I've Missed You....(Project Pretty Week 4)

(Project pretty is a personal commitment to share my weekly journey of keeping my non-New-Year's-Resolution: staying fit to improve quality of life while inspiring others to do the same. Let's all jump on the endorphin wagon!)

My entire body had really been missing yoga for the last few months, ever since I've been trying to save money on gym fees and quit my beloved gym. But being a member at a pricey yoga studio was out of the question....until I realized these deals for really great specialty classes were floating around the metroplex like hot cakes.

I became a member of Groupon and Living Social forever and a year ago, but never got serious about actively looking to purchase anything until a few weeks ago when I found 2 deals I couldn't pass up. The first being one of those fancy-shmancy ProSonic facial cleansing contraptions (which my skin absolutely loves). The second being 25 yoga classes for $25 (that's 93% off the the normal cost of $375), which I also absolutely love.

A couple of weeks ago I showed up late for my first class (barging in at what I thought was 10 minutes early, after trying to be 20 minutes early, but almost giving up on finding the place because it was hidden, and then finding out I showed up on the only day of the entire week that class starts at a different time). Turns out I went to the one and only beginners class of the week, and although it wasn't what I expected or thought I was in need of, turned out to be a really good learning experience. When all you've ever attended are people packed fast moving vinyassa classes, the instructor really doesn't have enough allotted time to critique each individual to perfection, but the beginner class is made just for this.

Carlos (the owner and instructor) is not what I'd describe as the stereotypical instructor. He's a long eyebrow'd squatty man, from some sort of Spanish decent, with a rounded belly and burly legs bared by his short cotton shorts. His accent is thick, but his passion for yoga is stronger. His standards for each pose and movement are high and I've always thought I had pretty good posture until now. 

 Apparently I lack body awareness, and require manual correction. I've always been direction-ally dyslexic when it comes to following moves in classes (thank goodness for the lady one mat over who mother-hen'd me during the regular class, gently hinting each time I adjusted the wrong extremity or moved the wrong way), but now I'm becoming more conscious of  the bad compensating habits that have managed to work their way into my practice. After I was corrected, my muscles started tremoring so badly I thought I was going to collapse; by midway through the class I couldn't see for the constant river of sweat pouring into my eyes.

Needless to say after of couple of those classes, my muscles are S-O-R-E, but with great satisfaction! Yoga just makes everything better; it's like a meditation, stretch, detox, and workout, all at the same time.  

......Did I mention you can't beat $1 a class?

What's your all time favorite type of workout?