Ode to Yoga at the YMCA
posted by Conch Shell
Wow, I almost missed my Saturday blog. Yikes!
Okay, here goes. I'd like to discuss the merits of doing yoga at the YMCA above going to Rama Lotus or another of the $17 per yoga-class places. As my fellow bloggers know, for some years I've been a yoga enthusiast at Rama Lotus, and other expensive yoga establishments in Ottawa.
Recently I signed up at the Ottawa Y, with a membership that includes free access to all the classes. So, I signed up for two yoga classes: hatha and power, and attended them both this week for the first time. I was shocked by how wonderful it was.
First off, did you know that the Y is actually a charity? Your membership is going to help keep the place going, and helps those less fortunate stay healthy. It's good to be a part of that. Apparently, no-one is ever rejected from being able to work-out at the Y -- if you don't have enough money, they'll work out a deal where you pay what you can. Really, it's the yogic way.
Anyway, reasons why Y-yoga classes are better than Rama Lotus classes:
- They provide the mats, for free. So, I don't have to lug a mat to work.
- The instructors are volunteers. Makes me feel that I'm being taught yoga by generous souls.
- I wore a t-shirt and gym shorts to yoga, and didn't feel I was embarrassing myself with a poor fashion sense.
- It didn't cost $17 a class, it was free (kind of, I do have a Y membership).
- There were between 3 and 7 people in my class, not 50 of us scrunched together. It felt like a community.
- The yoga instructors were very good.
- The class is one hour, not 90 minutes. After work, a one-hour yoga class is enough.(If not, I can always do a workout!)
- I can leisurely get changed and have a shower afterward, without bumping into 40 different people sharing the 10x10 change-room.
Labels:
exercise plan,
fitness,
Ottawa,
YMCA,
Yoga
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5 comments:
Conch Shell, you are so cutting edge! You could single-handedly bring the yoga industry to its knees (or into pigeon pose) with this kind of talk.
This is very good to know. The only thing that's been stopping me from doing yoga is those bend-over prices.
Your post was thought provoking for me as a yoga teacher! I'm going to blog about it over at jaminetheyogateacher.blogspot.com.
(And just so you know, the teachers at the Y aren't volunteers. They're paid.)
I was going to reference Jamine's thoughtful post about yoga classes, but she beat me to it. I still will, just to make the link clickable.
jaminetheyogateacher.blogspot.com
Thank you Jamine for your post. And I stand corrected about the yoga teachers being volunteers at the Y. Actually, I've quite enjoyed Rama Lotus for some years, and I agree with you that there's room for all types of yoga classes. Basically, it's all good, as long as one actually does yoga.
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