Yesterday afternoon and evening I had a terrible bellyache in anticipation of returning to Bikram. In January 2008 I got into hot yoga and started practicing at Hot Yoga Louisville. I was a regular, going anywhere from one to four times per week. I loved how limber and lean yoga made me, especially the Bikram classes, but I found that I kept pulling my hamstrings, especially when I was also training for running races.
Last night I returned to the studio for the first time since DECEMBER. The main reason I hadn't gone in so long was because of kettle bells. As I have to pay extra for kettle bells (in addition to my gym membership) I wasn't so eager to drop more dollars for yoga.
I received a very warm reception upon arrival. One of the instructors and another employee said that they were just talking about me yesterday! Also, Betsy (the owner) gave me a hug and welcomed me back. Despite fitting in again immediately, my lack of yoga practice showed. Most people think of yoga as being just about flexibility, but it's also about balance and strength. And in hot yoga, it's also about endurance. If my balance was an 8 pre-hiatus, it's now a 7. If my strength was a 6, it's now an 8. If my endurance was a 8, it's pretty much the same. If my flexibility was an 8, it's now a 6. In other words, everything seemed to hold constant except for my flexibility. It was a little disappointing that I couldn't go as far into some poses as I used to, but it was expected and I was grateful to be there all the same! Class went well and I left with a smile on my face.
My triathlon is on SATURDAY so I am taking today and Friday off to rest and prepare! Next week I plan on getting to a couple of yoga classes and I'm looking forward to it.
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