Yoga

So after years of looking in at yoga classes, I finally decided to try one yesterday. Oh my goodness, I am sore! While I am uncomfortable today, I am looking forward to seeing results on my body as I continue attending this class. Unlike most exercise classes I've taken, I really enjoyed this one. Spinning is hell on earth, kickboxing is exhausting, and step classes are monotonous. But yoga! It was fun. The class I took had a lot of variety, it wasn't the same thing for an hour straight. It was nice.

The class had three components: cardio/aerobics, strength, and balance. They were broken up in circuits. There were two cycles of all three components. The class was a different kind of challenging. Yoga targets your whole body. Since my core is pretty weak, I felt the most impact on my middle back and abs. However, there were quite a few moments that I had to stop and take a break because my legs were burning! In addition, yoga uses your own body weight to strengthen you. There is this one pose (I forgot the name) where you hover just above the ground in push up position. I found that pretty difficult because I have like no upper body strength. The best part about this class, though, was that depending on your skill and strength level, the difficulty can vary. For example, beginners or people who aren't as strong can alter the poses a little bit so they aren't as strenuous. Unfortunately, there aren't any modifications for the balance poses. Personally, I believe that I lack the natural equilibrium that most humans are gifted with, so I found this portion especially challenging. However, if you aren't clumsy and can walk in a straight line on flat ground without tripping, you should be alright.

I think my favorite part of the class, though, was the end. The class ended with meditation and relaxation. We laid down, the lights were turned off, and we just focused on the silence and our heartbeats and breathing. I left the gym that morning feeling better than I had in a long time. I worked hard and I felt strong, but most importantly I was happy. I felt successful, calm, stress free, and ready to take on the day. I am looking forward to going to more classes and I think you should consider trying it too! Have a great day!!

Kisses,

Isabelle 💆🏼💪🏼🙏🏻