Yo-ga, yo-ga, yo-ga!

Today I went to my first yoga class. An official yoga class at an official studio. Now I know I'm not the most fit person in the world but it was quite a workout--even for a beginner's class. But I loved it! Ann Margaret, my instructor, was so patient and funny and she had this great character about her. She gave us a little background info/history as she taught us the poses. She'd watch us and fix our poses. It was kinda like being in kindergarten without the ABCs and the cookies. And let's face it, everyone loved kindergarten.

Walking into the class, like walking into any classroom on the first day of school, was a little bit weird becuase it's 10 strangers sitting on mats, on the floor very close together. I wasn't too crazy about the class at this point becuase I really dislike--utterly dislike--body odor. Thankfully, I didn't come across any BO tonight. *Side note: It is not recommended to eat 2 hours before the class because (and I quote) "we don't want a fart storm in the middle of class." Yeah, I had to stifle my laughter when the receptionist said that.* Throughout the exercises I began to really let loose. My back felt soft, I was really aware of my breathing, my shoulders were soooo relaxed. It was pretty amazing. Until the inversion pose. Basically your feet(from bum to heels) are up against the wall. This is a heating pose which means that it increases your body temperature. Now, by that point it was pretty warm in the room. And I, personally, was feeling a little sweaty. Well, Ann Margaret was not lying when she said body temperature would increase. It was a rise in temperature that was so subtle that when it finally hit me, it felt like I was standing in front of a furnace. A BIG furnace! What redeemed the inversion pose was the way in which you bring your legs down; you bring them down slowly, knees together, bend them and twist them to either side of the body. My back cracked in places I didn't know it could crack. I felt like a million bucks. Still do, actually. :)

I think what I liked most about the yoga class was the concentration on myself. Everything was about me. My arms, my breathing, my relaxation. Sounds a little selfish right now but it felt great! I'll have to practice these poses so that I don't feel like a tool when I go back next week. Not gonna lie, I'm totally looking forward to next week.

Right now, however, I'm looking forward to jumping in bed.