testing out the yoga/pastry combination

it was my birthday on sunday.  i told my mom that i wanted two things: for her to go to a yoga class with me, and a pastry.  (i wasn't even thinking about the yogery, i guess i just really love yoga and pastries)

we found a level 1 yoga class at an oddly formal studio called Fitness by Design.  they have a waiting room with Family Circle magazines and a bowl of those hard peppermint candies you get at restaurants.  later, they sent us an email thanking us for our business: "we know you have other fitness options."  

despite the formalities, the class felt warm and soft and yoga-like.  unknowingly we had stumbled upon the first session of an eight-week intro to yoga class, so it was full of people who knew nothing about yoga.  there were about 10 of us, all slightly older, some overweight, all  open-minded.  they asked eager questions like "now mary, what do you mean by sit bones?" and when she gave the instruction to let your heart light shine, a woman smiled and said out loud, apparently in appreciation of the poetry of it, "so good!"  

we did extremely gentle joint warm-ups for a good 45 minutes, then a variation of a half-salutation on our own, then tree pose.  the group was full of surprisingly solid trees, even though one of the two men called out "i think i'm a tree in a windstorm!"

we finished with restorative childs, restorative heart opener, and of course savasana.  afterwards my mom signed us up for the whole 8 week course and we went and celebrated with a chocolate croissant and a pear puff pastry.