My Heated Yoga Experience

Posted by: Jubilance on: April 22, 2009

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I had been thinking of trying yoga again, but I kept chickening out. I was worried that I wouldnt be able to do it considering that I’m overweight and out of shape.

I finally got over myself and sucked it up and went this past Saturday.

I went to College Park Yoga, which is on Smith St in the College Park neighborhood of Orlando. I decided to try the “Beginner Power Yoga” class. I brought a yoga mat, towel and water, as the website suggested.

So the yoga studio pretty much takes up the whole building, and the building is locked while a class is going on. When I checked it I let them know I was new, and everyone was very helpful. It took a few minutes for everyone to come in and get situated, but the class was pretty full, at least 20 people, male and female.

The leader took us through a warm-up that consisted of the Sun Salutations. I did pretty good with this, except for the Downward-Facing Dog, my arms aren’t strong enough to hold me up in that pose. I really liked how the leader didnt spend the class doing the poses with us, instead she circulated the room helping to make sure we used proper form and got into the poses correctly.

After we went through the warm-up, we went through more poses. I was really working up a sweat. College Park Yoga is a heated yoga studio, so there was no AC, no fans, no open windows. Just us, our breath, and our sweat. Throughout the class I was sweating so much that it was running down my face. I was really drenched but it felt so good, like I was sweating out all the bad stuff.

I was able to get into every pose, which I was proud of. During some poses I lost my balance a few times, or my arms got tired, but I never gave up. I just kept trying. I also really focused on my breathing and staying in the moment. I have a problem with not being able to turn my mind off and stop thinking, but my yoga experience helped me turn off for a bit and just live in the moment, with no worries or thoughts crowding my brain.

At the end of the class I felt refreshed, and not strained at all. I felt so calm and peaceful. The next day I was sore in several places, so I was definitely getting a workout, but it wasnt strenous or “hard” at all.

Overall it was a great experience. I’m going back tomorrow and i’m really looking forward to it.

One thing the yoga leader said has stuck with me…She said “Everything is a choice. Either you choose to do something or you don’t. Just take it one choice at a time.” That really resonated with me. For much of my life I’ve pondered and worried and stressed and tried and whatnot. Just seeing things as one choice at a time is so simplistic and clarifies so much for me.

Tags: yoga