Yoga is NOT for Wimps

Since I was already in Manhattan today for my massage and I had run yesterday, I decided to stop by the gym and take a yoga class. I've been thinking a lot about how I really need to incorporate something like yoga into my week for stretching, flexibility, strength, etc. Seems like it would be a good compliment to running. So the noon class at NYSC in Chelsea fit into my schedule this weekend, so I decided to go. Well. The first thing he had us go (after all that "OM" nonsense) was a headstand! I mean, dear. God. I, of course, opted to remain with all appendages firmly planted on the floor, thank you very much, but there was an amount of bodies crashing to the floor that was fairly intimidating. Although, not quite as intimidating as the people in the class who were actually able to do and hold this pose. From there on it was a series of transitions from one impossible pose to another, one meant to flow into the other with some degree of choreography. Yeah, right. I just held on as best as I could and watched what my neighbors were doing because all of the pose names were a complete mystery to me. All except for "Downward-Facing Dog" for some reason. I suspect that I ended up in that position more than was required (when all else failed, I would shrug my shoulders and go back to it). And the flinging of sweat was unbelievable. Poured off of me worse than in any spinning class. And it's kind of hard to wipe off the sweat that is streaming down your face in rivers when you are suspended in some twisted, unnatural position with all your balance and weight supported by your ten fingers. So the sweat just ran off of my face, splashing in big salty & oily globules onto my rubber mat, the stink of which was making me nauseous. I truly didn't know if I was going to actually make it through the class, but I did somehow. Turns out this was an advanced class. Oh. duh. Oh well, I somehow made it through, a shell of the person I was when I entered, but I did it. I wonder if I should try it again next week?