New Yoga Experience at Simply Well in Carlisle PA, #plankaday Day 4

Hello, my friends.

Happy hump day! From now on it is downhill with this work week – closer and closer to the fun of the weekend. So hang in there if you are not having a very good week, and keep it up if you are having a great time.

Meanwhile, I will tell you what I’ve been up to yesterday.

My morning started with a savory breakfast.

Lunch was quick and easy – leftover mixed greens salad and grilled pork from the night before.

I have recently discovered another delicious snack by Doctor Kracker:

These little crackers are full of goodness – pumpkin seeds, poppy seeds, sesame seeds…They are very nutritious and delicious!

After work I went home to get changed real quick and head out to my adventure of the evening.

For a while now I’ve been thinking about introducing some variety into my exercise life – trying a completely different class, gym, etc.. So yesterday I did – I went for a moderate yoga class at a local yoga studio – Simply Well.

Before I share my experience with you, a couple notes:

• this post is NOT sponsored, all opinions are my own and I am not compensated in any way for expressing them.
• Credit for all photos goes to Simply Well.

So here we go 🙂

Simply Well is located in downtown Carlisle, PA (within walking distance from my house which is a plus, for sure) in a stunningly beautiful (both inside and outside) old building!

The studio was found in May 2010 by Michele Landis, who taught the class I went to yesterday.

As I entered the building, I was pleasantly surprised by how well everything was marked – there are signs everywhere guiding you if it is your first time in the building like it was for me. Being just generally geographically challenged I was glad those signs were there! 🙂

The atmosphere of this place is amazing! As I entered the studio on the second floor, I was greeted by the studio founder – Michele, and another instructor (Diana Robinson Dankosky) at the welcome desk at the entrance to the studio.

I was asked to fill out a short form with contact information and a few other questions – including the question of what I was expecting of my yoga class at the studio, which I thought was a very good question to ask new visitors. Besides, it made me think – what am I really looking for in my today’s practice? That day I was looking for new yoga experience and relaxation after my hard working day.

The class was held in a big room with beautiful hardwood floors, 2 fireplaces and a lot of light. The room was perfectly air-conditioned, comfortable and very homey.

Everybody had their yoga mats, but the studio has a bunch of thick and comfortable blankets you can use to put under your knees/back/head/whatever if the hardwood floors are too hard on you.

Simply Well also offers mats, straps, blocks, eye pillows, and hand towels for no extra charge. They have a changing area, a bathroom and a parking lot.

About the practice itself.

It was different from any class I have ever taken anywhere before. Michele definitely has her own style which is very unique and different from what I have experience in a yoga class before.

One of the things I really liked about Michele’s teaching style was that she wasn’t on the mat all the time – she was walking around, talking us through the practice at some points, and demonstrating on the mat at others.

I also enjoyed the music that Michele plaid during the class very much!

The practice was very relaxing and Michele did a great job helping us let go of the stressful thoughts/grocery lists/work stuff/whatever was on our minds, and just breathe.

The only thing I was missing was a little bit more of personal space – the class was very full and I had people on both sides a little too close to my liking (for example for spinal twists where you need to let your arms go out to the sides), but at the same time it was a great thing to see that the studio and the class are so popular and a lot of people want to attend. I hope it will allow them to grow and move to a bigger studio!

I also noted to myself that next time I will try a vigorous class, moderate was very relaxing, which was exactly what I needed that day, but I would be interested in trying something more active as well.

If you live in Carlisle, nearby or just visiting, Yoga at Simply Well is definitely worth trying.

To connect with Simply Well:

Visit their website

Like Simply Well on Facebook

Follow Simply Well on Twitter

I know I will definitely be coming back!

After the wonderful and relaxing yoga practice I got back home and had my dinner – that night it was a “breakfast dinner”

And no, I didn’t forget about my #plankaday challenge.

Coming up on 2 minutes! Yey!

Stay fit, friends and have a great week!