My 1st Pre-natal Yoga... & The Findings

Budget vs Posh

I am glad I took up Yoga 2 years ago, because then I was given more introduction to the origins of Yoga and many postures and exercises that were covered today. My 1st classes of Yoga were held by volunteers, inside a Ang Mo Kio Grassroots/ Community Club. You had to bring your own towel/ yoga mat. The cost: $1 per lesson. Today's class was held in the heart of town, with locker and shower rooms, rest areas with free-flow tea. The cost: $35 per lesson.

Other differences:

• It was 100+ in a multi-function hall vs 10 in a studio.
• No need for 'reservations-by-see-who-places-their-towels-on-the-floor-first'. You get purple, soft yoga mats with 2 pillows evenly spaced out.
• You don't get inconsiderate fools' mobile phones going off in the middle of a 'close your eyes and feel your breathing' session. The only thing I could feel is 'I want to smash that phone and whoever's head the phone belongs to'.
• You get music and dim lightings in the studio vs stark white lights in the hall.

I'm Very Inflexible

I was never good at the 'Sit & Reach' portion in my school's Physical Fitness test. It was pure torture trying to sit on the floor and bend forward to reach your toes, or beyond that if you are born like one of 'The Incredibles'. I was good at 'Standing Broad Jump' and that 'Hanging on the bar' thing, but suck at the 2.4km run and 'Sit & Reach'.

The point is there was a similar exercise in the yoga class today and to my horror, I have become even more inflexible than I've thought. We had our legs semi-open, and were asked to bend forward with our arms stretched. I could hardly budge. I mentally attributed the reason due to my growing tummy but a glance around the room showed that everyone's heads were lower than mine, and my tummy is almost the smallest one in the class!

So I tried harder, and was glad I was making some progress (probably only measurable in millimetres) when the Master said "Don't bend your back. Make sure your backs are straight." Thus, I was back to Square One.

A Fool Parts with Her Money
I committed myself to 1 year's worth of weekly yoga sessions. There was the option of a 'once a week' yoga session and an unlimited visits membership. There was the option of being a member for a year, or get a cheaper monthly fee if you join for 2 years. Decision, decisions, decisions.

So I decided that:
- Yes, I want to keep fit and tone by picking up Yoga (and perhaps Pilates later) because I was never a gym person. Swimming and tennis are probably the only cardio exercises I'm willing to do. Having said this, I am still hoping I could swim once a week, on top of yoga once a week. It's now a matter of finding the time and energy to go downstairs to the pool.

- Yes, I have to pay money in order to make myself exercise. Even if that means having to take the bus to town and make my way back, on a Saturday morning. (Boy, am I thankful again for the umpteen time I don't work on weekends)

- I feel guilty leaving my boys at home, while I have some personal 'time-out' so a once-a-week session is more than enough for me.

- I wonder how I can cope with a toddler, new baby, sleepless nights and breastfeeding (read: engorgement every 3 hours) after birth, so a 1 year membership is sufficient for now. I might just use 5 months (till Nov) of it, and perhaps waste the other 7 months if I don't return for post-natal classes?

Lastly, don't ask me why I chose True Yoga versus other Yoga classes. There are heaps to begin with, all of them in town. Shambala, Gaia, Pure, etc which the General Manager also named. My reasons are very simple: (1) There's a direct bus from CCK. (2) It's out of the ERP zone means if I ever drive to town, I don't have to pay extra charges. (3) It's near my favourite stores, Isetan Scotts and Tangs. (4) I'm bent to try eat 'Pepper Lunch' a few more times before I give birth and it's just next door to the Yoga place.

Ok, got to stop here. Distracted by the World Cup. It's Germany vs Sweden and Germany just scored at 4.03mins. Hubby's behind Sweden, I'm behind Germany.