Newly relocated to Harrogate from Dubai, Abbi Mullan and Jack Meeks were keen to find an activity that they could enjoy together as well as feel good and meet lovely new people at the same time. Drum roll for Go Yoga!
Neither had really done that much yoga before, and not in the hot sense either, so, we invited the gorgeous couple to keep a diary of their first month as members to see how their introduction to Go Yoga panned out.
In this week’s blog we look at Abbi’s personal experience, week by week, before delving into Jack’s next week…
So how did you get on Abbi??
Before starting Go Yoga, I was initially quite nervous because I hadn’t tried it for years! I used to be a gymnast for 10 years, but since quitting 10 years ago, my flexibility is actually quite shocking (although secretly I was hoping that this would definitely benefit my balancing skills etc. in the yoga class!)
It was amazing to share the experience with Jack, as being a Personal Trainer, he normally trains me on a regular basis, or creates programs for me for when I train alone.
However, my training usually consists of lots of functional movement and free weights.
I usually train about 3 times a week in the gym, lifting weights with a little cardio. I occasionally go for a run, but don’t tend to enjoy it.
Go Yoga: Week 1
My initial introduction to GO Yoga was a Go Flow with Jo, and initially I thought I’m WAY out of my comfort zone here!
Jo was fantastic though, explained everything perfectly and was so easy to follow. We knew that if we couldn’t do something, we could just give it a go instead! Jo was very encouraging. The heat definitely helped me to relax a little.
It was great to be introduced to a lot of the movements in week 1, and with every session I could push myself that little bit more. After the first session I felt relaxed, re-energised and hot! My legs were very sore!
Everyone was super friendly, and it helped Jack to see other men in there too.
Go Yoga: Week 2
This week it was nice to go into the sessions feeling more confident and knowing what was coming. I also went to a session alone this week, without Jack.
I found it easier to go through all the movements and found that now I was familiar with the movements, I could focus on other aspects, such as my breathing.
I tried the Go Hot Vinyasa Class and loved the extra heat! It definitely made me have to focus more on my breathing. I sweated more in that session that in a session at the gym!
I also tried Caroline's Core Fusion class, which was all focussed around building core strength. It was a challenging class, with lots of plank variations and balancing using the core to stabilise the rest of the body. I really enjoyed this as it was a bit different to the other classes and my abs were really talking to me the day after!!
Go Yoga: Week 3
By now, I was really looking forward to the sessions and found that it was amazing to take that hour out and not worry about work, home etc.
When I went for a run, I noticed a difference in my ability to control my breathing. I even ran further than usual and didn’t have to stop as often. VERY pleased!
I was also amazed at the sense of accomplishment when I realised I could attempt moves that I didn’t want to try in week 1. I felt like I had some such a long way in only 3 weeks!
Go Yoga: Week 4 Final thoughts
Go Yoga has provided me with the perfect calm space to escape the stresses of everyday life, and has helped in other areas, such as being conscious of my breathing.
Being able to take this time out to be calm (while working hard) has been a great experience to share with Jack and has been just as challenging as a gruelling weights session with him.
I have been able to push my body in other ways, and I have found that my training schedule – weights, yoga and spinning – work really well together and provide a nice balance of different exercise.
So, will you be keeping up your journey with Go Yoga now?
Most DEFINITELY! I will see you all at the studio very soon!