I’ll be the first to admit that I’m really not a baseball fan.  I find it boring, so I don’t necessarily jump at the chance to go to Red Sox games.  I do enjoy going to one or two games a season for the atmosphere, but that’s about it.  However, when the folks at New Balance contacted me to see if I would be interested in attending the first ever yoga event at Fenway Park, I did jump at the opportunity.  As much as I hate baseball, I love my city of Boston.  And I can appreciate how symbolic Fenway Park is to all the people who live here.  I just knew that being a part of a fitness class held at Fenway was just something I couldn’t pass up.  And since yoga hasn’t been such a big part of my life as of late, I was excited to get back on the mat again.

Plus, New Balance not only offered to sponsor my attendance at this unforgettable night, but they spoiled me with a ton of new workout gear from their Anue yoga collection too.  These clothes are all SO comfortable and each top and pair of crop pants are so flattering.  I love the yoga flats too!  Obviously I wore as many pieces as I could to Fenway last week!

Class was held on the warning track around the field, so when I arrived I just snagged a spot between home plate and first base.  I was there by myself so I didn’t have any friends to sit near, but I did run into one of the yoga instructors from the Y, and it was nice to see a familiar face.  I snapped a bunch of pictures before class got started.

The class was taught by yoga instructor Rebecca Pacheco of Om Gal.  You could tell she was just absolutely thrilled to be teaching this class, a once in a lifetime opportunity.  As a fitness instructor, I can’t even imagine what she must have felt seconds before starting class.

Rebecca led us through a 90 minute yoga flow.  I enjoyed (and appreciated) her attempts at bringing baseball into the theme of the class.  Poses that had to do with baseball words, saying “OM Team instead of HOME team,” playing Sweet Caroline as one of the songs, you get the idea.  As you guys know, I’m a sucker for themed exercise classes.

The only thing that I did not enjoy about class was the temperature.  It was FREEZING out and honestly too cold for outdoor yoga.  I don’t think many people came ready for such a cold night because it had been a beautiful warm day out before class started.  I didn’t even bring socks or anything heavier than a zip-up jacket, so I don’t think I got as much out of the class as I would have on any other day.  My muscles were just too cold to flow through the postures as effectively as I would normally be able to, and my toes were numb by the end.  Despite the temperature, I did really enjoy Rebecca’s style, and I would love to check out a class with her another time.

The best part of the night was just being in the middle of Fenway Park.  Literally, just being.  I tried not to think about anything else.  I tried to practice mindfulness.  This is something I’ve been learning a lot about in my wellness coaching class.  As I went from pose to pose, I couldn’t help but feel blessed.  Thankful for a lot of things in my life.  And inspired to do more, to continue to grow as an instructor and fuel my passion for fitness even more than I already do.  And as we laid in shavasanah at the end of class, everything was just so still.  For a place that is always moving and crowded with the hustle and bustle of baseball fans, it was just pretty freaking awesome to be lying there and looking up at the open sky above us.  In quiet.  In peace.

Thank you (again), New Balance, for sending me to such an unforgettable night.