July and August 2010
Friday July 23, 2010
Headstand
I have not gone to a yoga class for a while but got up early and decided to hit the gym in the morning. The yoga instructor I really like was teaching the class. I doubt anyone can be more into yoga than this woman. She even takes yoga vacations. Last summer she went to Hawaii to study a form of yoga I have never heard of, not that I am an expert on yoga. She brings these new ideas and inspirations to her classes.
I have an on-off relationship with yoga. I love a good stretch, but generic gym yoga classes, in my experience, are not very intense. They appeal to a broad range of abilities and fitness levels. Students can take stretches as far as they want, and the teacher provides blocks for those who cannot reach the floor when they bend over. I can do a full split in the poses that offer it and need to move on to over-splits, which would require different equipment and specific instruction. More advanced classes include bizarre poses that most people could not attempt, myself included. This instructor will demonstrate variations where the foot reaches behind the head in a sitting position. I gave it a try and am not far off, which is encouraging. I have seen videos of skaters performing pancake spins with the unemployed foot placed on the back on the neck. Yoga training would have definite applications for flexibility spins. In middle age, I certainly would not mind doing a pretzel pancake spin. Hell, I would have been thrilled to do one in my twenties.
The teacher demonstrated a headstand, something I have never done. We attempted headstands and handstands in gym class when I was in junior high school. I could kind of do a handstand as a teenager. The yoga teacher showed us how to construct a firm base with our forearms and hands to prevent pressure on the head and neck. She showed us two methods of raising the legs perpendicular to the floor. She did not need to spot herself with the wall. Her form was so graceful and beautiful, I wanted that headstand for my own collection of tricks. I watched entranced and exchanged excited glances with the girl next to me. We were eager to try. The teacher showed us how to spot ourselves on the wall and volunteered to help everyone individually.
I folded my mat, arranged my arms and hands and put my head gently on the mat. I achieved a downward dog position with my backside in the air and feet on the floor and walked my legs as close to my face as I could folding over like the flap of an envelope, butt toward the ceiling. There may be a Charlotte spiral in my future. I raised my left leg and reached for the mirrored wall. My neighbor commented on my flexibility and assured me I should be able to do this. She called the teacher over. I tried again under supervision. I lifted my leg and searched unsuccessfully for the wall. The teacher said I was only an inch or two from my goal. She suggested I raise my hips to position my rear end closer to the wall for support. I tried this also unsuccessfully. The teacher spotted me. Pressure built in my neck and I dropped my legs. Flexibility and strength are not my problems. My arms are apparently collapsing as I attempt to transfer my weight. I asked the teacher if I am too big for this pose. If Teacher weighs more than 110 pounds soaking wet, I am the next Olympic Gold Medallist. She said you couldn’t be too big for this pose, which cannot possibly be true in all cases.
Around me other students balanced in headstands. The teacher asked if this was my first attempt. As an adult, it definitely was. She said I was doing very well and should not be discouraged. I will try to get to this early class a few more times before my gym membership expires next month. Maybe I can make some progress.
My gym membership expired this month. Originally, I planned to exercise outside at home until the weather deteriorated and I had to move indoors. A new gym opened closer to my house a year or so ago. I have been tempted to check this place out. It is half the distance of the other one almost exactly to the mile. And I don't have to drive through any crappy traffic to get there. So, I went to look the place over with my husband. It did not take much arm-twisting to get us to buy a membership. It was a done deal in less than thirty minutes.
The gym is clean, new and beautiful. It has a pool, cycling studio, aerobics room, cardio and resistance equipment, and weights. All of the equipment is in flawless state-of-the-art condition. We came back that night for our first workout. I attended a pilates class and worked out on the equipment. The pilates class is more intense than the classes I attended at the other gym. The recumbent bikes are so joint friendly, they felt weird. I could feel resistance but it was more like pedaling in water with absolutely no friction or jarring. Now I realize how substandard the other gym was.
I never liked the locker room at the previous gym. It had nasty carpet, only three toilets, and cramped locker space. There could only be two people in the locker room, and the other person's locker was inevitably right next to mine. This can be attributed partially to Murphy's Law but also because the locker room was so damned small and poorly designed. The place stunk of chlorine from the abused hot tub. The new place does not even have a hot tub, which might be considered a deficiency, especially since I enjoy a soak when my muscles ache. However, the chlorine content was unbearably high in response to careless people who go in naked as jaybirds without showering. I could not wash the odor off in the shower and came home with dry, irritated, smelly skin. So, I really don't miss the hot tub. I consider a clean locker room more than a fair trade.
The new club also has interesting cardio equipment including an arc trainer, which is similar to an elliptical except the legs are suspended to reduce impact. It also burns calories like crazy. There is another machine that simulates cross country skiing and riding a bicycle standing up depending on how it is configured. Another machine can be used as a stair climber, elliptical, or jogger. I like to incorporate variety into my routine to avoid boredom and promote muscle confusion. Each cardio machine has a TV monitor with music channels. Unfortunately, the 80s station has been discontinued, so I opt for rock of miscellaneous eras. I will often stay on a piece of equipment longer to listen to another song I like. That first night, I heard “Cheeseburger in Paradise”. Loved it.
The fun and convenience of this new gym has made me more anxious to workout. I am getting to the gym a few times every week.
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