March Madness and a Brief Hiatus

Last week I was feeling pretty run down, and decided to take a few days off from physical activity. Still, I made the effort to attend a class at The Woods Yoga called “Heat it Updog.” It did not go well.

Postures that are usually fun for me were torture. I fell on my butt getting into wild thing, which is normally one of my favorite poses. The rest of class was a blur because my entire body hurt (especially back, neck and shoulders) and I was struggling to get through. The 95 degree room felt great and I just let it soak in, and tried not to be too hard on myself.

So for now, I’m calling a mulligan on that class, because I honestly don’t remember much other than struggling, and that I set up my mat next to a sticker on the floor that said “I pooped today!” I want to attempt it again in a couple weeks when I am at my best.

For now, I am going to take this opportunity to heal and enjoy the March Madness tournament at my home studio, and throw in a few barre and strengthening classes here and there at The Barre + Yoga Experience to help strengthen muscles in my problem areas.

Every year our studio hosts this March Madness tournament where we team up with partners and attempt various challenges – one being attendance, the rest trying to add variety into your routine. One of the challenges that I am most excited about is taking class with every instructor. Because I am currently on vacation from my evening job, I have the opportunity to do so! I love all of our instructors and I am so excited to spend 90 minutes with all of them!

After having some chiropractic work done on my entire spine, I feel good going to the hot room every day and taking things slow. It actually feels like I am in a different body. It turns out, I’ve been crooked for so long that I got used to it, and was probably making things worse by trying to make myself better on my own.

After two adjustments I’m about 80% better. I’ve already noticed a huge difference in Inferno Hot Pilates. My back is no longer hurting during bridges and planks. Yin Yoga class has actually been my biggest struggle, because my body isn’t ready for the long holds that normally feel really good on my lower back. Instead I get a push back that’s like “YO, I’m healing, back off!” So I am using this time to mostly unplug, breathe, and just do the postures that feel good.

Appropriately, our team name this year is “I. Am. Wounded!” which is one of my favorite Frasier references. But I will also use this as a reminder that my body is “wounded” and needs extra love. My personal challenge for this March Madness tournament will be to show up and do less!

Jivamukti Yoga at Jala Yoga & Art

In my search for new styles of yoga to experience, “Jivamukti” was not a term that I came across frequently. I believe that Jala Yoga & Art may in fact be the only studio in Rhode Island that offers this practice.

Going in with zero expectations was super exciting!

I easily found metered street parking about a block away with just a quick walk over. When arriving at the studio, the entrance is the door on the left so that the practice room door doesn’t open and let in the cold air. I entered into a cute little lobby area with storage for personal items, a water dispenser, and a seating area.

Just down a little hallway around the corner leads into the practice room, which had a beautiful alter up front, and a boutique shop in the back area. The space is narrow but deep, and could seemingly accommodate 30 students.

Class began with arriving in a comfortable seated position, some chanting, and a silent meditation. This mindful beginning to class really helps to clear your mind and set your intention for the practice. I became aware of my body, energized, and open to the new experience right away!

With soft music playing in the background, we began a creative flow of familiar vinyasa postures with a heavy focus on the breath. Each posture was held for five breaths; inhale and exhale paced by the instructor. The breathing seemingly lined up with the music, making this practice a flow full of energy.

Throughout class, the instructor comes around frequently and gives hands on assistance. I think she could tell right away that I had back issues, because during a spine twist on the floor, she came around to help with my alignment and seemed to be feeding some positive energy to my spine!

Towards the end of class, we did some core exercises and were given the opportunity to work on arm balancing. We ended with some more “yin” postures to slow things down.

During these postures the instructor gave us some wise words about karma – how although the western world doesn’t typically “believe” in karma, you can’t deny that there is a give and take of energy in the way we treat others and how they treat us in return.

During final savasana, the music was turned up slightly and the instructor came around with some aromatherapy lotion to put on our foreheads. This truly made the class a complete experience of the mind/body connection using all of the senses.

I found this class to be challenging, awakening and energizing. It was a feeling I took with me that I normally do not have after most vinyasa style classes. For the rest of the day I was full of positive energy!

