Hmmmm, I better just add before anyone reads this (if they do of course!) that nobody has asked me to write this/not being sponsored etc, I just purely wanted to express my love for what has become a very special place for me in the last few weeks….
Random title I know, but this is what has seemed to dominate my last few weeks & its been amazing & debilitating.
I am not really sure what has been going on with me, but although I experienced a few days of this back in September, since the Beachy Head Marathon, I have been plagued with digestive issues shall we say with upset stomach and severe pain on and off which has left me scared to eat, unable to run and even confined to bed on a couple of occasions. I diagnosed myself with IBS trying to work out what i had become intolerant to, or if my usual stress and anxiety levels had got the better of me, but this week things appear to have improved and I have even managed 2 curry nights without major discomfort (yay!). What I had noticed was that I was able to eat Cheese Feast stuffed crust pizza’s without any problems!! (so i guess cheese is still on the menu :))!
I managed a 4 mile dreadmill run this week and with the Downland Devil 9 miler just a week away, i need to keep the old mileage going and hope that I can comfortably run this distance.
Although the mileage has slipped big time and normally this would really get me down, what has come back in to my life big time is yoga. I have always loved yoga and dabbled with it sporadically for the best part of 20 years, but have never found a class that i was comfortable in or particularly enjoyed, or an environment conducive to yoga. Most of my yoga has either been on a DVD at home or in luke warm (sometimes smelly & not always very clean) studios, crammed in like a sardine and constantly hitting the person next to you with arms & legs. That all changed at the beginning of November and I have found my sanctuary…..
The oil diffuser (that I love!) and practice studio at Be-yoga..
This is the Yoga studio at Be-yoga based in Haywards Heath, West Sussex. They opened in September but it took me just over a month to discover them and now i am taking at least 3 classes a week. They mainly have hot yoga classes at the moment, which I had never tried but OH MY GOODNESS, they are amazing!! I had wanted to try hot yoga or Bikram but the nearest classes were in Brighton and I didn’t fancy the trip down there and didn’t really have the time to fit it in, so when i discovered this place which is 10 minutes drive from home and 2 minutes walk from my work, I just had to try.
Well, when i walked in i immediately felt at home and knew this was going to be a special place for me. It was light, airy but also with a homely feel, smelt just wonderful and the people as i almost already knew they would be, were so friendly and welcoming. You take your shoes off at the entrance and even just doing this starts the unwind process, but the real magic for me is when I walk in to the practice studio itself….
The warmth envelopes you as you walk in, not in a ‘phew this is a bit warm’ way but in a ‘and relax’ kind of way. The floor is heated and there are essential oils being diffused in to the air with the faint sound of water trickling in the background. The lighting is low and you just roll out your mat and relax until the beginning of the class. I always try and get there at least 15 minutes before the class so i can chill out on my mat and feel the tension/anxieties leave my body.
Chilling out on my mat..
I was curious to see how my body would react taking part in yoga in a hot studio, but because the heat is comfortable (i believe they keep it around 32 degrees C) and not stifling as some hot yoga can be, it was just right for me. You do sweat (sometimes more than other times) but for me, this is sweating out the stresses of the day and I feel revived and almost trance like after a class. Not only is it benefiting me physically as I am essentially having a cardio workout, feeling stronger and working my core, which I was guilty of not doing, but mentally it has been a godsend. I love the flow of the classes and how i am challenging myself physically, but also challenging myself mentally to keep in the moment and not to let my mind wander to those nasty worries that I always have. The classes are so relaxed and calming in the most amazing environment, they have really had a major affect on me which also includes improving my yoga and making me realise that I am not all that bad at it and eager to improve as much as I can. It is going to be a fantastic compliment to my running and will help keep me calm when/if i cant run for whatever reason. I have been told that i can get easily obsessed with things, but as with running, this is certainly an obsession that I intend to keep in my life as the benefits are just so so immense for me.
My Teeki ‘Awakening’ leggings, another obsession!
I don’t know if the yoga has improved my digestive issues. I have never experienced pain whilst practising, but it has taught me about my breathing and maybe the calming nature and positivity has had an effect to help bring it under control for now. We can only hope so! So….thank you Be-yoga for bringing yoga back in to my life….. Long may it continue 🙂
gingernuttyrunner 