correction and you can't always be sure the people around you are doing the right thing, so supplementing your yoga practice with smaller classes as well would be beneficial
3) I happened to get cold at the end of this class, but that won't be an issue in a few weeks. I just didn't have a sweatshirt because I'd come straight from a run.
In short, I would definitely do this again! It was free, fun and relaxing. Great way to enjoy NYC without spending any money.
Do you get distracted working out outside? Have you tried any free classes around NYC or anywhere else?
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Yoga Vida is Spanish for Yoga Life
Ironically, the title is poking fun at one of my close friends who misquoted Anchorman by saying, "El niño is spanish for THE BOY" but the Yoga instructor at Yoga Vida grew up in Spain so my title kind of relates (it's a stretch).
Anyway, I have a cold. It's the first real cold I've had since moving to NYC (August 2010). I've had sniffles and coughs, but nothing that's lasted more than a day. I'm a huge baby when I'm sick, but I also will not call out sick for work unless I either have a fever, I'm throwing up or the doctor has told me I cannot go to work (i.e. strep). And if I'm going to work, I'm pretty much continuing my normal life, with a few moans and groans and extra whining thrown in.
I have not been sick since I started exercising, so I have really not had a reason that would force me to not exercise. This week is a big test for me to see if I can get back on track with my goals when I feel better. OR! I could exercise this week and just tone it down a notch.
On Sunday night, I was trying to figure out what to do on Monday evening. I really wanted to do Hot Yoga because I have been feeling very stressed and I find that a nice sweaty yoga class de-stresses me very well. I decided that if I'm sick, it's kind of gross to do Hot Yoga because the heat makes my nose run. Maybe I could do some light running? Except my chest is on fire normally, and actually running on Friday really burned (but I chalked it up to pushing myself), so that's probably a bad idea too.
Why not try non-heated Yoga? This way, I still can de-stress and do some movement, but its not too strenuous.
I went onto GoRecess.com to try to find a Yoga class on the cheaper side. I found Yoga Vida which is located on University Place and 12th street (There is another SoHo studio). Yoga Vida is $12 for a drop in, which is AMAZING, but better yet: its $10 for your very first week with one free mat rental.
Yoga Vida offers Flow classes, Advanced classes and Beginner classes. The Advanced and Beginner classes are capped at 21 people to allow for more individual attention. The Flow class was very very crowded. I wish I'd counted how many people there were.
The studio itself was nice - nice floors, nice windows... it felt open and spacious and very calming. I didn't go to the locker room, but I did notice a long line for a 1-person women's bathroom, which sucks, so thats a downside to the place.
The instructor - Hilaria, was overall really good. She had a great personality. I guess she regularly solicits suggestions from the class about what to focus on, which I've never really observed anywhere else. This class chose the Core and Quads and she designed a class to focus on those areas.
Most of the class was similar to what I've done in other yoga classes - lots of flows, warrior 1 to warrior 2, etc etc. She did incorporate extra planks in there or holding poses that required core strength for longer. She also pointed out when we were supposed to be engaging our core or our quads and what it should feel like. She went around and corrected people, although she never corrected me, so maybe I was doing everything okay? Or maybe there were so many people she couldn't always get to me.
After the typical yoga series, she did a whole core workout. We did sit ups, bicycle crunches, lifted our legs, alternated lifting legs, did planks, did planks while lifting one leg at a time, did planks by twisting side to side etc etc. Huge core workout. It was great. I was able to do most of it despite being sick (and having done 100+ crunches before class started) but it was definitely not easy!
Oh and personal accomplishment: I was able to get into Wheel pose and maintain it!
Pros:
1) Hilaria had a fanstastic, light, funny personality that made me really enjoy the class.
2) The ab workout was great (which btw, Hilaria did with us the entire time)
3) I enjoyed having an alternative when I was sick that was less intense but provided me an outlet
oh and 4) It was dirt cheap. If I don't take another class this week, it was still worth it. However, I might to make it more worth it,
Cons:
1) I didn't feel as de-stressed as I do when I go to Hot Yoga
2) The class was very full and at one point, the girl in front of me almost kicked me in the face
3) We didn't do the balance poses, which are my favorite part of any Yoga class
I would definitely do this class again when I need something simple and relaxing without being too strenuous or tough on my body. I enjoyed it and I was proud of myself for getting out and doing something while sick.
I don't know if it will help me get better faster - I thankfully don't get sick often enough to have anything to compare it to. I do feel like I have to go to work and not hide in bed because if I can do yoga, I can resume my life as normal. However, today I decided to sit on the couch with some yummy homemade soup (Thanks Cameron!) and watch the Biggest Loser Season Finale. Hey, I take nights off when I'm not sick too!
