My First Yoga Class @ RCP (Part 2)

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This blog is the 2nd part of my yoga blog, which describes my first yoga experience at Rivercity Pilates.    If you haven’t read it, here’s a link.

With about 30 minutes left in class, I started watching the clock and my focus wandered. Why? Because I was sweating so much I was afraid there would be a puddle around me soon! Now that would be embarrassing.  I was wondering if I was working hard, or too hard.    I wasn’t breathing hard.   I couldn’t feel my heart beating too fast, yet I was sweating like I was sitting in a sauna!   Then I looked at the bright side. If sweat is detoxing I am getting rid of everything! I will feel great tomorrow! Wait, Will I feel great? Or am I working muscles that are going to hurt tomorrow?

There was a series where we went from plank, to downward dog, and then you lift your leg behind you and bring it forward to a lunge position. Every time my leg went up there was a thud when it hit the barre. I am guessing that everyone in the room wondered who was kicking the wall. When your foot comes back down, it’s supposed to be underneath your shoulders in a lunge. When my foot came back down, it was in the middle of the mat. Shara said if you need to move your foot with your hand, go ahead. That’s what I did. As a newbie, I clearly haven’t mastered these yoga-mat sized steps and deep lunges or even where to position my mat when class starts! !

The next series added a pose that I couldn’t seem to do. Shara gave an option of putting your knee on the mat, and sure enough, I could do that! And when I took a quick glance around, I wasn’t the only one with my knee down! I was keeping up! What a terrific feeling.   As a newbie, I wasn’t the only person doing the modification.

The clock kept moving and finally Shara said, one more time before we cool down. Ok. Whoosh.   Reflief.  I thought I could make it through one more series. I totally loved the cool down time. Who doesn’t love laying on their back and breathing during a fitness class! Again, I didn’t really hear the music. I was incredibly focused on Sharas voice, leading us through the rest of the class. (and for someone who is a constant multi-tasker that is a huge achievement). It also gave my body some time to come back to normal. After class, I pretty much bolted. I wasn’t sure how I looked after all that sweating, and I was very scared that I wouldn’t be able to walk the next day from all that quad work. I was scheduled for sunrise Pilates equipment class the next day, and I was hoping I wouldn’t have to call in and say that yoga broke me!

I will tell you honestly that the night after my first yoga class, I got the best night of sleep i have gotten for years. I slept soundly and woke up refreshed! I was awake 5 minutes before my alarm went off and my legs felt fine. I had wondered during class if my back would hurt, because it seemed that I was moving a bit differently than I do in Pilates, but my back was fine. I wondered if soreness would come later in the day, but it didn’t. I took 2 Pilates classes and 1 yoga class in 25 hours, and I felt great along with a huge sense of accomplishment!

Now the big question. Will I take another yoga class? I honestly think that I will. I want to take another class from Shara now that I know what to expect. I also want to take classes from the other instructors and experience them.  I am hoping I’m past my — “I have to put my mat by the door so i can run if I need to” feelings!    Have you read Carey’s blog, “My Pilates practice taught me to love yoga“?   I don’t know if that’s true for me yet, but my first yoga class did convince me that maybe I should add one yoga class a week to my workout schedule!   If you see me in class, please know that I’m still feeling awkward and trying to get comfortable with yoga.   I won’t be watching to see if you are awkward, because I will be way to focused on my “intention” and trying to do every exercise.   Hope to see you in class!

Becky Monroe
Rivercity Pilates Student
901_ERD_7633 (13)

My First Yoga Class @ Rivercity PIlates!

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My first and until last week, my only experience at yoga was at one of those big box gyms. You know, the kind you join for $30 or $40 a month? I wanted to de-stress, I wanted to be more flexible, and I had read that yoga helps with that. I went once. It was years ago. I remember thinking, when is this going to be over. I thought that for an hour. It was get to a pose, wait a couple of minutes, new pose. Every time we were holding a pose, the instructor was quiet, I was waiting to figure out what came next and all the stress came back from work, and by the end of class I had a list of 20+ things to do in my head.

Shara O'Burg Power, Yoga Instructor @ Rivercity Pilates

Shara O’Burg Power, Yoga Instructor @ Rivercity Pilates

I told Carey that story one night, and the next day she invited me to a yoga class at Rivercity Pilates and asked me to blog about it. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I had seen Shara’s picture on the website, and I was totally intimidated. I put on some workout clothes and put a scrunchie on my wrist. I didn’t really think I would need a pony tail, because isn’t yoga about sitting in weird poses and stuff? Surely I wouldn’t sweat in my first class.

When I met Shara, she was positive and bubbly and easy to talk too, but still i wondered if I would be breaking my neck trying to stand on my head in class or feeling foolish because I would be the only one who couldn’t stand on my head.

