Yoga Wednesday

I believe tonight was the first time I'd done yoga since I was pregnant. It'd been on my list of things to start doing again, particularly with my severe back pain back for a visit, but it kept eluding me. Thankfully Nina had expressed an interest in improving her flexibility so I looked into a yoga class she and I could attend together. And wouldn't you know, that Union Project, our next-door community mecca, holds pay-what-you-can drop-in classes every Wednesday evening, so we checked it out. I feel a bit silly having lived just yards away from this place for over a year and never taking advantages of its offerings until just this week. The class was great, and was also the first actual class I'd ever attended. In college my sister and I enjoyed ourselves some power yoga with Rodney Yi on VHS, the Hawaiian waves crashing in the background, Yi's calming voice guiding us through the poses, but there's something to be said about being in the atrium of a church with nine or ten other practicers to really help you get in touch. What I am seeking is, like Nina, more flexibility, as well as assistance for my temperamental lower back. Extra strength is always welcome too, of course, but I feel like that's one area where I can honestly say that I feel pretty good. On my first attempt I was able to execute and sustain a crow or crane pose. This feat made up for my lack of grace with the hula hoop last night. I'm looking forward to these back-to-back nights of group physical activity with Nina each week, and getting back into my running with my British pal, Catherine tomorrow. I'll also be taking my brand new Mizunas out on their maiden run. I got them on Monday having done a lot of research on the best shoes for back troubles, so I'm excited to experience a run in shoes with more support than I've had before.

Oh, and Buggy's eye? She looks rough, but as a grandmother at Music Together pointed out this morning as Olive and I dismounted our bike, "When kids look like that it means that they're really living." This is true. I'm sure she'll be out for more hula hooping next week.