Do you exercise when you are sick? What makes you feel better when you feel sick?
Anyway, I have a cold. It's the first real cold I've had since moving to NYC (August 2010). I've had sniffles and coughs, but nothing that's lasted more than a day. I'm a huge baby when I'm sick, but I also will not call out sick for work unless I either have a fever, I'm throwing up or the doctor has told me I cannot go to work (i.e. strep). And if I'm going to work, I'm pretty much continuing my normal life, with a few moans and groans and extra whining thrown in.
I have not been sick since I started exercising, so I have really not had a reason that would force me to not exercise. This week is a big test for me to see if I can get back on track with my goals when I feel better. OR! I could exercise this week and just tone it down a notch.
On Sunday night, I was trying to figure out what to do on Monday evening. I really wanted to do Hot Yoga because I have been feeling very stressed and I find that a nice sweaty yoga class de-stresses me very well. I decided that if I'm sick, it's kind of gross to do Hot Yoga because the heat makes my nose run. Maybe I could do some light running? Except my chest is on fire normally, and actually running on Friday really burned (but I chalked it up to pushing myself), so that's probably a bad idea too.
Why not try non-heated Yoga? This way, I still can de-stress and do some movement, but its not too strenuous.
I went onto GoRecess.com to try to find a Yoga class on the cheaper side. I found Yoga Vida which is located on University Place and 12th street (There is another SoHo studio). Yoga Vida is $12 for a drop in, which is AMAZING, but better yet: its $10 for your very first week with one free mat rental.
Yoga Vida offers Flow classes, Advanced classes and Beginner classes. The Advanced and Beginner classes are capped at 21 people to allow for more individual attention. The Flow class was very very crowded. I wish I'd counted how many people there were.
The studio itself was nice - nice floors, nice windows... it felt open and spacious and very calming. I didn't go to the locker room, but I did notice a long line for a 1-person women's bathroom, which sucks, so thats a downside to the place.
The instructor - Hilaria, was overall really good. She had a great personality. I guess she regularly solicits suggestions from the class about what to focus on, which I've never really observed anywhere else. This class chose the Core and Quads and she designed a class to focus on those areas.
Most of the class was similar to what I've done in other yoga classes - lots of flows, warrior 1 to warrior 2, etc etc. She did incorporate extra planks in there or holding poses that required core strength for longer. She also pointed out when we were supposed to be engaging our core or our quads and what it should feel like. She went around and corrected people, although she never corrected me, so maybe I was doing everything okay? Or maybe there were so many people she couldn't always get to me.
After the typical yoga series, she did a whole core workout. We did sit ups, bicycle crunches, lifted our legs, alternated lifting legs, did planks, did planks while lifting one leg at a time, did planks by twisting side to side etc etc. Huge core workout. It was great. I was able to do most of it despite being sick (and having done 100+ crunches before class started) but it was definitely not easy!
Oh and personal accomplishment: I was able to get into Wheel pose and maintain it!
Pros:
1) Hilaria had a fanstastic, light, funny personality that made me really enjoy the class.
2) The ab workout was great (which btw, Hilaria did with us the entire time)
3) I enjoyed having an alternative when I was sick that was less intense but provided me an outlet
oh and 4) It was dirt cheap. If I don't take another class this week, it was still worth it. However, I might to make it more worth it,
Cons:
1) I didn't feel as de-stressed as I do when I go to Hot Yoga
2) The class was very full and at one point, the girl in front of me almost kicked me in the face
3) We didn't do the balance poses, which are my favorite part of any Yoga class
I would definitely do this class again when I need something simple and relaxing without being too strenuous or tough on my body. I enjoyed it and I was proud of myself for getting out and doing something while sick.
I don't know if it will help me get better faster - I thankfully don't get sick often enough to have anything to compare it to. I do feel like I have to go to work and not hide in bed because if I can do yoga, I can resume my life as normal. However, today I decided to sit on the couch with some yummy homemade soup (Thanks Cameron!) and watch the Biggest Loser Season Finale. Hey, I take nights off when I'm not sick too!
Do you exercise when you are sick? What makes you feel better when you feel sick?
Saturday, April 14, 2012
Full Friday (including Crunch! Hot Pilates)
Yesterday was a big day for me exercise wise. I was at my parent's house in NJ overnight on Thursday night, so I decided to run a 5K in the neighborhood I grew up in.
