Downward facing dogs

It's now been over a month since I arrived in Philly. Time has flown and my head has spun but all in all the welcome has been very inviting. I am working (part time and for free but still working), we have a great house and have met some weird and wonderful people. But I do find myself pining for all things English. I have developed a desire to watch and read everything football related. I dragged Brent along to watch the England game against Austria in a bar and had to pay $20 for the pleasure. Before I got here I didn't care about football. This settling in thing may take quite a while.

On Sunday we got off our arses and went to a yoga class (one of the things we had been saying we would do for years). We left in a limping daze. The only yoga I had ever done was a very gentle Uni course taught by a 50ish woman who took you through each pose very slowly letting you relax for ages afterwards. In my uneducated yoga mind I thought this is what happened at every class. I was wrong.

The studio was gorgeous, lots of low lighting, candles, mirrors, plinky music. We were all lined up on our mats and the teacher entered the room, with no hi or intro she started the class with rapid instructions - inhale, arms up, exhale, bend forward, inhale heads to knees, exhale push up, inhale back bend, exhale lift hips and hold for 5 breaths, inhale jump up and head to knees, exhale arms up and inhale back to standing - again and again with no stopping. I felt like I as going to collapse, waiting for some let up that did not come for the whole hour. Near the end she asks us if we want to go into headstand - I'm like are you joking, I'd break my neck - and kindly declined her offer to help push me up. We left the place as limping sweaty messes. For the next two days I had real difficulty getting dressed let alone walk. Relaxing was definitely not what we experienced but becasue we are glutton for punishment and have paid for another four lessons, we have been back again and it was a hell of a lot easier the second time round. But I'm not sure if my hamstrings are ever going to be my friends again.

Love xxxxxxxxxxx

Listening to: the terrible radio station the builders outside are playing

Feeling: sore