Pilates Mat at Crunch/Vinyasa at Yoga Sutra

Okay, let me start this post by saying that I had been looking forward to taking Masala Bhangra at the 13th Street Crunch for weeks! I was literally dying to take it. I took the mini class at Self Workout in the Park, and loved every single second. It is at the addiction level of spinning. Basically it's like a big Indian Wedding vibe, but you're more doing a Bollywood-esque dance. It's an incredible cardio workout, but your having so much fun, it's almost unfair to say it's a workout.

So what happened? I am basically an idiot. I was planning to get to Crunch for the 6:15 MB class at 13th street, but I thought I knew where the 13th street Crunch was, so I didn't look it up or anything. I arrived at the gym, showed my free guest pass, sat through about 10 minutes of the speil by the membership rep, and took a tour of the gym, when I mentioned the class, the rep looked at me blankly. Suddenly I realized that I was at the wrong place. I came to find I was at the Union Square location--for the record the 13th Street location is much closer to Union Square than the Union Square location. So I didn't get to go the class but I put a link to a 7 minute video of Sarina J's class below, there are a ton of them on youtube. Plus, here is an article on Sarina from Cooking Light.



So I was at the gym and ready to go, so the rep suggested the Pilates class. I got the last spot on the list, and although I was a bit disappointed, the rep assured me the class was really intense.

He wasn't kidding. The class was like Pilates on steroids. Ridiculous! The instructor Tina Thompson was super energetic. Every move was done at an incredibly high pace and with endless reps. Tina would say 20 more, and as soon as we got to 20, she would say 20 more, this happened three or four times for each move. Clearly math was not her best subject. So we did over 100 reps of a lot of moves. I actually found this really annoying, if I have 200 reps left I would like to know that rather than hearing 10 and knowing that I am no where near the end and the number has zero significance.

None of the moves were the Pilates moves I knew, but it was definitely an incredible workout. I am surprised my abs aren't killing me today! We did over 200 butterfly kicks while having our upperbody lifted with arms overhead and went directly into 100 leg drops! There was also weights and plates to really work the arms. One of the moves was doing a push up on the weights then jumping legs out and back. By the end of the second arm move, it was all I could do to support myself in plank position.

I did fairly well in the class, I never made it through all the reps of any move, but I did better than most. No one was able to do everything. I definitely left feeling the burn. I will say that the studio was like a sauna, at first I thought it was Bikram Pilates or something, but someone did suggest we turn on the fans, which helped a bit. I mean I was sweating five minutes into the class!

I would definitely recommend Crunch as a gym. There are plenty of locations in Manhattan and tons of great classes. The gyms are nice (not super posh, but more than serviceable)and the staff is incredibly friendly and helpful. Memberships are around $100 a month.

Since my yoga class at Yoga Sutra was not to exciting, I'll give a quick recap. The studio had a great reception area with a cute shop and lounge space. But it had no where to change! Everyone was shoved in a hallway, trying to wriggle in and out of clothes in a tiny space. -5 for bad karma!

The studio itself was nice and the 6:00 class was very full. I arrived early, even though I thought I was going to be late. As I mentioned, I grew up in a family that firmly believes that if you are on time, you are 5 minutes late, so the mere thought of being late sent me into a panic, and I practically sprinted the 40 blocks from work, making it to the studio in a record 25 minutes.

The staff was nice, but the instructor was late so I had to lie around on the mat for longer than I would like. I was thinking about the emails I could be sending if I could just go grab my blackberry from my bag, but I tried to remember where I was and focus on less material things. Namaste Melissa!

Finally the class started. It was a beginner/intermediate vinyasa class, but it was the easiest yoga I have ever taken. The class was fine, a great hour and 20 minute stretch.

But
-it did not bring me any closer to being a yogi
-it definitely didn't feel like a workout, but I guess that's not the point

However
-I did feel much longer and leaner when I left
-I still feel well stretched and all the back pain and tightness I have felt lately are gone
-my friend says the lyengar classes are really good
-it was free

So I am still on my quest to find the perfect yoga studio for me, but I have not written off yoga benefits by any means.

Also Betsy recommended a place called Yoga Effects, which was pretty awesome, possible my yoga nirvana. Another reader recommended Prana Power Yoga, which I have to try--the schedule just isn't the best for me!