I grew up on the top of a mountain, so planning a 5K route that doesn't involve going down the mountain is very challenging Going to the bottom is one thing... but then I'd have to get back to the top somehow, and I'm not really ready for that.
After I figured out my route, trying to avoid running up too many hills, off I went at 10:00am on Friday morning. About 10 minutes into the run, I turn a corner and see a BIG hill. Crap. I thought that was going to be downhill, not uphill. OK, fine, so I'll run up this hill and then walk at the top. So I did just that.
Fast forward through the rest of the run (that isn't that interesting) - I ran it in 32.30. Which is not an improvement on my baseline time, BUT I did have to go up and down several hills (albeit small hills) and I'm not used to running at an incline. Not that that is an excuse, but I'm happy that I didn't lose more time than that with the hills.
Also, during my run, I ran past a woman with a stroller who said "Wow! you're running so fast!" I was running out of steam at that point, so it was a nice little pick me up. Thanks, random woman.
After the run, Cameron and I headed back to NYC. We ran some errands and then I went to my last Crunch class for the week. Hot Pilates.
I did not like it. I didn't really get it to be honest. I barely broke a sweat, despite being in a heated room. Today I don't feel like I got a work out. It was a very slow moving class and we just didn't do very much. We would do 5 minutes of some exercise, then "shake it out" and go into Child's Pose. I'm so used to my Hot Power Yoga classes where Child's Pose is "always available" but only offered a few times a class. Not after every single thing you do! I was trying to keep my core activated the whole time, but there were some movements where you didn't need to, which honestly I think defeats the purpose. I could sit on my couch and clench my abs for free.
I've never taken another Pilates class, so I don't have another one to compare it to, so I'll leave an open mind about Pilates until I've had more experience. However, I was excited to start with a Hot Pilates class because I was looking forward to the challenge, so I'm disappointed that this class was much less than a challenge. No summary of pros and cons for this class because I would not recommend it at all.
So my week at Crunch is finished, and I have to say, overall, it was not so good. I wish I'd been able to go to some of the other classes, like the Body Web TRX class, but I think the fact that it was so difficult to get into didn't encourage me to keep trying. Crunch is $89/month when you pay month-to-month, and I think more if you pay the year in full (the total came out to $1,234 for the year, which is $123/month), which doesn't make sense to me. Thats $10 more/month than my gym, and I have to walk 20+ minutes to get there. I think it might be worth it if the classes were more accessible and provided a more intense workout, but it seems that there is a lot more smoke and mirrors than anything else at Crunch, Union Square.
Have you ever felt disappointed by an exercise class you signed up for? Do you prefer Yoga or Pilates?
I grew up on the top of a mountain, so planning a 5K route that doesn't involve going down the mountain is very challenging Going to the bottom is one thing... but then I'd have to get back to the top somehow, and I'm not really ready for that.
After I figured out my route, trying to avoid running up too many hills, off I went at 10:00am on Friday morning. About 10 minutes into the run, I turn a corner and see a BIG hill. Crap. I thought that was going to be downhill, not uphill. OK, fine, so I'll run up this hill and then walk at the top. So I did just that.
Fast forward through the rest of the run (that isn't that interesting) - I ran it in 32.30. Which is not an improvement on my baseline time, BUT I did have to go up and down several hills (albeit small hills) and I'm not used to running at an incline. Not that that is an excuse, but I'm happy that I didn't lose more time than that with the hills.
Also, during my run, I ran past a woman with a stroller who said "Wow! you're running so fast!" I was running out of steam at that point, so it was a nice little pick me up. Thanks, random woman.
After the run, Cameron and I headed back to NYC. We ran some errands and then I went to my last Crunch class for the week. Hot Pilates.
I did not like it. I didn't really get it to be honest. I barely broke a sweat, despite being in a heated room. Today I don't feel like I got a work out. It was a very slow moving class and we just didn't do very much. We would do 5 minutes of some exercise, then "shake it out" and go into Child's Pose. I'm so used to my Hot Power Yoga classes where Child's Pose is "always available" but only offered a few times a class. Not after every single thing you do! I was trying to keep my core activated the whole time, but there were some movements where you didn't need to, which honestly I think defeats the purpose. I could sit on my couch and clench my abs for free.
I've never taken another Pilates class, so I don't have another one to compare it to, so I'll leave an open mind about Pilates until I've had more experience. However, I was excited to start with a Hot Pilates class because I was looking forward to the challenge, so I'm disappointed that this class was much less than a challenge. No summary of pros and cons for this class because I would not recommend it at all.
