Yoga + Classic Rock = Aching 'cheeks'

Traditional yoga buffs may not dig this one, but I absolutely loved it!

My yoga instructor, Puma, swapped our typical soundtrack (Krishna Das, Eastern Instrumental, New Age, etc.) for one she had ripped from http://www.yeahdaveyoga.com/  today. Basically, "Dave" is all about blending his love for yoga with his passion for all things rockin' and he has developed song lists for yoga practice with songs featuring everyone from Sinatra to Puff Daddy.

I wasn't sure how I felt about the change at first. I rather enjoy being wrapped in the soothing sounds of our typical class and, admittedly, I was slightly distracted by the Beatle's accompanying my sun salutations...

After a while, however, I really got into it. My yoga practice certainly took on a different flavor as I found myself raising my arms rather theatrically into Warrior One during the intro to "Teenage Wasteland" and the woman next to me actually burst into laughter as we transitioned into Warrior Three during the song's bridge. By the end of the song a few of us actually broke out of Warrior Sequence and began dancing like high schoolers at the prom circa 1987. (And believe me, you haven't lived until you have seen a woman, 6 months pregnant, reliving her high school glory days to the sounds of The Who!  All we needed was some big hair and acid washed jeans...)

Typically, when I leave Puma's class, my triceps ache from my oh-so-vigilant efforts to avoid putting pressure on my neck during headstand... Today, however, my cheeks ache from smiling so much! Admittedly, the class felt more energizing than it did relaxing or centering, but I welcome the change.

For those of you that might be interested in amping up your yoga practice, I highly recommend traipsing over to Dave's site and checking out his song lists. (Check out the archives section, there are tons of recommendations...) I certainly wouldn't trade my usual yoga class for this new rockin' version on a regular basis, but I have to admit it was a welcomed surprise!