No one told me it was HOT yoga

Confession:    I have never been that into yoga. 

 I love the idea of it, and I love how I feel after, and I really want to incorporate it into my running schedule to cross train and prevent injuries, but when I go to workout, I want to leave sore and in a sweat.  I want to be really challenged and really feel like I got an amazing workout.  Especially if I am paying for it. 

I went to a few series of Yoga on the Farm at Ashlawn Farms in Lyme, CT and really loved the class.  Morning yoga outside on the dewy field, sun shining, birds chirping, serene relaxing and invigorating.   The downfall is that at $15 a class, yoga can be a little expensive so I stopped attending and stuck with my running routine. 

 Until now.

One of my best friends Liz and blogger over at Holbrook Ceramics, told me her sister Tori was finishing up her certification to become a yoga instructor.  As a last part of the training class, they have to teach an hour long yoga class.  The Yoga Shop in Old Saybrook offers these classes free to the public to get the teachers some experience, and some yogies into the shop.  

Free is for me. 

Saturday morning 10am Tori was teaching her class.  Free yoga on a Saturday morning?  Sure I thought, great way to start the weekend and support a friend.   Now that I am trying to up my running routine again, I know I REALLY need to focus on cross training and stretching as part of my injury prevention "plan" if you will.  Free yoga class was a good way to start.

I decided half the fun of going to yoga was getting to look cute.  You don't get super sweaty, its more relax and stretch.  So I went with some long flowy cotton yoga pants, and my new favorite long sleeve cotton v neck J Crew t shirt.  I was even wearing a normal bra,  hey... never know who you may meet at yoga class,,,,,

I walked into the studio and was a little taken back.  Everyone walking out of the studio was soaked.  I don't mean a little sweaty,
 I mean holy hell they looked like they had been swimming.
My next thought was oh no.  

Oh no oh no.   

This is a hot yoga studio......

(Post hot yoga,  So much sweat later,
attempt at a photo.  So maybe I was a little sweaty...)

At this point, morale is low, but I am already here, and it is free, so off I go in my cute cotton outfit, no water, no towel, oh and did I say cotton?   Best part is this wasn't any ole yoga class either,  it wasn't stretching and namaste.  It was power yoga, with music and 100 bicycle crunches included.  

One hour and 95 degrees and LOTS of steam later, I am flopping around in a puddle of my own sweat on my yoga mat.   I am having a hard time holding any poses because my mat is now a slip and slide.   I am wiping the sweat off my face with my pants, and dreaming of water.   Now picture 50 other people in this tiny room, mat to mat, swapping sweat and smiles.  

I have a huge smile on my face, giggling in my yoga mat, too distracted by my unpreparedness to even worry about the heat.  

The second I walked out the class, I realized I was confused and taken back at how much I loved it.  I may even be hooked.   It was fast paced, really fun, and an amazing workout.  More importantly it was great form of "therapy" right before the Holiday comes in full force.   How many time do we take an hour of the day to do something solely for ourselves.... no phones, no distractions. 

Sure I was a little thrown off guard, but the class was so much fun, an amazing workout, an entirely new experience, and who can forget the awesome play list?   

 I chugged three bottles of water, rung out my tshirt, and signed up for the free class the next day.   I loved that class so much that I may even buy a package.  Sometimes things just work themselves out....