January - 30 Days of Yoga

Day 1 of yoga is in the books! 

For my January goal, I am doing 30 days of yoga and meditation. 

My coworker recommended a place close to our office called Wanderlust Yoga. It's great because it's really easy to get to and I can go straight after work. They have a special going on for new members that includes 30 days for $35. Can't beat that! Especially when a single, walk-in session is typically around $15-$18 per class. 

I decided on yoga for January because it will be a good way to recover and restore my muscles after running regularly for an entire year. I also have some back pain and posture issues, so I'm hoping this will help. Not to mention the benefits of strength training and flexibility are there as well. After pretty much doing only cardio for a year, my upper body and core strength is very minimal. 

I went to my first class last night and it kicked my booty...in a good way! It was heated yoga with weights, so it felt amazing to sweat all of the holiday junk out of my system. I left feeling as if I had lost 5 lbs in water weight. 

The class is called YoStrong and the Wanderlust website describes it as the following:

"YoStrong flows through basic yoga postures while using light to moderate hand weights. Experience a well-balanced practice while isolating certain muscle groups to enhance flexibility and strength. This is a strong and fun class with up-beat music. Heated between 90-98 degrees. Good for students who are physically active, interested in the fitness benefits of yoga and are ready to dive in!"

This was my second time doing a heated yoga class. Last March I took my first Bikram Yoga session, and that was a bit more intense than YoStrong (Bikram is 90 minutes and the room is heated to 105 degrees vs. YoStrong which is 60 minutes and the room is 90-98 degrees).

What I like most about YoStrong is that it incorporates weights into the class. Since it was my first time, the instructor suggested I start off with 3 and 5 pound hand weights. I think if the room was set at a normal temperature, the class would have been right at my comfortable level and ability. But with the addition of the heat and humidity, my heart rate shot way up and I could tell my body was working harder than normal. "Miserably Fantastic" is the best way I know how to describe it.

Since I'm annoyingly, over-the-top organized and a running schedule worked so well to keep me on track last year, I thought I'd do the same thing for this month. 

I don't think it's recommended to do hot yoga consecutive days in a row, so I'll be alternating hot yoga with regular yoga at the studio, with a few days of at-home yoga thrown in (I can't go to class after work on Monday's because The Bachelor is starting back up...legit reason). So for those days when I can't attend a session, I found a free yoga iPhone app. I'm making 30 minutes the minimum for a day to count. 

I'm going back to Wanderlust after work today for Bittersweet Yoga:

"Expect classes to be lighthearted and unorthodox. It is a kickbutt restorative class. Sequences challenge your structure and nervous system to bring about a more resilient way of being. Leave class feeling like you got a massage and a workout at the same time. All levels. 60 min."

Hope everyone has a great weekend!