Embrace Your Inner Warrior: Primal Yoga

I first stumbled upon Liz at a Mixed Martial Arts studio close to my old apartment that I lived in during my first year of graduate school. The studio advertised yoga classes in the window, and even though I was never that much of a yoga fan, my roommate and I couldn't resist the walking-distance, affordable yoga classes! I have immense respect for all of the yogis in the world, but the few classes I had tried in college were just entirely too slow and cheesy. After taking many more yoga classes now, I can say confidently that my former dislike of "yoga" was more a reflection of the "instructors" and my own limited understanding of personal "practice." With that said, Liz definitely flipped my notion of what "yoga" meant entirely on its head, figuratively and literally! 

Liz has taken her diverse experiences and created Primal Yoga. While the foundation of her classes includes the more traditional yoga poses, she also incorporates several different kinds of martial arts. As I myself have earned a black belt in tae kwon do, Liz's blend of yoga and martial arts piqued my interest from the get-go. As hypothesized (forgive me, I'm a researcher, and sometimes I talk like that), Liz's classes definitely give me the healthy dose of challenges that can create an unbelievably positive energy on even my worst days. This class challenges my mind, as Liz constantly incorporates different transitions between poses and completely revamps traditional yoga flows from time to time. This class challenges my muscles, as they are shaking in the strenuous warrior poses, kicks, horse stances, and balancing acts. This class challenges my stamina, as Liz pushes you hard for an entire 90 minutes (hey, that's long even for this Buff Girl)! This class challenges me to take risks, as she often offers playful headstands, handstands, or other crazy arm balances that I'm still far away from achieving.

I recently visited Liz at one of the studios she teaches, The Yoga Collective. I purchased an AmazonLocal deal for this studio for unlimited yoga classes for 1 month for $25. I'm hoping to go at least six times during the month (~ 6 times for $25 averages out to $4.17 per class). Be on the lookout for when I review some other classes offered at this studio in the near future!

Sweat Factor

During my most recent visit to Liz's Primal Yoga class, I realized I'm not the only fan of Liz and her style of yoga. The class was jam-packed, and let's just say we were all a hot, sweaty mess within the first 20 minutes of her 90-minute class. From a combination of the room temperature, number of warm bodies, and the intense workout, I have NEVER sweat as much as I sweat in this class...EVER. I may or may not have soaked through 2 sports bras and a tank top. [I'm guessing your next logical thought is, "Why was she wearing 2 sports bras?" No, my friends, not because I need the extra support, but because both of those sports bras are the flimsiest and thinnest sports bras ever made. Once I get more into product reviews, this issue will be discussed in much further detail!] Even though I do not usually associate yoga with being a cardio workout, Liz adds little bursts of cardio into our practice with series of kicks, punches, animal moves (I know you're curious; you'll just have to try her class and hope she does them that day!), or other inventive moves. For all of these reasons, Liz's Primal Yoga tops the charts on Sweat Factor.

Strength Factor

As the title of this post suggests, I always feel like a warrior by the end of this class. Even though I still can't do some of the poses or moves that Liz teaches in class, I can't help but feel strong and powerful when we go through all of the ninja-esque moves. We are throwing punches; we are dodging from the opponent; we are releasing strong blocks; we are launching kicks; we are even launching upside-down for handstands and headstands...no matter what your current strength level, this class will definitely boost your Strength Factor! 

Stretch Factor

"Wait a second, Buff Girl. I thought you were talking about a yoga class. How come you haven't even discussed the Stretch Factor??" I bet you're all thinking. Well, guess what? During and after all that intensity, you'll get to chill out in some happy baby and pigeon as well! I guess Liz's class is sort of a trifecta of all of my factors. You get a little bit (usually quite a lot actually) of everything. Through the typical yoga twists, balances, warriors, and Liz's amazing ability to help move your body deeper into the stretches, I usually leave this class a little more Gumby-like than when I walked in. Ha, that is quite an image I've conjured up here...a sweaty, strong as steel, yet pliable Gumby Buff Girl leaving the studio. 

What's the deal?

I've already told you the deal I secured for The Yoga Collective on AmazonLocal deals. You can keep your eyes out for more deals on any of the popular online discount websites for studios that offer Liz's unbeatable Primal Yoga class. 

I picked up this handy flier on the way out of class the other day that shows the promotions for new clients at The Yoga Collective. As you can see, they offer some deals for new students, and on top of that, their regular class packages are quite affordable if you want to continue practicing in this yoga studio. 

Source: The Yoga Collective 

A penny for your thoughts?

• What other interesting twists on yoga have you tried? 
• What's your favorite aspect of yoga?
• How do you keep your yoga practice sacred (personally meaningful) and/or spicy (making it new and different)?