Class Act: Yoga-lates with Michelle

On Tuesday, I really wanted to practice yoga at the studio, but I wasn't sure how I felt about the classes that were at the times I could go. There were two yoga + pilates classes -- classes that always make me feel really nervous. I hadn't actually ever taken one...and I realized that day that I'd actually been avoiding them.

I was avoiding these classes because my abs are my "problem area," and not in the way that so many women's magazines use that term. I don't have a problem with how the area looks (not because I have great abs, but because I just don't care that much); it's a problem area because my abs are weak. I feel really self-conscious whenever I'm in any class that has an abs section because I tucker out so fast. Everyone seems to be doing fine with it while I'm struggling. I'm sure it's just a self-fulfilling prophecy. I feel like my abs are weak, so I hate working on them...so then I don't...so they stay weak. (I'm also convinced that everyone else is secretly doing hundreds of crunches every night before bed, even if they aren't doing anything else. How else would everyone have such strong abs?!?)


I actually considered going to another yoga studio just to avoid the abs, but then I realized I was being ridiculous. That was way too much work to go through to avoid working on my abs; I needed to get over it and give Yoga-lates a try. And you know what? I ended up loving the class. First of all, I love Michelle and haven't been to one of her classes in a while. Second, I had forgotten how much I actually like pilates. It's ab-centric, but I really don't dislike it at all. And turns out, the ab section in the Yoga-lates class wasn't that much longer than it is in any other yoga class, and I actually felt like I could keep up. It was a challenging class overall but I left feeling really, really good. I'm so glad I made myself go! 


Is there a class on the schedule you've been afraid to try? Will you give it a try this week?

- Rachel