Ladies and gentlemen, I am hitting my stride.
Class has gotten to the point where it just feels good. Even if I have a sort of hard class with the dizzies or my focus, I still feel amazing when I leave. I'm noticing a lot of emotional releases in class now (camel and rabbit, i'm looking at you) and it feels unlike anything I've ever felt before. It's a lightness; it's an unloading. I am so intensely grateful for this feeling.
In awesome body-image news: I'm starting to notice HUGE changes in my body. A lady I see at class on occasion stopped me today and said, "I just wanted to say that I haven't been at class in the past two weeks and I can't believe how good you look since the last time I saw you! How much weight have you lost?" - to which I blushed, stammered, and said, "Creeping up on 50 pounds now!" and then it kind of hit me that I've almost lost 50 pounds. The most weight I've ever shed in the past was 35 pounds and that was with obsessive calorie counting which, of course, led to failure. I don't count calories or track my food or measure my portions anymore. I just do my yoga and it works itself out. What a release.
It's a little weird to, like, check myself out in the mirror but I've been taking visual notes on my body to track my changes. I've noticed some really big changes in my upper body since starting yoga but especially lately. My arm muscles are getting pretty defined (though I'll need to lose more fat before you can really see it), and my collarbone is starting to become visible further up towards the shoulder. On the lower half, my legs are freaking diesel (for me) and my hip bones have come out to say hi. This might sound weird but I had such a messed up idea of where my hips actually were. I now know! Heh.
I've had varying degrees of energy after class this week. Yesterday, I had the most ridiculous crazy energy. I couldn't sit still and I did an awful lot of standing. I kept finding myself creeping up on my toes and trying to balance (since the second part of awkward pose is hell for me to find my balance in) and I was light, happy, and talkative.
It makes me a little emotional when I look back on my progress just in the past year. When Jason and I went to New York City in September of last fall, I felt disabled by my size. I developed crazy pain and numbness in my right leg from the first day of walking. By the last day of our trip, I had to embarrassingly insist on taking a cab everywhere because my leg hurt so bad I couldn't walk. It was humiliating. I have never felt so bad about myself in my life as I did on that trip.
And now? I want to walk everywhere. Hell, I can even run - and not just fast walking, but actual running! My legs are strong and I know my quads are built up enough to guide my kneecaps (which was a problem I encountered when I first started to get in shape). I'm no longer handicapped by my size. I have come to a point in my life where the question of hitting my goal weight isn't even a question anymore, it's just a matter of time. I don't have any doubts I can be at a healthy weight for my height. My determination is fixed. I will be a success story and then I will help other people find the same success and experience this peace.
I do believe I have found my calling.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Friday, November 19, 2010
Days 10 & 11
The past two classes were great! I feel like I've had a big breakthrough with my breathing. I've been really focusing on my breath in class and it's helped me to stave off the dizzies and go much further into poses than normal. I have also started to come to like the feeling of blood being cut off to a certain body part, then flooding back in. It's taken a while. I hated the feeling at first but now it's something I look forward to in so many postures. I like that this practice makes me enjoy sensations I used to hate!
I'm finding a lot of success lately in hands to feet pose. I still can't get my face on my legs below my knees but it's looming ever closer. I think I've finally figured out the balance of weight, which always skyrockets my success in any posture. I've started pushing my hips up, which helps to pull my face below my knees. I definitely feel the stretch deeper than I ever have in that pose, so I know I'm doing something right!
I'm seeing small improvements in triangle. Mostly, I can at least attempt the pose now without nearly fainting. A teacher a couple classes ago told us to keep the weight in the heels, which will help with sliding feet. It works! So now my biggest problem in triangle is balancing once I turn my head up to the ceiling. Once I turn my head, I basically collapse and fall over. I'm working on it.
Bow is seriously my new favorite. I can feel so much going on in my spine during and after it! I think it's really helping to tone up my glutes, too. The last few seconds of bow really burn but it's so worth it to hold til the very end for the rush of blood that floods my entire back post-release.