Yin Yoga at Bristol Parks & Recreation

Yin Yoga is something I’ve had plenty of experience with. I believe I was in one of the first pop-up Yin classes at Rhode Island Hot Yoga before it was even added to the regular schedule. Right away, it became a practice I loved and tried to get to as much as I could, because it complimented the Hot Yoga so well.

In a previous post I mentioned that I was adding a new piece to my mission: trying Yin and Restorative yoga at other studios. RIHY adds heat (not hot, about 85 degrees) as an element of our Yin practice, where many other studios do not. I would like to see if there are major differences in the class sequence regarding this difference!

When I arrived at the Bristol Rec Center (Located in Colt State Park), we were shown into their small practice room towards the front of the building, that appears to max out at 15-20 students. We were a very small class of 5 students that Sunday night. Plenty of props were available, even for their max class size.

The room was nice and toasty to start, but I noticed that the temperature dropped in the middle of class. I made the mistake of going in with just a tank top. When I come back, I’ll definitely bring a sweater in with me just in case! Luckily the prop blanket was a good fix for warming me back up.

Class began with arrival in a supported child’s pose with the bolster. This is one of my favorite postures because it’s a hip opener that helps stretch out the areas of my hips and back that regularly pester me.

The rest of the class focused completely on the spine, and I was souped because it was just what I needed. We moved the spine in all six directions, did some supported spine twists, and plenty of child’s poses in between.

Each posture was held for 5-8 minutes, and we were always reminded to focus on the breath to keep our minds from wandering. I found myself very familiar with all of the postures in the sequence, and with the breathing!

If you are someone who gets the Sunday scaries, this is the perfect class for you. The 75 minute class takes place Sunday evenings at 6PM. After class, I went out for a bite to eat, and was 100% relaxed and ready for bed when I got home. My mind was clear and my body was ready for sleep! At only $8 for the drop-in class, there’s no reason not to go.

Bristol Parks and Rec also has a great Chair Yoga program, which I am hoping to check out with some older members of my family who have expressed interest!

This Community Recreation Center is still relatively new – it was acquired in 2013 from the Army Reserve and its programs have been building up since. I’m really impressed with the variety of yoga and fitness programs and can’t wait to see more!

Beginner AntiGravity Yoga at Raffa Yoga

For weeks I’ve been saying, “I just need to hang upside down!” My prayers were answered by Raffa Yoga offering this class for beginners on a Sunday morning.

This class is a fusion of yoga and acrobatics. Yoga, because of the focus on the mind body connection and the breath. Acrobatics, because you’re hanging from the ceiling by a large silk, contorting, and dismounting in fancy ways.

Class started with a warm up to get used to balancing in the silk, and get your legs and core ready. My legs were good to go, but my core was not ready. We held a boat pose in the silk and were told to pulse our arms in front of us, for what seemed like forever. The entire room was groaning, a few even screaming in horror from the pain. We all gasped in relief when it was over.

Finally we got into the fun stuff – learning to mount and hang upside down! At this point I cannot stress the importance of listening carefully and making sure you can see the instructor. It took me a minute to get the hang of, but now I feel 100% confident attending the all levels class vs. the beginner’s session. Everything else kind of builds on this basic mount. Once you get the hang of it, everything else just flows.

I LOVE hanging upside down. I literally had no back pain for the rest of the day afterward even though it had been bothering me recently (too much driving!). We inverted three times during class for several minutes each time. We could stay inverted as long as wanted, or come out if we were uncomfortable. I could’ve “hung out” all day.

If you plan to come to this class, I urge you to book ahead of time by at least a few days, if not a week. The class was 100% full and had a long waitlist. The lobby was PACKED with people hoping to get in.

This class is great for anyone at any level of yoga experience, unless you have an eye condition, vertigo, or blood pressure issues. Basically if your doctor says you should not invert due to a medical issue, you should not take this class.

