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Wednesday, June 25, 2014

90 minutes or bust

I made a horrible mistake this week.

I showed up at my local Bikram Yoga studio for a 90 minute class.  This is a big deal because I am a beginner yogi (as in just about a month of experience.)  Up until this point I have only attended the shorter 60 minute classes which have all the same poses but do ONE set instead of two sets for several poses to decrease the length of the class.  I was oblivious to my upcoming 90 minute challenge while I went about my normal prep:
  • getting dressed in my fancy yoga pants
  • hydrating; hydrating; hydrating for two hours pre-class
  • driving
  • setting up my mat (on the line - following the rules)
  • soaking up 15 minutes of "quiet time" laying in the hot room (104 degrees) before the start
Nope - I didn't realize my horrible mistake until I was five minutes into the class and we started a SECOND set of warm up breathing exercises.  All I could think at that moment is oh sh*&!

How much time does that mean I will be in this room?? 15 minute literal warm up + 90 minute class + 5 minute cool down - that is close to two hours.  I immediately started second guessing myself, feeling faint, wasn't sure I could do the poses (even the ones I could tackle in the 60 minute class) because I was doing calculations in my head about how much longer I needed to stay in the room.

I couldn't leave - because everyone would figure out that I am not very good at this yoga thing.  Ok, they probably already know that by the number of times I have to sit down and gulp water - but let's not add insult to injury.

The worst part about all this - and now I actually get to the point:  I have been daydreaming about how cool it would be to become a yoga instructor.
  • I would get to wear yoga pants ALL the time and nobody can give mecrap about it
  • I would have a rockin body because I would be constantly stretching and contorting and practicing
  • best of all I would probably get a discount on the coconut pineapple water (which reminds me an awful lot of a Pina Colada)
(As a side note I had a very similar dream in college where I thought I was going to become a pro surfer.  I bought surfing magazines - even though I went to school in the landlocked state of Pennsylvania.  I talked about it with my roommates and planned all sorts of trips that never happened to go to California and learn.)

After all of this self reflection - I know my dreams are crushed and I am going to have to cross Yoga Instructor off my list of next possible careers.  what about you, have you ever dreamt of teaching yoga, or zumba, weight training, cycling class or anything else?  Did your dream come true?


2 comments:

  1. I seem to remember going to California with you...but instead of surfing you thought it would be more fun to skydive. Maybe the world was trying to tell you to become a skydive instructor and you just were so focused on the waves you missed the opportunity. Not to worry, it's never too late!

    As an aside, I've been told that yoga pants are now referred to as leggings and you can wear them all the time. At least that's my excuse since I pretty much wear them everyday.

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  2. I am with you on the leggings! this year I have really embraced the benefit of working from home and wearing leggings for drop off and pick up at school. I am sure the teachers think I don't do anything productive during the day. Oh contraire! I know the same is for you :)

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