Today was kind of a scary day for me. While outside in the garage working on the cars, my dad dislocated his hip. He'd had his hip replaced back in my senior year of college (5 years ago now... seriously? I'm getting old!) and he just got up wrong and popped the replacement hip out of joint.
Thankfully, it wasn't very serious. There were no fractures and they just needed to pop it back in place (easier said than done, of course). The bad part is that a dislocated hip is pretty damn painful. My dad is super tough. He is NOT a complainer and always downplays any pain he's in, but he definitely had some choice words anytime the ambulance people/hospital workers/etc. had to move his hip in the slightest. As a kid, it's pretty scary to see your parent in pain.
He was really lucky in that once the hip was back in its socket, he felt just fine and was able to go home. He didn't need any surgery and didn't have any broken bones, so I am counting my blessings. He even felt well enough to cook dinner for my mom when we got home - see what I mean about my dad being tough?
Anyways, how does this relate to yoga? Well, I had to miss class again today because our planned class came and went while we were at the hospital. I was going to try and go to the last class of the day, the 7:30, but my mom didn't get back in time for me to take her car. So, what this means is that my double count is up to four. FOUR.
I can only conclude that the universe really wants me to work for this challenge. Now, the plan has shifted (yet again) to doubles on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday. Considering I'm also extremely behind on my day-job work, I'm a little stressed about the state of work I need to do next week, but nothing like starting 2011 off with a bang. I know I can do it, but I'd be lying if I said I don't think I'm going to cry from exhaustion/relief/bliss after the 60th class.
Let's just hope the universe doesn't have any more doubles planned for me. Four in a week is enough, in my opinion.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Day ?: Sweating the sickies out
Whewwwww. Class today was actually way better than I thought it would be ("have no expectations" springs to mind). I was able to do all of the standing series and only had to sit out one set of head to knee with stretching due to some nausea which I assume was due to stomach compression on my still slightly wonky belly.
I was able to touch my head to the floor again in standing separate leg stretching pose, and this time I didn't even somersault out of it! I moved my legs closer together in the second set, so I didn't touch there, but I worked for it. I love progress like this, it's just so motivating.
One thing I did notice that was really, um, kind of gross... my sweat smelled AWFUL. I assume this is because I've been so sick over the past few days and my body needed to expel a lot of nasty toxins. But, seriously, I felt kind of bad for the people around me because the smell was so foul. It even made me a little nauseous during the spine strengthening series when my face was down towards the mat a lot. I'm definitely glad those toxins are no longer in my body. I feel much better and am looking forward to tomorrow's class!
I really feel good now that I've re-focused and re-dedicated myself to this challenge. I forgot to mention that I was lucky enough to be given several gift certificates for my yoga studio so not only do I have enough money for a private lesson, but I also could buy some new yoga clothes or some electrolyte drink powder or any number of things. I could also do a second private lesson, or use it towards a free month of class. I have lots of options, but one thing is certain: I'll be taking at least one private lesson after my challenge is over! I'm going to start compiling a list (which I will, of course, share with you) of things I have questions on/want to work on/etc. that will help me best utilize my lesson.
Things are looking way up. We are sent challenges so we can rise to the occasion. Onward!
I was able to touch my head to the floor again in standing separate leg stretching pose, and this time I didn't even somersault out of it! I moved my legs closer together in the second set, so I didn't touch there, but I worked for it. I love progress like this, it's just so motivating.
One thing I did notice that was really, um, kind of gross... my sweat smelled AWFUL. I assume this is because I've been so sick over the past few days and my body needed to expel a lot of nasty toxins. But, seriously, I felt kind of bad for the people around me because the smell was so foul. It even made me a little nauseous during the spine strengthening series when my face was down towards the mat a lot. I'm definitely glad those toxins are no longer in my body. I feel much better and am looking forward to tomorrow's class!
I really feel good now that I've re-focused and re-dedicated myself to this challenge. I forgot to mention that I was lucky enough to be given several gift certificates for my yoga studio so not only do I have enough money for a private lesson, but I also could buy some new yoga clothes or some electrolyte drink powder or any number of things. I could also do a second private lesson, or use it towards a free month of class. I have lots of options, but one thing is certain: I'll be taking at least one private lesson after my challenge is over! I'm going to start compiling a list (which I will, of course, share with you) of things I have questions on/want to work on/etc. that will help me best utilize my lesson.
