Day 15 - No Back-to-Back, But No Regrets

I had great intentions, to do a back-to-back today, after getting a "nudge" from a yoga buddy after class yesterday. However, the main concern that I had in doing this today is that there is only a 30-minute gap between both classes, so what if I am not hydrated enough for class #2? As I do not take water during class, will the water I drink after class #1 be enough to sustain me? I have to ask my yoga buddy K/C about her regimen for doing a back-to-back first.

This afternoon, on the way to her piano lessons, my daughter asked if I did IT, and when I told her I didn't, she sounded disappointed. So I thought out loud about maybe doing it TOMORROW by going to the 6:00AM, then the 9:00AM, which would give me an hour and a half of rest and re-hydration. That should work, shouldn't it?

I've read that there were three women from San Francisco who took EIGHT straight classes in one day. Apparently they never drank nor sat down during class. All they did was BREATHE in a slow, steady breath. Oh man, I don't know, but I think I will not even try this one. Maybe when I am retired?

Today's class was certainly not the calibre of yesterday's, but then I did not expect it to be. It's not that I am a defeatist, but I would rather be surprised with a positive, than have high expectations then be let down if things don't go accordingly. I sweated more today. We had the wonderful I. at the helm, and I could never thank her enough for spotting me at times and correcting me.

Oh, by the way, I took the 11:00AM class today. It's nice to vary the practice times. I'm definitely more flexible, what with a few waking hours spent sleeping in, breakfast, and walking the kid to school with doggie in tow. Tomorrow and Friday, it's back to 6:00AM. I must go to bed earlier tonight.

Good night, Mommy. I love you.

Day 14 - Could've/Should've Done a Back-to-Back!

W O W...OH...W O W...I could not believe how wonderful, great, awesome, my practice was today. After a few reps of Pranayama breathing, I knew that my body is faring so much better. For once, I was not wishing for Pranayama to end soon. I was breathing efficiently, and not just going through the motions. I took the 9:00AM class--maybe the extra 2 hours of sleep helped. Who knows?

It was the first time in many months since I've parked my mat at the right front corner of the room, with the side mirror right next to me. What a homecoming it was! "Hello, (right) Knee!" said Forehead in Standing Head to Knee--yes, those two have FINALLY touched! It took, what, like, almost two years! Left knee is still being very shy right now, so patience...patience...

So what about the Camel? With P. (aka Mr. Suggestion) at the helm this morning, I knew that second set of Camel will be an extended version. True enough, it was. I was "pushed" by P. to push more forward--I must be pretty close to getting there. And that second set was a LONG one! So much so, that upon getting of it, I let out a grunt of relief. Apparently the Camel elicits a varied array of emotions: sadness, happiness, anger, bliss...mine was pure BLISS...

I enjoyed a long final Savasana, my regulation three minutes. After enjoying my Emergen-C laced water, I prepared to get into the shower. My yoga buddy G. asked me if I was going back to the hot room for the next class. I looked at her like she was crazy, and said, "Oh no!" She said that I hardly sweated, meaning I looked like I was not tired at all. I said that I just feel GREAT!, that I COULD probably do a back-to-back. Hmm, I wonder...maybe tomorrow? I will pack an extra set of essentials, and depending on how I feel after the first class tomorrow, maybe, just maybe...

Oh the human body is such a wonderful thing...

Good night, Mommy. I love you.

PS: Another deja vu: Last year's Day 14 blog post title was "Almost At The Halfway Point and Feeling Terrific!" WEIRD...the mirror image between these two challenges is simply mind boggling...Again I repeat--I did not check last year's post prior to writing this one...

Day 13 - And So the Soreness Sets In

Almost at the halfway point, and like clockwork, the soreness of some parts of me are beginning to catch up. The lower left side of my back extending down to my glutes has been pretty sore early on, and today, doing the Standing Head to Knee with the left leg raised has been a challenge. I'm not sure whether the Sexy Flexy class last night pushed its limits. All in all, today's practice was so-so. Are the early mornings getting to me? Three straight days off beginning tomorrow are a welcome treat. I will bow out of the 6:00AM, and luxuriate in having a choice of either the 9:00, 11:00, or 1:45.

I was just thinking that if it weren't for committing to a 30 Day Challenge, I would be very tempted to take a rest. Very tempting indeed, but I've been practicing long enough to know that once I rest, I will be justified in extending that rest. At this point, it's all about being a good listener...to your body. Well and good to have goals, and to challenge one's self, but as with anything, we should never lose touch with arriving at a compromise. Yesterday, I may have been flexible enough to extend my leg and hold it there. Today, I was too sore to even hold the foot that is attached to it. That is okay. There is always a tomorrow. And 16 days after that...and 30 more years after that...

Good night, Mommy. I love you.

PS: Okay, I just checked my post for Day 13 from the Challenge I did LAST YEAR...and it's entitled: ONE SORE HINEY...how weird is THAT?!? I swear I didn't revisit that post BEFORE I wrote this one...deja vu!

Intermission - Sexy Flexy Class

Work buddy K. and I, along with her friend G. went to our local Lululemon store to attend their weekly community class this evening. Every Sunday evening, Lulu hosts free 1-hour classes, showcasing a different fitness studio each month. Last Sunday, it was Pilates; today, it was Sexy Flexy.

What is Sexy Flexy? It turned out to be a yoga class focusing on flexibility, particularly in the hip joint area and the hamstrings. There were a lot of familiar postures, like the Triangle (we did the Warrior version), Cobra, and Separate Leg Stretching. We also did Pigeon Pose, which I quite enjoy. Of course, the Downward Dog and Child's Poses were not missed.

We enjoyed the class. I was surprised that I was THAT flexible, even outside the hot room. My hamstrings were not at all compromised. We were asked to sit on the floor, extend our legs out into a split and bend forward from the lower spine. Sounds familiar? I must say I did well, and I couldn't thank Bikram Yoga enough for preparing me for this class. We had fun, and while K.'s knee was still giving her trouble, she was glad that she decided to come today.

Next Sunday will be a Pilates class. I wonder how my abs will fare then...

Good night, Mommy. I love you.

Day 12 - