I remember the exact moment I did my first yoga class, and why. I was home in Victoria, not working and not training, this meant that I did not get to see my friends very much because at that time they
were working and they
were training, which is all you can do when you are getting ready for an Ironman. I remember talking to a friend who said - "come try this Hot Yoga class we have been going to on Monday nights, it will be great, we can catch up!" Well, we both rushed in almost missing the class, there were a few other people there as well so we chatted briefly. Not really knowing what I had to do I followed the gang like a little puppy dog up the stairs into this room with what must have been 50 already sweaty bodies, most were laying down like they were taking a nap...I thought I could do this!
Then there was what I call the "sush" moment, of course I was there to catch up with my friends....not nap.....so we began our talking in the softest voice we could muster but I think it was my friends distinctive giggle that gave us away! We immediately got the sush from the room and the rest of the class was spent feeling like a child that was caught doing something wrong.....you know you look at each other in the mirror and try to stop yourself from breaking out into a all out laugh fest.
So although it does not sound like a good introduction into the yoga world, for me it was the perfect one. With friends, relaxed and having fun, I was hooked almost immediately. I was going to classes almost every day and loving what it was doing for my mind and my body.
These days I don't practice hot yoga, I found the time restrictions of the classroom tough to meet now that I am working again, and I also found that I wanted more variety in my yoga. I tried the DVD thing, yeah that's not for me! Also tried grabbing a magazine and following the instructions on which pose to do when, nope still not it. So without sounding like a salesman of this website I must tell you what I found and how wonderful it is, at least for me.
Its called
yogadownload.com you go there and download audio classes for your iPod. What I love so much about it is the portability and the fact that I still have an instructor in my ear telling when and what to do. This way I hold the poses as long as I need to, they give awesome instruction on body placement, and if you want you can download the pose guide as well....all that for about $5 bucks! As their mantra goes, "Take Yoga Anywhere" - And I have!
I have done yoga on the roof on the Moana Surfrider in Wakikki, on the beach in Kona, and on the lava rocks in Waikaloa. And now every day I can choose form about 15 different classes I have on my iPod, from 30 mins to 60 mins and be practicing in the beautiful desert that I love so much.
This vacation just keeps getting better and better every day.......!
Till next time, happy chatting.....