Things are looking way up. We are sent challenges so we can rise to the occasion. Onward!
Day Whatever: Holidays, Canceled Class, Stomach Bug, and a Double Date
Whew, it's been a while since I posted. Sorry! You had to expect some kind of distruption - after all, it is the holiday season. ;)
First things first: I finished my whirlwind 3 classes in 20ish hours and it wasn't pretty. I didn't hydrate properly or eat nearly enough before my last class pre-flight to Massachusetts, so that class was predictably tough. I couldn't do anything but lay in savasana and breathe. It was a huge struggle to not fly out the door and run away, but I managed to stick it out and stay in the room despite my dehydration-induced claustrophobia. Sometimes, just staying in the room is a victory!
So, Christmas Eve morning, my mom and I got up early and went out to her yoga studio. Upon pulling into the parking lot, we were informed the class had been canceled due to the holiday. This was news to us, since the holiday schedule on the website didn't quite agree with this sentiment. There are few things more annoying than actually being dedicated enough to get to class, only to find it not happening. Our moods were grumpy for a bit, before I reminded us both to "let no one steal your peace." At this point, doubles needed to finish my 60-day challenge on time: 1.
On Christmas morning, yet again my mother and I rose early to get to class. This one (thankfully still on) was great! It was nice to get into the room again after a day break, which I think my body actually needed. This class felt really cool to me, perhaps because I was right in front of a big fan that kept cooling my sweat the second it popped out my pores. Despite the perceived lack of heat, it was exciting to see my mom's improvement. When we went back in October for the first time, she couldn't even lay in savasana. This time, she was even able to do the sit-ups! She totally slays the standing series, which is the hardest part of class for me. It's funny that her strong points are my weaknesses and vice versa. It allows for cross-inspiration. :)
The day after Christmas was an equally good class. Jason joined us and it was really neat to have both my mom and Jason in class with me. This class felt back to its normal level of heat, which might have been due to my positioning away from the aforementioned big fan. My mom and I both had firsts in this class, too! She grabbed both feet in camel for the first time ever and I touched my head to the ground in standing separate leg stretching pose (without having my legs so far apart it was nearly a split)! Now, after I touched my head to the floor, I rolled my weight so far forward that I did a little somersault out of the posture but I was so excited to have a breakthrough right alongside my mom! So cool. I kind of wish I had video of my gymnastic move cause I bet it looked pretty hilarious.
And here's where it gets hairy.
There was a massive snowstorm Sunday into Monday. It was one of the top 10 storms New England has ever had, and that's saying something. We were expecting our flight to be canceled, since almost every flight out of Logan was. If the flight was canceled, we were all going to go to the 5:30 yoga class together and hopefully head out on Tuesday. However, the universe had a wrench to throw in my plans! I woke up Monday morning around 6 or 8 (it's hazy) to some god-awful stomach cramps. I thought maybe it was just poor holiday eating coming back to get its revenge on me, but I quickly learned that it was more than a food baby. After praying to the porcelain god for a couple hours, it became apparent that I couldn't travel that day. Ironically, our flight was just about the only one not canceled that day, but I couldn't get out of bed, let alone board the airplane. Jason, who had to work this week, was feeling healthy and decided to head back to Texas without his poor, suffering girlfriend (haha). The earliest flight I could get out of Boston? Friday. Guh. I was out of commission, travel-wise and yoga-wise. Doubles needed: 2.
Tuesday was much the same. I wasn't throwing up anymore, but my stomach was still feeling terrible and I wasn't able to eat a bite. I was sustaining myself on small sips of Gatorade and basically just slept all day and tried to find positions that didn't kill my aching joints. No yoga for me. Doubles needed: 3.
So, today I'm feeling relatively back to normal. I was able to keep some food down, and I've been drinking some much-needed water. I'm planning on getting back to the hot room later, for the 5:30 class. My mom is going to come with me, too! Yayyyy.
The plan for the rest of the week is as follows: I will do singles today through Monday. I will do a double Tuesday, single Wednesday, double Thursday, single Friday, and double Saturday to finish out my challenge. Nita, a teacher at my studio who I've become friends with, is going to join me on my final day! Nita is so inspirational! She has a beautiful practice and a stunningly positive attitude and it will be very nice to have her spirit helping me through the last day of my challenge. She's teaching the 10 am, which I'll take, and then we're going to go to Spiral Diner for some healthy and delicious vegan lunch, and we'll take a class together to finish out my last class of the challenge! It will be such a nice end to what is sure to be a mentally and physically taxing week.
