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ClassPass Portland Review // A Well Crafted Party

ClassPass in Portland—My First ClassPass Class:

(Say that ten times fast!)

ClassPass is a fitness membership program that allows members to try several different types of classes and studios in the area. The ClassPass in Portland just launched mid-November and I was asked to try out the membership this month. Just when I was trying to push myself to work on my fitness more this opportunity landed in my inbox… I couldn’t say no even if I wanted to!

I’ve not been thrilled about group fitness classes in the past and was very nervous reserving my first class. But, the experience was awesome and I can’t wait to go again. My goal this month testing out ClassPass is to try as many different studios as I can fit into my schedule both to see how the process goes and to try out new-to-me fitness styles.

Candlelight Yoga at The Art of Movement // A Well Crafted Party

 

I signed up for Candlelight Yoga at The Art of Movement on SE Divsion in Portland. The later start time was perfect for my work schedule and the idea of doing yoga surrounded by candlelight sounded incredibly relaxing. It was an all-levels class which worried me at first because I am most definetely a beginner. I had nothing at all to worry about. The instructor was fabulous about suggesting (and showing) different moves that might be better for beginners and then working her way up for the class members who needed more of a challenge. She also took care in suggesting different moves to avoid back pain, wrist pain, knee pain… etc.

Checking in was a breeze. Since it was my first time at that location I had to sign a standard release, but my name was on the list and I didn’t have to explain that I was part of ClassPass.

About ClassPass:

  • ClassPass membership costs $99 a month.
  • ClassPass is currently located in NYC, Boston, San Francisco, LA, Chicago, Washington D.C., Seattle, and San Diego.
  • You can workout in ANY city on ClassPass.  We just announced ClassPass Flex (read more here!).
  • It is an alternative to a gym membership.
  • Allows you UNLIMITED classes at participating studios. You are limited to 3 classes per studio per month.  However, once the next month starts, you can visit that favorite studio again for 3 times!
  • Allows you to build a workout routine full of variety visiting studios of all types (barre, yoga, pilates, indoor cycling, bootcamps, martial arts, strength training and more!).
  • Provides studios with a marketing platform to get their name and classes out there to a group of fitness enthusiasts actively looking for new classes in their area.
  • Helps studios focus on what they love to do–teach–while ClassPass helps them grow their business!

More About ClassPass:

  • The ClassPass website is beautiful and allows for you to schedule your classes pretty instanaeously. I did have problems trying to schedule my first class, but switched from my Google Chrome browser to Firefox and it worked great. It was likely a small glitch, but if you have problems signing up for a class I’d just suggest switching browsers.
  • Like many local classes, cancelling without enough notice comes with a fee.
  • Going on vacation? You can put your membership on hold. You’ll be charged a $19 hold fee to hold for the month, but you’ll be able to take 1 class that month as well.
  • There is no commitment for the membership. However, if you do deactivate your account and then want to reactivate there is a $79 reactivation fee.
  • Read even more at the ClassPass FAQ page!

A big thank you goes out to ClassPass for giving me the opportunity to try out their services. I will try some more classes and post again about my experience near the end of my month!

Thoughts on Change // A Well Crafted Party

Change… it happens whether we want it to or not. How we handle change says a lot about how successful we will be in life.

“Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.” – John F. Kennedy

If I were to take a test about how well I handle change then I’d pass with flying colors.

In most cases, I’d say I embrace change. Nothing in my home is placed permanently; everything has to be easy to move on a whim because I enjoying changing the way things look often.  I seriously have never had the same hairstyle twice since I have been able to enjoy choosing my own hair styles. Heck, I don’t even like eating the same meal two weeks in a row, much less as leftovers the next day. Thank goodness my husband likes leftovers.

See, you might even say I like change. I should be a total success at this whole life thing, right?

Thoughts on Change // A Well Crafted Party

The one thing that all of the changes that I like have in common is the fact that I have control over these changes. I like change that I have control over. I will even CHOOSE change to exert some control when all of life’s changes fly at me. (See the impromptu new hair-do for example!)

