Day 21 = The 9:30AM Experiment

Day 21 - April 21, 2010 - 9:30AM with Weronika

Today would have been a 6:00AM day, and as usual, my body clock woke me up at 5:00AM.  The night before, I had decided on attending the 9:30AM as I was curious to find out how my practice will turn out.  I had been sore for a few days, and I figured that it's probably because my body has not had the chance to limber up for a few hours before class.  Since I have another day off today, I will go against my routine and attend a later class.  As I was getting ready for the day (preparing breakfast for my hubby and daughter, walking the dog, and a little vacuuming), I was missing my 6:00AM practice.  I kept on checking the time and thinking, "We would just be going into the floor series now." 

So I got to the studio early enough to stake my spot next to Bettina at the front.  When I entered the room 5 minutes before class started, I was momentarily startled to see so many people present.  I also felt the room was hotter than usual.  At the same time I felt very strong and focused.  My Pranayama was a lot better than usual.  Yesterday, I had pulled a muscle just below my left shoulder and could hardly bend sideways during the Half Moon.  Today, my Half Moon, first backward bending, and Hands to Feet were great.  My Awkward Poses were very strong, as well as my Eagle.  The big surprise was my Standing Head to Knee.  I was able to extend both legs, one at a time, and hold the posture properly for a few seconds longer than usual.  My lower back and bum didn't even hurt one bit.  Wow.  I was also able to do a decent Standing Bow Pulling Pose by keeping my body down and kicking high at the same time.  My Balancing Stick did not hold up the whole time, though.  I was concentrating on keeping my hips square and not twisted while keeping my balance.

I don't know, but by the time we got to the floor, my towel was so sopping wet I could hear my sweat sloshing on the mat everytime I lie down.  The room is so hot that I kept thinking about my water bottle in the change room.  I had to refocus each time I hear my monkey mind telling me how hot it is, how uncomfortable it is, and how thirsty I am.  I hear the noisy sipping of water, the noise the water bottles make each time they hit the floor, and all I can do is breathe.

The class ends, and Weronika thanks all of us for a great effort, especially since the room felt extra hot today.  We break into a round of applause, very well deserved by each and everyone.  I enjoyed Weronika's class this morning.  She is very encouraging, always giving all of us a pat on the back for our hard work.

So what about the 9:30AM experiment?  I think it was a success.  My body at this time has warmed up, limbered up, woken up.  My standing series postures were definitely better executed today.  Tomorrow I am back to 6:00AM.  We will see what happens then.