Tag: Yoga in Boston

My first #thinkingoutloud Thursday: why I love yoga!

On By shorterandfasterIn Uncategorized2 Comments

Happy Thursday to all! I’m super pumped to be linking up with Amanda for my very first #thinkingoutloud Thursday.

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Check out Amanda’s awesome blog at http://www.runningwithspoons.com/!

I want take a minute to tell you about my yoga class last week. It was one of the best I’ve ever been to.

It was, at times, gut-wrenching (both literally and figuratively), volatile, joyful, insurmountably difficult, and supremely tranquil.

In the course of 90 minutes, I felt:

  • Strong and confident: I got this, easy peasy lemon sqeezy. I’m the queen of the yoga mat and quite possibly also the entire world. Almost immediately followed by…
  • Humble: I’m trying to do something I never in a million years thought I could even attempt. I’m no where near being able to do it. But then I was…
  • Elated: I just did something incredibly challenging for the first time. It was terrifying, but I overcame my own fear. And I never could have done it if I wasn’t…
  • Utterly supported: I don’t just mean supported by my teacher’s hands, I mean supported by a room full of people who want each other to succeed. Strangers and friends alike. Even though at times I couldn’t help but be…
  • Disappointed: There are things that just weren’t going to happen yesterday. I couldn’t be more proud that I tried them, but they weren’t in the cards. So I had to practice some…
  • Acceptance and forgiveness: Which led me to the end of class. An extra long shavasana, during which I felt…
  • At peace: Utterly, totally, and completely. With myself–what I did, what I didn’t do, and the limitless bounty that is what I have yet to learn.

    Doing mountain post on a mountain! Ommm.
    Doing mountain pose on a mountain! Ommm.

I have a lot of competing demands in my life right now, and every day is a little obstacle course of challenges. I have moments when I feel (and swing wildly between) these emotions every single day. And that, ladies and gents, is why I love yoga. It teaches me to feel deeply, forgive readily, and move forward with courage and resolve.

What makes you love (or hate) yoga? Does your exercise routine help keep the rest of your routine in check? As always, I would love your thoughts and feedback!

Namaste,

Leah

Six ways to save money on yoga in Boston

On By shorterandfasterIn Uncategorized2 Comments

Confession time: I have a little bit of a yoga addiction. Lots of people ask me how I have the… shall we say, resources… to practice so much yoga. If you pay full price for a la carte for yoga classes around Boston, they’ll run you around $15-$20 a class. Not cheap. So with further ado, here are my money-saving tips for you frugal yogis.

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1. Keep an eye out for deals: Yes, I hate a clogged inbox as much as anyone else, but it’s worth it to sign up for email newsletters and watch for online deals. Groupon and Gilt City are the best sites for yoga in my experience, but Livingsocial features some good local deals as well. Some studios also offer promotions via their own mailing lists and social media channels, so sign up for e-newsletters and be sure to “like” your favorites on Facebook.

2. Keep track of your deals: Yoga deals tend to have short expiration periods, and it’s easy to let them expire without using all of the classes. I have a very low-tech system for keeping track of my deals–I keep a post-it on my desk at work and cross off classes when I use them. I also use google calendar alerts for expiration reminders. Find a system that works for you and use it. You want to be sure you’re getting your money’s worth!

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3. Read the fine print: Yoga studios mainly use online coupons to entice people to try and hopefully fall in love with their classes. For this reason, some studios only offer their deals to brand new students (aka if you’ve been there before, no dice). I happen to think this is a terrible practice–where’s the consumer loyalty in that?? Super big ups to Back Bay Yoga for offering ALL of their fabulous deals to ALL yogis–like this one! $35 for 5 classes, which you have until December to use.  Talk about making me a happy repeat customer. Be sure to double check whether you are eligible for deals before you purchase.

4. New student deals: Most studios offer fantastic deals for first-time students, usually along the lines of $30 for your first 30 days unlimited. This is a wonderful way to give lots of different teachers a try without feeling cheated if you take a class you don’t like.

Eyes on the prize!
Eyes on the prize!

5. Try a new studio: Hit up some of the more affordable studios in the city, like Sweat and Soul Yoga (all classes are $10 cash) and Karma Revolution (pay by donation).

6. Use your discounts: If you’re a student, lots of studios have significantly discounted student rates. More to come on this when I start grad school in the fall!

All in all, on average I probably pay around $7 a class–and sometimes even less. Much more reasonable, if I do say so myself. What are your tips to save dough on yoga in Boston?