I'm really kind of happy with the way everything is turning out. I think the universe did this whole thing on purpose to force me into a bunch of doubles I would definitely not have done otherwise. When I got sick, I became a bit depressed that I wasn't going to be able to finish my challenge, but I realized that if I didn't finish my challenge, it would be my choice to leave it undone. I can choose to finish it, regardless of any obstacles in my way. Will it be hard? Yes. Can I do it? Yes. Will I do it? YES.
First things first: I finished my whirlwind 3 classes in 20ish hours and it wasn't pretty. I didn't hydrate properly or eat nearly enough before my last class pre-flight to Massachusetts, so that class was predictably tough. I couldn't do anything but lay in savasana and breathe. It was a huge struggle to not fly out the door and run away, but I managed to stick it out and stay in the room despite my dehydration-induced claustrophobia. Sometimes, just staying in the room is a victory!
So, Christmas Eve morning, my mom and I got up early and went out to her yoga studio. Upon pulling into the parking lot, we were informed the class had been canceled due to the holiday. This was news to us, since the holiday schedule on the website didn't quite agree with this sentiment. There are few things more annoying than actually being dedicated enough to get to class, only to find it not happening. Our moods were grumpy for a bit, before I reminded us both to "let no one steal your peace." At this point, doubles needed to finish my 60-day challenge on time: 1.
On Christmas morning, yet again my mother and I rose early to get to class. This one (thankfully still on) was great! It was nice to get into the room again after a day break, which I think my body actually needed. This class felt really cool to me, perhaps because I was right in front of a big fan that kept cooling my sweat the second it popped out my pores. Despite the perceived lack of heat, it was exciting to see my mom's improvement. When we went back in October for the first time, she couldn't even lay in savasana. This time, she was even able to do the sit-ups! She totally slays the standing series, which is the hardest part of class for me. It's funny that her strong points are my weaknesses and vice versa. It allows for cross-inspiration. :)
The day after Christmas was an equally good class. Jason joined us and it was really neat to have both my mom and Jason in class with me. This class felt back to its normal level of heat, which might have been due to my positioning away from the aforementioned big fan. My mom and I both had firsts in this class, too! She grabbed both feet in camel for the first time ever and I touched my head to the ground in standing separate leg stretching pose (without having my legs so far apart it was nearly a split)! Now, after I touched my head to the floor, I rolled my weight so far forward that I did a little somersault out of the posture but I was so excited to have a breakthrough right alongside my mom! So cool. I kind of wish I had video of my gymnastic move cause I bet it looked pretty hilarious.
And here's where it gets hairy.
There was a massive snowstorm Sunday into Monday. It was one of the top 10 storms New England has ever had, and that's saying something. We were expecting our flight to be canceled, since almost every flight out of Logan was. If the flight was canceled, we were all going to go to the 5:30 yoga class together and hopefully head out on Tuesday. However, the universe had a wrench to throw in my plans! I woke up Monday morning around 6 or 8 (it's hazy) to some god-awful stomach cramps. I thought maybe it was just poor holiday eating coming back to get its revenge on me, but I quickly learned that it was more than a food baby. After praying to the porcelain god for a couple hours, it became apparent that I couldn't travel that day. Ironically, our flight was just about the only one not canceled that day, but I couldn't get out of bed, let alone board the airplane. Jason, who had to work this week, was feeling healthy and decided to head back to Texas without his poor, suffering girlfriend (haha). The earliest flight I could get out of Boston? Friday. Guh. I was out of commission, travel-wise and yoga-wise. Doubles needed: 2.
Tuesday was much the same. I wasn't throwing up anymore, but my stomach was still feeling terrible and I wasn't able to eat a bite. I was sustaining myself on small sips of Gatorade and basically just slept all day and tried to find positions that didn't kill my aching joints. No yoga for me. Doubles needed: 3.
So, today I'm feeling relatively back to normal. I was able to keep some food down, and I've been drinking some much-needed water. I'm planning on getting back to the hot room later, for the 5:30 class. My mom is going to come with me, too! Yayyyy.
