Power Vinyasa is Not Funny!

Therefore no funny business in this blog post!  No sirree!!

But how cute is that baby??  In his little upward dog pose? 

Anyway, as some of you know I have tried what I like to call 'regular' yoga and hated it.  Then I went on to hot yoga/Bikram and fell in love and wanted to marry it.

Although the past couple of months we've been 'separated' and I havent gone.  For a couple of reasons, none of which are very interesting.

So enter my new running/job B BFF, CD, a couple of months ago, and she starts going to this studio which happens to be about 400m from my house, which I run by often and wonder where exactly the studio is (because its a house) and so on and so forth.  She's been after me to give it a try, raves about it before and after and Facebooks it continuously.  Soooo finally I say OK, I will give it a try (mostly because I can get 2 90 min sessions for $15 and she says its 'warm' yoga and not like just regular 'flowy' foo foo stuff that I dont like!)  Its hard!  Hmmm...I think and squinch my mouth up and to the side like I do when I am not entirely sure I am buyin' what you're sellin'.  :O)

I figure $15 for 2 sessions, and if I hate it, then no harm done.

So yesterday around 6:15 I walked myself down the street to the little house (2 story) and went around the back, and up onto this back porch and into what might have been at one time someones very small kitchen.  There was the yogi at a small table and a computer.  She took my mat to go and place it in the room while I filled out a form and then told me to put my bag in a room which was probably a bedroom at one time, then the other bedroom was the studio.  And yes it was about as large as a bedroom in houses that were built in the 40's I am guessing.

When I walked into the 'room' I kinda freaked a bit.  It was one of those rooms where everyone is literally inches from each other.  4 across and 4 up.  Barely squeezing in 16 students.  I wish I could have taken a picture.  I am a bit claustrophobic and I like my studios to be open and spacious, all windows and mirror.  And I dont like a crowded class either...this is gonna be weird to me.

I did not mind the fact that the guy next to me and in front of me were extremely hot (and not gay).  And the girl next to me was very friendly before class (she asked right away:  So.  Are you a hardcore runner?)  How do people know these things?
Anyway, she is a runner too, and runs with another group here in HTown... and then of course CD was there, catti-corner.

I should also point out that while this is not technically hot yoga, the room has no AC and the windows are open.  Add 15 other people moving around, heavy breathing, plus the instructor walking around, it got up to 101 outside today with 60% humidity and yeah...its hot yoga alright.  The only thing that would make it hotter is if you were outside in direct sunlight.

I was sweating bad before class even started.  This is guud...so far so guud.

Then the class started.  Oh my.  Power vinyasa is not easy.  And its nothing like that foo foo stuff...I was a bit worried when during the 'warmup' there were the Oooohhmmms... done in loud unison, 3 times over which literally it was so loud in that room I felt not only the floors vibrate but my insides did too (I actually love the feeling of this, having experienced it only one other time in another class a long time ago).

Anyway, Power Vinyasa focuses heavily on strength and flexibility, therefore I did more planks, chatarangas and downward dogs than I ever have in my life...in succession...over and over and over and over...to where I thought my shoulders and biceps were going to just burst.  There were some poses that are either similar to Bikram and actually a few that were Bikram (but I figured some have to cross over at some point right?)...The sweat was pouring out of every pore on every person in that room, and I just got lost in it all and totally forgot how close we all were to each other and yeah, sometimes you bump sweaty arms or legs, but it happens and you tell yourself its good luck when that happens  :O)

And before I knew it we moved to the floor for a bit, then the cool down and it was over.

An hour and a half in all honesty felt like 30 min.  It flew by.

I felt sore.  In that really, really good way though...I was sweaty as all hell, but in that room, all sweaty, lying there, peaceful pose, the hot breeze coming through the windows, I felt the coolness as it wafted across ... instant air conditioning...with no electricity...

Walking home...I can't exactly describe it, but yeah it was different than the feeling I would have or get at hot yoga/Bikram.  There was a different 'vibe' with these people and the closeness...a 'vibe' I really liked.  I felt like I had really worked out (and I got the sweatfest I love so much), and to remind me of that I would just check in with my body parts and know that that was indeed a true statement, but yet my mind was clear and I felt light as a feather.

I just scheduled my next (free!) session for Sunday evening...  :O)