Moksha Yoga

Location: 14927 111 Ave
Price: varies
Phone: 780-481-3070
Website: http://www.mokshayogaedmonton.com/

I've always been a big fan of yoga, but when the idea of hot yoga was brought up, I thought, "are you crazy?" I pictured this sauna with a bunch of really sweaty people smelling like dead rats (as my mom would describe the worst smell in the world). Not to mention just how do they propose I do the downward facing dog in 40 degree-heat? I can barely walk when it's above 25! I was intrigued bythe idea, but they say curiousity killed the cat, and I didn't want to take the chance.

I'm a sucker though. Let's face it, if everyone is doing it, chances are, I will eventually jump on the boat too. So when my friends Lisa & Candice called at 6 pm one evening and invited me to try it out, I internally struggled and wanted so desperately to say no, but I wanted so badly to fit in that I agreed!

Getting to the place was pretty easy, and there was plenty of parking. We got there a few minutes early and there was a long line up already!

For newcomers, they have a special deal where you can get a one-week unlimited pass for $20. For returning students (and at the time, I wasn't sure why anyone would want to return), it's $16 drop in rate with various prices available if you want to buy in class cards in packs of 5, 10, 20, or 50 (you mean people come back 50 times?!).

The place was a lot more modern than I anticipated. I'm not sure what I was expecting - the idea of sweat and stuff, I guess I was imagining a damp, dark, and just a hole in a wall. I was definately proven wrong! Maybe hot yoga wouldn't be so bad afterall!

Going into this super packed room, you could instantly feel the heat. The lights were down and they ask that you respect the silence. I put my yoga mat down and just laid there enjoying the solitude. I had a good feeling about this. I almost fell asleep waiting for class to begin!

It just so happened that the first time I went for hot yoga, we had an instructor that enjoyed taking poses to the next level! We were holding poses for a few seconds longer and we were doing just one more set each time...at 40 degrees, it was as if I was run over by a truck...10 times. I was DRIPPING sweat from places I never even knew had sweat glands! When they told me to bring a towel, I thought it was for afterwards, but my towel was soaked 10 minutes into class!

Was I more flexible? I didn't notice! I was so immersed by the fact that my ENTIRE body was like a human waterfall. I made it half way and I had to rest (thank goodness I wasn't the only beginner there at the time!), and I drank my whole bottle of water by the end of class. I thought I would be more self conscious about how I looked and stuff, but really, there was just no room for that at all! I was not only distracted by the neverending flow of liquid coming out of my body, but I was also trying really hard to concentrate on all the different poses. There was just not a moment where I could even glance around to see how everyone was doing.

Surprisingly, the room didn't feel unsanitary nor did it smell like dead rats. It was super spacious and could easily fit 40 people (but we squeeze in 50 at max!). They have cork studio floors which were super comfortable to walk on, and they use radiant heating panels to save up to 40% energy! Even their cleaning products are environmentally friendly.

Did I go back? Why yes, I did! I thought for $20, I may as well make use of my unlimited pass! Even though I didn't fall in love with hot yoga the first night, I definately grew to love it in the past few months. In fact, now going to both hot and regular yoga, I do notice that I am more flexible during hot yoga. Sure, during the tree pose, my foot would keep slipping off my sweaty leg, but overall, I do notice how much further I can stretch myself in the heat, and I always feel so refreshed and awake afterwards. Yoga instructors varies at Moksha yoga, but they really are all super fantastic. One thing I absolutely love about yoga is that all the instructors are so zen and peaceful, and it really calms the busiest minds.

Couple things to note: Please don't make a last-minute decision to go to hot yoga like I did. If you're going to go, plan it out and drink at least 8-10 glasses of water throughout the day. Eat light before class. Trust me, I didn't do this and I thought my head was going to split in half and I thought I was going to pass out! Freeze a bottle of water the night before and bring it to class, you'll be thankful for something cool to drink at 40 degrees. And when you feel tired, it's okay to take a break and go into child pose. It took me a couple of months to get through the entire class without a break.

At $16/class, this normally wouldn't be something I would recommend as affordable. But what's awesome about this place is that they offer "Karma Classes" on Friday nights at 9 pm for a minimum of $5 donation with all proceeds going to a different charity every month! What's more, for the month of June, they have in-training instructors and offering "community classes" on Wednesday at 9:30 am and Fridays at 6:30 am. It's hard to find regular yoga at that price, let alone hot yoga!

They offer change rooms with shower stalls. They provide soap and a place to leave your stuff. Their tap water is also filtered and cold incase you run out of water. Mat rentals are also available, check the website for more details.

If you're going to be sweating this summer anyway, why not sweat it out at Moksha yoga? The owner Angie is an awesome and positive person who always greets you with a smile! If you're feeling a little restless lately, I promise you a little dose of sweat will give you the experience you'll never forget!

Sobeys Live Music

Location: Sobeys Downtown: 10404 Jasper Ave ; Sobeys College Plaza: 8225 112 St
Price: Free!
Date/Time: Every Friday/Saturday from 5 pm to 9 pm

Amanda wrote last week about how getting older has left us needing to exercise. Unfortunately, metabolism isn't the only thing that age has taken away from us! Back in the day, we could go clubbing every Friday and Saturday, drinking 2 nights in a row just meant sleeping it off on Sunday, and the loud constant rings in our ears normally disappeared after a quick snooze. Late twenties hit and we're left pondering how to spend our weekends so we're home by midnight to avoid further break down of our aging bodies. (Dramatic, I know. I'm not sure how we'll handle the 30's)

I was glancing through the newspaper one day for things to do, and I did a double take when I read "Come to Sobeys for Live Music every Friday and Saturday starting in May". Sobeys? The grocery store?