Om Yoga

Om sweet om!

Entering Om is like entering a quiet beautiful yoga world. The studio winds and stretches on with ample closet space for coats and shoes, a cozy shop, a reading area with couches and yoga books, and that's before you even reach the studios. Most yoga studios are very small and pretty crowed, Om has an entire floor of lounges, changing rooms with showers for yogis and yoginis, nooks and crannies and of course several studios, everything is muted, peaceful and completely protected from the chaos that floods Broadway six floors below the center. You can take a virtual tour online.

My passbook only has one free class although I could have brought a friend (my yogi buddy was working). I was actually really craving yoga Sunday. I didn't feel very well and all I wanted was some inner peace and time with my thoughts. The staff was extremely friendly, and mat rentals were only $1!

I took a basics/intermediate class with Jeremy. It started out very different from any other yoga class I had ever taken. We rolled up our mats Buddha style and lay them along are vertebrae to feel the heart lifting and sides of the body falling down. It really helped me feel the proper alignment throughout the class. Then we did some strange shaking of the legs and arms above our heads while lying on our backs.

A lot of the poses we did were new to me, but Jeremy was by far the best instructor I have ever had. He explains everything perfectly! He corrected my position allowing me to feel perfect in every posture. The class was difficult in that it required significant strength and focus to hold the positions, but it was not a very fast class, so we didn't do any jumping from pose to pose.

Because I was feeling less than stellar it was great to go slow and learn exactly how to form each pose. Sometimes I want to take a really fast-paced class above my skill level to really work up a sweat, but it is probably better to be patient and learn how to do everything correctly in the beginning.

Halfway through the class I had a little moment of bliss. In a very Elizabeth Gilbert manner, I said to myself "is this me loving yoga?" And I think it was.

Not only was Jeremy very clear, but he was very complimentary. He kept us encouraged by telling us our poses were delicious. I guess I'm not yogini enough to forget about ego yet, I lapped up every sweet word!

By the end of the class I felt very restored.

Om also offers many interesting workshops like Thai Yoga Massage. They have a yoga workshop/cleanse combination in April that sounds really interesting. However, I am doing a half marathon the weekend after the last day of the cleanse, so I don't think it is ideal timing.

I will definitely be back to Om. They have several 1 hour express classes that cost only $12 each, a pretty great deal. Sweaty Express here I come!

If you are interested in learning more, you can buy the Om Dvds, books, box set, clothes and lots more in their online shop.

I've Been Punked!

I finally tried Punk Rope, a power jump roping class my co-worker is obsessed with! Wow, what an experience. I can’t remember if I was a good jump roper in elementary school, but I’m not now! Punk Rope is available in many gyms, studios and YMCA’s.

I wore my camouflage shirt to be in the badass mindset, but it turned out that our instructor was a very sweet woman-nothing drill-sergeant about her-and the class was all girls!

Punk rope is a class where you alternate a song of jump roping, with a song of group activities: relay races and squats and mini-handball and other games, kind of like gym-class.

Each jump roping interval incorporated a different skill, such as crossing, double jumping, lounge jumps, side to side, etc. There is a learning curve here, and although the instructor explained techniques very well, I could do a lot of the moves. However, she did provide the option of swinging the rope to the side to get your rhythm.

By the end of the class I had managed to master the basic jump and a few simple moves, and boy does jumping with the rope get your heart rate up! I was winded in like 30 seconds. Jumping rope burn move than 100 calories in 10 minutes, but you never have to jump hard for more than 90 seconds, before slowing down and speeding up again.

For a good jump roper, this workout could easily be an9 out of 10. For a beginner, it was maybe more of a 6 or 7 (because you have to stop when you mess up).

I liked the class, but as it would take me a long time to master the art of jumping, I think I will duck out feeling kind of punked.

Bikram NYC Flatiron

Bikram NYC!

So I finally took my second class at Bikram NYC Flatiron. For some reason, getting me to Bikram is like getting gym haters to the gym! But I arrived to my second class at 6:40am this morning. (I spent most of my weekend vigorously studying for my first exam in three years. But I did sneak in a spinning class and a few workout videos. Totally skipped all workouts on Friday for socializing.)

