My arms are so sore. I think I understand now. When all of my friends were telling me about how awesome yoga was, they really did mean it in the same way all of my friends meant it when they told be about how great spin class was. If you find the right instructor it's so great it makes you want to zone out in a hot shower afterwards because you don't want to have to move. That kind of awesome...which for all of you that don't know, is the masochistic kind of awesome that the fitness-minded people like. It took me a long time to appreciate this kind of awesome. I still sometimes have trouble with it.
Except I think I've stopped having trouble understanding the awesomeness of Yoga because I tried it again this morning. It was a different teacher and it was a lot less "explore your inner self" and a lot more "make sure your right knee is pulling towards the 'clock wall'". MUCH more beginner friendly. After we had done a rotation a couple times and understood what she meant by each of the poses, she got up and walked around and corrected people and offered very specific, VERY helpful advice. I was shocked she never came to specifically correct me, but I did feel like I really understood each pose. My first class I had more of a "fake it till you make it" mentality because there were more people and less direction, and as long as I thought I mostly looked like what the instructor looked like it was okay. This time because there were less(7) people and the instructor was giving such specific directions I really felt like I could focus on each movement and pose and get the most out of it. "Think of it as you are between 2 panes of glass, or between the screen door and the front door" Why, yes, that actually helps me a lot to focus on being aligned properly in the correct "triangle" pose. haha.
It's hard to explain if you've never had a correction to your form in doing an exercise that instantly you felt the difference. We were doing one of the warrior poses and she told us exactly how to push our knee out and when I followed her instruction I INSTANTLY felt the difference in my inner thigh just as she was saying that you should feel it in your inner thigh. It's moments like that that really focus your workout because you know exactly what you're working and now you know how to engage it properly. It makes you feel like all your energy and effort are worth it. And she offered modification advice and really made you feel like it was okay if you had to modify, she wasn't going to judge you as inept or anything. "It's okay, this is really hard". [She actually said that]. We did a lot of warrior and side plank stuff, which we didn't do very much of in the Saturday class. So after class I talked to her and asked her if each class had a focus area. Basically we just talked about how the class worked and I told her it was only my second one. She seemed kind of surprised and told me I did great and she asked me about the Saturday class. We talked for a little bit about the different classes and the different gyms. I told her she'd definitely see me next week. haha.
So get excited, all you friends who wanted me to get into Yoga. I'm officially into it. I think this is what I need to get my upper arms and thighs slimmed down. I'm excited, too. Knowing that for probably 30-40 minutes I was doing poses that focused heavily on my current problem areas is really reassuring.
Also, quick couple words on other things: I am prying pound 50 off my body this week. I WILL. So hopefully by Friday I'll get to do that post I'm excited for. =) I might not have time for it though because I'm going back to my college town on Friday to run a 5K on Saturday! I'm really excited about it!! I was initially training to try to get a time on it but when I transferred to real life concrete instead of an elliptical I ended up giving myself tendonitis. I could've kept training in my ankle brace but I figured that was my body telling me I wasn't quite ready yet, and my sister and our friend are going to walk it anyway so I'll just walk with them. It's a color run, so I will definitely post pictures!! Also, if you want more pictures you can like the new facebook page I set up for my blog. I've been having trouble getting my blog updates to the people who want to read them, so I think I finally solved that problem. It also occurred to me that now that I'm 50 pounds down and on the right track to [eventually] get to my negative 100+ pound goal that strangers might also find me inspirational. haha. It's a really weird thing, to think of myself as inspirational, but y'all keep telling me things and eventually I'll believe it. haha. Like how I keep telling myself I don't need cookies and I've started believing it.
....
