Y'all | South Boston Yoga

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So I want to start this new series called Y'all, for when I discover something new to me that I want to share with the world (emphasis on new to me). The title is inspired by my friend Katharine who always prompts an exclamation with "Y'all." When she wants to tell us about the latest YouTube video she's died laughing at (even though her rendition is always better than the original), she says, "Y'all." When she tries a bite of delicious peanut butter Pinkberry, "Y'all." This is my homage to her and to new experiences and just general giddy exclamations.

Last night I finally made it out to South Boston Yoga with Meg. She's been trying to get me to go with her for, oh I don't know, a couple years now? I've been curious about yoga for a while, but I'm one of those people who likes to try things on her own before going in front of a big group of stretchy pant–clad folks and making a fool of herself. But last week we made a date for last night to meet up for the All Levels class with David, one of the co-owners. Can I just say that last night's class blew all of my preconceived notions (the little bastards) about yoga out of the water. Sure, the place was quiet and dimly lit. Okay, so they want you to take your shoes off immediately and when you enter each classroom, it's a sea of LuluLemon. But beyond the superficial yoga cliches, this place is like a church—there is so much respect for the practice and excitement about newcomers.

I got there a little bit late; it's a straight shot down the red line, right across the street from the Broadway stop, but the class fell smack dab in the middle of rush hour. Let's just say my proximity to warm and breathing bodies on the train was a good precursor to the class. Meg had luckily saved me a spot; my other option was right next to the instructor at the front of the class. Everything from the class pace to the instructor's sense of humor (he narrated and encouraged and distracted us right when we needed it, interrupting our breathing for a couple laughs) wasn't what I expected. The class was vinyasa, which is the "sequential movement that interlinks postures to form a continuous flow. It creates a movement meditation that reveals all forms as being impermanent and for this reason are not held on to." At one point he said to stretch without the expectation of the next movement. Can you imagine? All day I'm thinking about when I can have my lunch, when I can have my next cup of coffee, when I get to go home, when the weekend is. It is so rare to just stop and be in the moment. Having that reminder while focusing solely on the way my body feels and breathing was amazing.

My favorite part, by far, was the meditation at the end. I focused on this section of peeling paint on the ceiling and thought of nothing, focusing on the syllables of the instructor's song. I remember thinking one thing, "My mind feels the way it does when I get a massage, and I'm just lying here." To say it was a revelation would be an understatement. I'm already planning out when I can go back.

The Details:
Where? South Boston Yoga, 36 W Broadway Boston, MA 02127
When? They have classes all week with a variety of options (hot, core strengthening, all levels) with a variety of instructors. Our instructor David and his partner own the place; his classes fill up fast so get there earlier than I did.
How much? $5 for your first regular class. On your second visit, you can pay $25 for a two week unlimited pass (I'll be doing this), or each class is $15 or $12 with a student ID. You can rent mats for $1.
Why? I left feeling elated, Meg and I giggling like schoolgirls on our way to the train.

So tell me, do you yoga?