Detroit Yoga

Sheepishly I walked back into Detroit Yoga today after not going for approximately 4 months. Excuses, well other than my daughter being born and trying to make the adjustment to 2 kids, i can offer no good one. Jason, the owner, looked up from his computer as I walked in and said; " Mike, long time no see"

"Yes, I replied, I think we have our 6 month old under control," and quickily walked into the studio and unrolled my mat.

Based largely on Vinyasa Yoga which focuses on "breath movement", these classes are demanding. It is one thing to go out and run 20 miles and to be in charge of the pace, hydration, etc, but it is quite another to follow the voice of the instructer stating things like: "Inhale should be 3 seconds long, Exhale just as long" "Stay in here for a few breaths" "Getting yourself into a rhythm" "The more you push yourself in here, the better you will handle things out there" all the while keeping pace with the poses.

I consider myself to be in pretty good shape, but ask me to get into Half Moon or into Pigeon Pose, and the soft, bubbly girl next to me is a as limber as a pretzel while my hamstrings and hips are screaming at me, "Go back outside and run, we know you can do that for hours without inflicting pain on yourself."

However, I know this is what I need. Sweat cascading off me in buckets, I can feel my hamstrings lengthening, my hips opening up, and my stiffness in the lower back receding.

As I was leaving, Jason said, "So when will you be back?"

"Next week," I said, and ran out to my bike to pedal really fast home.