(I wrote this blog last Sunday but didn't get to post it until now.)
Although this won't be the subject of this post, I still have not done artwork yet :( Ughhh, I don't know what's wrong with me! I guess it's just because I've had a lot of other things on my mind, such as the things I'm supposed to get done or things I had always wanted to do. Since today is Sunday, I have spent most of the day doing laundry, washing dishes, and relaxing (which has many definitions in my opinion: grocery shopping, drinking white-green tea, watching romantic comedies, eating...). And all those things I just mentioned in the parentheses, I have actually done today.
(Okay, I guess I'll change my mind at this point by saying that this will be the subject of my blog post--I have too much to say in order to not make it today's topic! :) )
Anyway, this morning, the first thing I did after waking up was the one thing I was feeling the most guilty of avoiding during the past week, as it was the one thing I knew would be my biggest mood-booster--and I'm sure you will understand this, once I tell you that what I did was exercise. Specifically, I wasn't being myself that morning, in the sense that I made the spontaneous decision to try out the Turbo Jam workout DVD (since usually I do the aerobics video). Fortunately, everyone else was asleep at the time, which saved me the embarrassment of people amusedly watching me punch the air and do overly-excited dance moves.
Normally, I love to exercise--I enjoyed the 2 or 3-mile long trail runs in my P.E. class during middle and high school, as I've spent the past 7 years either taking ski class, karate class, and/or using the Beach Body aerobics video in the comfort of my own home. In addition, last September, my mom (my favorite workout buddy) and I took hot yoga classes for 20 days straight (because of one of those new student deals that the place offered; and one of the things my mom and I have in common is that we love to save money). I must say, I LOVED taking hot yoga, and after those 20 days were over, I actually thought I was falling into a deep state of depression...Thankfully, however, I did not, but I was still somewhat sad that those fun morning sessions weren't going to happen anymore--unless we kept taking the classes, but then we'd have to pay the regular price--SO expensive!!
Every morning of those 20 days, my mom and I would wake up early and meet in the kitchen at 6:30, where we would drink what seemed like gallons of cool water because we knew that pretty much 99 percent of that moisture would leave our bodies during the hot yoga class! We would then pour three more cups of water into our large thermoses, gather our bags that were filled with towels, extra clothes, and face wash, and head down to the van at the end of the steep driveway in the crisp, chilly autumn weather. And after a 2-minute drive, we would reach the building where the yoga took place.
Now if I were to keep going in my description of the times my mom and I spent in the yoga place, you may start to feel nauseous by the detailed depiction of the smell of the room and of the sweating, though those were things I actually never really thought deeply about when I took the class...But I want to keep readers enjoying this post instead of making them want to vomit, so as a result I will not go into much detail any longer. :)
Despite all the literal grossness and sweating going on during each session, I treasured every minute of it. The class taught me how to be more patient and determined, as it ultimately encouraged me to start meditating after the classes were over; and the meditating I've done these past few months has made my mornings (and the rest of my days) much more easy-going. Whenever I came home after each session, I felt so relaxed yet at the same time with so much energy as if I could invite anything to come in my way.
So I recommend very strongly that you take, or at least try out, hot yoga. For those of you who dread just the idea of getting sweaty almost to the core, I guess I could say it all depends on what you concentrate on during the class; as long as you only focus on getting the stretches and positions right and especially on your breathing, you're gonna be fine.
At least you will most likely leave each session with the state of mind that I think is ideal for living a more relaxed, fulfilling life.
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