Namaste

It goes without saying that I was pretty bummed and upset when one of my very dear friends moved away from Boston and down to New York City last summer.  Of course, I was happy for her too - great job, closer to grad school, fresh start, NEW YORK CITY, etc., etc.. Obviously.  Still, selfishly, I was bummed.

One of the few good things to come out of her move - along with having a guaranteed place to crash in Brooklyn anytime I need my NYC fix (which is seemingly more and more often these days, but that's another post entirely...) was the fact that I was able to take over her gym membership.  Why not just get your own gym membership? you might be asking.  A good question.  And something that yes, normally I would do, if this was a normal gym with normal prices.  But you see, the thing about this spot is that it is incredibly swanky.  Before we go any further, let me clarify - I do not do swanky in gyms, mostly because I find the price tag insane.  ("I'm sorry, you want me to pay how much just to get sweaty and have locker room privileges?")   Oh, swanky is lovely, don't get me wrong.  Swanky has all the touches and comforts of home, with great showers, fabulous products out for any one's use, comfy benches to change on, built in locks in the lockers, and it always smells nice.  Always. 

Anyway, as one might expect, all that swank comes at a price.  However, seeing as my friend had signed up when the fancy-pants gym was just opening years ago - and because they were trying to increase their member numbers - she has never had to pay that full price.  Alas, when she tried to have her discounted membership moved down to the New York branch, she was declined.  To add insult to injury, she was told that her discount was grandfathered in - if she dropped it and tried to come back at another date she'd have to pay full price.

This is when she came up with the most brilliant idea ever.   Why not "give" me her discounted membership?  We swapped the automatic billing info to my credit card, so I get charged every month.  She handed off her plastic swiping pass thingy and voila! I was in.  With the discount.  Access to the most amazing yoga classes ever.  Wins all around, right?

Except for one tiny little detail.  We couldn't switch the name on the account, because then they'd know -- the jig is up, nothing but full price swank for me.  So while I've been eternally grateful for my access to this little haven, I've also felt, upon arrival, the exact opposite of how one is supposed to feel when they enter a yoga class.  What if I'm found out?  What if they terminate the membership?  What if I can't get back to the swank I've now grown so very fond of?  I've kept a low profile because of this fear, sliding in and out of my classes as fast as I could, never really lingering too long around instructors or other members.  I have even gone so far as to avoid talking to my favorite teacher there for fear of being "discovered."

Which, yes, I know, is ridiculous and insane.  Irrationality happens to the best of us, gang.  

Last night though, I couldn't bear it any longer and I finally worked up the nerve to go introduce myself to my instructor post-class.  (I think she's so awesome, it's like she's taken on a rock star sort of status in my mind.)  You guys.  She was UNBELIEVABLY nice (of course she was) and even said she knew I came to so many of her classes and was trying to figure out a way for us to officially meet - since it's been months when she didn't know my name.  Of course,  I didn't tell her about the whole switcheroo but she at least knows my (real) name now.  What a relief!  I left the studio feeling about 10,000 times lighter than I have in the past.  She even said that she was looking forward to seeing me in class the next night, so clearly she's figured out my class-going schedule at this point.  Oh, I hope they don't ever catch on to this discounted scheme, obviously, but it sure does feel nice to know my instructor can greet me by name going forward.

I'm not entirely sure what the point of this whole post was, except, that last night served as a very good, very necessary reminder to me -- that sometimes, you just need to go ahead and say hello.