Spin class bright and early was as expected - pretty damn tough! But not too tough to handle. Sitting at the back of the class nobody could see the sweat dripping off my nose and the look on my face as i wiped my eyes to stop them from stinging. The music was loud as well which drowned out the sound of me breathing like a woman in labor. No, it was not that bad, the music was actually amazing, so loud but amazing. It did just what it is supposed to do, gave you a beat to cycle to and made you forget about the burning sensation in your thighs just for the right amount of seconds to keep you going in between screaming (internally) "ENOUGH ALREADY".
What was really great about this morning however was the Hatha Yoga class. This class focuses more on the meditative side to yoga rather than strenuous exercise. Breathing seems so difficult in the beginning. You are thinking the air does not go into my stomach so its no surprise this feels so awkward. Who knew that breathing properly could make your back hurt or that sitting up straight is so bloody tiring. After a few minutes however when your brain actually allows you to get into it and agrees to shut all the junk out for an hour and a half it becomes second nature. Of course your brain kind of gets bored in between and tries in a sneaky and subtle way to butt in but it doesn't persist for too long, you've just got to be firm.
Throughout the class you are told to breathe with the movement of your body and feel your body elongating and stretching (I swear i feel taller after doing yoga). It creates a glow and a serenity that attaches itself to your body that makes all your movements (in and after the class) seem graceful. I realize that all that is, is calmness and stillness. That wonderful feeling can be brought back throughout the day just by taking a few deep breathes and remembering to be aware of your body - incredible. It is scary just how oblivious we are to our nerves and our manic thoughts. Fears, insecurities, anxieties - they cloud our minds and our bodies. I have a sneaky suspicion that anger, irritation and impatience are products of those things. I think everyone will agree that they are unpleasant emotions and we do not have to deal with them at all. These all may seem like obvious points but i myself know that i forget about them very quickly during the day.
Anyway at the end of the class we were all lying there legs and arms away from the body and completely calm. He went over each part of the body and told us to imagine a warm yellow light coming over us from the tips of our toes to the top of our heads. He then told us to thank our bodies for participating. The most important thing is said however for me was that we have to love our bodies and we must not be hard on them. "Don't criticize your body too harshly" he said and went on to explain that there are much deeper things and that our bodies deserve respect. Although i agreed with this fact before he verbalized it i loved hearing it and would like to hear it every day. We all know how we get about ourselves, we dont like our thighs, and our hips are too wide and we have cellulite and the list goes on. Well, doing this every morning just creates a little love between two parties of a very long and important relationship. You leave the room feeling like a new person, ready to face the traffic and the queues and the chaos with patience, respect and compassion.
Oh - and the yoga teacher is cute!!
What was really great about this morning however was the Hatha Yoga class. This class focuses more on the meditative side to yoga rather than strenuous exercise. Breathing seems so difficult in the beginning. You are thinking the air does not go into my stomach so its no surprise this feels so awkward. Who knew that breathing properly could make your back hurt or that sitting up straight is so bloody tiring. After a few minutes however when your brain actually allows you to get into it and agrees to shut all the junk out for an hour and a half it becomes second nature. Of course your brain kind of gets bored in between and tries in a sneaky and subtle way to butt in but it doesn't persist for too long, you've just got to be firm.
Throughout the class you are told to breathe with the movement of your body and feel your body elongating and stretching (I swear i feel taller after doing yoga). It creates a glow and a serenity that attaches itself to your body that makes all your movements (in and after the class) seem graceful. I realize that all that is, is calmness and stillness. That wonderful feeling can be brought back throughout the day just by taking a few deep breathes and remembering to be aware of your body - incredible. It is scary just how oblivious we are to our nerves and our manic thoughts. Fears, insecurities, anxieties - they cloud our minds and our bodies. I have a sneaky suspicion that anger, irritation and impatience are products of those things. I think everyone will agree that they are unpleasant emotions and we do not have to deal with them at all. These all may seem like obvious points but i myself know that i forget about them very quickly during the day.
Anyway at the end of the class we were all lying there legs and arms away from the body and completely calm. He went over each part of the body and told us to imagine a warm yellow light coming over us from the tips of our toes to the top of our heads. He then told us to thank our bodies for participating. The most important thing is said however for me was that we have to love our bodies and we must not be hard on them. "Don't criticize your body too harshly" he said and went on to explain that there are much deeper things and that our bodies deserve respect. Although i agreed with this fact before he verbalized it i loved hearing it and would like to hear it every day. We all know how we get about ourselves, we dont like our thighs, and our hips are too wide and we have cellulite and the list goes on. Well, doing this every morning just creates a little love between two parties of a very long and important relationship. You leave the room feeling like a new person, ready to face the traffic and the queues and the chaos with patience, respect and compassion.
Oh - and the yoga teacher is cute!!
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