Bringing Back the Yoga Love

In the summer of 2008 I was on a quest to ease my stress and I found a yoga studio about 4 minutes from my old apartment called Prana. For the first time ever (and yes I've tried many times before) I actually enjoyed yoga. I expected to be a bit intimidated by the yoga-types, but everyone was very nice- they didn't correct my every move, but still challenged me and, best of all, I would leave there feeling like I really had a good work out. I went consistently for about 4 months, but then I bought a house and paying $12 for yoga became a little less of an essential. Little did I know, that maybe if I had kept up the yoga- this lovely knee injury may not have happened.

Even without the house, I may not have keep up the yoga. I thought I was so hardcore back in February and March between the shred and running. I remember actually thinking to myself that I couldn't believe I would do yoga and consider that my work out for the day, psh- I was so much more tough with running and the shred obviously. So tough that I ended up injured. Good work Kelly. So tonight after my enlightening *free* consultation with an amazing running coach I dusted off my yoga mat and got all of my yoga equipment ready:

Going back to the studio was familiar, but yet I could tell it had been awhile. When I first started going there it was a very new studio, now you can tell more people go and everyone knows each other. I put on my "I know what I'm doing" face and set up my mat. We started in child's pose and I immediately knew yoga is what I need. I was so tight than even child's pose felt like an intense stretch. An hour later I felt awesome and I enjoyed every single $12 I paid for that yoga. My goal is to go 3 times per week, probably once or twice to Prana and then fill in the others with free yoga at the gym- much as I hate it, it's free and probably good for my body. I don't know if I'll ever be a yoga person...you know the kind I mean (and I don't mean this offensively to those people, I think it's great, it's just not me). But that doesn't mean I can't benefit from yoga...and insane amounts of foam rolling.

I came back from yoga tonight and made myself a late night dinner (well late for me...7:30 haha). Making dinner was more of an adventure than I was going for. Eric and I have a grill that is very ghetto. It was under $100 at Target, but in our defense we could not have a better grill at our apartment or it would have been stolen very quickly. However, we haven't gotten around to buying a new one so we still have it. It's newest problem is that it does not ignite by itself so I had to use some crazy lighter that it took me the last week to figure out how to light. Now, I should just say right now- I am deathly afraid of fire. I blame this on my first grade teacher who insisted that I could not bring my teddy bear out of the house if their was a fire because I cannot take the time to take ANYTHING out of the house (hmm, even something I was already sleeping with?). Anyway, I never lit a match until I was in college and I have probably lit only 2 or 3 ever. So here comes the girl deathly afraid of fire lighting the grill and it FLAMES UP right to my face- it was seriously scary. I am not sure if it's supposed to do that or if I did something horribly wrong but I am really happy I did not burn the house down. See why Eric needs to be home at all times? I clearly cannot be trusted to do things on my own...

Anyway, all this to grill my salmon burger from Trader Joes. My sides of raw carrots and Harvest Grains Blend were much easier to manage.

If you have not tried Harvest Grains Blend from Trader Joes you need to. It's made of Israeli Couscous, Orzo, Baby Garbanzo Beans and Red Quinoa. Yum.

Going to get to bed early tonight and probably will be sore tomorrow. Contrary to my own beliefs earlier this year, hot power yoga is indeed an intense work out and it definitely kicked my butt today. As soon as I get my new high density foam roller I'll do a review :)