Posted on February 10, 2003 at 9:59 am | No Comments
For some reason, a couple years ago I promised Amie that somehow, someway, somewhen, she and I would attend yoga classes together. Y’see, she does the yoga thang occasionally, and I most decidedly never have. My agreement to this request was somewhat of a gift.
Yesterday, in a moment of weakness (or perhaps strength), I finally fulfilled that promise. A free “beginners” class at the Back Bay Yoga Studio on Boylston, where they teach something called “Ashtanga” Yoga. Translation: “Death By” Yoga.
Two instructors: One obviously experienced guy, and one girl who was an apparant apprentice. I put the word ‘beginners’ in quotes above because their definition is somewhat flawed. This was hardcore, aerobic, power yoga action. No stops, no breaks, constant downward-dog, diving, bending, crouching, hopping, sweating, dying, breathing, stretching, reaching, dying, gasping, must-drink-water, please-jeebus-let-this-end yoga. Amie tells me that you can go at your own pace, take breaks when you need to, drink water when you feel like it. Wish I’d known that ahead of time. I tried so hard to keep up, so hard to bend and balance my body along with the other eight or so students… but there were moments when I just had to bail and look on in sweaty awe. The guy was rattling off positions and changes faster than I could follow, and all the while I’m trying to stick to the proper breathing technique (called “Ujjayi” breathing), looking like a doofus in the room-length mirror to my left. At least I think it was my left. I swear, half the time I couldn’t even tell left from right (and apparantly neither could the female instructor… so confusing!).
Amie promises that this was far and away more difficult than your standard beginners class, and that had better damn well be the case, or the next time I set foot on a yoga mat will be my last. I’m in so much pain right now… good thing my job requires nothing more than sitting on my butt all day. Actually, even that hurts. Ouch.
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