Classes are going so well and I'm starting to be in love with my daily practice. I can't wait to go back tomorrow! The closer together I take classes, the better they tend to feel in my body. The noon tomorrow is going to be a beauty!
Also, for the friend of Rachel's in East Texas who is currently doing a 60-day challenge in her bathroom who reads this blog: Hi! You are an inspiration! Keep up the awesome work. :)
I'm finding a lot of success lately in hands to feet pose. I still can't get my face on my legs below my knees but it's looming ever closer. I think I've finally figured out the balance of weight, which always skyrockets my success in any posture. I've started pushing my hips up, which helps to pull my face below my knees. I definitely feel the stretch deeper than I ever have in that pose, so I know I'm doing something right!
I'm seeing small improvements in triangle. Mostly, I can at least attempt the pose now without nearly fainting. A teacher a couple classes ago told us to keep the weight in the heels, which will help with sliding feet. It works! So now my biggest problem in triangle is balancing once I turn my head up to the ceiling. Once I turn my head, I basically collapse and fall over. I'm working on it.
Bow is seriously my new favorite. I can feel so much going on in my spine during and after it! I think it's really helping to tone up my glutes, too. The last few seconds of bow really burn but it's so worth it to hold til the very end for the rush of blood that floods my entire back post-release.
Classes are going so well and I'm starting to be in love with my daily practice. I can't wait to go back tomorrow! The closer together I take classes, the better they tend to feel in my body. The noon tomorrow is going to be a beauty!
Also, for the friend of Rachel's in East Texas who is currently doing a 60-day challenge in her bathroom who reads this blog: Hi! You are an inspiration! Keep up the awesome work. :)
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Days 8 & 9
Jason and I decided to do another 8:15 pm / 7:30 am class pairing this week so that we could practice together. I'm actually growing to like this structure; it feels almost like a double since the classes are so close together. We had the same teacher for each and I feel like he got the best out of both of us, so score!
Last night's class was so great that after I got home, I couldn't stop buzzing around the house doing things. Jason and I started a fire in the fireplace and I went on to finally clean the bedroom of our post-vacation debris (suitcases, clothes all over the place, etc). I cleaned the laundry room a touch and did a slew of laundry. It was awesome to have so much energy, especially so late at night when I usually just want to lay on the couch and be lazy. Jason did all the dishes and cooked a delicious dinner for the both of us. Yay, yoga energy!
The 7:30 class this morning was a good one as well, though I am pretty physically tired right now. Granted, I only got a few hours of sleep, so it's understandable. I'm definitely not as tired as I normally would be after five hours of sleep, so there is something to doing yoga to stave off tiredness.
The teacher today told me he thinks I should start competing. Talk about a total shock! I don't really think of myself as competition-ready but I suppose that competition isn't really about winning a prize, it's about pushing your practice. I explained that I'm aiming to teach sometime in the future and he said competition could help me get there. It's an interesting thought, one I will likely bandy around in my head for some time before I settle into it. I know I plan on doing another 60-day challenge basically as soon as this one's over, so that's a step in the right direction.
This challenge feels a lot different from the last one. In the last one, I was focused on just getting through and making it in the door every day. I'm now able to do so much more of all the postures and I derive much more benefit from each asana as a result. I am not daunted at all at the thought of going to class every day for the next 51 days. I'm actually looking forward to it. It's ten times more fun now that Jason and I are going together. I love the ride home after class where we compare notes about how class went for each of us.
I'm very happy these days and I have this practice to thank. :)
Last night's class was so great that after I got home, I couldn't stop buzzing around the house doing things. Jason and I started a fire in the fireplace and I went on to finally clean the bedroom of our post-vacation debris (suitcases, clothes all over the place, etc). I cleaned the laundry room a touch and did a slew of laundry. It was awesome to have so much energy, especially so late at night when I usually just want to lay on the couch and be lazy. Jason did all the dishes and cooked a delicious dinner for the both of us. Yay, yoga energy!
The 7:30 class this morning was a good one as well, though I am pretty physically tired right now. Granted, I only got a few hours of sleep, so it's understandable. I'm definitely not as tired as I normally would be after five hours of sleep, so there is something to doing yoga to stave off tiredness.
