"Do one thing a day that scares you"

Until recently, I have been a wanna-be yogi. Sure I have all the stuff....the pretty mat, the block, the Lululemon yoga pants (love, love, LOVE). I am familiar with most of the poses...I have my vinyasa down and my Eagle pose kicks butt if I do say so myself! And I have previously posted, I drink a cup of yogi tea at night to help calm me before bed.

But all this time, I have been a fake yogi.....you see, I have never been to a real yoga studio. Until recently, I would go to yoga classes at.....gasp.....my gym!! Any of my readers that are true yogis understand the horror in this! Yoga at the gym was alright. I liked it when I went, but I never really felt the pull to attend class. Also there was only one class per week that was the style of yoga that I liked (it is a gym after all so fitting in yoga between the various Body Pump and Samba classes wasn't high priority for them!).

So there is this awesome yoga studio right by the exit I get off at coming home from work.....I see it daily and always wonder to myself what is behind those fogged up doors (they heat the studio to ~95 degrees!). But for some reason I was scared to go to a class. For some reason I felt like I didn't belong there....I'm a runner, not a yogi!

Things changed over Thanksgiving while I was visiting my grandparents. They just moved into a new apartment complex and my Grandma was telling me all about the classes they have for the residents. There was a water aerobics class she was interested in, but she hadn't gone yet. I asked her why and she said "I'm scared I won't fit in or know what to do." I laughed and told her she was being silly, but then a light bulb went off.....I realized that was the same excuse I was using for not going to the real yoga studio! We both had that fear of being the new person in class and standing out. I guess it surprised me to learn that even after 82 years of life, we all still have the same insecurities.

So I put on my big girl yoga pants and went to class. Guess what....I LOVED every sweaty, hot minute of it!! No one judged me, no one pointed and laughed at the new girl, no one even noticed I was there (as is the true yogi way of being within one's self and not watching others!) I have been going weekly for the past 3 weeks and definitely plan to make this part of my training schedule. I'm hoping Santa brings a multi-pack of classes for me tomorrow ;)

I'm not sure if my Grandma has made it to the water aerobics class yet, but hopefully this post will inspire her (and anyone else reading this) to take that leap into the pool (or studio or where ever).....do something you've been wanting to do, but been too afraid to try. I promise....you won't regret it!

P.S. For those of you who shop at Lululemon, you will recognize the title of this blog as one of the quotes on their shopping bags

P.P.S. This now gives me a good excuse to go shopping at Lululemon!! I heart their clothes almost as much as I heart yoga :)