The plan for the rest of the week is as follows: I will do singles today through Monday. I will do a double Tuesday, single Wednesday, double Thursday, single Friday, and double Saturday to finish out my challenge. Nita, a teacher at my studio who I've become friends with, is going to join me on my final day! Nita is so inspirational! She has a beautiful practice and a stunningly positive attitude and it will be very nice to have her spirit helping me through the last day of my challenge. She's teaching the 10 am, which I'll take, and then we're going to go to Spiral Diner for some healthy and delicious vegan lunch, and we'll take a class together to finish out my last class of the challenge! It will be such a nice end to what is sure to be a mentally and physically taxing week.
I'm really kind of happy with the way everything is turning out. I think the universe did this whole thing on purpose to force me into a bunch of doubles I would definitely not have done otherwise. When I got sick, I became a bit depressed that I wasn't going to be able to finish my challenge, but I realized that if I didn't finish my challenge, it would be my choice to leave it undone. I can choose to finish it, regardless of any obstacles in my way. Will it be hard? Yes. Can I do it? Yes. Will I do it? YES.
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Days 41-44
First things first: I missed class on Sunday. The soccer workout wound up being way harder on my body than anticipated. I crashed out on the couch Saturday, barely able to muster the energy to move. On Sunday, I had a whole slew of work to get finished before a holiday party we were attending, and I just ran out of time. This was totally cool with me because I knew I could make it up with a double, which I had been wanting to do anyway but hadn't found the self-motivation to do so randomly yet.
After the day off, I had a couple tough classes. Not tough in a bad way, though! They were very challenging, partly due to the instructor who is very motivating and always pushes everyone to do their absolute best and not slack off a whit. I always find myself really pushing to my ultimate limits in his classes, partially because I don't want to get called out for slacking, but also because I want to show him that I'm not a slacker, that I'm really pushing as hard as I can. In the second class, I got really dizzy in the standing series, which I think was due to improper electrolyte intake. I felt a little... stagnant, I suppose, after that second class, which brings me to the theme of this blog post:
If you are feeling uninspired, you must actively seek out inspiration. You can't just sit back and wait for inspiration to slap you in the face, you need to go searching for it. For me, this has most often taken then form of books. Autobiography of a Yogi has been a wealth of inspiration for me, especially with the spiritual side of the practice, which I really haven't gotten much into here since I'm still working it all out in my head. I also recently purchased a book on yoga anatomy that has been seriously valuable to my practice. The first chapter is all about the dynamics of breathing and it has given me such a great understanding of the physical process of taking in and expelling air. It's so much easier to control your body when you know how it works.
The new understanding of how breathing works totally pushed my practice today! I found it easier to contract my stomach muscles for chest breathing and easier to let go of tension for belly breathing. I was hyper aware of my breath in all the postures, which allowed me to go so much deeper than I normally go in several postures (namely: half moon, standing bow, the entire spine strengthening series). I used my blah feeling after yesterday's class to motivate me to crack the book open, which brought me to a great class this afternoon. Every time I have sought inspiration, I've had a breakthrough class shortly thereafter.
So, I'm going back to the studio this evening to complete the second part of my double so I'm all caught up pre-vacation. We'll be in Boston from tomorrow through Monday and I plan on practicing every day up there. If I miss a day, it's cool, cause I know I can double my way through it when I get back.
I love yoga. My life is so improved as a result of my practice and I give thanks every day for being led to find it.
After the day off, I had a couple tough classes. Not tough in a bad way, though! They were very challenging, partly due to the instructor who is very motivating and always pushes everyone to do their absolute best and not slack off a whit. I always find myself really pushing to my ultimate limits in his classes, partially because I don't want to get called out for slacking, but also because I want to show him that I'm not a slacker, that I'm really pushing as hard as I can. In the second class, I got really dizzy in the standing series, which I think was due to improper electrolyte intake. I felt a little... stagnant, I suppose, after that second class, which brings me to the theme of this blog post:
If you are feeling uninspired, you must actively seek out inspiration. You can't just sit back and wait for inspiration to slap you in the face, you need to go searching for it. For me, this has most often taken then form of books. Autobiography of a Yogi has been a wealth of inspiration for me, especially with the spiritual side of the practice, which I really haven't gotten much into here since I'm still working it all out in my head. I also recently purchased a book on yoga anatomy that has been seriously valuable to my practice. The first chapter is all about the dynamics of breathing and it has given me such a great understanding of the physical process of taking in and expelling air. It's so much easier to control your body when you know how it works.
