Yoga

I have recently joined a gym for the first time in about twelve years.  Obviously I have not been sitting on my sweet ass all that time, but the amount of dance and yoga I used to participate in made joining a gym unnecessary.

After a not so fruitless search I discovered that the best and cheapest yoga classes were to be had by joining my local gym.  As many sessions as you like for $15.00 a week.  So I would only have to attend one class a week and not feel like it was money down the drain.  I still stand by what I said in one of my first ever blogs about Melbourne.  Ladies who exercise here take their kit seriously.  Only the best and most expensive gear is seen in the yoga class.  And you see hordes of these women having coffee during the week wearing their exercise gear (sweaty!) including matching trainers and leggings WITH PIPING just cut off below the knee (yuk).

Allegedly I dance for a living (ha!) and you would think that after all these years I would own some pretty swanky kit myself.  Every contemporary dancer reading this knows very well how lovely it is to dance in your old favourites.  Ripped, torn, re-stitched and re-fashioned a bit like a well-loved teddy is how I would describe my dance and yoga outfits.

I probably stick out like a sore thumb amongst the very matching outfits sparkling with newness and money.  The yoga teacher is absolutely the coolest lady - mid-fifties, just the right side of hippy, she wears her dangling earrings with flair and her hair loose.  I just love a rule-breaker and anyone who is not conforming to the usual trends.  She is certainly something to aspire to.

There is one irksome thing though.  After every yoga class we have chanted, breathed and stretched our bodies and filled our minds with good and positive thoughts.  The first thing these women do (and it is always women) is get their bloody mobile phones out and start the ritual checking, texting and chatting.  I hold that unless you are Hilary Clinton, NOTHING is that important.  And even Hilary would have the good sense to at least wait until she has rolled up her yoga mat.