Day 9 - Crooked Cobra

Okay, so it's April 7th, Springtime, in Victoria, so why is it that the temperature dipped to 1 degree Celsius this morning? There's a very thin layer of ice on the windshield, enough that you have to get the scraper out (in my case, it's an old store card). There SHOULDN'T be frost in April here in the capital city, where we always boast to the rest of Canada that while they are still digging themselves out of the snow, we are already doing the annual flower count.

Well, things change, and life throws curveballs at you to keep you grounded. This applied to my practice this morning, at 6:00AM. Ahh, the Cobra Pose, I love the Cobra Pose. My lower back has come a long way since the early days. I think it is building strength little by little that I can rely on it to keep my belly button on the floor while the rest of my upper body is in the air with little weight on the hands. I am mindful also of keeping my legs straight, tight, like a Cobra tail, while in the posture. Oh, but well, as I was getting ready to get into the posture, waiting for teacher O. to say so, she walks over to me, then proceeded to shift my legs and shoulders in order to be properly ALIGNED. As I slowly went into the posture, she held my feet down and held my legs together as one. Man, that felt SO GOOD! It felt very, very different from all those Cobra postures in my memory bank. Thank you, thank you, O! Namaste.

After class, I asked O. if my legs were off to the side, instead of straight back, and she said it was. Honestly, I felt mortified inside; have I been doing the posture incorrectly all this time? She must have sensed this, because she said that it may not be the case, that it's just today that it was so out of alignment. For her to come out and correct me like that, yah, I must have been really crooked.

With this experience, I will now endeavour to be mindful of ALIGNMENT. How it is very important to keep that in check, instead of aiming for depth. Once you've got alignment down pat, then you can aim for more depth. Tomorrow is Day 10, and I cannot wait to be back to the hot room.

Good night, Mommy. I love you.

Day 8 - A Rockin' Standin' Series

I woke up to a dark morning with the sound of the wind howling outside. The forecast called for a windy day today with rain. As I went outside, it started to pour heavy drops. It was cold, and with that windchill, I looked forward to being in the hot room. Neighbour K. backed out of practice today as she was feeling tired. So I was on a solo flight out to the studio.

It was quite a busy class for 6:00AM. I like it when it's busy like that. There's more energy to go around, even at such an early time of the day. My Pranayama breathing was a lazy one. Not much gusto, but I made sure that my rib cage was visible. Dizzies just wouldn't go away, but it was not as bad as in previous days. It starts when I raise my arms up to prepare for second set of Half Moon. As bend to the right, here she comes. I breathe, I am calm, I keep my eyes open, to no avail. At least I didn't have to sit down this time. So, it might be getting better.

My Standing Series went off pretty strong today. I managed to hold Standing Head to Knee longer because I made sure I was BREATHING slowly and steadily. I tried to touch my forehead to my knee but lost the balance. "There is no yoga-do, only yoga-TRY." My Balancing Stick was stronger, only because I tried very hard to stretch forward and back like being tugged in a war. My arms didn't feel tired at all this morning. I am really, really stoked that I finished strong at the end. The Standing Series is a challenge for me. It takes a while for me to get warmed up and pumped for action.

As always, the Floor Series is no problem for me. I fear not the Camel Pose. In fact, it is my favourite posture as it is the most challenging of all. So far I have not backed out of it before the instructor says so.

So far, it has been such a joy to do this 30 Day Challenge. Although I know that it will not be smooth sailing all the way, I will welcome whatever comes. This is how I get through the kinks, the curveballs life throws at me. If this keeps up, who knows? I may just as well continue towards a 60 Day Challenge!

Good night, Mommy. I love you.

Day 7 - Hot and Sweaty Enough For Ya?

Today I deviated from routine and attended the 3:45PM class with teacher B. (three in a row with B. at the helm--what a treat!). This was out of necessity, not by design. The little one has an early start time on Tuesdays, so the 6:00AM will be too hectic for us. I drove straight from work to the studio and managed to get settled before the class started.