So my week at Crunch is finished, and I have to say, overall, it was not so good. I wish I'd been able to go to some of the other classes, like the Body Web TRX class, but I think the fact that it was so difficult to get into didn't encourage me to keep trying. Crunch is $89/month when you pay month-to-month, and I think more if you pay the year in full (the total came out to $1,234 for the year, which is $123/month), which doesn't make sense to me. Thats $10 more/month than my gym, and I have to walk 20+ minutes to get there. I think it might be worth it if the classes were more accessible and provided a more intense workout, but it seems that there is a lot more smoke and mirrors than anything else at Crunch, Union Square.
Have you ever felt disappointed by an exercise class you signed up for? Do you prefer Yoga or Pilates?
Sunday, April 8, 2012
Crunch! Yoga
As a teacher, I have the wonderful vacation schedule that I've had since I was about 5 years old. So it's Easter/Passover, so I have off this upcoming week! To take advantage of my week off, I decided to sign up for a free week at the Crunch Gym in Union Square. They offer 15-20 classes per day, including spinning, yoga, heated yoga, pilates and many more! Even if I only go three times, that's 3 different classes I got to try.
I went today and decided to go to the 5:00pm Vinyasa Yoga class. I know Vinyasa Yoga (although I am definitely no expert) and figured that was a nice baseline for me to get an idea of what the gym was like.
I got there at 4:15 because I assumed I'd have to have a tour and I'd want to be at least 10 minutes early to the class. It took about 4 minutes for me to get signed in and then they pointed me towards the yoga studio. I guess we all know what happens when we assume... I ended up with like 40 minutes to spare. I went over to Lululemon in Union Square (more on that in a separate post as I may become a Lululemon addict.) and then came back about 15 minutes before the class.
Since I was still there so early, I did some crunches while I was waiting - I don't sit still well. When the class started, there were only 4 people in the room. A few more came in, but it was a total of only 8 people in the class.
The studio was very nice - it didn't feel like I was in a gym yoga studio... it felt like I was at a yoga-specific studio. You could hear the music from the weight room, but only faintly and it was a nicely lit space. I was going to take a picture, but I didn't because there were other people in the room.
The class was good enough. I have never actually taken a non-heated yoga class, so I was excited to see what yoga was like when you didn't also feel like you were trapped in a sauna. Overall, I still prefer hot yoga because I find that the heat forces me to focus on what I'm doing at the moment rather than allow my mind to wander. However, I do think that occasional non-heated classes might be nice to really focus on poses and going further than I have in the past. For example, today was the first time that I was ever able to go into crow pose successfully which was pretty awesome for me. I also was able to work on my flow from plank to upward facing down to downward facing dog and I felt like I made progress on that.
However, I felt that the instructor was a little too hands on. I'm pretty comfortable with getting corrections, but there were times where I felt like a verbal instruction would have been sufficient enough to tell me what I could do to help fix the pose or get more out of it. I had a yoga instructor once stand on my hands to help me, but for some reason, today felt a little excessive.
To sum up the class:
Pros:
1) Felt like a yoga studio, not a gym class
2) In terms of stretching and making progress, a non-heated class really allowed me to focus on moving forward with my practice
3) It was nice to have a small class where there was a lot of space and the structure was a little more personalized because there were only 8 of us.
Cons:
1) People kept coming in and out which was a little disruptive for me. I'm distractible, so that made it hard for me to focus
2) Crunch didn't have time to wash the mats from the last yoga class, so the yoga mat may have been used by another person before I used it. Which actually is pretty gross now that I am reflecting on that...
3) The instructor was a little too hands on and I think he could actually use some work developing his verbal direction skills. I need to learn how to get my body into a pose without someone else pushing it, so I should be working on that. Sure, sometimes I need to know what a pose is supposed to feel like or a little correction might change a lot, but constant physical guidance actually might prevent someone from making progress because they don't learn how to move that way themselves. Also, I think it might make some people lazy because they'll just wait for the instructor to fix it. It actually made me work harder because I wanted to know that I was able to do each pose without having someone make adjustments.
I don't think I would go back to another one of this instructor's classes because I didn't feel comfortable, but I did like the overall results of the class and the overall feel of the gym. I'll be going there all week, so look for more class reviews!
On another yoga-related note... vote for Helena, my maid of honor's sister, for this yoga talent search contest: http://talentsearch.yogajournal.com/view/1526?sort=recent! Look at how awesome she is :)
I went today and decided to go to the 5:00pm Vinyasa Yoga class. I know Vinyasa Yoga (although I am definitely no expert) and figured that was a nice baseline for me to get an idea of what the gym was like.
