Wake Up Yoga - West Philly Location

Last night I finally made my way to the great Wake Up Yoga place on Baltimore Ave in West Philly. It was great!

Where: 4916 Baltimore Avenue. On Baltimore between 49th and 50th. The 34 Trolley goes right there. If you get there early, peek in first to see if the class before is still practicing, there is no waiting area. If it is, wander down the block to the cool African shops or go to the co-op - I love that neighborhood! (Although I was a tiny bit nervous walking alone after class.)

What to expect and Type of Yoga: They have lots of different types, but I went for Yin Yoga. The teacher and owner of the studios calls it "lazy girl, painful" yoga. That's an awesome description. Basically every pose is passive and done entirely on the floor. Poses like pigeon and supported bound angle poses, easy forward bends, etc. The trick (and the pain) come in the fact that each pose is held for 5 minutes or so. You really open into it, but it does get alot of sensation rolling around in your joints!

The Best Part: Corina. She's amazing. It's rare that I feel like questions are okay to just shout out in a class - but she is incredibly welcoming and warm - and questions really are okay to just pipe up and ask. She really explains things well and allows each person to be who they are. I can see why she's kind of a big deal in Philadelphia. I'm glad my introduction to her was through this class - it felt very intimate.

The Worst Part: Holding "plow" for an extended period of time. It's never my favorite pose. I have gotten better at it since I've lost weight, but it still compresses everything in a way that makes me feel all fat and squished. I did it though and felt quite proud of myself afterwards.