The Advoc8te is one busy girl, the fact that I am writing this post at 3:47am is proof of that. So as a blogger/advocate/entrepreneur/badass I am always on the go. It's very hard to get some down time so I settle for little recharge breaks between projects. My idea of "relaxing" is allowing myself 10 minutes to have a glass of wine while perusing Amazon Prime or Travelocity. 

All work and no play make The Advoc8te a very productive (but sometimes tense) girl. 

So yesterday (Wednesday) I decided to make a change; I decided to take a pass on the Moscato in favor of a little meditation. I jumped into some yoga pants and headed up the block to the Congress Heights Arts & Culture center for their weekly Kemetic yoga class. Taught by Dark Matter Lit, this $5 yoga class (you read that right!) was at the right price point, at the right time and in the right location (a 2 minute drive from the crib).

First and foremost, the atmosphere was exactly what I needed. Everything was so welcoming the senses. Incense made the room feel exotic, it was pleasantly warm,  relaxing music and the glow of candles surrounded the room. I shook out my yoga mat (a giveaway from last year's Broccoli Fest I finally got to use) and got ready to get down to the business of "getting down." 

Let me say this, I still have no idea what Kemetic yoga is but it was EXACTLY what I needed! The pace and movements were easy, flowed naturally and really gave me a chance to not only focus on my breathing but calm my mind. I felt alive and relaxed all at once and while I could hear the noise/shenanigans on the street at first, even that faded away. I unplugged! 

In terms of attendees, there were 10 of us in total and we really filled the main space (or I think it was the main space). Nine ladies (counting the shero instructor) and one man (a former colleague who loves his yoga!) traveled together on a 90-minute journey marked by deep breaths, deep stretches, deep twists and deep relaxation. It really was just deep all around. 

Besides having the opportunity to relax, it was really awesome to commune in that intimate space with the flickering candlelight with people who lived in my own neighborhood! I'm not new to yoga (or community yoga classes) but I haven't taken a class all year so this was a really great way to get my "om" on. My classmates were welcoming and we laughed and giggled when our stretches resulted in mini collisions with our neighbor. It made the entire experience all the more like family, like bumping into your sister in the hallway.

As evening turned into twilight and twilight turned into night, the studio space darkened further, our stretching bodies glowing with the backlight of the candles. We were transformed into "Dark Matter Lit" and it was something so lovely. I have to be honest, I tried to keep my mind still but I was distracted, wishing I could have taken a photo because it looked (and felt) just so magical. It felt so...authentic. It felt like a tribe of empowered people moving in unison in our individual peace. Luckily the instructor took some photos and a video that I am including in this post.  

There were a lot more great parts of the class but to be honest, I almost don't want to share them because I want to make sure they have space for me next week! I am definetly going back! 

So, as long as you promise to save me a spot in the next class, you really should go. At only $5/class ($1 for a mat rental) it really is a steal and a much better alternative to happy hour (and I love happy hour!). I had such a great time that I paid twice because I was so appreciative of how great I felt at the end of class.

And in case you are wondering, this is a perfect class for beginners, intermediates and yogi fanatics. I highly recommend it.