I got there at 4:15 because I assumed I'd have to have a tour and I'd want to be at least 10 minutes early to the class. It took about 4 minutes for me to get signed in and then they pointed me towards the yoga studio. I guess we all know what happens when we assume... I ended up with like 40 minutes to spare. I went over to Lululemon in Union Square (more on that in a separate post as I may become a Lululemon addict.) and then came back about 15 minutes before the class.
Since I was still there so early, I did some crunches while I was waiting - I don't sit still well. When the class started, there were only 4 people in the room. A few more came in, but it was a total of only 8 people in the class.
The studio was very nice - it didn't feel like I was in a gym yoga studio... it felt like I was at a yoga-specific studio. You could hear the music from the weight room, but only faintly and it was a nicely lit space. I was going to take a picture, but I didn't because there were other people in the room.
 |
| Crow Pose (this isn't me) |
However, I felt that the instructor was a little too hands on. I'm pretty comfortable with getting corrections, but there were times where I felt like a verbal instruction would have been sufficient enough to tell me what I could do to help fix the pose or get more out of it. I had a yoga instructor once stand on my hands to help me, but for some reason, today felt a little excessive.
To sum up the class:
Pros:
1) Felt like a yoga studio, not a gym class
2) In terms of stretching and making progress, a non-heated class really allowed me to focus on moving forward with my practice
3) It was nice to have a small class where there was a lot of space and the structure was a little more personalized because there were only 8 of us.
Cons:
1) People kept coming in and out which was a little disruptive for me. I'm distractible, so that made it hard for me to focus
2) Crunch didn't have time to wash the mats from the last yoga class, so the yoga mat may have been used by another person before I used it. Which actually is pretty gross now that I am reflecting on that...
3) The instructor was a little too hands on and I think he could actually use some work developing his verbal direction skills. I need to learn how to get my body into a pose without someone else pushing it, so I should be working on that. Sure, sometimes I need to know what a pose is supposed to feel like or a little correction might change a lot, but constant physical guidance actually might prevent someone from making progress because they don't learn how to move that way themselves. Also, I think it might make some people lazy because they'll just wait for the instructor to fix it. It actually made me work harder because I wanted to know that I was able to do each pose without having someone make adjustments.
I don't think I would go back to another one of this instructor's classes because I didn't feel comfortable, but I did like the overall results of the class and the overall feel of the gym. I'll be going there all week, so look for more class reviews!
On another yoga-related note... vote for Helena, my maid of honor's sister, for this yoga talent search contest: http://talentsearch.yogajournal.com/view/1526?sort=recent! Look at how awesome she is :)
Monday, April 2, 2012
Re-energize myself!!
This past week was kind of a discouraging week for me. I went to the gym on Monday and then on Thursday I ran home from work. I did cut 2 minutes off my previous time, getting that 5.5 mile run down to... an hour and eight minutes. Yes, it is still that long. I am running more though, but I think when I walk, I walk even slower. So I walked probably about a mile total (which for me, is really amazing), but that mile really adds on at least 10 minutes, if not more!! Anyway, I was proud of myself on Thursday for this accomplishment because it was a good run and I can actually see progress.
However, I was pissed off because I am supposed to be taking a different class every week, and that has been tougher than I realized. I signed up for a 3 day trial at Equinox, and they are supposed to contact me, but they haven't yet. I was hoping to have done that this past weekend. The same thing happened a couple of weeks ago when I tried to sign up for a Kettlebell Kickboxing class. They take so long to get back to me that I've missed that workout in my schedule and it is hard for me to get back to it.
OK, fine, so one of my friends emails me this Urban Girl Squad link to a boot camp + seminar on how to eat right when exercising. SAVED! Equinox fell through, so now I have this boot camp thing to try out!!
Well. It rained and the boot camp was cancelled.
Bummer. Very discouraging... how can I take new classes when they make it so difficult???
Fortunately, my friend found a community class at New York Yoga instead, so we went to that instead. So it was a pretty good recovery all in all - I've taken so many Hot Yoga classes, that I didn't really learn anything new, but I absolutely love going to new Yoga studios, so that was a nice adventure for me. I'll review the class in a separate post.
All in all, I felt kind of frustrated because I didn't realize this goal was going to be so hard to do. I knew the exercise part was hard, but I wasn't anticipating having to coordinate things so delicately and so far in advance. So I was left kind of frustrated and cranky.
So to turn my frown upside down... I am officially signing up for my first 5K tonight!
