on wellness.

Today, I have 250 days as a non-smoker.  That's really awesome!  I'm so proud of myself, and I know that everyone in my life is, too.  Things smell great.  Breathing is satisfying.  My body just feels better.  

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I originally took my quitting smoking as the prime opportunity to really get well.  Get fit.  Focus on undoing the damage I'd done to my poor lungs for about 10 years (holy mackerel!).  I started eating healthier.  I joined a gym.  I tried cutting out soda completely.

I've been eating much better; I have stopped eating meat (except for the occasional fish) and eat a lot of salads and sandwiches.  I've cut out most soda, but will still have the occasional diet coke.  The gym thing... well, I've probably gone a dozen times and it just hasn't worked out. I rarely feel like going directly from work to the gym, and since my gym is in San Francisco and I live in Oakland, it's not feasible for me to make that trek on the weekends.  Not to mention I'm just not big on the gym atmosphere...

Every morning and evening, on my way to and from the train station on my way to work, only a few blocks from my house, I walk by a yoga studio.  I glanced at their schedule several months ago out of curiosity, and couldn't find classes that worked with my work schedule.  However, on my walk home I've heard the pounding music for what I can only assume to be a Zumba class (they were playing Gangnam Style once!), and I've felt that urge to move.  I used to be a dancer, and I have recently been missing that kind of fitness, that in-touch-ness with my body that I really haven't had since.  And hey, maybe not even ever, because despite all that ballet, I still smoked cigarettes all the way through, so I can only imagine it being better.

I grabbed one of the fliers with their schedule and looked at the expanded class list -- they must be doing well, because there were twice as many classes on this schedule than there was 5 months ago.  This includes evening and weekend classes.  My knees got twitchy, and I decided I would try it.

... Eventually.

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Then, suddenly, Kam posted this "Yoga Tips from a Beginner" post on her blog, and this morning Amy posted this "Six Things I've Learned In Six Months Of Yoga" post, and that made me click over to this Open Letter to Beginner Yoga Students Everywhere, and while I don't really believe in signs, I've decided that this is too coincidental to ignore.  Maybe it's just time.

My first yoga mat is in the mail, set to arrive any day now.  The yoga studio in question has a new student special where I can take classes for 2 weeks for $20... I start this weekend.

I am mortified (what if my body can't do it anymore? what if my instructor is a total hack? what if i FART?) but you know what?  I'm going to do it anyway.