Double yoga

No, not a double rainbow...double yoga.

I have been consistently going to yoga at TruHarmony yoga for over 3 months now. I love that yoga is a part of my routine and I love that I am beginning to feel and observe the changes it is having on my body. I sit up straighter at work and have better posture overall. My running has improved with better posture and endurance as well as breathing. My attitude is very positive and fewer things bother me. I also have calmed down ever so slightly (which is huge in my world).

Over the past few months I have noticed that some people stay at the studio for a double. I had initially thought months ago that staying for a double was insanity. I was so exhausted after one class, why in the world would I stay for a double? I am still not the strongest yogi in class, nor do I expect to be anytime in the near future. Yoga is about the individual practice, and I am the strongest yogi that I have ever been.

On Wednesday I asked my instructor Megan if she felt I was ready to handle a double. She smiled and encouraged me that I could (her words were something like, "girl, you can run a marathon, you can do anything!") I made the decision that I was going to try it for sure on Saturday...but maybe I'd try it on Thursday too.

Yesterday I talked myself up all day and said it was time to try a double. A 75 minute vinyasa flow class followed by a 60 minute yoga sculpt and bootcamp class. I'm becoming friendly with a number of the people at the studio and I was warned that I was going to be starving at the end of this adventure and to make sure to take a break when I needed it since I would hit a wall in the second class. They were right...but the wall was not a big wall, and the hunger was typical hunger...for over 2 hours of intense exercise...pretty much as hungry as I am after a half marathon when it's warm out.

I went home, and my arms did not want to work. I laughed at it as I don't know the last time something like that happened. I inhaled my dinner last night (Tandoor Chef's Palak Paneer) which was delicious and I need to go buy a lot more of those. I then followed that with fresh cherries and some pistachios.

This morning when I woke up to shower, that was fun...arms were sore as anything and I loved it. I had a bagel sammich for breakfast because I could feel that I was still hungry...and then I just felt great. I feel very energized and centered today. Today actually feels like the best day in 2011 (which may have to do with a number of other factors, including awesomeness at work, payday Friday, finding cadbury creme eggs and reece's peanut butter eggs at the store, getting tickets to the Crosstown Classic...and oh Egypt becoming free). The soreness is becoming less as the day goes on, which excites me for my originally planned double tomorrow!

I do not recommend going for a double too soon, but when you're looking for a new challenge, every once and a while I'd suggest going for a double. Of course on Sunday, I'll be attending a new workout entirely (kickass cardio at Flirty Girl Fitness) so that should create some new muscle soreness.

Happy Friday!