So let's start with the first class, as it was a totally different experience from the second one. I went to a 3pm Tuesday class (my office had a fire and we didn't have work!). My first reaction was that it smelled horrible in the studio. I wouldn't say I am overly sensitive, but it wreaked. I didn't understand how people were dealing with it. But I went up to the front desk and hoped I would quickly adjust to the horrible scent--It never did.

The receptionist was not extremely friendly, and I had to pay $7 for mat and towel rental--I didn't want to get my mat all sweaty. I also thought they were included with the intro week, but I guess not on the class pack. I also spent $2 on a 32 ounce smartwater, which seemed like a great deal comparatively.

The run of the mill locker rooms had tiny lockers, which no one was using. I decided to bring my bag into the studio with me just in case.

The studio room itself was very nice and open, with one wall all windows directly facing the Flatiron Building. It was definitely 105 degrees! There are mirrors in the front, not typical for yoga. I really wasn't prepared to be so up close and personal with my body, wearing only shorts and a sports bra. I recently heard someone say that Bikram Yoga can quickly become naked yoga! (There are naked yoga studios in the city, but I don't intend to try them.) My second class I was in the back, which was better for my focus.

At any rate, I really didn't know what I was in for other than heat. I kind of thought it would be like hot vinyasa yoga, but it is very different. You basically spend 90 minutes of "grueling meditation" going through 26 poses, 2 times each. See diagram for poses.

Classes start and end with a breathing exercise, which I definitely prefer to chanting. I like to sing in groups only at Girl Scout Camp.

The first half is standing, mainly focusing on balance. It wasn't incredibly hard. A bit uncomfortable though.

The second half is on the ground, which is actually more demanding in ways because you keep flipping back to front. It challenged my strength and stamina, and definitely my flexibility. I also liked that it was a communal activity, our collective energy was supposed to help us through the poses.

I left feeling very calm and at one with the universe, corny as it sounds. But I didn't think I really got a workout. I also wasn't sure I really wanted to go back.

I never think to research classes until after I take them. I ran the marathon before I started gobbling up running books like thanksgiving dinner. So I was planning on doing some more research to see what the obsession is all about when I received a very nice thanks for attending email from the studio. I really appreciate those touches! Here is an excerpt:

"Welcome to Bikram Flatiron. Whether it was your first time in class or you’ve practiced at other studios, we’re glad you could come and try out our favorite kind of yoga. We know it gets hot in the room, and your first class is not necessarily the easiest thing you’ve done, but make sure you take advantage of your intro week and come again. The second class is very different from the first, and the classes keep getting better and better.

Making Bikram a regular part of your lifestyle produces a range of benefits such as:
Increases metabolism
Improves the digestive system
Cleanses the body of toxins
Increases joint stability and mobility
Makes you immune to the annoyance of the subway!"

So the balancing of the body and metabolism more than the calorie burn is supposed to help your body.

My second class, as promised very different from the first. The room didn't smell, thank god!

My instructor was so energetic and upbeat, kind of a cross between a game show host and an auctioneer. He spoke quickly and rhythmically, varying tone in pitch in long connected sentences.

But he really helped me focus. He also corrected pretty much everything I did until I was doing it perfectly. He helped us push ourselves to the edge, saying without challenge there can not be change.

The room definitely seemed hotter, super hot in fact! As it was very early in the morning the first few poses were really challenging. Fortunately, you only hold them half as long the second time around.

I enjoyed the class more, I worked very hard with the motivation of the instructor, push, push, pushing us through every second.

In both classes I was pretty sweaty, especially for me, I don't sweat much. The showers at the studio are very see through, just so you know!

So again I left class happy and upbeat. I felt cleansed and detoxed. It was really warm out, so I walked the 20 blocks to work without my ipod so I could experience the city instead of totally zoning out to Soulja boy or something.

Again I felt like I would need a cardio workout and since I don't have a whole lot of time on my hands to do multiple workouts, I would tend to focus on cardio. But by the time I got to the office I realized I was really sore. The soreness lasted all day, which is a sign I got a great workout! I definitely enjoy the cleansing and mental benefits, and craved water all day, I managed to drink 4 liters!

One of my blog intentions was to review as many workouts as possible and maybe someday write a book, but it looks like a yoga duo has beat me to it! You can buy a book called Citystretch which review 250 studios in NYC, several studios offer a free class for anyone carrying the book check it out.

PS Lot more deals coming up after midterms.