The new understanding of how breathing works totally pushed my practice today! I found it easier to contract my stomach muscles for chest breathing and easier to let go of tension for belly breathing. I was hyper aware of my breath in all the postures, which allowed me to go so much deeper than I normally go in several postures (namely: half moon, standing bow, the entire spine strengthening series). I used my blah feeling after yesterday's class to motivate me to crack the book open, which brought me to a great class this afternoon. Every time I have sought inspiration, I've had a breakthrough class shortly thereafter.
So, I'm going back to the studio this evening to complete the second part of my double so I'm all caught up pre-vacation. We'll be in Boston from tomorrow through Monday and I plan on practicing every day up there. If I miss a day, it's cool, cause I know I can double my way through it when I get back.
I love yoga. My life is so improved as a result of my practice and I give thanks every day for being led to find it.
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Day 40
Ahhhh, damn you heat! Today's class was hot and stuffy, with the overhead fans firmly turned off the entire time. I was in kind of a crappy mood before class and I allowed the heat and my mood to get into my brain. I got emotional right around standing separate leg head to knee and I had a little cry. After that, I felt well enough to continue. Sometimes, this yoga shakes things loose that you didn't even know you were hanging onto. After shedding my four tears, I was able to capture control of my breath and re-focus on the class.
I'm starting to see progress on the last part of locust pose. Sometimes, the stars and my hips align and I can push my weight forward to my shoulders and lift my legs more than an inch off the ground. Today, I really felt my legs lifting and my arms were tingling when I released. It felt great. (And hot.)
Bow pose continues to improve and this is the one posture that I really think I'm nailing right now. For me, it's all about hips and shoulders. If I can align my hips and relax my shoulders, I'm golden. I'm continuing to work on tightening my glutes and keeping my legs/knees/feet six inches apart. I'm getting a little closer every day.
I'm sorry to cut it short, but I've got to get ready to go kick around a soccer ball! I'm glad I went to yoga beforehand because I'll be stretched out and ready to go a lot faster than if I were going in cold. Life is good!
I'm starting to see progress on the last part of locust pose. Sometimes, the stars and my hips align and I can push my weight forward to my shoulders and lift my legs more than an inch off the ground. Today, I really felt my legs lifting and my arms were tingling when I released. It felt great. (And hot.)
Bow pose continues to improve and this is the one posture that I really think I'm nailing right now. For me, it's all about hips and shoulders. If I can align my hips and relax my shoulders, I'm golden. I'm continuing to work on tightening my glutes and keeping my legs/knees/feet six inches apart. I'm getting a little closer every day.
I'm sorry to cut it short, but I've got to get ready to go kick around a soccer ball! I'm glad I went to yoga beforehand because I'll be stretched out and ready to go a lot faster than if I were going in cold. Life is good!
Friday, December 17, 2010
Day 39
First things first: The holiday party was a lot of fun! I talked to a lot of people, some that I knew and some that I didn't. I was nervous at first because I have a lot of anxiety in new social situations, but everyone was really nice and easy to talk to. A couple people I'd never spoken to before that night came up to me and said I look like I've lost a lot of weight. Since I'm still hanging out in that blasted three-pound range of death, it was very good to hear that I am shrinking even if the scale is messing with me. And (THE MOST EXCITING PART): my guacamole won 3rd place in the food competition and I won a $25 gift card to spend at the studio! I'm going to put it towards a private lesson, which will be my reward for completing this challenge. I can't stop smiling every time I think about it. It was a fantastic night.
Today's class was greeeeaaaaat! I felt like I slayed a lot of mental demons in this class. The room was undeniably hot today. I felt overwhelmed more often than once but my mind was firmly set on each posture. It really is possible to beat the heat if you keep your brain in the room and on the posture. Anytime you think about the heat, it gets worse. The trick is to keep your brain far away from thoughts like, "It's so hot in here" and tell yourself, "Man, I could use a sweater" and then dismiss it all from your head. It sounds so stupid but it's really working for me.
In balancing stick, it's a lot better for me to keep my hips even as I go down and not lift my leg as high than to have one hip popped and have my leg up parallel to the floor. Add that to the list of stuff I knew mentally but couldn't translate to my body. "Form before depth" rears its beautiful head again!