It is the PRoNE 5K which benefits pugs in New England. The course is seen in this map below.
it is a cool course through Castle Island in Boston on June 2nd. I'm very excited to do my first 5K in Boston and with some of my best friends from college. Also, afterwards, we're going to the American Craft Beer Festival, which we went to a few years ago when we lived there. It's going to be a great weekend and I'm counting down the days. Giving myself something to work towards and also something to look forward to really motivates me and gets me off my lazy butt!
What motivates you? What event are you looking forward to?
However, I was pissed off because I am supposed to be taking a different class every week, and that has been tougher than I realized. I signed up for a 3 day trial at Equinox, and they are supposed to contact me, but they haven't yet. I was hoping to have done that this past weekend. The same thing happened a couple of weeks ago when I tried to sign up for a Kettlebell Kickboxing class. They take so long to get back to me that I've missed that workout in my schedule and it is hard for me to get back to it.
OK, fine, so one of my friends emails me this Urban Girl Squad link to a boot camp + seminar on how to eat right when exercising. SAVED! Equinox fell through, so now I have this boot camp thing to try out!!
Well. It rained and the boot camp was cancelled.
Bummer. Very discouraging... how can I take new classes when they make it so difficult???
Fortunately, my friend found a community class at New York Yoga instead, so we went to that instead. So it was a pretty good recovery all in all - I've taken so many Hot Yoga classes, that I didn't really learn anything new, but I absolutely love going to new Yoga studios, so that was a nice adventure for me. I'll review the class in a separate post.
All in all, I felt kind of frustrated because I didn't realize this goal was going to be so hard to do. I knew the exercise part was hard, but I wasn't anticipating having to coordinate things so delicately and so far in advance. So I was left kind of frustrated and cranky.
So to turn my frown upside down... I am officially signing up for my first 5K tonight!
It is the PRoNE 5K which benefits pugs in New England. The course is seen in this map below.
What motivates you? What event are you looking forward to?
Sunday, March 25, 2012
It's been a while...
So I haven't written anything because it was a CRAZY week and I didn't get to go to any new exercise classes. Which made me feel like I didn't have much to say.
I made a google calendar specifically for exercising to keep track of what I'm doing and also to provide myself with some accountability. I have been awful about actually following the calendar, BUT this past week has shown me that the calendar does make me feel more accountable to exercising.
Sooo this past week I was supposed to do the following:
Monday: Run + weights at NYSC
Wednesday: Run + Total Body Conditioning at NYSC
Friday: Community Class at Soul Cycle
What I actually did this week:
Tuesday: Bike + weights at NYSC
Friday: Run + weights at NYSC
Saturday: Hot Vinyasa at Yoga to the People
I think if my calendar didn't already have 3 things on it, I wouldn't have exercised on Friday and Saturday. Honestly... it seems really small and silly, but I guess if I say I'm going to do something, I have to make up for it if it doesn't happen. But why didn't I work out when I said I was going to?
Work this week was absolutely crazy - my hours are 8:30-4:30, but I typically work 8:00-5:00ish, but this past week, I stayed until past 7:00 on Monday and Thursday. It was just one of those weeks. Then on Wednesday, my mom and her best friend (my 2nd mother) came into the city for dinner to show me the mock-ups of mine and Cameron' wedding invitations.
Oh, and I exercised on Friday, but not the community class at soul cycle BECAUSE IT FILLS UP BEFORE YOU CAN EVER SIGN UP!! Cameron and I have tried twice now to get into the Community Class at Soul Cycle, and it's been full as soon as you're able to sign up. I don't think we're meant to take this class at Soul Cycle. We're going to try again in a couple of weeks.
Since I made the agreement that I would take a spin class if Cameron took yoga, this week was the week I brought him to a Hot Vinyasa yoga class so he can see what I actually do!
We went to Yoga to the People and what I noticed was that there were times where the instructor would tells us to move into a certain pose, and I'd want to add tips and hints to tell Cameron because she wasn't mentioning the best way to move into that pose or how your leg should be, or ways you can make it easier or harder based on your skill. I don't know if its Yoga to the People's no-judgement attitude, or if the class was not targeted towards beginners, but I felt like that was really lacking. How can you improve/do it correctly if you're not taught the right way??
At any rate, Cameron enjoyed this class more than the "Hot traditional yoga" (i.e. Bikram) class we took. I also felt relaxed and invigorated. I find Hot Vinyasa to be incredibly relaxing and focusing for me. While in the class, I stop thinking about everything else and really focus on yoga and each individual pose. After the class, and the immense amounts of sweating, I feel detoxified and fresh. It was the perfect ending to a very long week.
What relaxes you? Are you able to follow a set schedule for exercising, or anything else?