Next time I come to Raffa Yoga I really should just make a day of it. They have the Urban Sweat center with saunas (which I’ve been to before and it’s amazing), massage therapists, and a ton of other yoga and fitness classes to partake in! This is a place that everyone needs to visit at least once, and you’ll be dying to go back the moment you leave.

Mindful Yoga for the Winter Blues at PBH Yoga & Wellness

Almost everyone I know battles with seasonal depression, myself included. We seem to want to mentally hibernate in the winter, even though our bodies are not meant for it. One thing leads to another, and suddenly you realize you haven’t done anything but sit in bed and watch Netflix for a month. It’s like that sun goes away, and we forget how to be human.

I drive by this yoga studio just about every day, so when I saw they had this class on the schedule I knew I had to work it into my tour. They are located on the first floor of the Providence Behavioral Health building on Smith Street, which is a shared medical building with multiple practices. It makes me so happy to see yoga tied right in with mental and physical health!

The practice space is very small, but the classes are also small, giving a more individualized experience. Dim lighting with cool blue/grey colors and a beautiful hardwood floor give the room a very mellow and welcoming vibe. Even though I’d never been there before, I was prepared to sink right into my mat and relax.

I found this practice to be very similar to my regular yin yoga class, but with holds not going quite so long or deep. We actually did a lot of the same postures that I practiced on Wednesday morning – I think because all of our yoga instructors are trying to keep away the winter blues!

Class began with arrival laying on the mat, and a long breathing exercise to get us focused on our breath. It was very similar to the breathing meditation done at restorative yoga earlier this week. We filled up the lungs first, then the belly, then both, before exhaling. While doing so, I could hear the pouring rain outside and it was invigorating.

In class we used a blanket, two blocks, a bolster and a strap to help with the postures. We moved the spine in all directions with plenty of cat/cows and spine twists, and did leg extensions using the strap. Towards the end, we did some more restorative, longer postures, such as my favorite reclining bound angle pose. Throughout class, there was heavy focus on connecting the breath with each movement, and “breathing into” postures when we found a point of discomfort. This was a new mindfulness aspect to the practice that I was not used to but thoroughly enjoyed.

Once we found our way into final savasana, we were guided to find our breath, and then given several minutes of time for silent meditation. I am admittedly very, very bad at this and tried my best to stay focused on breathing instead of letting my thoughts wander. I prefer guided meditation, only because my crazy monkey brain still needs the help! One day I’ll get there.

Class ended with a seated breathing exercise, and a nice namaste that felt very real since there were only 3 of us in the room and we still fed each other some beautiful energy.

As we were leaving, the next class started coming in and seemed really excited to be there. I checked the schedule on the way out and saw that it was a meditation class. Perhaps this is something to check out in the future? I could sure use more practice in that area.

I would recommend this studio for anyone who is recovering from an injury, has high blood pressure, or is working through mental health issues. This is a very individualized practice with yoga as a means of healing medicine – something we need so much more of in the world!

Restorative Yoga at Ten Trees Yoga & Wellness

After a crazy few weeks of focusing heavily on Inferno Hot Pilates, throwing Hot Buti Yoga into the mix, and trying all kinds of new things, I was sorely in need of some healing yoga. Feeling strong feels great, but sometimes tightness and soreness comes along with that new muscle build.

I’d heard from multiple sources that this new beautiful LGBT+ inclusive studio had some great offerings, and a packed schedule of FREE classes for their grand opening weekend. 11AM restorative yoga after a lazy morning and a bite for brunch with the boyfriend sounded perfect.

Although located on the second floor in a rather inconspicuous spot, this studio was surprisingly easy to find, and with ample parking. There is a small garage attached to the building that offers parking for all of the businesses in the area, and plenty of street parking as well.

Upon arrival we were greeted at the front desk of their gorgeous lobby. The green/white/wood color scheme gives a comforting and cheerful vibe. The previous class was still on the way out, so we were given a little tour and instructed to hang out in the lobby for a few minutes. Because it was their grand opening weekend, refreshments were offered to everyone in attendance.

