Pilates @ Cityoga (yes....I know it's not yoga!)

So I tried out the Pilates class at Cityoga today. I know, I know, it's not yoga. However, I've noticed most yoga studios I've been to often offer a pilates class, and the two are often paired together, so I feel it is relevant. I've also noticed that pilates borrows from yoga, and I've been to many yoga classes which borrow from pilates as well.

Let me just say, this was by far the hardest pilates class I have ever taken. I've only taken a couple, but I always left those classes feeling like I didn't even work out. Well my whole body is telling me right now that I have definitely worked out. This was mat pilates class meant for all levels.

The class: There were only 3 of us, plus the instructor, so we certainly got some individual attention. We started off using 3 lb weights right away doing some arm exercises. We were in the hot yoga studio, so it was kind of dark and warm, so that was a little uncomfortable. We did some really difficult plank work which I definitely struggled with. Later we did a lot of work with the ring (is that what you call it?) between the knees, the ankles, etc working different areas, which was also very challenging. Serious leg-shaking stuff. I will tell you what though, I definitely feel like I got my workout. Serious muscle fatigue right now. I think what made it challenging was the amount of reps, and variations on each area (for example, we'd work out the left side for what seemed like forever, doing tiny variations, then move to the right). I think the other part is that I do virtually no weight training, so adding the weights made a huge difference.

I think I've been going to too many classes/gyms frequented by an older demographic and so the classes are lower impact. With Cityoga, that is NOT the case, which I love. It certainly has made me re-evaluate my fitness level! I'm definitely open to more pilates, but now I know it can kick my ass!! I just wish there were a way to distinguish the levels of difficulty. This class was considered all levels, but it felt advanced to me. Another studio I took pilates at for all levels felt like a light stretch session.

Vinyasa Flow at Cityoga (not the core one, this is new) tomorrow. I have a feeling I may be hurting still from pilates. No pain no gain?

Update: Skipping Vinyasa flow. I am SO SORE. I don't want to injure myself :(

Jason Mraz loves Yoga too!

http://freshnessfactorfivethousand.blogspot.com/2011/06/lean-into-discomfort.html

Check out this awesome post by one of my favorite musicians, Jason Mraz! How fitting that the day I start blogging about yoga, Jason puts out this great post on why yoga is awesome?

Hot Yoga (1st Class) @ Cityoga

Major discovery - I need a towel for my yoga mat!!!!

I've gotten away with not having one for a long time, and sure I'd slip a tiny bit but nothing crazy. Hot yoga is a whooooole other story. I was slipping and sliding everywhere. Luckily, I brought a small hand towel anticipating the heat, and did my best with that to help with my footing.

I've never taken hot yoga before, but it's very popular right now and I've been dying to try it (I'm always going on to my friends about how I want to do yoga that works up a sweat.) Well, I think I released my body weight in sweat after this class.

The class: About 7 people total. The room started at about 86 degrees, but by the end got up to about 90 degrees (I was close to the thermostat). We went at a fairly slow pace, doing only 1 or 2 sequences a little faster.  Vinyasa flow was incorporated and the poses were kept fairly basic. Even the most basic poses get a LOT harder when its HOT though! My hamstrings were still somewhat sore from the Core Vinyasa Flow class a couple days ago, so I wasn't 100%, but still. I'm not sure I've ever sweat that much in my life. Absolutely dripping. Downed my big bottle of water in a heartbeat. It was definitely worth all the sweat though! We wound down class in corpse pose, and used eye-bags scented with something (lavender?). I felt like I was literally melting into the floor, and the eyebag along with the scent really helped to open my senses and calm me.

The skinny: I felt absolutely FANTASTIC coming out of that class. I was soaked in sweat head to toe, but was so full of endorphins and zen-y goodness that I didn't care. And the class was challenging, but not impossible, which is a plus for me. I would definitely take this again- consider me a new fan of hot yoga! Also, if you are going to do hot yoga, a mat towel is a MUST.

Side note: A bath towel works just as well as one of those designer towels! It may not look as snazzy, but if you're on a budget like I am and don't care what your towel looks like, a bath or beach towel is just fine!

Core Vinyasa Flow (1st class) @ Cityoga

So I've taken advantage of a local Groupon deal for a 5 class pass to Cityoga here in Indianapolis. It's a little bit of a drive for me, but it's a great opportunity to try some new classes (and Cityoga has a lot of offerings).

The 1st class I tried was Core Vinyasa Flow. I'm most familiar with Vinyasa work so there were not a whole lot of surprises, but the Cityoga studio was new to me.

