Over the past several months, I've developed an addiction. Fortunately it's not to heroin or anything equally as dramatic and exciting (and if it were, I probably wouldn't be blogging about it and instead trying to find a way to turn it into a book deal). No, I've gotten totally into yoga. As if I weren't already enough of twenty-something living in Cambridge, right? To be honest, I never thought it would happen—my previous forays into the practice (see how bad it is? I'm actually calling it a "practice," now) had always left me feeling great, but never with that transformative lightness that devotees raved about (more after the jump).
But a few months ago, something shifted. Before I started my job in Brookline I would swim all the time, in Walden Pond when it was still nice out in the fall, and then in a pool when it got too cold to brave the outdoors. But when my schedule changed, swimming didn't fit in as nicely as it used to. And because I'm a miserable person to be around if I haven't exercised (no, really, ask my friends, family, and co-workers), I ventured over to the Baptiste Yoga Studio a block away from my apartment in Cambridge to take a class. And it was game over, I was hooked. Yoga: 1, Charlotte: 0.
Baptiste Yoga takes place in a room that's about 90-95 degrees. The movements are vigorous, but feel similar to swimming in that it's very fluid. You also get so sweaty that you'd think you'd been swimming. It's every muscle, all the time, always working to keep a center line through your body. The workout is strength-building and sneakily incorporates lots of push-ups, ab work, and cardio (I swear) into the routine.
But my favorite part has been feeling my body adjust to and get better at doing the different poses, and how awesome it feels when I find that sweet spot where I can hang out in a pose without wanting to die (because in the beginning, I'll warn you, that'll happen). I didn't think I could really "get better" at yoga before I started going every day; it always seemed to me like something you either did or didn't get. You were either flexible or you weren't. But as I've done it more, I've felt myself be able to bend deeper, stretch higher, and balance longer.
I also really didn't think yoga would make me feel as mentally good as it does. I'd always scoffed at people who claimed it helped their mental state, but now I find myself eating my words. Because starting my day by moving around, getting super sweaty, and trying to focus on nothing but my breath and movement has made me a happier, less anxious person overall. I also find it very cool that people have been moving and finding comfort in these poses for thousands of years before me, and that I'm in a room filled with other people who, for whatever reason, feel the same way.
Anyway. That's my yoga spiel. What I didn't mention is that the gear for yoga can be pretty awesome, too. It's actually kind of embarrassing: For a routine all about mediation and letting go, I seem to have held on to far more outfits, mats, and accoutrement than you'd think I'd need. But isn't that half the fun of anything? Looking the part?
Here are my favorites. If for no other reason, try a class so you have an excuse to buy a cool, overpriced, super sexy lululemon top. Or to see if it makes you feel better about life in general. They're both valid reasons.
Lululemon tank
lululemon.com
Nike
nike.com
Wunder Under Crop *Reversible
lululemon.com
YOGITOES Hand-Size Skidless Yoga Towel - SportsAuthority.com
sportsauthority.com
practice freely tank | women's tanks | lululemon athletica
lululemon.com
Under Armour Still Gotta Have It Bra (Neon Green) - WorldRugbyShop.com
worldrugbyshop.com
Also: Jade Yoga mat, PrAna yoga mat holder, Nalgene water bottle.