Back to Yoga!

After a nearly 3 month break from my yoga practice, I am thrilled to report that I returned to my favorite Vinyasa class on Thursday night. Hooray!

My husband and I were in the great habit of going to the class together on our Date Night while our kids played at their grandparetns' house. Then cold season hit - HARD! Illness started with Ethan and worked its way around to each of us, at least twice. I've been to more doctors this fall than I've been to in the last 2 years combined. Thankfully we're all healthy now and hopefully we'll stay that way.

Getting back into the swing of workouts has been a bit of a challenge, but both David and I are getting there. I was the first to return to my runs. I haven't ventured outside to run with either of the kids in the jogging stroller, but have worked to stay loyal to our treadmill. While a treadmill doesn't offer the rolling (or killer!) hills, pretty scenery, or fresh breezes of outdoor running, it does provide me with a warm place to run on cold, rainy/snowy days and my kids can play or nap while I get my energy boost.

David is taking the macho route and has now returned to his outdoor lunch break runs. His running gives his brain some free time and ensures that he does see the light of day now that he arrives at work before the sun rises and heads home well after the sun has called it a day. Ah, balance.

But enough about running, I'm here to write about yoga!

Though my running habit was restored, I remained hesitant about returning to yoga. As the class is held during our usual dinner time and it was our date night, and with the colds, sinus infections and ear infections that took over our lives for so long, David and I did use a few weeks to go out for dinner so we could actually see one another without having to stop mid-sentence to wipe a kid's nose or check our watches to see which person needed which antibiotic. We ENJOYED that down time our dinners out provided. I wasn't immediately ready to give up that fun time.

Then I got a new yoga mat for my birthday. It beckoned me. "Hey, Brianna. Aren't I pretty? Come on! Take me to class. I dare you to break a sweat!" And so on Thursday, though David wasn't quite ready to join me, I took the plunge and went back to The Yoga Garden to see my instructor Sara and let my body flow through the asanas once again. Aaaaahhhhhhhh! Thank goodness for the lure of the mat!

When I arrived Sara greeted me so kindly and encouragingly. A hug and a smile assured me that I am always welcome at the studio, no matter how much time lapses between visits. Seven other students joined me for a thorough, yet gentle, whole body stretch and workout. We let Sara do the thinking for us, putting our brains on auto pilot as our bodies followed her directions. 75 minutes later I headed to pick-up our take out dinner (it was, afterall, still Date Night!) feeling limber, relaxed and rejuvinated.

Hooray for yoga! I'm back!

Originally posted 12/2/2007 8:57:04 PM