My "Yogalosophy" experience

This past weekend I had the privileged of attending a workshop at Semperviva instructed by the famous Mandy Ingber. For those of you who don't know who Mandy Ingber is, please see below:

Jennifer Aniston and Mandy, just hangin' out.
Source: people.com

Mandy is a celebrity fitness trainer known for her yoga and spin classes. She has trained not only Jennifer Aniston, but Kate Beckinsale, Ricki Lake, Brooke Shields, and Helen Hunt, you know, just to name a few. She is currently touring around and offering workshops involving a sampler hybrid yoga-training class from her new book titled, Yogalosophy: 28 Days to the Ultimate Mind-Body Makeover. And this is my Yogalosophy experience:

The session started off frantic, because I didn't check the location of the workshop, and of course I assumed it was at the studio that it was not. Luckily, Semperviva dominates Kitsilano so I made it right on time after sprinting to my car, finding a parking spot, and sprinting to the studio. I gave the girl at the front desk my name, grabbed my gift bag, and hurried in to the studio to find a spot. Of course being dead on time means only one thing: either the nose-bleed section of mats is free or the front-and-center-keener section is free. I decided to be a keener, because, hey,  why not get noticed? Of course it's pretty hard to get noticed among 50+ bendy lululemon-clad women all eager to impress this celeb-guru. 

Nevertheless, Mandy asked if there was anyone else she did not connect with before class, and naturally I raised my hand. She greeted me, asked my name, and asked me if I have any issues with my body that I'd like to share with her (and at this point, with the rest of the class that was listening intently). Realizing that getting into the epic story of my foot burn, followed by my shifted fibula woes would take too long, I politely said that I'm just a little sore from yesterday's power class.

I have to say, I was a little skeptical when I first arrived, thinking that this was just another crazy rich trainer trying to sell some cookie-cutter program geared towards women who are afraid of lifting more than 5 lb (pink) dumbbells. But the fact that Mandy went around to the ENTIRE room of 50+ women and asked each one of their names and their bodily issues really made me realize that even though she's here to sell, she really doesn't drop the yoga-ness. In fact she started the class by emphasizing the importance of personal human connection.

Drenched in sweat, but feeling happy to get a photo!

The workout itself was good. I wouldn't say it was something ground-breaking, but than again one tends to become quite skeptical of trend-setters after spending thousands of dollars and countless sleepless nights completing a degree in kinesiology. The basic explanation of the Yogalosophy program is that it's a hybrid of tradition yoga poses and basic calisthenic exercises that plays with the rhythm of the repetitions. 

Was it tough? Yes. What is fun? Definitely. Is it for everyone? No. 

Okay, I shouldn't say that this program isn't for everyone. Certainly everyone can try it, but it's definitely geared towards those who want a long, lean looking body reminiscent of a ballet dancer, or (obviously) a yogi. Calisthenics are FANTASTIC for building strength, but this program won't really give you that same "pump" you would get from a traditional weight lifting workout. This program focuses more on stretching and toning the muscle rather than building size. Having said that, incorporating a yoga-esque workout to any gym-rat's routine will definitely balance out his/her regime.

Personally I absolutely loved the class. Mandy had an amazing approach to teaching. She did a great job spotting such a massive group of participants, and she kept a smile on her face the entire time. (And it wasn't one of those annoying smiles that makes you want to slap the person. No, no, it was a genuine smile of happiness!) Her music selection was AWESOME. At one point she played Dirty Dancing's Time of My Life. She basically won me over at that moment. My favorite part of the workout was the constant flow of it. It felt more like an interpretive dance than a workout, and like I mentioned, by the end I was laying in a pool of my own sweat. She's definitely on to something here.

Her class opened my eyes to the versatility of yoga. She had us laughing, sweating, and our muscles burning. She pushed us through the Sun Salutation while still allowing us to focus on our own breathing patterns. I give it a 10 out of 10, and I'd recommend the workout to anyone wanting to try something different, something a bit more feminine.

Thanks again to Semperviva for hosting such a fun event and for all the free swag:

Seamless bra, iced tea, free snacks, oh my!