Category — Yoga

Dolphin Pose (Credit: Yoga Journal)

Last night I went to a Detox Flow class at 889 Yonge. This class is classified as level two in their schedule. Technically the fact that I am in a level 2 yoga class four days before I start a beginner’s yoga workshop could be considered somewhat ironic. I bumped into the beginner’s workshop teacher at the class as well and she looked a little concerned for me.

The main reason that I wanted to go to this class, though, is it was their form of hot yoga and I wanted to see what it was like. Nothing beats  little warmth especially in the winter months.

Verdict? Class was definitely harder for me, but there were ways to do it at my own level. The dolphin pose was the hardest thing for me as I had never done this before. Teacher as is usual at 889 was fantastic. Heat? Warm but not crazy, so if you are looking for alternative to Moksha or Bikram this may be the class for you.

Starting this Saturday I am going to be taking me, my new yoga mat and Yogitoes towel to a beginner’s yoga workshop at 889 Yonge.

For four Saturdays I will be going back to the basics of yoga and hopefully learning for the first time how to do things properly. I’m currently in the love stage of my love/hate relationship with yoga so am hoping these classes are going to finally put me on the right path.

Since I’m a big 889 Yonge fan I decided that taking the workshop here was probably the best bet for me – I love their urban tea sanctuary.

Flickr credit: mikecpeck

This afternoon’s Yoga and Pilates fusion class at YogaSpace in Toronto’s Little Portugal area was a good way to spend a few hours on this chilly Sunday. One of the main reasons that I went to this particular studio was because they actually had a Sunday afternoon class – in my experience this is somewhat difficult to find. I also was drawn to the Pilates element in the class. Truth be told I was hoping it would be a bit more Pilates than yoga.

The class, which the teacher described as “Vinyasa inspired with a section of core work”, had a lot of planks, planks and variations of planks. Not a bad thing, but pretty tough. I have a feeling my abs will be feeling this tomorrow. Only thing is I wish there was more Pilates in the class. 

Overall, I liked the studio and would go back. The one drawback for me is that it is really out of my way to get to, so may not make it back there as often as I would like to. It is a great location for anyone in that area though especially for people looking for a relaxed studio to practice.

PS: The bathrooms and changerooms look decent.

I used to work for an organization called TakingITGlobal and during my time there I developed a love of organizations and people who support youth in the work that they do. I recently came across an initiative – thanks to Core Studio – in Toronto called Now 4 Youth which I think is a pretty interesting combination of helping support youth development and encouraging youth to be active.

In a nutshell what they do is provide funds to at-risk Toronto and GTA youth so that they can advance their education in the wellness sector. Their 2010 programming will fully fund selected at-risk youth to become certified yoga or pilates instructors. At the end of the programs the youth will be provided with a variety of support mechanisms to help them continue their journey.

Definitely check out their website to find out more about this program and if you are interested in helping support this initiative they have just published a coffee table book called Adaptation. This photobook contains artisitic adaptations of yoga and pilates poses. Could make a wonderful holiday gift for the fitness crazed in your life I think?

Last night I tried out a Bikram yoga class at a local Toronto studio. It has been about five years since my last Bikram experience, so I thought I would give it another go. The only thing I really remember about the last time I did this type of yoga was that I got a badge that said “I survived X’s Bikram yoga class”. Oh and I ended up with a horrible migraine.

A friend of mine had never tried it before, though, so I decided to accompany her – how bad could it be? I like the heat, I’m in decent shape and I’ve been going to hot yoga at Moksha off and off for a while.

I think the email I wrote immediately after sums up how I felt:

Words can’t describe how I feel right now. I thought I was going to throw up.

I did forget to mention in the email that I was scared as well. For a number of reasons, but the top two are:

* You aren’t allowed to leave the room for the entire 90 minute class.
* The instructor was kind of mean – I think that’s the style, but seriously this felt like yoga for sado-masochists.

Apparently it does get better but I think it is going to take me another five years to get over this. Hot yoga at Moksha is something I much prefer.

Simply put this type of yoga is not for me, but as they say one person’s trash another person’s treasure. So, if you like to sweat and love the idea of pushing yourself beyond your normal range of flexibility this could be for you. Just Google “bikram yoga toronto” if you are interested in trying out a class and I’m sure something will come up in your neighborhood.