Duck Dynasty and Body Flow

One of my favorite new shows is Duck Dynasty.  I happened to catch the new episode last night while I was getting ready for bed.  Willie is getting ready for his high school reunion and wants to lose some weight.  So, he attends yoga with his wife.  It's really awkward for him and his dad even walks in the class and he gets a little embarrassed.  In the end, he looses some weight and is really proud of himself for trying so hard.  If any of you have taken yoga or pilates you know that from the outside it looks like a piece of cake, but that stuff is NOT easy.  Its very challenging to control your body, hold the poses and be flexible all at the same time.  I felt a lot like Willie in class tonight.  You can see his adventure Here.  Fortunately for me, my class was not taped for national television. 

This might be what I look like at Body Flow

 I've only been to a pilates class once and then tonight I tried a new class by Les Mills called BodyFlow.  Its a combination of Yoga, Pilates and Tai Chi.  From their website,  "BODYFLOW™ is the Yoga, Tai Chi, Pilates workout that builds flexibility and strength and leaves you feeling centered and calm."  

The first time I took a Pilates class I simply went because I thought it would be good to stretch for a full hour.  I'd been feeling some pain in my left hip and thought that it would help.  I'd heard that Pilates was a good cross-training workout for runners.  It certainly was, but the next day I could feel EVERY SINGLE ONE of the benefits of the class centered into my abdomen.  I was so sore, but it was a great feeling!  I was introduced to Body Flow by another instructor at the gym who teaches some of the other Les Mills classes.  I've been wanting to try it and finally made it there tonight.  At the end of the class I knew that even though I wasn't as flexible or strong as some of the others in the class, I knew I would come back to challenge myself and to see how far I could push my body next time.  I think that is my goal in all of the things that I do, but this time there was a little more emotional benefit too.  

The class ended with about 5 minutes of meditation.  I found myself in tears within 30 seconds.  I'm normally an emotional person and my first reaction to anything is tears.  Whether I'm happy, sad, angry or frustrated, there are always tears.  The instructor talked about letting things go and breathing in "good".   I was able to let a lot of negativity go, I felt a new emotional strength and I know that I really needed that to help refocus myself this week.  If you have a chance to try out Yoga, Pilates or Body Flow, do it!  If you didn't like it the first time, try it again.  

Now for your viewing pleasure, a little Throwback Thursday love.  Fall 2011, not even at my heaviest.  I'm on  the right and my mini-me sister is on the left.  What's really sad to me was right after this was taken, I thought it was a really good picture of me. 

That would be my dad photo bombing in the back...

 

 

2008

 

I'm looking more and more like the 2008 Bethany everyday.  Its not always easy, but it will be worth it.

This Saturday is the 5K I've been training for!  Wish me luck!


Happy Running,

Mrs. B.