Tuesday, July 08, 2008

Yoga Guilt

I was supposed to go ride this afternoon, but as I was running late for work I did not have enough time to throw my bike in the car for a ride after work. I decided to switch some yoga on Thursday with my bike ride and showed up to my local yoga studio and got to go to my favorite instructors class. This guy seriously rocks, he pushes, but within one's edge, he's an awesome teacher...he's great all around. But since I have a gym membership that has some yoga and I do this and I do that...my yoga going at this studio has been lackluster. But here's the thing...gym yoga generally = sucks. And the yoga at my gym ranges from sucky to ok.

So I show up and he's all "hey nice to see you? Busy with work? I hope all is well." And then I realize that i'm feeling guilty for not going to this class. I feel like I've been cheating on the yoga studio with my gym. GASP!! I know this is slightly irrational and I told myself to just 'do what you want'...but I found my emotions humorous for some reason.

The class...awesome as usual. I did get to ponder as we hung out in downward dog...how is it that that little spot below my knee can sweat so much. Odd. But I find it sorta weird to look down and see my shins sweating too. I was a bit of a goof in the middle of class though...we were getting ready to vinysa down to the floor and we were getting our bricks ready so that if you wanted to use them to help you swing through as you tried to get your legs to go from downdog into a seated position you could.(in the video she's going from seated to downdog back to seated...I'm so NOT close to doing anything like this) )Me...i was sorta out of it and a little tired at this point...so I grab my bricks and just plop my butt on my mat oblivious to the rest of the class standing getting ready to do the vinyasa. My teacher sorta laughed at me at my almost childlike glee of plunking myself down on the floor much to my embarrassment, instead of vinyasy-ing my way onto the floor...or should I say 'flopping' myself onto the floor. I am still a long way away from being able to shoot my legs from downdog into a seated position or reverse. I just sorta flop around on the floor and make a pathetic attempt at it. That generally seems to be the theme of my 'athletic' endeavors...i sort just flop around trying to make it 'look' like whatever i'm attempting to do desperately trying not to look too silly in the middle of it. Granted I still feel silly.

But after class I realized how much I really, REALLY love that class and as I am in the middle of trying to plan out the rest of my race season, I think i'm going to see if there is any way I can do that class on a weekly basis. I was also pleasantly surprised to see I'm still pretty 'yoga strong' for me considering I haven't done a ton of yoga lately. Want to hang out in chaturangafor awhile...go ahead...that's fun. Go crossfit!

I sorta can't believe that I'm mid-July and still don't have a training plan mapped out. That does seem to be the theme this season. I did start mapping some preliminary stuff for the OC triathlon at the end of Sept with Silverstrand stuck behind it 5 weeks later. I think i've come up with a plan on how to veeeeeerrrrrrrry slowly inch my running millage up so that hopefully I don't piss off my hip too much in the process.

5 comments:

Speed Racer said...

Ha! Hang out in chaturanga! Ha! If you think *YOU* flop, you should see ME flop on the ground trying to hold chaturanga for 3 seconds or less!

And with the price of those private yoga studios, who can blame you for going for the cheap gym alternative? I mean, not everyone can afford the classy escort every time, sometimes you just need to go get yo'self a fat, $20 hooker with no teeth who won't expect you to buy her dinner.

And since you didn't ask for my advice on your training plan, I'll give it to you: Keep increasing volume with reckless abandon. Rest little, sleep less. Got it? Good.

katie b said...

hahaha, i know exactly where you are coming from! i eventually quit the lackluster courtship of my gym to continue the very passionate love affair with my yoga studio not too long ago and have been more than happy with the results both inside and out. you really do have athletic ADD and i love it! keep up all the great work :)

Runner Leana said...

Holy smokes, that woman in the video! I don't know if I can ever even aspire to doing that. I forget how much I like yoga too...and now that I haven't gone to class for a couple of weeks I know I need to get back there. Good luck fitting it in!

Claire's comment has me laughing hysterically!

Sarah said...

That speed racer comment was HILARIOUS!!!

OMG that video you put up...holy...wow. That was incredible. Maybe someday, when I'm doing yoga 3x/week. I'm actually going off to a yoga retreat this weekend that I am sooooooo looking forward to.

The best part about the yoga studio I found? Sliding scale. She makes it affordable and yet she is SO AWESOME. Same as this yoga retreat she's doing - it doesn't cost 1/3 of my paycheck! Hooray!

I think gym yoga generally sucks because they have to keep going over newer stuff for people that are new...but with yoga studios, people are generally pretty committed (even if they take long breaks!) and so the instructor gets to know them. That's my guess.

I'd much rather hang out in down dog than chaturanga. Sounds like cross fit has...cross application. Ah ha...ha...ha...I know, don't quit my day job. ;)

Paul said...

I so need to get started on some yoga!