We went into the class and I strategically took a place right by the door. You never know when you might need to make a quick exit. Shara put on some music, and I thought, this might be ok. It wasn’t country music that I prefer, but it wasn’t that chants snake dancing stuff either. Then more people came in. A yoga instructor, a Pilates instructor, and a physical therapist and two more folks I hadn’t met. Ok, I wanted to head out the door. But, I didn’t want to be called a quitter! Then she dimmed the lights and switched the music to “yoga music” or as I call it “snake charmer music”. I wasn’t very comfortable with the music. Why don’t they use some Luke Bryan?

We started standing, and Shara told us to close our eyes. Ok, I can do that.   That worked fine until she started giving instructions using words I didn’t know. I had to peek thru my eyelids to see what to do.  No one seemed to mind that I was peeking.   She said if we had an “intention” for the class to think about that. I made my yoga mantra. “Please let me make it thru the class without falling over in a pile”. That was pretty much the last non-yoga thought I had for one hour. After about 5 minutes, I was totally focused on trying to keep up with the movements, and even the snake charmer music was so much in the background, that it didn’t bother me.

Shara led us in a series of exercise that flowed from one to another. (No two minute hold the pose moments for my mind to wander). My quads began to scream at me. Shara was calm and encouraging, and her excitement was infectious as she talked us thorough the subtleties of the pose to ensure everyone had the best experience. You know when fitness instructors tell you that they are working large muscles first to get your heart pumping? My heart was definitely pumping and the sweat started to roll! This was a workout!  Who knew that yoga would make you sweat so much?

My neck was so hot, I wanted to put my hair in a pony tail, but my hands were always busy with the exercises. From downward dog to plank to half way up to standing, there was always something for my hands to do and there wasn’t a minute to get my hair in a pony tail! I had to listen so I knew what to do next. I figure I was a few seconds behind all the yoga regulars that practice yoga regularly, but it wasn’t as awkward (or embarrassing) as I had anticipated. The lights were dim, Shara was coaching and guiding as she worked along with us thru the exercises, and she was so terrific at describing body position (what to squeeze when) and so positive when she saw any student make a correction and get that extra oomph out of each move, that dare I say – I actually thought I might like this thing called yoga despite all the sweat.

Did I make it thru the whole hour?  Stay tuned for Part 2 of my first yoga class!

Becky Monroe
Rivercity Pilates Student
901_ERD_7633 (13)

10 Reasons to Begin a Yoga Practice at Rivercity Pilates

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As healthcare and healing modalities continue to evolve, Yoga is quickly becoming an intricate part of health and wellness programs because of it’s ability to promote health and healing at all levels:  physical, emotional and spiritual.   Check out these Top 10 reasons to begin a Yoga Practice at Rivercity Pilates!    We have private or small group training sessions available for Yoga
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yogawordle210 Reasons to Practice Yoga!

1.  Stress relief
2.  Inner Peace, Calm and Authentic Happiness
3.  Increased Strength, Physical Conditioning and a Beautiful Posture
4.  Weight Loss and Weight Management
5.  Increased Overall Energy
6.  Improved Sleep
7.  Heightened Mental and Intuitive Awareness.
8.  Improved Hormonal balance (especially in cases of breast cancer, infertility and prenatal conditioning)
9.  Brain Synchronization and Brain Fitness
10.  Whole Body Detoxification

Beginning a new movement program can be overwhelming.    We encourage you to take advantage of our complimentary first session to become familiar with Rivercity Pilates, and meet with your instructor.   You can schedule your complimentary first session on our website, or you can call 319-665-2499 and we will do the computer work for you!    We hope to hear from you soon!

Meet the Instructor Monday – Shara Power

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2014-03-22 14.53.07In today’s Meet the Instructor Monday, we’d like to introduce you to Shara Power, who began teaching yoga classes at Rivercity Pilates this summer.   If you haven’t tried one of Shara’s classes, I guarantee she will make you feel terrific, as she leads you in moves that will work every muscle in your body! We asked Shara some questions, and here are her answers!

Compare yoga to your full time job!!  During the day for my “real” job, I am an Informatics Specialist at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. This is a fancy way of saying I work with the hospital’s computer charting system. I was a Bone Marrow Transplant nurse for the first 7 years of my career and transitioned to the information technology side of health care in 2012. It was at this time that I started my first teacher training at Jane’s House of Yoga in St. Louis, Mo in the Dynamic Yoga Method. I learned a lot about change in that time frame and yoga was the grounding force that helped me deal with it. I use yoga everyday in my daily life, not just in the physical adjustment of my body but more so in how I deal with others, stress and challenging situations. Yoga has taught me to accept what I can not change and to be open to the exploration of new ideas and complex problems.