The teacher today told me he thinks I should start competing. Talk about a total shock! I don't really think of myself as competition-ready but I suppose that competition isn't really about winning a prize, it's about pushing your practice. I explained that I'm aiming to teach sometime in the future and he said competition could help me get there. It's an interesting thought, one I will likely bandy around in my head for some time before I settle into it. I know I plan on doing another 60-day challenge basically as soon as this one's over, so that's a step in the right direction.
This challenge feels a lot different from the last one. In the last one, I was focused on just getting through and making it in the door every day. I'm now able to do so much more of all the postures and I derive much more benefit from each asana as a result. I am not daunted at all at the thought of going to class every day for the next 51 days. I'm actually looking forward to it. It's ten times more fun now that Jason and I are going together. I love the ride home after class where we compare notes about how class went for each of us.
I'm very happy these days and I have this practice to thank. :)
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Days 5-7
Days 5 & 6 of practice were absolutely amazing. I had two of the best classes I've ever had! Day 6 was notably great, as I was able to do at least one set of every posture and was actually able to do both sets of most postures. I did some insanely deep (for me) backbends and I was ablaze with energy after class. It was surreal; I was in the world's best mood and had enough energy to run on all day long. I was so happy to recapture the best benefits from a regular yoga practice relatively quickly.
Day 7, however, was a much different story. I had one of my hardest classes in a long, long time. I had a particularly terrible, knee-buckling bout of the dizzies. I tried to only squat for a few moments and come back up to standing, but I just didn't have the strength. I pushed myself as far as I could go but I didn't feel well in class. Even sitting up was awful, so from camel to the end of class, I just laid in savasana. Around this time, I started to get a very unsettling numb tingling sensation in my face, from my chin up to the bridge of my nose. I tried my best to not freak out about it and keep my breathing regular.
After class, I raced out to the front and explained what was going on with my face. They asked if I had drank enough water during the day, which I really had. I was using the restroom every half hour at work and felt super hydrated. I don't think I ate enough, though, and am a bit iron-deficient at this time. The front desk staff was really great and gave me a freshly-filled water bottle with some electrolyte powder. After drinking it, I felt much better and was able to pack up and head out.
I am glad I know that bad classes happen and to not be discouraged by them. Your body is different every day you go into the yoga room and my worst classes are often followed by great ones. My mindset is strong and I'm hoping for a great practice tonight!
Day 7, however, was a much different story. I had one of my hardest classes in a long, long time. I had a particularly terrible, knee-buckling bout of the dizzies. I tried to only squat for a few moments and come back up to standing, but I just didn't have the strength. I pushed myself as far as I could go but I didn't feel well in class. Even sitting up was awful, so from camel to the end of class, I just laid in savasana. Around this time, I started to get a very unsettling numb tingling sensation in my face, from my chin up to the bridge of my nose. I tried my best to not freak out about it and keep my breathing regular.
After class, I raced out to the front and explained what was going on with my face. They asked if I had drank enough water during the day, which I really had. I was using the restroom every half hour at work and felt super hydrated. I don't think I ate enough, though, and am a bit iron-deficient at this time. The front desk staff was really great and gave me a freshly-filled water bottle with some electrolyte powder. After drinking it, I felt much better and was able to pack up and head out.
I am glad I know that bad classes happen and to not be discouraged by them. Your body is different every day you go into the yoga room and my worst classes are often followed by great ones. My mindset is strong and I'm hoping for a great practice tonight!
Friday, November 12, 2010
Day 4: Early morning class
Today, Jason and I braved the 7:30 am class so we could still practice together but not have to miss out on Friday night fun. I'd never been to such an early class before and I must say, I kind of loved it. I like getting up and doing yoga first thing. Not only does it mean I don't have any anticipation during the day of having to go to class later, but it also means I get to enjoy the benefits all day long. Done with yoga by 9 am? Yes, please.
