The "new " gym

Yes, I did go check it out on Thursday night, got my 7-day free pass and took my first class yesterday! :-)

The gym is huge...looks like little to no line for cardio machines (a huge plus in L.A....I hate wasting time waiting for machines). I actually will probably use the machines only a little since I'm looking at this place for mostly classes but who knows? Machines are a great option to have when you can't make a particular class at a particular time.

Yesterday I planned to check out their yoga class. Walked over to the gym (about a mile from our house) and arrived in plenty of time. The class was full, but not crowded. At first, I wasn't sure about the teacher -- he was a little too into making funny voices and this is a GYM (a serious body-builder's gym), not a yoga studio, so i was feeling that he was catering to the body-builder/non-yogis in the class. However, as class went on (it was an hour and a half which was 15 mins more than it was scheduled for...which was fine with me!), I kinda loved it. It was a straight ahead old-fashioned hatha yoga class. In L.A., many (if not most) classes tend to be "flow" type...students seem more worried about what they perceive to be cardio exercise than in what I would call real YOGA.

The weirdest thing with this class was that it ended with NO savasana (final resting pose). I have never had a yoga class in my life that didn't have savasana. Maybe it was just a one-time thing, or maybe it was the gym-not-yoga-studio atmosphere.

I ended up really liking the teacher -- he was older and was really good at adjusting and teaching in general. It always bothered me at my last yoga studio that the teacher didn't really adjust students during the class. Being able to do that is a huge part (in my opinion) of being an effective yoga teacher -- you have to SEE the individual student and be able to communicate how they can improve/get more out of their practice. I do think this teacher has the potential to be that kind of teacher for me.

But, it's just the first class and the only other classes this teacher teaches that I could attend are at 6:45 AM two days a week. Oy. I am not a morning exerciser and this would mean getting up REALLY early and changing my whole morning and showering routine. But I might do it...we'll see.

I don't love practicing yoga in a room with mirrors, but yesterday I actually was able to use them to my benefit without being too judgmental on myself. And this room is fairly quiet for a gym...and it has a water fountain IN the room which I find to be really great...particularly if you sweat like I do (my hair was sopping wet at the end of class yesterday!).

Today my body is sore all over...not in a bad way, but in a "well, it's been a while, Helen" way. ;-) It's good to feel my muscles again.

Tomorrow night, I'll try the Zumba class (will have to leave work early and JAM to make it, but this is the big thing I want to try at this gym). Tuesday night I have a free appointment with a trainer to learn some of the machines, then will take the evening yoga class (different teacher).

This afternoon we are doing Xmas/birthday with some of the kids and grandkids...I'm really looking forward to it even though we're meeting at a Chuck-E-Cheese. ;-)