Hot Yoga

This past weekend the instructor who taught yoga in the park handed out her card for a free class at the studio she teaches at. I decided that I was going to take the class and get a 20 days for $20 pass so that I could try to go a few times a week.  So on Wednesday I biked 6 miles to the studio.  I arrived a couple minutes before the class started along with another woman.  The instructor was out near the front desk and said "Hurry up! Class is about to start."  Which I thought was kind of rude (more how she said it).  The lady at the front desk asked if I needed a towel and mat and I said yes and she gave them to me.  Then as I'm entereing the class she handed me a bottle of water, even though i had my own bottle.  As I enter the class the heat immediately hit me! I also noticed there were a ton of people and they were all completely silent laying or sitting criss cross with their eyes closed.  About 5 minutes into the class I was completely soaked with sweat.  My tank top was wet all over, my capris were soaked and the towel on my mat looked like it was thrown in a pool and then taken out.  About 30 minutes into the 90 minutes class the instructor had to go over to one of the students and have her sit down with her legs out cause she looked like she was going to pass out.  I would feel light headed in any pose where we had to lean our head back.  So finally I sat in child's pose for awhile to feel better.  At one point I went to get a sip of water from my water bottle and the instuctor was like "NO! Don't drink in the middle of a pose!"  Then about an hour in to the class I couldn't take it anymore, I started to get my mat and leave and the instuctor said "I don't want you to leave, you need to stay and get used to the heat.  Just sit with your legs out."  That kind of scared me into staying.  But it kind of made me mad and think she was a little too nazi like for me.  I thought I was going to pass out like a million times and the whole time all I could think about was how hot and uncomfortable I was.  I am pretty sure the room was 115 degrees not even exaggerating. 
So the other yoga studio I went to just let you borrow a mat and not pay anything, this place has you pay for renting a mat and towel.  And the bottle of water that she just gave to me and didn't even ask if I wanted it? Ya, I had to pay for that too! Needless to say I did not get the 20 day pass.  And the six mile bike ride home actually felt really great in the 90 degree heat because I was soaked and the breeze cooled me down.
So that yoga experience kind of scared me and I could totally see how somebody who hadn't ever done yoga again would be totally turned off by an experience like that.  I'll stick to warm yoga or just regular ol' room temperature yoga for now on :)

Perfect Saturday

Such a great Saturday.  This morning Tess and I went to yoga in the park.  Each week the local Lululemon store has a local yoga teacher teach a one hour class at the park in front of the Boise Capitol Building.

On the way over to the park I was telling Tess how I was doing a video from Yogadownload.com and it started with a bunch of "Om's" and chanting and I couldn't help but laugh.  I was also telling her about an article I read about doing yoga when you are pregnant.  We got to the park and our instructor was pregnant :) And we started off with some "Om's".  We both had to try not to laugh.  I forgot what type of yoga it was but it focuses on community so some of the moves like the toe loft you are in a line and your partner holds your leg up for you.

It was actually really cool and I loved feeling the sun on my face as I "practiced".  (That's a yoga term they use) When we first go to the park the instructors husband was chatting with us and asked us how long we had been practicing for and where we practice at.  I'm always embarrassed to say that I started off doing Bob and Jillian yoga videos cause these people are hardcore.  But I love the earthy, granola-ness of the yoga community and how excepting they are.  The other weekend Thomas and I went to a bike store and the guy there wasn't very helpful or nice I think because he knew we weren't hardcore.  Yogi's on the other hand are very excepting and welcoming.  This guy was telling us that they aren't finding out the sex of their baby til it's born and they are having a home birth.  Love it.
After yoga Thomas met me at the park and we went to the downtown farmer's market.  I was on the hunt for goat cheese since we had tried some last weekend at my sister's.  We found some and had it and crackers for lunch today.
There was a one mile run going on downtown for kids and we decided to stick around the finisher's chute and watch the kids finish.  As soon as these little girls started finishing I just bawled my eyes out! It was so unexpected. But it really touched me that all these little girls were running there little hearts out and they had the biggest smiles on their faces as their families and complete strangers cheered for them.  Then towards the end there were a bunch of little kids with disabilities and the waterworks started again.  There was one little girl who had a big limp and was walking but when everyone started cheering her on she put on this HUGE smiled and ran her little heart.  Those little girls were running for the purest reasons: for fun and enjoyment and to make themselves and their families proud.  So adorable.  Thomas hugged me and kind of chuckled and said "Babe we don't even have a kid running this race and you're crying!"  Haha it seems I'm going to be really embarrassing some day at my kids sporting events.
Thomas and I are now off to lay by the pool and catch some rays :)

Student Teaching Week #2

I really loved hot yoga.  I told my cooperating teacher on Friday that I was so excited to go so that I could finally be warm.  Our school is kept really cold during the day so I am constantly freezing. I was a little worried it would be too hot but I guess living in Arizona for a year and a half helped me deal with the heat.  Tess checked the thermostat and the room as 95 degrees.  The teacher Tess normally goes to didn't show up so another teacher took over.  His name was Don and he was a husky guy with a beer belly but he could get way deeper into those poses than I could.  I was feeling sore from the 8 miles the day before and it felt so good to stretch.  Tess and I both bought a pass for 5 classes for $25.  Can't wait to go again :)
Saturday night Thomas and I had a date night and used a movie ticket he got for Christmas from the hospital he was working at.  We saw Water For Elephants.  We both really enjoyed it and it made me want to read the book again.  
This week at school:
The students haven't been getting a paintbrush after they go to the art specialist or the book from the librarian (which they get to display outside their classroom door to show they were well behaved).  So my cooperating teacher had them write a letter to the specialists apologizing.  One of the girls in my class who is so sweet and well behaved decided to write a letter to me too. 

One day I was sitting at the teacher's computer typing in grades when the kids were putting stuff away in their cubbies.  Someone tossed a note on the desk right next to me and this is what it said:
I really love these kids.  They make me laugh everyday.

It cracks me up that the boys like tracing and coloring these little Bratz doll coloring sheets.  And it makes me smile that some of the kids call me Miss G.  Makes me sound pretty gangsta :)

Yogis

Did you know people who do yoga are called yogis?! I was thinking they would be called yoga-ers but apparently not. I did yoga for like a week or two when I was in high school and trying to be more flexible but then I lost interest. But guess what?! Jillian came out with a Yoga workout video! And of course in Jillian fashion, it rocks. We found it at Costco last week and I was pretty darn excited. We were out with my parents shopping and getting dinner when I saw it and HAD to have it. I did the workout with Thomas and we were both sweating. It's nice to do on a day that you don't have to work out but you want to get some kind of workout in. I don't know about you all but I always feel guilty about not running or working out even if it's supposed to be a rest day. So this is a nice one cause you still get in a good workout but it's not pounding on your joints and allows them to rest a bit. I don't think I'll ever be a yogi but I would consider myself converted to Jillian's workouts. Does that make me a Jillian-er or a Jillian-ie?

Quoteablity

"I don't wake up and run to give me that extra boost of energy. I don't spend hours at the gym to relieve stress. And I didn't start taking yoga classes to spend even more time with my friends. The truth? I want to look good naked. Doesn't everybody?" ~Nike


This quote just cracked me up!! Tell me it's not true!