Ohm My Goodness

Living Social had a deal about 5 months ago for a month of unlimited yoga for $30. The spot is right by our house (seriously not even a mile away) and it is normally around $12/visit and supposed to be a really nice facility. I figured this was just the thing I needed to help with my back problems and get me back on the working out train.

Did I mention I had back problems? Oh yes. Back in July there was an ER visit coupled with months of physical therapy and now I am better. Better than I was. Meaning I can stand up straight. Now you are up to speed.

But the yoga deal fell to the wayside during the Great Back Drama of 2012, then there was the wedding, then there was me realizing that EACH YOGA CLASS IS AN HOUR AND A HALF. Trying to slip that into an already tight schedule wasn't the easiest task. But I found one beginner yoga class on Monday nights that would seem to work. And then I completely forgot about it until I got a friendly reminder from Living Social that the deal was about to expire.

If I am being honest here, I think I was scared to re-enter the working out world. Though my brother would argue that yoga is hardly working out....if I am putting on spandex and entering a room with other people in spandex and someone might break a sweat...it's working out. And I hadn't done any sort of "public" working out (other than in front of Rick or limping along the road trying to "run") in, oh, say 2.5 years. And prior to that I was fairly fit, so in my mind this would be a public declaration of just how far I had slid into the pit of flabby out-of-shapedness. No fun.

But I screwed up my courage, donned my spandex and headed out last night. I arrived approximately 45 minutes before the class started thanks to my inability to correctly use the internet. And then I was trapped in a room that was covered in signs about "inner reflection" and "being present", so I felt a little bad about checking facebook and instagram for those 45 mintues. So I sat. And tried to relax. And not think about if my thighs were gonna look huge in child's pose.

Finally we were let into the room and I was thrilled to see that there were no mirrors in there. The room was dark and warm and not crowded. We were instructed to sit and then did breathing exercises for the first 10 minutes.

Have you ever tried to really focus on your breathing? Like someone telling you to breathe with "continuity" and "intention"? As if those are even real things. But yet telling you to relax at the same time? I swear my chest was jerking, my eyes were watering and I almost passed out about six times. I finally had to focus really hard on the back of my eyelids and ditch the breathing business and finally I seemed to "relax". There's a little unsolicited yoga tip from me to you.

The rest of the class was a bit of a blur. There was no clock, no mirror to scope out others in the class and size up who had on the cutest lululemon tights. There were a few tense moments when I was sure I had not waited the appropriate amount of time between eating and yoga-ing, but thankfully nothing slipped. Or at least nothing that I will confess to.

I survived. And I felt wonderful after. I was back in the "work out world". Granted, it was the least threatening atmosphere anyone could ever imagine, but I did it. And I can walk today. I still can't breathe right, but maybe I will get that on track in the next 29 days until my deal expires.

Perhaps this whole yoga thing will jump-start my fitness routine in 2013?

Don't hold your breath.