I made a google calendar specifically for exercising to keep track of what I'm doing and also to provide myself with some accountability. I have been awful about actually following the calendar, BUT this past week has shown me that the calendar does make me feel more accountable to exercising.
Sooo this past week I was supposed to do the following:
Monday: Run + weights at NYSC
Wednesday: Run + Total Body Conditioning at NYSC
Friday: Community Class at Soul Cycle
What I actually did this week:
Tuesday: Bike + weights at NYSC
Friday: Run + weights at NYSC
Saturday: Hot Vinyasa at Yoga to the People
I think if my calendar didn't already have 3 things on it, I wouldn't have exercised on Friday and Saturday. Honestly... it seems really small and silly, but I guess if I say I'm going to do something, I have to make up for it if it doesn't happen. But why didn't I work out when I said I was going to?
Work this week was absolutely crazy - my hours are 8:30-4:30, but I typically work 8:00-5:00ish, but this past week, I stayed until past 7:00 on Monday and Thursday. It was just one of those weeks. Then on Wednesday, my mom and her best friend (my 2nd mother) came into the city for dinner to show me the mock-ups of mine and Cameron' wedding invitations.
Oh, and I exercised on Friday, but not the community class at soul cycle BECAUSE IT FILLS UP BEFORE YOU CAN EVER SIGN UP!! Cameron and I have tried twice now to get into the Community Class at Soul Cycle, and it's been full as soon as you're able to sign up. I don't think we're meant to take this class at Soul Cycle. We're going to try again in a couple of weeks.
Since I made the agreement that I would take a spin class if Cameron took yoga, this week was the week I brought him to a Hot Vinyasa yoga class so he can see what I actually do!
We went to Yoga to the People and what I noticed was that there were times where the instructor would tells us to move into a certain pose, and I'd want to add tips and hints to tell Cameron because she wasn't mentioning the best way to move into that pose or how your leg should be, or ways you can make it easier or harder based on your skill. I don't know if its Yoga to the People's no-judgement attitude, or if the class was not targeted towards beginners, but I felt like that was really lacking. How can you improve/do it correctly if you're not taught the right way??
At any rate, Cameron enjoyed this class more than the "Hot traditional yoga" (i.e. Bikram) class we took. I also felt relaxed and invigorated. I find Hot Vinyasa to be incredibly relaxing and focusing for me. While in the class, I stop thinking about everything else and really focus on yoga and each individual pose. After the class, and the immense amounts of sweating, I feel detoxified and fresh. It was the perfect ending to a very long week.
What relaxes you? Are you able to follow a set schedule for exercising, or anything else?
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Oops! I did it again
When I first moved to NYC, I purchased a groupon for Bikram Yoga NYC. Like I mentioned earlier, I used to take hot yoga (Inner Strength Studios) in Boston, and decided that I'd like to try in NYC. I bought the groupon, and then a couple months later, I finally got around to using it.
I hated it.
What I loved about Inner Strength was that during the class I felt challenged and pushed myself, but afterwards, I felt relaxed and invigorated. So I was looking for that feeling again at Bikram Yoga NYC.
Why I did not like Bikram Yoga:
- The room is 5-10 degrees hotter than Hot Power Yoga and that makes a huge difference
- There were like 600 people crammed into a very narrow room, oh and the floor is carpeted which to me just felt unsanitary. How do they clean it after each class?
- The structure is COMPLETELY different. The class felt militaristic to me, with the instructor counting and then clapping to signal the end of a pose.
- I felt woozy and exhausted, not challenged or invigorated. And I sat for about 45% of the class, so it was really like I was in a sauna for waaay too long and that was it.
So I never went back. It was, essentially a $40 class, but I didn't think it as worth going back if I disliked it that much.
Today, I accidentally ended up in a very similar class at Yoga to the People. I have been trying to convince my fiancee (Cameron) to come to a Yoga class with me. Today was the day!! He agreed to go! We chose the Yoga to the People studio on 26th between 7th and 8th ave, since it is the closest to our apartment, therefore avoiding paying for the subway.
We walk in, set up, etc. And then the class starts and she tells us to stand up and start with a breathing exercise. We start the breathing exercise and I realize, I've never done this at a Vinyasa yoga class. Oh crap. This is Bikram. (Note: I think there might be some copyright issues associated with Yoga to the People calling it a Bikram class, but I'm using the term to help differentiate between the two types of Yoga). So now, I'm slightly panicked for a second because the last Bikram class I took was so miserable. Relax, Nicole, just breathe. I'm trying lots of new exercise classes, so lets just think of this one as a new exercise class to try.
