So, Meghan was pretty proud of herself for keeping the details of her adventure concealed from the rest of us for the month or so that she was planning it... and rightfully so. She's not the only one with a secret-keeping problem; most of us just get so excited about our ideas we can't wait to share them and seek approval/praise for choosing such an AWESOME adventure, because let's be honest, they've all been pretty awesome. However, I've got to say there's an added sense of exhilaration leading up to secret adventures that I just can't get enough of. I love the element of suspense and mystery, and am always eagerly awaiting the arrival of THE email... the one we always receive about a week ahead of time providing details and offering up clues to the identity of our latest adventure. This time, Meghan's clues included that we needed to wear sports bras and hair ties, but no shoes, and she stated, "It's getting hot in here... but please don't take off all your clothes!" Based on these clues, it had to be one of two things: walking across hot coals.... OR.... HOT YOGA!!!
As a relatively new yoga novice, and one who had hot yoga on my personal list of adventure ideas (yes, I have a list of 20+ ideas), I was super excited! Some of my friends however, were not. Words like "brutal," "intense," and "torturous," may have been thrown around, but when it came down to it, each and every Femme showed up with a smile on:
We met at Yoga Fix Studio in Mission, KS; hair ties and sports bras on, yoga mats, sweat rags and water bottles in hand! As we walked in, another class was ending and we were all in shock and awe over how drenched in sweat these people were as they walked out of the studio. Oh. Em. Gee.
As advised, we got there early to sign waivers and pay our $15. Actually, it ended up being $16 because we each had to rent a full size towel to lay on top of our mats to soak up the sweat so we wouldn't be slipping all over the place! Really? That much sweat?? Then we packed away our shoes and winter coats into personal lockers, emptied our bladders and waited for our last member to arrive. While we were waiting, I was called to the front desk, Alli stating, "We've got a problem up here, Boss." As the staff reviewed our waivers, they took note of my disclosure under the "medical conditions" section that I have an "extreme vagal response." (That's the medical condition I was labeled with after coming close to and/or actually passing out a couple of times two summers ago). "Yeah, the cardiologist told me there's really nothing wrong with me, but if I'm ever exposed to extreme pain or temperatures, I'm likely to pass out again," I explained.... Oh wait! Extreme temperatures? Crap! After a fleeting moment of panic where I wasn't sure they would let me participate, I assured them that I was not too proud to sit down if I felt lightheaded, while Alli reiterated that we are all nurses and I would be in good hands if anything did happen.
Luckily, they didn't seem too concerned and allowed me to proceed under the agreement that one of my fellow Femmes would catch me, should I fall. While this really was a minor detail of our day, and I realize my health was never truly at risk, it did serve as a big reminder to me of how amazing all of these girls have been to me over the years, including the few months when I was a medical mystery. As some of them were present for my past "episodes," they have become very protective and nurturing when it comes to my well-being, and I could not feel safer amongst any other group of people. It's hard for me to put into words what each of them means to me; I just wish everyone could know them the way I do, and everyone could have equally spectacular friends in their own life.
But, enough with the mushy stuff, let's move on to the nitty gritty!
Once we had all arrived, we walked into the studio about five minutes before class was set to start. Our chatter and giggling were immediately squelched when we saw all of our classmates were already lying down on their mats, eyes closed, "zening" in a silent and meditative state. The room was spacious and we all spread out establishing our own zones. As for the heat, it felt pretty much like a sauna; hot and equally humid. Initially, 105 degrees felt welcoming and relaxing, like a day at the beach after months of snow, ice and freezing temperatures. There were large fans mounted around the room and I strategically placed my mat in direct alignment with one of them, thinking "they must turn these on at some point when it gets too hot." Wrong. They never came on during our 65 minute class. Surprisingly though, the heat, while extraordinary, was never stifling or suffocating.
Our instructor, Mara, entered the studio and began class right on schedule. We began with a breathing exercise and then moved into a series of standing poses, holding each for 30 seconds or so before returning to a neutral position for a momentary rest period and then on to the next pose. Each movement and posture required balance, strength and flexibility. Due to the type of yoga we were practicing, static poses and not a fast-paced flow, the heat was actually less of a hindrance than I expected, and surprisingly helpful with loosening tight muscles and increasing our flexibility. As someone who has never been able to touch her toes, I was amazed that I was able to bend in so many ways I never thought possible. The second half of the class was spent on the floor with poses done while seated, kneeling or lying down, however this did not make them any less intense or vigorous.
At the beginning of class, Mara said, "just listen to my voice," and she was right, that's really all we had to do. While she did demonstrate most of the poses before we attempted them, or along with us, she was fantastic at verbalizing each movement step-by-step and explaining what we needed to do in a clear manner. She was also very encouraging and offered individual modifications to allow each of us to be most successful. Her voice was commanding, yet calming, and she really was everything I envisioned a yoga instructor should be.
Since this was an individual activity, with no verbal interaction, I have a very limited comprehension of everyone else's experience. There were looks shared between Femmes, some saying "I'm dying here" <tongue wag>, others, "So now are you glad you put make-up on today?" <eye roll>, and "Stop laughing at me" <grimace>! If I had to guess what each Femme was thinking, based on the facial expressions I noticed from her, I'd have to say the following:
Seabrin: either "I got out of bed for this?" or "I'm still pissed I was late... effing road blocks!"
Meghan: "It's hooooootttttttt."
Amy: "Yeah, I'm glad I picked a spot in the back." and "Child's pose!?! Thank God, it's about time."
Brandi: "What's the big deal, guys?"
Alli: "Just tell yourself you won't puke, and you won't puke... you won't puke... you won't puke..." and "I've got my eye on you, Deitch."
Jessi: "I'm gonna take this pose and I'm gonna make it my bitch."
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| For your comparison |
In the end, it sounded like everyone enjoyed the experience MUCH more than anticipated, and I wouldn't be surprised if this became the (first ever?) adventure we actually make into a habit. We left there soaked with sweat (some more visible than others), but with a sense of renewal and revival. It was a good feeling.
Alli said, "Next time I'm going to wear a colored shirt." I asked, "Why? So everyone can see how sweaty you are?" "Yep," she said. Sweat: a sign of true accomplishment and badass-ness. ;)
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| Destiny |
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| Seabrin (spray-tan-gone-wrong foot and all) |
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| Amy |
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| Meghan |
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| Brandi |
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| Alli |
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| Jessi |
If hot yoga is something you have ever considered, I highly recommend you give it a try! You should also check out Yoga Fix Studio. Here is the class description from their website, http://hotyogakc.com/
Hot Yoga
This is a sequence of asana (postures) and pranyama exercises (breathing techniques) practiced in a heated room which allows you to work deeper to release toxins and stress while building strength, flexibility, cardiovascular, and mental and physical determination and focus.
This is a perfect compliment to any athletic pursuit as it helps minimize the damaging effects most sports and workout programs have on the spine, joints and organs. This vigorous practice is designed to work the entire body as a system, toning and shaping muscles while working the internal organs to create inner health and vitality.
