The girl who does yoga

Since Apple moved to town, I've been doing a lot more yoga. You see, she's a certified yoga instructor. So, if she or any of her yoga teacher friends want to practice teaching, or just want to get together and do yoga, I get invited along.

Okay, okay, so this has happened twice.

Still.

I like it. I like it enough, and know that she and I will continue to practice together, that I bought some yoga supplies today. I have a new mat, straps, and block, plus a mat sling and a DVD that came with the gear. To celebrate, I went to a yoga class at my gym.

So? You say. You bought a bunch of bike accessories and how often have you used them? You have an exercise ball, inflated, in your wee apartment and when was the last time you used that? Have you ever actually finished the Couch To 5K training?

Alright, so I could stand to go biking more. The exercise ball is the wrong size. And my right ankle is thrashed. Running is so far out of the question right now.

So why do I think yoga is going to stick?

1 - I need variety. After dancing for so many years in so many different styles, any one exercise is boring. Going somewhere on a bike or via my feet helps that, since there's a purpose, but since I have a gym membership and shouldn't let that go to waste, I mostly use exercise equipment, and "running" on an elliptical or pedaling away on a stationary bike is super boring. I have music and reading material. But if I switch it all up sometimes, I don't die of said boredom, plus I keep my muscles engaged and not used to doing the same thing all the time. So, yoga is one more thing I can do, and I'll continue to collect various workout accessories along the way. More than 10 pairs of dance shoes, remember?

2 - Other people teaching challenge me. If I'm on an elliptical, no one but me knows how fast, at what incline, or how long. Not so in a group or personal training setting. I'm still encouraged to modify if something isn't going well. I will make the full hour (with the exception, once and only once, of a kickboxing class that was way too full and my feet were killing me) and I will work hard.

3 - Apple is not just a teacher, she's a friend. This makes me want to work out with her even more.

4 - I like it. Even if my thought process goes something like this:

Minute 0-19: Alright, let's do this.

Minute 20-39: Gah. I can't do this. Why am I so unfit? Why does my right shoulder hurt when it's the left one that's messed up? What IS that pose?

Minute 40-60: Why don't I do this more often? This rules.

Especially today. After a very productive work day, very little internet time , and an hour of yoga? I'm feeling very good.

If only I had a bathtub to soak out some of this soreness.