I knew the afternoon classes will be hotter, stinkier, busier, BUT my body will be more flexible this time of the day. And it did not disappoint...in all of the above. Of course, Dizzies paid a visit after Hands to Feet Pose. What is it about that posture that makes me dizzy? There are other postures that have my head inverted, and I am fine when I get out it. Someone had asked if I am anemic. Not that I know of, to the best of my knowledge. I have my fair share of red meat. So I don't know, I will monitor myself for another week. What is alarming is that I've never experienced this before.

Anyway, it was nice to have a change today. I sweated more today and while it was very uncomfortable, and the room being more hot than I am used to added to the discomfort. I was toying with the idea of making a run for it soon after B. left the room, but I decided to go for the 5-minute final Savasana. It felt wonderful to have that rest, and the cool drafts that permeated the room while the others were filing out were a treat.

Tomorrow is my day off, and I've decided to go to the 6:00AM, to get my practice out of the way first thing, so I will be set for the rest of the day. Spring has been taking its time to arrive in Victoria; it has been raining A LOT, it's very cold, the kind that's damp and bone-deep. Tea weather is how I describe it. Whatever the day brings I will just savour it and look for the silver lining.

Good night, Mommy. I love you.

Day 6 - Pilates Hangover

Last night, my work buddy K. and I attended a Pilates class at our local Lululemon store. I have taken a Beginner's class at the YMCA quite a while ago. I didn't really take to it, which is why I've never pursued it. But since it was being offered at the community class, I thought, why not?

Oh my God, my abs were crying, howling. They aren't my strongest body part; it's pretty soft. My legs are pretty toned, but they were burning from being subjected to pulses, lifts, etc. But you know, I am very thankful to be a Bikram yogini, because otherwise I would not have been able to execute most of the exercises. At one point, K. asked me, "Is hot yoga THIS hard?" I replied, "Yes, it is, but it's a different kind of HARD."

As I was having my dinner after class, I was thinking of what Day 6 will be like. I attended the 6:00AM class, and I parked my mat beside the door. My practice went well, but Dizzies still has not yet left town. I can guarantee that after Hands to Feet Pose, I have to take a few moments to steady myself. All the other postures are fine. At this point in my practice I am just trying to push myself a little bit further, in order to see how far I can go. I know that there will be some improvement as I am practicing everyday. I guess I just would have to take it one practice at a time.

Good night, Mommy. I love you.

Day 5 - Dizzies is My New "Friend"

I woke up to a beautiful, chilly, Sunday morning. As I was walking up the street to carpool with my yoga buddy/neighbour K., the birds were chirping, it wasn't raining, and I am just savouring the blessings that have been bestowed upon me. I live in a beautiful neighbourhood, in the most beautiful city in Canada--a poll declared it second best city to live in but for me it is THE BEST. I have a great family, nuclear and extended. Strong foundations, strong roots.

Day 5 commenced this morning at 7:00AM with B. at the helm. My peeps were all around me. I practiced beside J. on one side, K./C. on the other, and K. behind me. Right up front today, my favourite spot of all. Everything is where it should be. Pranayama was not that strong this morning; I didn't have a restful sleep. I think I was just too stoked in anticipation of this day that my mind just could not rest at all. Dizzies came back, sure enough, during second set of Half Moon. Knees were still locked in Hands to Feet, but it seems that right after I get out of the posture, Dizzies come back to ask for payback. I think my body is just making sure I am grounded, I am not perfect, I am human. No problem with that. I just breathe and move on. I let go.

As always, after the 2-minute Savasana--aka the Pitstop, the refueling station--I felt much, much better, so energized for what is considered THE yoga portion of the class, with the Standing Series being the warm-up. Teacher B. emphasized the importance of 80/20 breathing while in the pose. It makes a huge difference to your endurance if you take a 100% deep breath just before you execute the posture, keeping your lungs 80% full while breathing/exhaling just 20%. With this technique I am able to hold Full Locust longer and also manage to lift myself a few extra millimetres.