Most of my poses were kind of unremarkable. I felt a little unfocused. There was a lot of talking in the room before class started which made it really difficult to just focus on my breath, which in turn I think affected my pranayama breathing. The standing series was a bit shaky for me in places, but I did my best. Sometimes it's really hard to pull yourself together after you get that first wave of dizziness. I just worked on focusing and tried to stand as much as possible. I only went to the ground if I felt like a black-out would happen if I stayed upright.
The best pose of the day for me was definitely bow. I've got my brain wrapped around this one pretty solidly and I'm shocked at my depth. I still need to work on keeping just six inches between my knees and feet. Also, I have to figure out the shoulder rotation a bit better. There's a certain point when my shoulders need to rotate so I can continue pushing up with my legs without hurting my shoulders. Finding that point and relaxing into that while still pushing up is tough, but I like the feeling. I swear, I almost saw my feet over the top of my head today! It's going to be SO exciting when I do. Hopefully by the end of this challenge!
I also felt good in spine twist, which is usually not a great posture for me. I think I've finally got a handle on how to put pressure on my knee with my elbow to get the maximum twist in my spine. I can actually feel the twist now, which must mean I'm doing something right!
All in all, it was a solid class. And now I have the whole day in front of me! I've done my yoga before I'm normally even awake. How about that!
Most of my poses were kind of unremarkable. I felt a little unfocused. There was a lot of talking in the room before class started which made it really difficult to just focus on my breath, which in turn I think affected my pranayama breathing. The standing series was a bit shaky for me in places, but I did my best. Sometimes it's really hard to pull yourself together after you get that first wave of dizziness. I just worked on focusing and tried to stand as much as possible. I only went to the ground if I felt like a black-out would happen if I stayed upright.
The best pose of the day for me was definitely bow. I've got my brain wrapped around this one pretty solidly and I'm shocked at my depth. I still need to work on keeping just six inches between my knees and feet. Also, I have to figure out the shoulder rotation a bit better. There's a certain point when my shoulders need to rotate so I can continue pushing up with my legs without hurting my shoulders. Finding that point and relaxing into that while still pushing up is tough, but I like the feeling. I swear, I almost saw my feet over the top of my head today! It's going to be SO exciting when I do. Hopefully by the end of this challenge!
I also felt good in spine twist, which is usually not a great posture for me. I think I've finally got a handle on how to put pressure on my knee with my elbow to get the maximum twist in my spine. I can actually feel the twist now, which must mean I'm doing something right!
All in all, it was a solid class. And now I have the whole day in front of me! I've done my yoga before I'm normally even awake. How about that!
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Day 3: Back in the swing!
Ahhh, what a GREAT class I had today! For the first time in quite a while, I was able to make it through the standing series without sitting down. I had to take a couple pauses but they really were pauses and not full stops. I reconnected with my breath and pushed forward. And, let me tell you, I have been rewarded!
I feel so calm and at peace right now. My body is relaxed and free of tension and pain. My muscles are tired and a touch sore but I feel in control of them. I have a gentle skin humming which I think might outwardly translate as a touch of glow. I feel like I could either go run a marathon or fall into deep sleep. I haven't felt this good since... well, since I was regularly practicing over the summer.
I'm feeling the stretch all the way into my hip in half moon now. It's crazy how such a small adjustment can make all the difference in the world. I guess that's why this yoga remains challenging even after many years of practice. Awkward pose has gotten difficult for me and I struggle notably in the second part where you rise onto your toes. I always want to turn my hips out to get my balance. It's incredibly hard for me to stand on my toes with my feet in that alignment, so I just work on the very first part as hard as I can.
The standing series was full of rewards for me today! Standing bow is really becoming one of my favorite postures. I even got a compliment from the teacher after class about it today! Once I realized I was pushing my energy in the wrong direction, it just totally rocket-launched my leg up towards the sky. Come to find out, it makes balancing so much easier!
The floor series was great! I love this part of class so much. I am starting to understand why Bikram says the floor series is "where the real yoga begins." My spine's flexibility has increased a lot and that means I can get deeper into a lot of the postures. I really love bow pose. Additionally, camel was fantastic today. I pushed my knees into the ground and worked on opening my chest up to the sky. I came out of the second set with a huge smile on my face. It was so fantastic!