Once in the practice room, we all set up our mats around the perimeter against the walls, so that we could use it to put our legs up during a posture later. We were showed to the props closet (full to the brim with props!) and instructed to grab a bolster, two blocks, two blankets and an eye cover. The room filled right up – about 30 people attended! The instructor placed her mat in the middle of the room so that everyone could see and hear her.

Class began with arrival and a breathing exercise, focusing on filling and emptying the lungs and belly with air one at a time.

Now, I’ve taken plenty of yin yoga classes, but never a restorative. Although similar in a lot of ways with many of the same postures used, yin is more about finding your comfortable “edge” and restorative is more about relaxing into the posture and letting yourself open naturally, or so I’ve been told.

Going in with this prior knowledge, I was surprised that we had a pretty long warm up that consisted of a flow of postures before we got into the “deep” stuff. I have a feeling that the way they run classes in this type of practice may vary from studio to studio. Because we have a heated room at RIHY (usually kept around 85 degrees during yin class), we don’t need very much “warm up.” This has definitely sparked interest to try yin and restorative at other studios!

Once we got to the delicious, deep part of class, I was all in. The instructor showed us how to set up our props for reclining bound angle pose (one of my favorites). We were even provided eye covers to help keep the eyes closed. We then transitioned into legs up the wall. I believe we held each posture for about 8-10 minutes.

I can’t decide if those two postures were the best part of class, or if it was the guided meditation at the end. I think both!

The guided meditation was very similar to a yoga nidra I did a few months ago – but I didn’t fall asleep this time! I was, however, so relaxed that I did not want to get up to leave at the end, and felt so grounded that I had to sit in my car for a few minutes before driving home.

Now if you have issues with stress or blood pressure, this is 110% the class for you to take. I left feeling relaxed but energized, and my resting heart rate stayed low for the rest of the day! Legs up the wall also does wonders for my back, so I had a little extra spring in my step.

I would absolutely love to come take class here again and check out more of their offerings. I had a few different friends check out the gay men’s yoga class and said it was wonderful. I’m hoping a queer women’s class pops up too, I’d love to try it!

Hot Buti Yoga at The Barre & Yoga Experience

Early mornings are a struggle for me, but I’d been dying to try this class so I had to make an exception. With my good friend and colleague Gianna in tow, I arrived at this gorgeous little studio around 6:45AM on a Monday morning. I was still half asleep and couldn’t stomach any coffee, but I made it.

Mats were already set out for us when we arrived, and we were greeted with a warm welcome and a “this is really weird and you’re going to love it.”

Buti Yoga is a fusion of Yoga, High Intensity Interval Training and tribal dance. Hot Buti Yoga is just that, but heated to 85 degrees. The studio describes it as “a full body experience that awakens your soul.” 100% accurate.

The moment the lights went down and the funky tribal/trance music started thumping, a rush of adrenaline came through me and I was f***ing ready.

We did not stop moving for the entire hour of class. Our instructor practiced right alongside us, somehow giving seamless instruction while working her ass off the whole time. It started with simple dance motions, getting the arms and legs warmed up and your heart pumping.

Once warmed up we got into some deeper squats and lunges and more complex movements. The few times we took a break from intense cardio, we sunk into warrior, triangle, and other power yoga postures, occasionally with some pulsing or arm movements.

I know this doesn’t sound at all like yoga – especially the styles of yoga I’m used to – but there is something oddly spiritual about this practice. The dim lighting and loud music makes Buti Yoga more “inward,” so you are more focused on your body, and less focused on what everyone else is doing or what you look like in the mirror. You truly “dance like no one else is watching” to the point that it becomes a meditative state. Your thoughts can’t go anywhere else, and your body and the vibrations of the music become your full focus.

At the end of class we took a deep, long camel pose and I literally saw stars. From there we did a bit of active recovery before a delicious savasana.

While laying there, nearly dead, the instructor came around with cool aromatherapy towels and placed them over our eyes. Aaaah!

We closed with some breathing in a seated position, and a salutation to end class.

My mat was covered in sweat! I sweat almost as much as I do in Original Hot Yoga class. That’s impressive. The room started at 85 degrees but it was definitely toastier by the end! There were only about 10 of us in there but we put off some crazy good energy and worked hard.