OK. With the new change in attitude that suddenly my relaxing Sunday afternoon yoga was going to be a grueling exercise class, I threw myself into the class. This class was better than the first Bikram yoga class I took. Here's why:
OK. With the new change in attitude that suddenly my relaxing Sunday afternoon yoga was going to be a grueling exercise class, I threw myself into the class. This class was better than the first Bikram yoga class I took. Here's why:
- The instructor was more nurturing. While she did count and clap and do all those things I hated, she also provided praise and support when necessary. She wasn't as abrasive.
- I took a different approach to it. I think this class showed me that attitude is half of it. I was so pissed off last time that I was not in a relaxing yoga class, that I literally made no attempt to make the best of it, and instead just sat down and gave up.
- I knew what I was getting into once I realized that it was not Hot Power, and was able to anticipate the class better, which made me feel more comfortable. Your first Bikram Yoga class is not easy mostly because you have absolutely no idea what to expect.
- It was only $8 to change my attitude towards Bikram, not $40.
I still do not like Bikram Yoga. However that is an upgrade from hating it. I still feel like half the challenge is not getting sick in the heat. I also felt like if I'm looking it from the perspective of an exercise class, I don't feel like I got a good workout. I sweat more than I've ever sweat before, but I don't feel like I was pushed cardiovascularly or that my muscles got a great workout. I think that people who probably do Bikram regularly enjoy it and get more benefit out of it. However, my goal is to get into shape while switching up the activities I do, so one Bikram class did not really help me towards that goal.
To sum up, I would not take Bikram, or a hot yoga class like Bikram, again. I am glad I took it a second time because it did change my opinion of Bikram to a more positive one. It's just not for me, but I can now see why people do it regularly.
Monday, February 27, 2012
Yoga to the People
2 big things today... used my inhaler for the first time (how cool am I??) and I went to Yoga to the People for some cheap, stress-relieving hot yoga.
First: the inhaler... well, I don’t think I used it right, I don’t think it helped, and now I have a terrible taste in my mouth... however I had a really great yoga session so maybe it did help and I just don’t realize it?
Second: Yoga to the People. I went to the studio on 38th and 6th. The entrance is very hard to find, especially because their website directs you to the orange nails sign, but that sign is actually black now. So I showed up at 5:55 for the 6:00 yoga class and was given the 2nd to last spot. At the very front of the class. Facing perpendicular to everyone else. So everyone can see... that’s right... ME!
The class was really good. It was slow, but the instructor gave opportunities for you to move throughout a “flow” at your own pace, which I actually really liked. I felt like I was able to breathe at my own pace and with my own movements, rather than sneak a breath in between while everyone else is still figuring out what they are doing. I was upset however, that there was no balance series. The balance poses are my favorite in yoga and the most relaxing for me. I always look forward to that part of class, so I was bummed that we didn’t do that today. However, all in all, the class was really good. I don’t know if the inhaler helped or if being the person everyone else could see pushed me, but I felt like I made some nice yoga progress and was able to do more than I’ve been able to in a long time.
Would I go back again? Sure! The class was good and what makes it is even better was the price: $5! (it’s an extra $2 if you need to rent a mat)
All in all, a great day for exercise. Up tomorrow, testing out the inhaler with a run. We’ll see how that goes...
First: the inhaler... well, I don’t think I used it right, I don’t think it helped, and now I have a terrible taste in my mouth... however I had a really great yoga session so maybe it did help and I just don’t realize it?
Second: Yoga to the People. I went to the studio on 38th and 6th. The entrance is very hard to find, especially because their website directs you to the orange nails sign, but that sign is actually black now. So I showed up at 5:55 for the 6:00 yoga class and was given the 2nd to last spot. At the very front of the class. Facing perpendicular to everyone else. So everyone can see... that’s right... ME!
The class was really good. It was slow, but the instructor gave opportunities for you to move throughout a “flow” at your own pace, which I actually really liked. I felt like I was able to breathe at my own pace and with my own movements, rather than sneak a breath in between while everyone else is still figuring out what they are doing. I was upset however, that there was no balance series. The balance poses are my favorite in yoga and the most relaxing for me. I always look forward to that part of class, so I was bummed that we didn’t do that today. However, all in all, the class was really good. I don’t know if the inhaler helped or if being the person everyone else could see pushed me, but I felt like I made some nice yoga progress and was able to do more than I’ve been able to in a long time.
Would I go back again? Sure! The class was good and what makes it is even better was the price: $5! (it’s an extra $2 if you need to rent a mat)
All in all, a great day for exercise. Up tomorrow, testing out the inhaler with a run. We’ll see how that goes...
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