Yoga, Baby!
Nope, it’s not a repeat post (note the change in punctuation), I have taken up a new hobby I want to recommend.
Last night I took my third Bikram Yoga class at a studio on McClintock and Guadalupe. For those of you who don’t know me, you should understand this is quite an accomplishment for me. I’m not what some might call ‘active’. In fact, when you get right down to it, I generally live a pretty sedentary lifestyle (well, beyond the chasing of my little monkeys, which, I guess in itself could be considered a workout). I’ve just never been one to enjoy exercising for the sake of exercising. The thought of running makes me simultaneously want to throw up from the exertion and fall asleep from the boredom. I’ve tried aerobics and it just doesn’t interest me. Lifting weights? What, like I WANT muscles? Ew. Anyway, this is not to say that I’m not at all athletic. In high school I varsity lettered in diving and dance. I also played volleyball regularly. I was a gymnast most of my childhood and I can still do an aerial. The problem is that as an adult, I haven’t been able to find something I both enjoy and can fit into my schedule and my body is starting to suffer because of it.
And that’s where Bikram enters. So far I am really enjoying it. Last week, when Ben was in school in the mornings and Gray was in Michigan with Jason, I decided to use my time constructively with an activity that I couldn’t partake in with the kids (I thought about bar-hopping, but it was a little early in the morning). My friend, Kell had been talking about this yoga place, so I decided to try it out.
Bikram yoga is that weird one I know you’ve all heard of where they heat the room up to between 96 and 104 degrees. So you sweat a really lot. Like a really lot. As in, last night when I got home I had to hang my tank top and pants up in the shower to drip dry. It sounds gross, but it really ends up feeling pretty good. I really like participating in a form of exercise that doesn’t kill me cardiovascularly, but still gets my heart rate up. It’s relaxing and I still feel sore the next day.
If you’re looking for a new exercise regimen to try, I recommend Bikram yoga. There have been people of all ages, body shapes and genders (all different kinds, I swear!) in my classes. I can’t really say one type of person is more common than the next. Try it out, you will love it!