I guess the universe must have heard my frustrated raging about how much I hate triangle, because I had one very good one today. It was actually kind of rewarding, because after falling flat on my ass and basically all-around failing at the first side, I pulled myself together and tried again and was rewarded with how I think triangle is supposed to feel every time. Muscles all over my body were screaming at me, especially in my midsection and arms. I felt like my hips and my chest were two separate entities, moving in two opposite directions. I am excited that I had this breakthrough and am happy that triangle will eventually feel like that, instead of like I'm a floppy wet noodle.
In toe stand, I got my fingers to the floor and bent my knee but when I got to the ground, I pitched forward. I'm pretty sure I'm putting my hands too far in front of me, so it's a huge shift when I try and move my hands to my sides. Tree pose and toe stand are both really tough because apparently, my hips want to be open on every posture EXCEPT these two.
Okay, let's get real: my ass is SOOOOOORE from the spine-strengthening series. I have to squeeze my glutes so hard to get my heels and toes to touch while working on my spine. The best part about that is that tightening my legs and hips takes all of my effort and concentration and my spine doesn't really hold much tension. Hooray!
I had my best bow pose yet today! I was able to really relax my shoulders which allowed my legs to kick up higher. I felt spinal compression and realized my legs were out to the side so I squeezed the crap out of my glutes and I felt all kinds of not-entirely-unpleasant-but-still-pretty-unpleasant feelings in my body. It's pain, but not the pain of injury. I've come to realize that it's the pain of new muscles being born, of old muscles growing, and of creaky bones and joints regaining their natural flexibility.
All in all, it was a great class with a few key breakthroughs. I'm very happy with how things are progressing. Jason and I are going to the ten o'clock class tomorrow and then we're going to kick a soccer ball around with some friends in the afternoon. It's been so long since I played soccer and I'm in MUCH better shape than I ever was when I was playing. I'm excited to be faster and more in control of my body. I can't wait!
Today's class was greeeeaaaaat! I felt like I slayed a lot of mental demons in this class. The room was undeniably hot today. I felt overwhelmed more often than once but my mind was firmly set on each posture. It really is possible to beat the heat if you keep your brain in the room and on the posture. Anytime you think about the heat, it gets worse. The trick is to keep your brain far away from thoughts like, "It's so hot in here" and tell yourself, "Man, I could use a sweater" and then dismiss it all from your head. It sounds so stupid but it's really working for me.
In balancing stick, it's a lot better for me to keep my hips even as I go down and not lift my leg as high than to have one hip popped and have my leg up parallel to the floor. Add that to the list of stuff I knew mentally but couldn't translate to my body. "Form before depth" rears its beautiful head again!
I guess the universe must have heard my frustrated raging about how much I hate triangle, because I had one very good one today. It was actually kind of rewarding, because after falling flat on my ass and basically all-around failing at the first side, I pulled myself together and tried again and was rewarded with how I think triangle is supposed to feel every time. Muscles all over my body were screaming at me, especially in my midsection and arms. I felt like my hips and my chest were two separate entities, moving in two opposite directions. I am excited that I had this breakthrough and am happy that triangle will eventually feel like that, instead of like I'm a floppy wet noodle.
In toe stand, I got my fingers to the floor and bent my knee but when I got to the ground, I pitched forward. I'm pretty sure I'm putting my hands too far in front of me, so it's a huge shift when I try and move my hands to my sides. Tree pose and toe stand are both really tough because apparently, my hips want to be open on every posture EXCEPT these two.
Okay, let's get real: my ass is SOOOOOORE from the spine-strengthening series. I have to squeeze my glutes so hard to get my heels and toes to touch while working on my spine. The best part about that is that tightening my legs and hips takes all of my effort and concentration and my spine doesn't really hold much tension. Hooray!
I had my best bow pose yet today! I was able to really relax my shoulders which allowed my legs to kick up higher. I felt spinal compression and realized my legs were out to the side so I squeezed the crap out of my glutes and I felt all kinds of not-entirely-unpleasant-but-still-pretty-unpleasant feelings in my body. It's pain, but not the pain of injury. I've come to realize that it's the pain of new muscles being born, of old muscles growing, and of creaky bones and joints regaining their natural flexibility.