All in all, today was a great class and I got to share it with Jason, which made it even better. He had a great one too! He said it was possibly his best ever. Thumbs way up all around. I love these challenges!
I think the best part about regular practice is that it straightens up my food issues fast and definitively. After class, the thought of "bad" food is just kind of gross to me. I want vegetables and fruit and protein and small portions. It's honestly worth the effort of a daily practice just to be in control of my food choices. When you add in all the other benefits, it becomes even greater. Ahhh. Now, time for a salad!
I feel so calm and at peace right now. My body is relaxed and free of tension and pain. My muscles are tired and a touch sore but I feel in control of them. I have a gentle skin humming which I think might outwardly translate as a touch of glow. I feel like I could either go run a marathon or fall into deep sleep. I haven't felt this good since... well, since I was regularly practicing over the summer.
I'm feeling the stretch all the way into my hip in half moon now. It's crazy how such a small adjustment can make all the difference in the world. I guess that's why this yoga remains challenging even after many years of practice. Awkward pose has gotten difficult for me and I struggle notably in the second part where you rise onto your toes. I always want to turn my hips out to get my balance. It's incredibly hard for me to stand on my toes with my feet in that alignment, so I just work on the very first part as hard as I can.
The standing series was full of rewards for me today! Standing bow is really becoming one of my favorite postures. I even got a compliment from the teacher after class about it today! Once I realized I was pushing my energy in the wrong direction, it just totally rocket-launched my leg up towards the sky. Come to find out, it makes balancing so much easier!
The floor series was great! I love this part of class so much. I am starting to understand why Bikram says the floor series is "where the real yoga begins." My spine's flexibility has increased a lot and that means I can get deeper into a lot of the postures. I really love bow pose. Additionally, camel was fantastic today. I pushed my knees into the ground and worked on opening my chest up to the sky. I came out of the second set with a huge smile on my face. It was so fantastic!
All in all, today was a great class and I got to share it with Jason, which made it even better. He had a great one too! He said it was possibly his best ever. Thumbs way up all around. I love these challenges!
I think the best part about regular practice is that it straightens up my food issues fast and definitively. After class, the thought of "bad" food is just kind of gross to me. I want vegetables and fruit and protein and small portions. It's honestly worth the effort of a daily practice just to be in control of my food choices. When you add in all the other benefits, it becomes even greater. Ahhh. Now, time for a salad!
Day 2
Day 2 of my challenge was another step in the right direction. Jason wanted to practice yesterday, so I waited til he was out of work and we hit up the 8:15 pm class. This class is usually pretty empty and yesterday was no exception. I sometimes love a smaller class, usually if it means the instructor gives a lot of personal corrections. Other times, I wish I had the bigger class to feed off the group energy. Either way, I know my class is dictated by my attitude and will and none of these details I sometimes obsess over.
The beginning of class was great for me again. I focused on locking my elbows a lot. I pulled harder and stretched further in hands to feet than I have in a long time. The stretch felt so good. The problem is, when I really push myself in the warmup, I'm pretty much hosed for the rest of the standing series. I know I have to just keep pushing myself in the beginning and my stamina will increase. I'll be able to struggle a little more with each attempt.
So, my standing series was lackluster at best. However, I had a good separate leg stretching with ZERO pain in either hamstring! And by zero pain, I mean zero bad pain. There was plenty of good stretching muscle pain. Savasana was really, really awesome after struggling through the first part of class.
The floor series has REALLY begun to open up to me. I love the spine strengthening series so much! I have strengthened my glutes and back enough that I've improved my depth in the last part of locust. I can actually feel muscles working that I've never used before. It's weird to explain, but I've never been a muscular person so to get to the point where I normally hit a wall and then have another muscle kick in to take over is really a bizarre and fantastic sensation.
Bow pose is getting really great! I love feeling the compression in different parts of my spine. I've wrapped my head around pushing my legs up instead of out and back, which has changed my approach to both standing and floor bow.