Since a place like Whyte Ave is no longer our best friend, we strolled over to Sobeys one Friday night to see what this is all about. Bryan and I were running a little late, so Amanda texted me:

7:30 pm from Amanda: U here yet
7:31 pm from Carly: Almost, 5 min away
7:34 pm from Amanda: There's no music
Carly: speechless

Bryan and I found a parking spot not too far away at a meter and when walked in to Sobeys, Amanda was right, there was no music. Were we at the wrong place? Were we misinformed? Were we too late?

Walking to the far end of the store - there it was - a coffee/drinks bar in the corner. Surprisingly, it was bright, warm, and inviting. They had a fireplace in the far wall along with a couple of really nice comfy chairs. There were a few tables - both low and high - along with some modern decoration. It seemed that the band was just taking a break, so we were relieved to know that we didn't miss the show entirely!

We quickly grabbed a spot at the bar. They serve a variety of food like sandwiches, fries, and salads. Along with that, they also serve coffee, tea, and fancy lattes. Price-wise, the food is reasonable. I settled for a glass of house red for $5 (one of their daily specials) while the boys got a bucket of beer (4 in a bucket) for $12. If you didn't want what's on their menu, you can always buy food from the grocery store (they have a fresh sushi bar!) and bring it in. It's super convenient! They also offer a buck a shuck every Thursday and Friday at Sobeys for their raw oysters. I had 10 one night and I must admit, they were so fresh and juicy I thought I was in heaven! It was super laid back, a perfect setting where you can read a magazine or newspaper, settle down and enjoy the music, or chat with your friends without it being too distracting. The audience ranged from kids to people our age to older retirees - they really catered to everyone!

So if you're looking for something a little more laid back to do on the weekend, why not check out the live music at Sobey's? It's always a local band (and at Cheap Chicks, we fully support local businesses!) and it's cheap! For $2 (a coffee), you can literally enjoy 4 hours of entertainment. Go buy a magazine and come sit by the fire, you'll feel right at home!

This week (May.22 and May 23), they're featuring Adurey Ochoa Trio (jazz) at the downtown location, and Dan Davis Trio (jazz) at the College Plaza location. Would love to hear how you feel about live music at a grocery store!

Crankpots Ceramic Studio

Location: 10702 82 Ave.
Phone #: 780-414-1005
Time: Mon.-Fri. 10am-9pm, Sat. 10am-6pm, Sun. 12pm-5pm
http://www.crankpots.ca/
CASH ONLY!!



A couple months ago we were planning a girls weekend and trying to think of daytime activities that everyone would enjoy. Should we go to a spa, or the farmer's market, or just out for lunch? Carly eventually came up with the idea of Crankpots! We thought Crankpots would give us the opportunity to combine girl bonding time and creativity; plus none of us had been before so we thought we'd check it out on Saturday!

Carly : We drove in circles around Whyte Ave. a few times before we found a parking spot "a mile" away. (Amanda: aka - 2 blocks)

Walking into the studio it was an opposite experience to the perogy dinner. There were children everywhere. Amanda: and I mean EVERYWHERE! (Carly: there was a little corner left for us.)

Being Crankpot virgins we appreciated not having to wait long before one of the staff members approached us to offer assistance. We learned that there was a $10 studio fee to use the space (unlimited time) and a $3 glazing/firing fee. Before we were allowed to touch any of the pieces she sent us to wash our hands. This is to prevent the transfer of oils from your hands to the pieces which will ruin your piece after it's fired.

Browsing through the pieces we tried to find ones that were practical and fit our budget. While a figurine for $7 fit the cheap chicks budget we could make better use of a $70 platter. It took us almost an hour to decide on an $18 bowl and a $20 plate (Amanda: TOO many kids in the way!)

Now it was time to get creative! The studio offers a variety of books and stencils to assist you; however, cheap chicks recommend that you walk in with an idea in mind otherwise you risk spending the next 2 hours choosing what to paint. In actuality it only took us an hour and a half!

The rest was a breeze! Whether you are artsy or not it's impossible not to have fun! Looking through the finished pieces even the simplest designs turned out well. Just pick your colors and paint away! We were so busy painting, chatting, and laughing that the next thing we knew the store was closing. If you haven't finished your piece have no fear! They do let you come back to finish without recharging you. When you're done you turn in your piece for firing. If you have a time limit keep in mind that it takes 8 days for them to finish your piece.



In total we spent $36 for 4 hours of fun, but what makes this a Cheap Chicks pick is Crankpots' Happy Hour which saves you the $10 studio fee during the following times:

10am-4pm Tuesday to Thursday
4pm-9pm on Wednesday (Students Only with valid ID)
All day Monday and Friday

This would bring our total to $26, but for $5 more you can also go on Tuesday or Thursday from 4pm-9pm and paint at the kids rate.

Crankpots also offers other deals on in studio parties as well as a paint at home option. Contact them for more information.

Overall this is a great idea for a girls weekend, staggette, birthday party or even a date! Throw in a meal and you can have a whole day of fun for under $40! As Martha would say - "Crankpots...it's a good thing."

NOTE: Unfortunately for Carly a small accident sent her bowl to Crankpot heaven. A new one is being reincarnated as we speak (at no charge). Our thoughts are with her during this time of need.