Favorite food to prepare?  I am not an incredible cook but I am learning! I try at every holiday to learn how to make a family recipe. My husband, Zach, and I like to share the wealth when it comes to cooking at home. We try to cook and clean up together whenever possible. It is great being able to spend time together by doing something so simple.

We heard you were a dancer, can you elaborate?  I started dancing when I was 4 years old and danced all the way through college. I have done just about every style of dance out there but jazz and lyrical were always my favorites. In fact, it was my love of movement that brought me to yoga after college. I have yet to try ballroom or belly dancing but hopefully I can get Zach to ballroom with me at some point in our lives!!

Why did you choose to practice Yoga?   As I mentioned, I was an avid dancer and have always had a need for movement in my life. I have never been a sports person or a runner so when I graduated from college and went from dancing 4-6 hours a day to nothing, I felt like there was a huge void in my life.  My Mom started practicing yoga in 2007 and encouraged me try it out. I started practicing in 2008 at The Studio on South Dubuque St in Iowa City. I remember being so sore for the first 2 months of practice!! But underneath all the sore muscles something was happening deep in my heart. I was falling in love with this practice! It was liberating, life affiriming and emotionally challenging all in one. I knew I was hooked from that moment on.

Why did you become an instructor?  I had been considering becoming a teacher for about a year but the turning point for me was when a teacher of mine asked me if I would be interested in teaching a class at the studio. I have been on the teaching journey ever since.

catsHow do you de-stress  outside of yoga?  Lots of time with my husband, Zach, and 2 cats, Bailey & Duncan. I also LOVE to travel and am gone as often as I can be.

What is your favorite song / favorite group?  My favorite artist since I was about 14 is Tori Amos. Don’t get to play her music much in class but I listen to it constantly and have seen her in concert about 6 times.

hogwarts

Something that would surprise the students who have been in your classes so far?  I am a HUGE Harry Potter Fan. I have my own wand from The Wizarding World of Harry Potter and have been sorted into the Ravenclaw House. Zach and I plan to go on a Harry Potter themed England vacation in the summer of 2016.

I’ve attended Shara’s classes, and her excitement and energy inspire all her students!   Try a yoga class with Shara soon — I am certain that you will be glad you did!   We are excited to welcome Shara to Rivercity Pilates!

Carey

How my Pilates practice taught me to love Yoga!

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I’ve have to admit that before I started doing Pilates I “tried” Yoga and didn’t really love it.  And by try I mean I took a couple of classes and decided it wasn’t for me.  15 years later I love Yoga and I owe it all to my Pilates practice!

When I found Pilates I immediately knew it was a good fit for me.  It was something that I enjoyed, I felt like it was something I could do fairly well (unlike Yoga where I felt pretty incompetent because I was soo tight and inflexible that many poses seemed impossible for me), and I had instructors who were amazing and inspired me to keep at it.  I am forever grateful that all these pieces fell together, as teaching Pilates and movement has become a lifelong passion and love for me.

DSCN7362Last night after taking a Yoga class I was reflecting on:  1. How much I really enjoy Yoga now and 2. How this love really came from me learning about my body and how to move it through Pilates.

After practicing Pilates for 10 years on a regular basis I tried Yoga again and found that I really enjoyed it!  I was able to use the knowledge of my body that I learned in Pilates to do new different movements that challenged my body in different ways. Since then I have tried to incorporate Yoga and other mind-body movements and exercises into my life along with my Pilates practice so that I can continue to grow and learn!

I’m telling you this story today to inspire you to try different mind-body exercises and find one that gels with you.  Not everyone instantly loves Pilates, Yoga, Thai Chi or any other mind-body movement program.  Unfortunately many people try a class once or twice and decide it’s not for them and never try anything else ever.  They have one experience that they didn’t love and then they group all that stuff (Yoga, Pilates,etc.) together and never explore it’s possibilities again.

Different teachers and different styles of the same discipline have different things to offer students and you may be surprised to find that when you find a teacher and style of movement you connect with you may also find a movement practice perfect for your body!

At Rivercity Pilates we encourage clients to try lots of different instructors and classes and find those that connect with you.  Learn more about all the different movement classes and sessions we offer by clicking here!

 

A quick instructional video to help you start(or fine tune) your Yoga practice!

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Are you intimidated by attending a Yoga class because you’re worried that you won’t know what you’re doing?  Do you believe you are not flexible enough to even take a class?  These common misconceptions often keep people from starting a mind body practice of Yoga or Pilates that could have a profound effect on their lives.

In the video below, Yoga instructor Meghann Foster breaks down the common Yoga sequence called Sun Salutation A.  She breaks down the movements so you can find a version of the exercise that works best for you.

Not ready to try a Yoga class yet or maybe looking to try Yoga out in a one-on-one situation before joining a class?  Rivercity Pilates offers private and semi-private Yoga instruction that allows you to create an individualized Yoga practice at your own pace.   Try a complimentary session today!