What will happen tomorrow, for Day 6? Come what may. It will all be good.

Good night, Mommy. I love you.

Day 4 - My, What a Big Bruise You Have!

Yup, it's a huge, black/blue/purple/red/yellow bruise on my left thigh I am currently sporting for a week now. No thanks to a 12 year old black Labrador Retriever that bit me and my sweet, gentle Saint Bernard for no reason. Anyway, I don't really want to discuss the incident right now. Trudy and I are both okay, thankfully. Someone had asked me if I've had a tetanus shot since the incident. Yeah, I think I've had one years ago--the doctor who had administered it has been retired for many years now.

So, this bruise of mine is not pretty. In fact, it's pretty horrid, pretty ugly. Anyone who sees it is quite mortified by the sight of it. You know that I love to practice right up front. Today I decided to do just that. What the heck, so what if that ugly bruise is staring right back at me for 90 minutes. I will consider it a challenge for my monkey mind, and for the monkey minds of my fellow yogis. So how do you like 'em apples, eh?

Okay, let's get on with business, shall we? Today marks Day 4. I've mentioned that I'm on the first trimester of the challenge. So everything is pretty rosy at this point. Everything is pretty much going like clockwork. No major aches, pains, soreness, what have you yet, although I must mention that my left bum cheek is crying out lately. The dizzies came back for a short visit today after the Awkward Pose. Locked my knees during Hands to Feet Pose. Standing Bow Pulling Pose is still going strong, as well as Standing Head to Knee. Balancing Stick is touch and go. I do need to stretch those arms and keep them strong and taut.

With the class over, after that invigorating shower, and relishing my Emergen-C spiked water, I yearn to go back to the hot room soon! Does this mean that a Back-to-Back and/or a Double are looming in the horizon? At the moment, it sounds pretty appetizing...

Good night, Mommy. I love you.

Day 3 - 2nd Annual 30 Day Challenge

TGIF for most people, me included for this week and next. I have 2 consecutive Saturdays off which come few and far between. Today being the 1st of the month, I anticipated a busy day at work. In banking, the 1st of the month brings a steady stream of clients at the bank. People taking money out for rent, people bringing in money from rent. Payday, bill paying day, what have you.

I'm thankful for the 6:00AM classes during the work week, i.e., Monday to Friday. Committing to my 2nd annual 30 Day Challenge compels me to practice at 6:00AM. For a morning person like me, this is not a big deal. I look forward to having a fabulous day at work and at home, after having had the most fabulous workout I have ever had. Trust me, I've done Step Aerobics, Boxercise, Iyengar Yoga, and Power Yoga. I like them all, but as one of the yogis at the studio said, Bikram Yoga IS the Cadillac of yoga.

I've had a great Day 3. As usual, I've parked my mat at the back row, right next to the door. This time, there was no one blocking my view of the mirror. Ms. Fidget was absent at 6:00AM. It was great to see MYSELF in the mirror this morning. I was proud of my Standing Bow Pulling Pose. I had an A-HA! moment, where I stretched my arm up to the ceiling "max-i-mum", then continued stretching forward as I brought my body down, now trying to touch the mirror. What a huge difference it made! It is true that the more you stretch your arms taut in any posture, the lighter your body feels as you lift or stretch it, and the stronger you are thus enabling you to hold the posture longer. My Eagle Pose rocked today, too. I was able to stay in the posture. My knees felt really strong this morning. I was mindful in keeping the hips square to the front, pointing my toes down instead of hooking them to my calf muscle, and keeping my hands and wrists straight and away from my face. Really, the key to endurance is slow, steady breathing in and out through your nose. Take advantage of your breath. It's free!

I am so looking forward to tomorrow's practice. To Day 4. Less than 12 hours to go. I am in the first trimester of the challenge. Everything still feels great. Wait 'til you reach the second trimester. I'd say, bring it on!

Good night, Mommy. I love you.