November is here, and the warmth at Up Yoga is about to feel even more delicious.
As the temperatures drop and the evenings get darker, there's something especially grounding about stepping into a warm room, rolling out your mat, and moving alongside familiar faces. The sun is gone before you've finished your workday, the air outside has an edge to it, and the idea of staying in sweatpants until morning starts to sound very reasonable.
We get it. But we'd like to make a different suggestion for this time of year.
Try the last class of the evening.
Why the Last Class of the Day Is Worth Trying
Most of us default to the class that fits easiest into our schedule, which often means squeezing in a session right after work, right when everyone else is doing the same. The final class of the evening works a little differently. It gives you a clear line between the workday and the rest of your night.
By the time you walk in, the busiest part of the day is behind you. You've had time to eat something light, settle your head, and shift out of work mode. The room is warm, the lights are low, and there's nowhere else you need to be.
That's a different experience from a rushed lunch-break class or a quick stop on the way home. It's an hour that actually closes the day.
A Simple Evening Routine
Here's the version we recommend.
Have a light supper. Practicing on a heavy meal isn't comfortable, and practicing on an empty stomach can leave you lightheaded in a heated room. Something small a couple of hours beforehand tends to work well.
Come stretch and release the day. Whether you choose a strong flow to shake off the workday, a slow flow to wind down, or yin to really stop, the point is the same. You're giving your body a place to put down everything it has been carrying since morning: the tight shoulders, the desk posture, the long drive, the tension you didn't notice you were holding.
Head home and go straight to bed. After a heated class, many people feel calm, a little heavy in the best way, and ready to rest. Letting that feeling carry you into your evening, rather than interrupting it with a full second round of tasks, is part of what makes this routine work.
Skip the Phone After Class
This might be the hardest part, and probably the most valuable.
We ask you to keep your phone silent during class, and we'd like to extend that one step further this month. When class ends, try not to pick it back up right away. Don't check the email that came in, don't open the group chat, don't start scrolling in the car.
You just spent an hour giving yourself permission to be unreachable. The calm you built in that room is easy to undo in about thirty seconds of notifications. Letting the day stay put down, at least until you're home and settled, helps that feeling last a little longer.
You don't have to do it perfectly. Even one night of leaving the phone alone after class can show you how different an evening feels without it.
An Added Bonus: Skip the 6pm Rush
There's also a practical perk. Choosing the last class of the evening means you'll miss the 6pm rush at the studio. Earlier evening classes tend to fill up with people coming straight from work, and a later class gives you a little more breathing room, both in the room and on the way in.
If the busier times have kept you from coming as often as you'd like, this might be an easy fix.
Why It Feels So Good in the Winter
Minneapolis winters ask a lot of us. The darkness arrives early, the cold makes us tense and contracted, and it takes real effort to leave a cozy house once you've settled in.
A warm studio in the evening is a natural counterweight. Stepping out of the dark and cold into a heated room, moving with other people who also chose to show up, and then going home loose and quiet is one of the more satisfying ways to spend a winter night. It also makes the habit easier to keep. When your practice becomes the thing that ends your day rather than one more item squeezed into it, it's much easier to look forward to.
Come In Out of the Dark
If you've been coming to class at the same time every week, consider trying something different this month. Pick the last class of the evening, eat something light, leave the phone alone afterward, and see how your night feels.
We'll leave the lights low for you.
View the full class schedule at upyogamn.com and find the evening class that fits how you're feeling. 🧡