One of the staff members came over and showed us where the mat cleaning supplies were, thank goodness! You kind of just have to sweat all over the mat during this class, because a towel would get all bunched up under your feet if you tried to use one. I wouldn’t advise using a WayMat either, because I think you’d get rug burn on your toes!

Now, this is another studio that does not have shower amenities, but it’s so close to my house that I can just go home to shower! This is a very small studio so not having showers or a changing area is to be expected and I didn’t mind.

The only amenity I felt was truly missing was a water bottle refilling station, which is odd considering they have Kombucha on draft in the lobby. They did have bottled water for sale but I strongly feel that single use plastic bottles should be sold minimally at fitness studios these days, and just reserved for someone who forgot their reusable bottle at home.

I loved this class so much that I’m already signed up to go again next Monday, sleep be damned! The studio emailed me an offer I couldn’t refuse of 3 classes for $46.

This scratched the itch I’ve been having to take a dance class, I got in my yoga practice, AND it got me to a level of cardio workout I was looking for. This is the most fun I’ve had in ages doing a “workout” and this might end up becoming a part of my weekly routine!

Hatha Morning (Intermediate) at Providence Power Yoga Annex

On my first venture, I figured I would go easy on myself and revisit a studio I’d been to before. I’d previously attended a Heated Vinyassa class at Providence Power Yoga, but left with mixed feelings. When I saw a seemingly more challenging class offered on their schedule, I was quick to dive back in.

This class was hosted at their Annex, just a block down from their Flagship studio on Basset Street in Providence. It’s a much smaller space and they don’t host any “heated” classes here. The parking situation is about the same as the other venue, where attendees double, triple and quadruple park in the lot in order to fit everyone (meaning you have to sit in your car after class and wait for everyone else to move to get out, especially if you’re an early arrival like me).

The lobby of the Annex is very tiny with a wall hosting a few cubbies, so I don’t advise bringing a lot of stuff here with you.

I found the practice room to be super cozy, and perfectly spacious for the amount of students attended that day. But I have seen photos of other classes and, yikes – it can get full!

We were instructed to gather props for the class – a blanket, two blocks and a strap, and got settled in while waiting for the instructor.

Class started with some arrival and a breathing exercise, but also an announcement that this was the last time this class was going to be offered. Oh? I guess I better not like it that much since it’s only my first time coming!

We began with some soft movements go get ourselves warmed up. From there, we took on some stronger postures where I definitely felt challenged. There were lots of hip openers, leg extensions and focus on the core – all stuff I sorely need!

The most challenging parts of the class came towards the end, where we used the blanket under our feet on the hardwood floor in order to get deeper into postures. I thought my core was in pretty good shape from practicing so much Inferno Hot Pilates at my home studio, but I was wrong. We got into a bridge position with the blanket under our feet, and were instructed to slide it up and down while remaining in bridge. It was crazy good and crazy difficult.

We also used the blanket under our leg getting into splits, with blocks in each hand for support. I’m used to getting into splits when I’m super warm in the hot room, so I was very cautious here. However, I found that I was warm enough to get to my usual edge and use the props to push a little further.

I found the instructor to be excellent with description, so much so that I hardly had to look up front to figure out what I was doing. This made it easier to focus more inward during my practice and really hear what my body was telling me.

Though I enjoyed this class so much, and would probably enjoy other classes at this brand of studios, this is just not a place that can be made part of a daily routine. They lack the amenities to do so. As mentioned previously, the parking is awful, and they do not have showers at the studio with heated classes. So, this is not a place where you can attend an early morning class, jump in the shower and head to work. There’s a process involved – and as a person with anxiety, I would find that process creeping into my thoughts during practice if I had another place to be afterward.

Hatha Morning is definitely something I could get into, with postures that are a bit more active than my regular Yin practice but with similar benefits. Perhaps when I am on vacation from my evening job, I will take a Hatha Intermediate class here at night!

Though this class didn’t give me my normal cardio workout that I love from my Original Hot Yoga practice, I still left here feeling grounded and energized to tackle my day!

