yoga

Back in January I decided I was going to try yoga. I had never done it before, but plenty of my friends have - for years - and if they can do it (and do it in 49583degree rooms) then I can do a beginner class.

I dropped into a local yoga studio one afternoon and took their introductory class. And I liked it. I was especially impressed with how much it worked my abs. Boy did I feel that the next day. But in a good way.

Coincidentally, a few days later I received an adult education mailer and the yoga studio was offering a 6week beginners course, at about half the cost of their normal classes. Perfect! I emailed a few friends to see if they were interested, and as a result of that one has joined the class with me and I have gone with another to yoga at school a couple of times (it's free there, but the atmosphere is a bit disruptive).

The adult ed. class was delayed in starting due to snow, but we've now had 2sessions. It's, well... not my favorite. I think that's due to the instructor. She talks way too much. Obnoxiously so. And, as a beginner I would really like her to come around and help me make sure that my poses are correct (things I was getting in the smaller classes - both at this studio and school). But you get what you pay for I suppose. It's not all bad, and I'm hoping that after the final 3sessions (I have to miss one because I'm going to Boston!) I'll at least be more comfortable with some of the basics. Plus did I mention it's relatively inexpensive? 

This is all coming at an opportune time. Rather, I suppose I hurt myself at an opportune time. If one could ever consider hurting yourself opportune. Anyway. About 2weeks ago I pulled (what I'm assuming is) my groin. Awkward, right? I was walking (literally, just walking) from the dining room to the kitchen and I turned too quickly, or something. I don't know exactly. I just know it hurt. But I figured like with other "twinges" resting it that night would be all it took to heal. LIES. Every. little. step. I took hurt. Forget getting dressed, stepping into the shower, or getting in and out of the car. Of course I could still do these things, but it hurt. Audible gasping kinds of hurt. And the rest of the time it was just a dull pain. I decided to give myself a week before seeking any actual intervention. 

This all happened a few days before the first adult ed. yoga class. I decided this would be great and that stretching the muscle would help. (Would it actually? Is that what one should do? I have no idea, but I did it anyway.) I figured the whole thing would be excruciating but that I would push through it. And yeah, it was bad at times, but it didn't prohibit me from doing anything. That night, though? After yoga? The worst yet. Even laying down hurt and I got very little sleep. Le suck.

However, the next day it wasn't until lunch that I even remembered about the injury. It was getting better. I could tell that it wasn't perfect, and over the next few days it still left like one leg was shorter than the other when walking, but the pain was restricted to only when I made extreme movements. Go yoga!

Things got progressively worse as the week went on (never as bad as pre-yoga), but then I went to yoga again last night. And, as with the week before, sleep last night sucked. But today? Better. So the lesson: Keep stretching. I don't know nearly enough to do yoga on my own, but I hear you can watch yoga DVDs on Netflix, so I think I'll try that this weekend. I've decided (I am a DR after all) (are you laughing at me?) (you should be) that a week or so more of this and I'll be good to go. (If not I guess I'll go get it checked out.) (Shut up, I'll go.)

Oh, but back to the point... I've started doing yoga!