The struggle

I got back into the hot room today, as promised. It had only been 4 days since my last class, but it felt like forever. I was surprised at how good I felt in class. I didn't feel particularly strong, but I was able to push in new ways I've never been able to. My balance in half moon was so solid that I could get really deep into the posture and feel the stretch, which I normally don't.

The rest of my balance was pretty poor, however, especially in standing bow pulling pose. I keep pitching to the side in that pose, which I think has to do with (surprise, surprise) my hips being out of alignment. I worked on pushing my hips and abdomen flat today. It was a struggle, but struggle is good.

I have been getting that stupid hamstring pain in my left leg again in standing separate leg stretching. I talked to my instructor about it today after class and she suggested keeping my feet closer together to begin, pushing my weight into my toes, and getting my hands under my heels. I will try this tomorrow and see how it goes. It would be nice to actually be able to hold this pose instead of having to huff and puff out of it cause my hamstring is on fire.

Bow was pretty hard for me today, too. My spine felt really inflexible, which is probably due to not exercising it for a while. I also did a decent amount of running in my break from yoga, which I've really felt in my body. My biggest problem in that pose is keeping my weight balanced and my knees six inches apart. I also push the two sides up differently somehow, because one leg is always higher or closer in than the other.

Camel was magnificent. It was so cleansing to feel my beloved spine tingles again. It really is worth the entire class to get that feeling. The floor series is totally the best part of class for me. The standing series always knocks me around a lot. It's much more difficult for me, since a lot of balance is required and I'm not quite there yet. I feel like I get a lot more immediate physical benefit from the floor series, because I can feel the blood rushing through my body more.

Really, the most important thing about class today is that I got there and I completed it. I'm back, and it feels good. I'm taking class again tomorrow afternoon, in the name of staying dedicated to my practice.