Day 16 - I Held My Breath and Jumped Right In

"Hold your breath, and jump right in..."

Famous words from an old colleague of mine who taught a class on Estates many years ago. I am in banking, and estate processing used to scare me. I would catch my breath when someone approaches my work station to declare that their loved one had passed away, and the bank accounts need to be dealt with. I was intimidated by the entire process, the documents required, who can have access to the account, who cannot be given access to the account, etc., etc. This colleague who taught the course knew how intimidating it can be, so when she uttered those words, it made perfect sense to me. You will never get over this fear unless you face it head on, and somehow you will just learn how to deal with it. Mistakes may happen, and they can always be fixed. But all that knowledge and experience will only build your confidence over time.

So now, after having dealt with a few, I do not fear Estates anymore. In fact, I quite enjoy being given the task. The part I do not like is having to hear that a dear old lady or gentleman customer you have served for many years has passed away, and you will not get to see them anymore.

Today, I held my breath and jumped right in...to do a back-to-back, or double--two consecutive classes in one day. I went to the 6:00AM and the 9:00AM classes. I felt very reluctant to do it, up until I spoke with my yoga buddy J. who gave me a few tips on how to survive the back-to-back classes. Just make sure you drink lots of water to replenish the fluids you lost in class #1 and maybe half an orange to get some sugar in your system as well. That was all the push I needed to make the plunge. It also helped that I felt great after class #1. The wonderful I. was at the helm again this morning, and she gave me some helpful tips for the Standing Bow Pulling Pose.

I was told by J. that during class #2, I will be more flexible, and the joints will be more open, but I may feel tired. True enough, this is what happened. I wasn't able to balance the whole time during Toe Stand, and I got out of the first set of Spine Twist early, which never happened before. I was dreaming of a tall, ice-cold glass of Coca-Cola :) Yep, monkey mind had a little field day during a Savasana or two.

After class, I felt great. I glugged the water in my bottle, had a refill, and glugged that down too! That shower never felt better. I left the studio very happy, that once again, I have pushed myself out of my comfort zone. This yoga journey will be going for a very, very long ride. Namaste.

Good night, Mommy. I love you.