And so my journey begins…

For over two years now, I have been practicing Original Hot Yoga (aka Bikram Yoga) regularly. And by regularly, I mean about every other day… or sometimes streaks of 50 days of classes in a row. I’ve fallen in love with the practice and it has changed my life so much, that I have decided to teach so I can share this gift with others.

With teacher training coming up in just a few months, I feel that my weakest point is that I have not really given myself the opportunity to experience different styles of yoga. I’ve taken a Vinyassa class here and there, but never really felt enough attraction to the style to go back and practice again. I know there is so much more out there, and I will find it all and try it all. I am willing to drive up to 50 miles each way to experiment with practice at different studios.

My home studio location has become my sanctuary. Even though Rhode Island Hot Yoga has two locations that are beautiful and have all the same amenities, I still even seem to prefer my “home base” in Providence. It takes huge effort to go out of my comfort zone to attend class at their flagship location in Bristol, even though they are both on my daily route and offer a similar schedule. If I am supposedly embracing a practice that is all about discomfort, then why am I still avoiding discomfort in these other areas in my life?

For quite some time I have been on a self-improvement voyage, and have hurdled over some difficult setbacks. Six years ago, I was obese, depressed, and chronically ill with an autoimmune disease, with no end in sight. I gave up hope on making myself better or doing anything meaningful with my life. I didn’t even think I would be able to work a full-time job again, and the thought of daily exercise and a packed schedule alongside work was laughable. I hated the gym, and was way too out of shape to take any dance classes (my former love and joy as a young adult).

Finally one day something kicked into gear, and I started going for daily walks. Short ones at first, then they grew longer. Eventually I was going for power walks up to 10 miles each day, and some of my favorite ones were in 80 and 90 degree weather. I was doing great for awhile. My heath improved and I lost considerable weight without much alteration to my diet.

But then winter happened. The walks stopped, the comfort eating started, and the seasonal depression set in. I could feel myself slipping back to where I previously was.

One day scrolling through Facebook I saw my friends checked in at RIHY, captioned with something along the lines of “omg just died and it was great.” I figured, I love the heat and I used to be pretty bendy, so I might as well give this a shot.

Holy shit, it was love at first death.

I showed up on a cold Friday in January to Bill’s “Bikram’s Beginner’s Yoga Class.” I got lost, and barely made it to class. It was absolutely packed, so he stuck me in the one spot where I could fit in the front row. There I was, looking at my miserable pudgy self in the mirror in a room heated to 105 degrees with 40% humidity.

Once class started I think I blacked out, because I don’t remember anything else other than having to sit down a few times. All I know is that the feeling at the end… that’s what got me hooked. It was like runner’s high, or that high you feel after an intense dance performance, except so much better.

I quickly lost 20 lbs, and had tons more energy. It was almost an overnight transformation. I had trouble looking at myself in the mirror during at first, but after a few weeks that changed too. I learned to love myself, and that what I don’t love about myself, I have the power to change. It was a complete mind and body transformation.

Again I sunk into a depression when I had to take time off (almost 3 months) of yoga for work, I didn’t really notice that was the reason for my mood. It clicked as soon as I got back to class and felt immediately better. It was one of the biggest “AH HA!” moments in my life.

From there, I never stopped. I ended up being such a regular face that I was the first student accepted into their teacher training program, and was offered a management position on the spot with no interview when a position opened up.

Six years ago I never would have imagined I was capable of holding down two jobs, exercising and meditating daily, and living my best life with a packed schedule that I find joy in every day.

Self improvement, I expect, will be a never ending journey. I don’t expect an “endgame” or some kind of spiritual awakening that gives me all of the answers to life’s great questions. What I do expect is to grow a passion for learning, and to never stop yearning for more.

With just my “uncomfortable” Original Hot Yoga practice, I have seen my anxiety fade away. When you face discomfort in the hot room, it prepares you to experience discomfort in the real world. I need to experience even more discomfort, and to see that I have the power to get myself through new situations. I don’t think this will just help me with my yoga practice, but with my entire life as well.

I’m ready.