Yoga at Gold's Gym

I started attending a hatha yoga class at Gold's Gym. A group buying site, Metrodeal, had a promo last month. For only P1000, I can get 10 classes from Gold's Gym. That's P100 per class! I can attend their Zumba (new exercise which they are promoting), belly dance, Spinning, yoga classes etc. The Metrodeal voucher should be used within two months upon first attendance in a class. Since I plan on doing yoga again, I grabbed this promo. The ongoing rates of yoga classes range from P500-800, depending on the location. Kinda steep so this promo is definitely a saver!

Gold's Gym have hatha yoga classes on Wednesday and Friday nights and Sunday mornings. I marked my calendar so I can attend all 10 classes within 2 months.

A new activity in my schedule always excites me. I plan on going to the gym thirty minutes before the class so I can familiarize myself with the surroundings, the facilities and my "classmates". As I walk to the gym, my heart is aflutter, my steps are light, looking forward to my first yoga class of the year. The last yoga class I attended was in 2009.

As I was walking to the Information desk, the staff immediately know that I have the Metrodeal voucher. Seems most of their students are voucher holders. He told me that signing up will be done after the class. I gave him the Metrodeal voucher and asked about the changing room. He said there is a changing room, comfort room and locker room located beside the food station.

Okay this is it!

I went to the Women's Locker Room. I passed by the class studio where a Zumba class was ongoing. The Locker Room It has rows of lockers, 3 shower stalls and several toilet cubicles. There were several women inside. Some were chatting, just got off the showers and some were changing to/from their gym clothes. I slowly walked around the Locker Room, checking out what facilities I can use. Try as hard as I can not to look a first-timer, I guess I still looked the part.

I changed to my yoga clothes in one of the shower stalls. I looked for a locker to use and noticed that some lockers have padlocks and some don't. Confession: This is the first time I will use a gym locker. I realize I need to have my own padlock for my locker. Bummer. I quickly went out the gym to buy a padlock. I don't want to be late for my first class!

Luckily, the Zumba class went overtime, giving me time to put my things inside the locker, lock it with my newly bought padlock and catch my breath.

As the Zumba students went out the room, we yoga students placed our yoga mats in different areas of the room. Noticeably, the middle area in front has no student. Like me, they're not keen on being near the teacher. Mirrors surround the room, making us see each other. I noticed that in a yoga class, beginners always take the spots at the back of the room or shala while "experts" take the front. I wish I could be more confident in my asanas so I can be in front also. :)

The class is a multi-level class led by Pio Baquiran. Meaning, poses range from beginner to advanced levels. We started with poses I learned from my Ashtanga Vinyasa class in '09 which was good. We had about 4 or 5 rounds of this before doing other asanas such as the Eagle Pose, Pigeon, Warrior, Cobra, Cat, etc. I have a book about Yoga which I have since 2008 when I enrolled in Ananda Marga in Quezon City. Seems to me all the asanas in that book, we did in my first class in the gym. Whew!

Everytime we lie on the mat, I think that we are now winding down and going to the Corpse pose, a name suited for this pose since you have to lie down on your back, your limbs relaxed, your eyes closed. But no! Seems the teacher has more asanas to do.

As we are nearing the end of the class and actually doing the Corpse pose, I feel some students leaving the studio. I open my right eye a bit and see students leaving, I'm not imagining it. This is new to me. The yoga classes I attended before make it a point that all students finish the class. This is to give the mind and body the time to relax, normalize breathing and be present.

We are in the Corpse pose for maybe 10 minutes, teacher Pio telling us to relax, mentioning each body part, making us to be calm and relax. I admit I cannot relax, I keep thinking that I'm the only one left at the studio since all my classmates have left already. Good thing this did not happen. There are still students left till the end of the class.

Teacher Pio ended by thanking the class.

I go to the Information desk so I can sign up. The lady gave me a form to fill out which is attached to the Metrodeal voucher I gave earlier. She gave me a small slip of paper which would be my "class card" of sorts. I should bring this slip whenever I will take a class.