Although, in full disclosure I feel obligated to tell y'all: I did eat a slice of pizza for lunch, and later half of a cupcake and half a cake ball ...My sister made me do it! *sigh* It's ok, i'm only at 200 net calories for the day and I'm planning on having a very healthy dinner. And I am proud of myself for not having 2 slices of pizza and a full cupcake/cakeball like I easily could have and usually would have. It's the small things, guys. Baby steps, small victories- eventually they add up, trust me! It's my story, and I'm sticking to it. =)
Except I think I've stopped having trouble understanding the awesomeness of Yoga because I tried it again this morning. It was a different teacher and it was a lot less "explore your inner self" and a lot more "make sure your right knee is pulling towards the 'clock wall'". MUCH more beginner friendly. After we had done a rotation a couple times and understood what she meant by each of the poses, she got up and walked around and corrected people and offered very specific, VERY helpful advice. I was shocked she never came to specifically correct me, but I did feel like I really understood each pose. My first class I had more of a "fake it till you make it" mentality because there were more people and less direction, and as long as I thought I mostly looked like what the instructor looked like it was okay. This time because there were less(7) people and the instructor was giving such specific directions I really felt like I could focus on each movement and pose and get the most out of it. "Think of it as you are between 2 panes of glass, or between the screen door and the front door" Why, yes, that actually helps me a lot to focus on being aligned properly in the correct "triangle" pose. haha.
It's hard to explain if you've never had a correction to your form in doing an exercise that instantly you felt the difference. We were doing one of the warrior poses and she told us exactly how to push our knee out and when I followed her instruction I INSTANTLY felt the difference in my inner thigh just as she was saying that you should feel it in your inner thigh. It's moments like that that really focus your workout because you know exactly what you're working and now you know how to engage it properly. It makes you feel like all your energy and effort are worth it. And she offered modification advice and really made you feel like it was okay if you had to modify, she wasn't going to judge you as inept or anything. "It's okay, this is really hard". [She actually said that]. We did a lot of warrior and side plank stuff, which we didn't do very much of in the Saturday class. So after class I talked to her and asked her if each class had a focus area. Basically we just talked about how the class worked and I told her it was only my second one. She seemed kind of surprised and told me I did great and she asked me about the Saturday class. We talked for a little bit about the different classes and the different gyms. I told her she'd definitely see me next week. haha.
So get excited, all you friends who wanted me to get into Yoga. I'm officially into it. I think this is what I need to get my upper arms and thighs slimmed down. I'm excited, too. Knowing that for probably 30-40 minutes I was doing poses that focused heavily on my current problem areas is really reassuring.
Also, quick couple words on other things: I am prying pound 50 off my body this week. I WILL. So hopefully by Friday I'll get to do that post I'm excited for. =) I might not have time for it though because I'm going back to my college town on Friday to run a 5K on Saturday! I'm really excited about it!! I was initially training to try to get a time on it but when I transferred to real life concrete instead of an elliptical I ended up giving myself tendonitis. I could've kept training in my ankle brace but I figured that was my body telling me I wasn't quite ready yet, and my sister and our friend are going to walk it anyway so I'll just walk with them. It's a color run, so I will definitely post pictures!! Also, if you want more pictures you can like the new facebook page I set up for my blog. I've been having trouble getting my blog updates to the people who want to read them, so I think I finally solved that problem. It also occurred to me that now that I'm 50 pounds down and on the right track to [eventually] get to my negative 100+ pound goal that strangers might also find me inspirational. haha. It's a really weird thing, to think of myself as inspirational, but y'all keep telling me things and eventually I'll believe it. haha. Like how I keep telling myself I don't need cookies and I've started believing it.
....
Although, in full disclosure I feel obligated to tell y'all: I did eat a slice of pizza for lunch, and later half of a cupcake and half a cake ball ...My sister made me do it! *sigh* It's ok, i'm only at 200 net calories for the day and I'm planning on having a very healthy dinner. And I am proud of myself for not having 2 slices of pizza and a full cupcake/cakeball like I easily could have and usually would have. It's the small things, guys. Baby steps, small victories- eventually they add up, trust me! It's my story, and I'm sticking to it. =)
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