ouch

i have been curious about yoga for some time now, but have never had the opportunity to conveniently attend a class (i.e., classes at the wellness center aren't scheduled during childcare hours!). but at my new gym down here, they DO have classes during childcare hours, so i decided to finally try it out.

now...for those of you not aware, i have actively been doing pilates for almost 2 years now. while i am by NO means advanced, i consider myself quite capable of mastering most moves thrown at me. it's taken a long time to get to that level, but i'm there. and pilates and yoga share several of the same principles...so while i knew there would be things i'd never seen before in yoga, i was confident i would be able to complete every exercise.

ha. HA. ha ha ha ha! things started out just fine, with several downward facing dog/chaturanga/upward facing dog or cobra pose progressions. no problem. then there was this step thing, where you had to pull one leg up from plank to step between your hands. um, yeah. i had to inch my toes forward several feet. was fine once i got into position, it was the getting into position that was troubling! and (go figure) my mat was right next to this professional dancer-looking woman that had absolutely no problem doing anything...even the backbends they asked us to do from fish pose (yes, you heard me...a backbend. impossible!!!).

but the kicker was this...we're sitting in what i call indian style (i'm sure there is a more technical term), and the stretch is good. ok, i got this. but then...oh yes, but then...the instructor tells us to hook our right knee over our right shoulder, while maintaining a straight spine. then, once in position, to extend the right palm down by the hip (right leg still hooked over your shoulder) and lift yourself up on one hand! WHAT THE...WHAT??!!

and people did it. not this people, of course. but several in the class. i barely got my knee hooked over my elbow, much less my shoulder!

so...class got easy after that, lots of still stretching and breathing, and then we left. it was a 75 minute class, and i did like it (i think). my heart rate never got up, not that i expected it to much, but i DID expect it to a bit (as it does in Pilates). so the verdict was still out when i left the gym. i called my mom to explain it and called Amy to tell her these people are crazy if they think my body is meant to go into those positions...but i wasn't sure it had been that beneficial.

i should have known better.

if the throbbing in my hamstrings for the next two hours wasn't a good enough indicator (i assumed it was simply from prolonged stretching), my educational ventures in the fitness industry should have convinced me. needless to say, i am ACHING in places i have NEVER ached before. every single muscle between my shoulder blades feels like i have been punched repeatedly...hard...for a long time. my hamstrings are still tight, but no surprise there... my shoulders! my biceps??? my triceps! my chest (although that could be lingering from Thursday's weight program)...

Wow. So. suffice to say that I will be returning to Yoga class. maybe i'll someday learn the words to the chants everyone does at the start and close...get my "ohm" on, or however you spell it... and by golly, I am going to hook that knee over my shoulder someday!

verdict is still out on the backbend...