The class: About 7 people in the class. It was a pretty typical practice, with a focus on how each pose is approached. So for instance triangle pose was approached first from the top, then the middle then the bottom. It was interesting to see the different ways in which you could flow into a pose. It's definitely useful for when you practice on your own, so that the flow can go on uninterrupted because you don't know where to go next (there's always somewhere to go!).  I expected to do more core work as in targeting the abs but perhaps that is not what they meant by 'core'? Regardless, my hamstrings have been burning for about 2 days! I definitely worked up a sweat, and it was high impact enough that I would go again. Robbin was also a great teacher, very easy to follow.

The studio: Cityoga has 2 studios, a large windowed studio and a hot yoga studio, both with wooden floors, and fairly plain decor. It's a really nice set-up with a very spacious lobby. I was impressed by how well put-together the studio seemed to be. I think my only deterrent to becoming a regular frequenter of the studio is the price-- its $15 for individual classes, $65 for 5 classes, $120 for 10 classes, and so on. They do occasionally have "community" classes for $5 and $10 so once my Groupon runs out I will try to attend those. $15 may not seem like a lot, but for a girl on a budget it sure is! The great thing about this studio is the variety of styles of yoga they offer. (Hot Yoga, Vinyasa Flow, Slow Flow, Core Vinyasa, Ashtanga, Kundalini-just to name a few). They also frequently hold unique workshops (I'd love to try Acroyoga) and they allow you to schedule classes online (with payment) in advance.


Overall, I came away very happy with the class. I felt like I got a workout but it was also spiritually refreshing and centering as well.

The Journey Has Already Begun

Hello!

I intend to chronicle my yoga practice and discoveries in this blog in the hopes that it will help and encourage others in their practice, but also as a reminder to myself of where I've been and where I hope to be in my practice!

That being said, a little history.

My first experience with yoga occurred in high school. I took a couple classes at a local studio, and enjoyed the experience, but I wasn't quite ready to commit. I think the incense threw me off a bit (and gave me a headache... don't get me wrong, I love incense, but inhaling that much made my head spin).

I didn't encounter yoga again until college. I majored in theatre, and our stage movement teacher, Melli, incorporated yoga into our warm-ups. This is when yoga really started to click for me. I loved the way it made me feel, and I discovered that the stretching and focus on alignment was actually alleviating some minor lower back pain I'd been having trouble with (flat feet....it's a curse).

From there I decided to try a class setting again, this time at my college's health complex, and fell head over heels (let's be honest, in yoga this is pretty common) for yoga. I took classes when I could fit them into my schedule, and discovered that my favorites were combinations of yoga and pilates, and the vinyasa flow classes. The higher impact and level of difficulty the better. I'm also very competitive with myself and a bit of a daredevil, which can sometimes lead to injury, but if focused, has enabled me to achieve poses I would have never thought possible.

My exploration deepened when I embarked on a nationwide theatre fringe festival tour as a cast member of a show. Several other members of the group enjoyed practicing yoga, and so we began to practice together in all sorts of odd settings on the road. Our fearless leader Megyn helped to guide us through podcasts published by a studio she frequents in NYC (Yoga To the People, I highly recommend it). This was a really valuable time for my practice, as I began to see it as not just a form of exercise but as a way to clear my mind and focus and to do something for myself and my body.

I graduated from college this past May, and made it a goal for myself to become certified as a yoga teacher. I haven't set a specific time by which I hope to achieve this goal, but I'm not necessarily in a hurry. For now, I think it is more important to explore the many forms of yoga, find what works for me, and build a more consistent practice. I am trying out different studios and classes in Indianapolis for the summer, and I hope to find a studio I like and become a member/regular of in Chicago when I move there in August.

So why Yoga?

I played many different sports as a child, but set aside athletics in high school to pursue other interests. It always has been and still is my goal and dream to become a professional actor. The demands of a stage and film actor generally include a fit body. Yoga for me has become a way to work out and stay fit. It is never boring, never the same, and never a chore, which was always my problem with hopping on the elliptical or going for a run. What's even better about yoga is that is has greatly improved my posture and body and breath awareness, which all play into my abilities as a performer as well. Its helped me become more graceful, balanced, and able to center and focus myself.  Yoga grants me the ability to calm myself and discover inner peace unlike anything else has. For me, after I complete my time on the mat for the day, it is the closest thing I have come to a religious experience. I want to share with all who are willing to listen the many benefits of yoga.