Thoughts on Change // A Well Crafted Party

This year has been awesome. It has been challenging. It has been incredibly sad and it has been deliriously happy. But, holy crap, it has been a year of change.

I’m working through the changes one moment at a time. Afterall…

“Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.” – George Bernard Shaw

I’m also trying to encourage myself to be open to becoming the change because…

“Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.” – Barack Obama

And…

“You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” – Mahatma Gandhi

Tell me, how do you deal with change? Do you feel you are open to change?

 

 

Self Care and Yoga // A Well Crafted Party

Disclaimer: I received an opportunity to work with YogaOutlet.Com on this post. Thank you for reading posts that help support this blog. All opinions and thoughts are my own. Don’t forget to check out the reader discount below!

Since going from working on my feet full-time to working on my rear full-time (desk job) I’ve noticed a steep decline in overall body health. Not just weight gain, though there has been some of that, but just how I feel. I don’t sleep as well, I get tired more often, and I am sore constantly. Like most people out there, I’m not making time for exercise. I have plenty of excuses, but truly, it is just that other things are taking priority right now.

I have continued to let my body get more and more worked up—all they while telling myself I didn’t have time to exercise in the day. You won’t ever hear me argue with anyone who says they don’t have time to exercise. I understand it. Working three jobs, being a mom, wife, friend, sibling, and daughter… well, lets just say I didn’t even have enough time to do any of those things very well.

However, now I’ve come to realize that me not taking a little extra time to stretch at my desk, talk a long walk, or even do a little yoga, is actually eating into my time even more.  I began to feel the affects of no sleep and constant pain seep into my work. The idea of sitting on the ground playing blocks with my child sounds tedious, exhausting and painful. Staying up longer than 8PM in the evenings to hang out with my husband, or help put my son to bed, became a trial. Though, going to bed at 8PM never helped me sleep more than 5 hours at night anyways. Well, you get the idea.

The moment has come that I prioritize exercise. It is about self-care. It is about maximizing the quality of life. And, well, it is about damn time.

Prioritize Exercise // A Well Crafted Party— Life is a party, celebrate it!

Stretching my schedule for more self-care in the form of yoga

A long while back I had a doctor recommend yoga to me for health issues. I nodded my head, and even went through with buying a few online yoga downloads and hitting a class or two… but, I only actually tried it a few times before giving it up. Right when the “Come to the Treadmill” moment happened for me I received an email from YogaOutlet.com sharing about their Summer Yoga Sale happening this August. I was more than a little excited to work with them and order a few items from their website.

After perusing the site for a bit I landed on the idea of trying out yoga at home again. Getting to the gym is almost impossible for me these days, and doing yoga at home means my kiddo can do some poses along with me. Quality time with kiddo and great self-care combined? WINNING. I decided to order the Gaiam Yoga for Beginners Kit that comes with a yoga mat, strap, block and beginner yoga disk. And, because ALL of that was less than $30 I decided to throw in the Gaiam AM/PM Yoga for Beginners DVD. I like the idea of doing a short bit of yoga in the morning to energize myself, and different poses in the evening to sort of unwind. And, because I had no where to store a bunch of yoga stuff, I bought a nifty little bag that keeps most of it all contained for me and waiting right by my bedroom door ready to head out to the living room for use.

(I have friends who swear by the Gaiam Yoga Back Care DVD… so, if I end up enjoying these DVDs and using them more than a handful of times, then I’m adding that one to the list. I’ll try to update this post after I’ve done the DVDs more than just a few times and let you know how they are working out.)

I haven’t been very consistent yet, but having my yoga mat ready to go has helped. I’m hoping to get even more consistent so I can soon justify buying some of their really cute yoga apparel!

A Well Crafted Party readers can get a one-time 15% discount at YogaOutlet.com by using the promo code “bridgepose” at check-out on your first purchase! Orders above $49 get free shipping as well. 

Have you tried at home yoga before? If so, what are your tips for keeping it consistent? Which videos do you like?