So, today, I'm exhausted and unfocused. I am going to rest a bit before class tonight (Jason and I are doing the 8:15 again) and hope that sleep and a decent meal will give me some energy. I know I'm tired because I'm exerting myself as much as I can in class and that if I keep it up, I will eventually get back to having energy instead of being drained. Just have to get over the hump. It's coming and I just have to work for it.
...and then, I'll think twice before letting my practice slip away again. ;D
The beginning of class was great for me again. I focused on locking my elbows a lot. I pulled harder and stretched further in hands to feet than I have in a long time. The stretch felt so good. The problem is, when I really push myself in the warmup, I'm pretty much hosed for the rest of the standing series. I know I have to just keep pushing myself in the beginning and my stamina will increase. I'll be able to struggle a little more with each attempt.
So, my standing series was lackluster at best. However, I had a good separate leg stretching with ZERO pain in either hamstring! And by zero pain, I mean zero bad pain. There was plenty of good stretching muscle pain. Savasana was really, really awesome after struggling through the first part of class.
The floor series has REALLY begun to open up to me. I love the spine strengthening series so much! I have strengthened my glutes and back enough that I've improved my depth in the last part of locust. I can actually feel muscles working that I've never used before. It's weird to explain, but I've never been a muscular person so to get to the point where I normally hit a wall and then have another muscle kick in to take over is really a bizarre and fantastic sensation.
Bow pose is getting really great! I love feeling the compression in different parts of my spine. I've wrapped my head around pushing my legs up instead of out and back, which has changed my approach to both standing and floor bow.
So, today, I'm exhausted and unfocused. I am going to rest a bit before class tonight (Jason and I are doing the 8:15 again) and hope that sleep and a decent meal will give me some energy. I know I'm tired because I'm exerting myself as much as I can in class and that if I keep it up, I will eventually get back to having energy instead of being drained. Just have to get over the hump. It's coming and I just have to work for it.
...and then, I'll think twice before letting my practice slip away again. ;D
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
A new challenge! Day 1
Hello, all! I am back to a dedicated daily practice and I couldn't be happier about it. After my first challenge ended, I felt a pretty big letdown and had to switch my focus from yoga to work in preparation of a two-week vacation to visit my family in Boston. I didn't practice very much in October, admittedly. However, I did manage to get Jason into the hot room! Even more shocking, I got my mom to go with us!
That was a huge moment for me, truly. My mom and I both got into health-related changes at the same time and she's ironically lost pretty much the same exact amount of weight as I have so far. Taking a yoga class was way outside her comfort zone, and I was so unbearably proud of her for going. Since we left town, she's continued going to class! I can't wait for her to get over the initial hump and really feel the benefits. It's also done really great things for our relationship. My mom and I never really called each other before except if it was really important. We email a lot, but calling was reserved mostly for holidays and bad news. Now, we call each other to talk about class, which I love!
Jason did a fantastic job, too. He's already in pretty good shape so he could do a lot of the postures well right off the bat. In nearly every class I've taken with him, the instructor has called him out for having a great rabbit pose! It's really fun to go to class with him, because I get that outlet of talking to someone about class who really understands what it's like to be in the room. Also, it makes me happy to know that we're both doing something healthy. Jason and I are incredibly close (obviously, since we've been together for over three years and lived together for two and a half) and I feel like practicing together brings us even that much closer.
So, since getting back from vacation I've been in crazy prep mode for a craft fair I vended at this past weekend. I only took a couple classes last week and decided that I wanted to really re-dedicate myself to my practice today. I figured there was no better way to advance my practice than to do another 60-day challenge. So, here we are!
Today's class was probably the best one I've ever had. The teacher was one I've never had before and she was excellent. She was constantly reminding us about proper alignment and gave a bunch of awesome "lift the chest!" instructions that completely changed a lot of the postures for me. I felt like today was one of those breakthrough classes where tons of change is happening. The warm-up part of class was notably better. The instructor kept telling us to lock our elbows and lift our chests, which made half moon fantastic for me today.
