week 1
I’ve tried a couple of yoga classes in the past but I’ve found they were perhaps too advanced for my level and I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to be doing. As a relative newbie to yoga, I literally had no idea what I was getting into. Yes we do the occasional downward dog on the reformer in Pilates but apart from that I was going in with semi closed eyes.
My first class was a hot yoga class and boy I was not looking forward to it!! For those of you who know me, I am a SWEATER. Find me at the end of a High Intensity or a Reformer Class and you will definitely not want a hug from me!! The thought of doing a yoga class in a hot room literally freaked me out. But I got on the bus from home and made my way down to the studio trying not to think of the state I was going to be in after class. I was also freaking out as a friend of mine said I was likely to be sick having eaten my dinner just an hour before class! I tiptoed with trepidation into the Chelsea studio and introduced myself at reception. I was given a towel and told to enter studio 1. Luckily I found myself at the back near the door in the likely or unlikely event I needed to make a swift exit out of there! I introduced myself to the teacher as a complete novice and we set off on our journey. 75 minutes passed really quickly and I am happy to report that I LOVED the class, the teacher, her instructions were easy to understand and I also didn’t feel out of my depth at all. Luckily the dinner stayed down too!! I really wasn’t looking forward to this class but absolutely fell in love with it. I’ve concluded that my body actually likes the heat of the hot yoga room as I am forever putting my body through so much stress during my gruelling weekly workouts. Definitely a new addition to my training schedule.
My second class of the week was an Iyengar class. I definitely didn’t connect to this style as much as the Hot yoga class I took earlier in the week. The staff of triyoga reassured me that it’s okay if every style of yoga does not resonate with me and that is one of the reasons there are so many different styles of yoga available. There was a lot more anatomical speak and I struggled slightly knowing what I was meant to be doing.
Third class of the week was another HOT YOGA. Do I need to add anything else?!? LOVED IT. Felt at ease in the class.
Roll on week 2 – I CAN DO THIS!! Well maybe not the Kundalini but we’ll see. All I have in my head is Micky Flanagan doing Kundalini in LA in his latest series “Thinking Aloud – The Midlife Crisis” (apologies to those who have no idea what I’m talking about…!).
week 2
So week two consisted of Kundalini (imagine my horror face!), Yoga for Sports and Qiqong (still to be taken later this week).
On the subject of the Kundalini yoga class and to paraphrase Micky Flanagan: “Kundalini is a collection of all the yogas – the best bits – yoga 54”, “if I had a friend who said meet me for coffee after the Kundalini class, I would reply it’s either me or the turban”, “we did some stretches, some breathing and it became clear we were going to bop. And boy did we bop. We bopped with gay abandon. Bit like being in Manchester in the late 80s!”.
These were some of the preconceptions I had in my head before going into class. Into the studio I go with slight fear once again. Having set myself up in the studio, the teacher comes in with a guitar and a big gong. What have I let myself in for I think to myself?!? The class starts and the teacher proclaims (hallelujah!) that our eyes will remain closed for most of the class. A lot of the moves are done for multiple reps until exhaustion and to concentrate the mind on pushing on through. This was a 90 minute class and once again the class passed by in no time at all. I’m not entirely sure how long the relaxation bit at the end of class was but once the gong and guitar were played, I was away with the fairies! I did not want waking at the end. I felt happy and at peace. I had actually really enjoyed Kundalini yoga and the prejudices I had about this class were finally quashed.
I followed up with a second class on the same day. This time a Yoga for Sports class. I was quite looking forward to this class. Hopefully a little slower paced and concentrating on some areas that get tight through exercise. The teacher came into class and told us what props we were going to need for the next 75 minutes. The instructions given by the teacher were clear and concise and much to my surprise, I felt at ease with the movements and flow of the class. The transitions between poses were fluid and my body felt good at the end of the class.
Actually getting into the swing of things with this yoga. Roll on week 3 Peaceful Warrior.
week 3
So what’s been on agenda this week Peaceful Warrior? A little Qigong, a little Vinyasa Flow, Meditation and Mindfulness and some extra heat with a Warm Vinyasa Flow.
I started my Qigong practice with a jog down Kings Road having just completed a kettlebell workout earlier in the morning. Probably didn’t help that I rocked up hot, sweaty and a little out of breath. Undoubtedly not the perfect combination to focus my breath to move energy and invoke a meditative state, some of the qualities of Qigong. With this in mind, we tried to find energy flows through movement of the body. At points, I felt like a very mediocre Jedi with my imaginary lightsaber. I’m not sure I would have been ready to board the Millenium Falcon after just one class! The teacher was clear and concise on his instructions and I definitely felt a lot more relaxed at the end of class.
Saturday started with an early wake-up call for an 8.30am Vinyasa Flow class. God how I love an early alarm on a weekend!! I had previously taken a class with the teacher some nine months ago on one hell of a hangover (not very yoga-esque behaviour I do realise!) so I knew what I was getting involved in. This time however, I was free from the alcoholic haze and ready to take on this challenge. The class was dominated by females (presumably my presence helped?) and off we go into our practice. I really enjoyed the class, the movement and felt relatively at ease with the flow of the class. A veritable result compared to the first time where my friend had me in fits of giggles.
After a rather disastrous Sunday, they don’t call me “two lunch Jonno” for nothing, there was nothing more than I wanted on Monday than a Meditation and Mindfulness session. I’ve had a lot on my mind lately (won’t bore you with the details!) so left work with a very thick and heavy head and headed to the Chelsea studio. This practice is all about turning ones attention inward with one sole focus and with a sense of peace. “This practice is for me” I hear my brain saying on repeat as we lay down after twenty minutes. I swear I woke myself up several times with the sound of my own snores. Not very peaceful I do realise but I’m 99% confident I could hear snores from the others too…
Let’s take this up a notch as I write an e-mail to the Studio Manager in Chelsea. What about a Warm Vinyasa Flow on Tuesday night? Why the hell not. BOOKED IN! I find myself at the front of the class in the corner. Would have preferred the back corner but what can be so bad about the front I tell myself. We start our practice in a nice orderly fashion and I’m feeling good. I then realise someone has turned the instructor up a few notches and the flow has become increasingly quick and dynamic. T-shirts are off, sweat is flowing. The teacher reassures us to take a downward dog if we are not able to keep up with the other “insert Sanskrit words I don’t know here”. I definitely didn’t feel disappointed in my practice that night, enjoyed the soft and warming tones of the teacher and her ability not to make me feel like the elephant of the room.
Check back here to see how Jon gets on throughout 4…
