Yoga lately

I know I've recapped my yoga life up until now -- and explained how bikram was kind of my jam.

But I think I've also mentioned my recent move to the 'burbs, and how I no longer can drive to Yoga Loka anymore (unless I want to spend an hour in the car, round-trip). No thanks.

So, I needed to find another studio. Preferably, a heated one. I wasn't opposed to breaking out of my box a little, and trying a new type of yogz -- but I wanted to WERK, ya know? If I don't leave class a sweaty mess with remnants of last night's eye makeup dripping off my face, then why even go?

I hit up Googz. All signs pointed to East Wind Yoga in Roseville, which is about 6 miles from my apartment. So, not the closest, but reasonable enough for a quick drive at 8:30 most mornings (URG. I was also going to have to remind myself how to wake up at a reasonable hour).

Buttttttttt I tried it Monday! Signed up for a month unlimited for $30. Brought my BFF. It was good! I always think, if I'm not challenging myself somehow, I'm getting too comfortable. (I had totally gotten too comfy lately). Beers, snacks, sleeping in ... I needed to get my ass back in gear, physically.

And I think this yogz is going to grow on me!

So, real talk: I'm awful at it. I'm not like, unserviceable, but I'm not good. The instructor just kind of assumed everyone in the class had done yoga, I guess ... and maybe they had? It did seem like a lot of regulars. And I'm used to bikram teachers explaining every detail of what has to happen in every pose. Like, from the beginning. And in bikram, you hold everything for so damn long (usually a full minute then 30 seconds), that you get it by the end. I mean, you have to -- or at least a decent modification. But at East Wind, they were just like, "k, downward-facing dog time." Or, "half-moon time." And bikram half-moons are NOT the same as these. And sometimes we'd just hold our postures for like, 10 seconds. Or 15. Whatttttttt?

It's not to say the instructor didn't offer help and explanations. She was really good actually and I learned to like her style a lot. But still, I need to start with the dumbed-down versions on a lot of these poses. Crow? Well I've never even heard of that, so rewindddddd. Apparently the class was for all levels, so it's not like I jumped in over my head. And the teacher kept telling me to elongate my neck and look down, but I needed to creep on what the rest of the class was doing, you know? I'm a visual person, I need to see it! 

All of that said, I maintain that it really was good! I stayed in the room. It was warm, but not bikram hot. Nothing felt physically impossible. My bad leg spazzed out a few times and cramped on a few postures, but whatever. I respected my limits and tweaked. Overall, it was tough -- and my muscles today, ermagodddddd sore -- but not like, break-my-body hard. Apparently I took 90-minute hot, which is kind of vinyasa-ish? I'm going to try and do every other day, so tomorrow I'm planning on a 90-minute flow at 9a. Not sure if it's heated.

I'll keep you posted! So far, so good. And this studio has showers. WIN!