All in all, it was a great class with a few key breakthroughs. I'm very happy with how things are progressing. Jason and I are going to the ten o'clock class tomorrow and then we're going to kick a soccer ball around with some friends in the afternoon. It's been so long since I played soccer and I'm in MUCH better shape than I ever was when I was playing. I'm excited to be faster and more in control of my body. I can't wait!
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Day 38
I had a good class again, thankfully! I haven't taken a noon class in a while and I'm always so happy when I leave and have the whole day open ahead of me. Tonight is the BYD holiday party and I'm about to make some guacamole and bean and vegan cheese casserole for the festivities. It'll be fun to see everyone in normal clothes and not covered in a liter of sweat.
I really enjoyed the instructor that taught today. She is constantly reminding us to lift our chests, which helps me in so many postures. I love classes with a lot of corrections and today was one of those. The standing series was pretty hard for me again around triangle (grumble, grumble) but I did the best I could and tried to put it behind me. I still really hate triangle with every fiber of my being. I know that this just means I need it really badly, but damn. I wish it would click for me already. Patience, patience...
I had my hips perfectly aligned in wind-removing pose, which allowed me to really feel the pinch in my hip. I got a cramp in my right hip joint on the first set which was actually kind of cool. It was really nice to be able to relax into the posture and find my peace within it. I just can't do that if I'm freaking out about my hips.
The best part of class, far and away, was camel. The instructor said we had a little extra time and that we'd be hold the second set of camel for a full minute as a result! She said she's give the option to come out of it when we normally do, but I decided I was going to hold it the whole time. It was AWESOME. I almost felt like I was flying when I came out of it. The post-camel feeling is such a beautiful release. I almost started crying, not from sadness and not quite from happiness. It's hard to explain, but it's simply a lightness.
Because we pushed camel longer, we also pushed the second set of rabbit longer so we would have a balanced backbend/forward bend combo. I didn't hold rabbit as long as I held camel, but I pushed it longer than normal until I legitimately couldn't breathe anymore. That's always my problem in rabbit. My stomach and chest will push up into my throat and squish my breathing parts. It's a work in progress!
Can I mention how much I hate spine twist? I can't get my heel to touch my knee, it's always like... the side of my ankle, or even my calf. Then the instructor today said our weight should be in our front knee, when I've been trying to keep it even in my hips. This posture makes me feel totally clueless some days. I think it will get a little easier as I continue to tone up, because my stomach makes the twisting a little awkward right now. I'll just keep trying and see where I end up.
And now to make some delicious food for the holiday party! Perhaps I will see you there. :)
I really enjoyed the instructor that taught today. She is constantly reminding us to lift our chests, which helps me in so many postures. I love classes with a lot of corrections and today was one of those. The standing series was pretty hard for me again around triangle (grumble, grumble) but I did the best I could and tried to put it behind me. I still really hate triangle with every fiber of my being. I know that this just means I need it really badly, but damn. I wish it would click for me already. Patience, patience...
I had my hips perfectly aligned in wind-removing pose, which allowed me to really feel the pinch in my hip. I got a cramp in my right hip joint on the first set which was actually kind of cool. It was really nice to be able to relax into the posture and find my peace within it. I just can't do that if I'm freaking out about my hips.
The best part of class, far and away, was camel. The instructor said we had a little extra time and that we'd be hold the second set of camel for a full minute as a result! She said she's give the option to come out of it when we normally do, but I decided I was going to hold it the whole time. It was AWESOME. I almost felt like I was flying when I came out of it. The post-camel feeling is such a beautiful release. I almost started crying, not from sadness and not quite from happiness. It's hard to explain, but it's simply a lightness.
Because we pushed camel longer, we also pushed the second set of rabbit longer so we would have a balanced backbend/forward bend combo. I didn't hold rabbit as long as I held camel, but I pushed it longer than normal until I legitimately couldn't breathe anymore. That's always my problem in rabbit. My stomach and chest will push up into my throat and squish my breathing parts. It's a work in progress!
Can I mention how much I hate spine twist? I can't get my heel to touch my knee, it's always like... the side of my ankle, or even my calf. Then the instructor today said our weight should be in our front knee, when I've been trying to keep it even in my hips. This posture makes me feel totally clueless some days. I think it will get a little easier as I continue to tone up, because my stomach makes the twisting a little awkward right now. I'll just keep trying and see where I end up.
And now to make some delicious food for the holiday party! Perhaps I will see you there. :)
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