Portrait of a Pinay as a Young Woman II

It's Getting Hot In Here

At the beginning of this month, I decided to redeem my coupon for two months of classes at Funky Door Yoga on Polk Street, about a 15 minute walk from work. I needed something to do and I didn't want to get back onto my bike. I usually take a vacation from the bike until the fall. So I decided to give yoga a shot.

It has been seven years since I stepped into a yoga studio and had a regular yoga practice. When I lived in the Mission, I frequented Bikram Yoga in the Mission (now Mission Yoga or something like that) for a challenge- take 4 or 5 yoga classes a week for 8 weeks and get two weeks of yoga free. I figured this was a good challenge and I was game for it. I did it, got really skinny and was a really strong rider for ALC 3. However, I was so burnt out from doing it so often for 8 weeks that I really didn't enjoy the 2 free weeks. I tried going to other yoga studios but they didn't do it for me. Finally I rolled up the yoga mat and focused on biking and running.

Usually around this time of year, I'm training for a marathon or a half marathon as of late. But my posture still sucks so I will have to put off running for awhile.

I'm having a love/ hate relationship with Bikram yoga. Well, not exactly hate but sometimes not wanting to go. I read somewhere that if you don't want to go to yoga class, that's the best time to go.

I know that it is suggested that one should go three times a week (at least) to get the benefits of Bikram yoga. I sometimes get bored because we're doing the same 26 poses for the 90 minute allotted time. I am managing to go at least twice a week. I'm taking a slower pace and not putting a lot of expectation that my life will change dramatically like the woman in the O Magazine article last year talked how 3 months of Bikram yoga (she went every day since she was in between jobs) changed her life. I'm not going at it hard assed like I did seven years ago.

At least my shoulders are opening a little bit more. I am finding myself looking forward to recovery from class with coconut water (I don't like the taste of pure coconut water; I need it to be flavored- same amount of points). I'm putting a lot on it that I will lose a ton of weight but I need to temper that expectation with what I am eating and putting in my mouth.

We'll see where I end up around September when my Groupon expires. That's all I expect. A wait and see attitude.

posted by Edna @ 4:50 AM