I pushed myself really, really hard. This meant that I got dizzy quite a bit, but I got up as soon as I possibly could to try again. I was rewarded with a lot of gifts in class as a result. The sensation I get from a lot of the postures has morphed from tingling to a warm glow. It is a weird sensation to try to describe but it is actually kind of spiritual.
Another posture I had great success in today was the stretching part of head to knee. the instructor told us to keep our spine straight and pull forward while pushing the shoulders back. I felt the stretch like never before! In spine twist, I felt the twist go all the way up into the top of my neck! I exhaled harder than ever in kapalabhati breathing and my abs are rather sore now but in that great "I exerted muscles that get little action" kind of way. In fact, my whole body feels like that today. I have grown to like the feeling of sore muscles. That's something I never thought I'd say!
Part of the inspiration behind this new challenge is to make yoga a daily part of my life in an attempt to pursue a career as a teacher. I know that I'm not anywhere near ready to teach this practice but I also know that I will be someday if I push myself and work as hard as possible to get there. I spoke with my friend Liz, who is a Bikram teacher, and she suggested to take my time and practice often. Sound advice indeed. I am pursuing this goal but allowing myself to wait for the exact right time to present itself. And it will. I have faith. :)
That was a huge moment for me, truly. My mom and I both got into health-related changes at the same time and she's ironically lost pretty much the same exact amount of weight as I have so far. Taking a yoga class was way outside her comfort zone, and I was so unbearably proud of her for going. Since we left town, she's continued going to class! I can't wait for her to get over the initial hump and really feel the benefits. It's also done really great things for our relationship. My mom and I never really called each other before except if it was really important. We email a lot, but calling was reserved mostly for holidays and bad news. Now, we call each other to talk about class, which I love!
Jason did a fantastic job, too. He's already in pretty good shape so he could do a lot of the postures well right off the bat. In nearly every class I've taken with him, the instructor has called him out for having a great rabbit pose! It's really fun to go to class with him, because I get that outlet of talking to someone about class who really understands what it's like to be in the room. Also, it makes me happy to know that we're both doing something healthy. Jason and I are incredibly close (obviously, since we've been together for over three years and lived together for two and a half) and I feel like practicing together brings us even that much closer.
So, since getting back from vacation I've been in crazy prep mode for a craft fair I vended at this past weekend. I only took a couple classes last week and decided that I wanted to really re-dedicate myself to my practice today. I figured there was no better way to advance my practice than to do another 60-day challenge. So, here we are!
Today's class was probably the best one I've ever had. The teacher was one I've never had before and she was excellent. She was constantly reminding us about proper alignment and gave a bunch of awesome "lift the chest!" instructions that completely changed a lot of the postures for me. I felt like today was one of those breakthrough classes where tons of change is happening. The warm-up part of class was notably better. The instructor kept telling us to lock our elbows and lift our chests, which made half moon fantastic for me today.
I pushed myself really, really hard. This meant that I got dizzy quite a bit, but I got up as soon as I possibly could to try again. I was rewarded with a lot of gifts in class as a result. The sensation I get from a lot of the postures has morphed from tingling to a warm glow. It is a weird sensation to try to describe but it is actually kind of spiritual.
Another posture I had great success in today was the stretching part of head to knee. the instructor told us to keep our spine straight and pull forward while pushing the shoulders back. I felt the stretch like never before! In spine twist, I felt the twist go all the way up into the top of my neck! I exhaled harder than ever in kapalabhati breathing and my abs are rather sore now but in that great "I exerted muscles that get little action" kind of way. In fact, my whole body feels like that today. I have grown to like the feeling of sore muscles. That's something I never thought I'd say!
Part of the inspiration behind this new challenge is to make yoga a daily part of my life in an attempt to pursue a career as a teacher. I know that I'm not anywhere near ready to teach this practice but I also know that I will be someday if I push myself and work as hard as possible to get there. I spoke with my friend Liz, who is a Bikram teacher, and she suggested to take my time and practice often. Sound advice indeed. I am pursuing this goal but allowing myself to wait for the exact right time to present itself. And it will. I have faith. :)
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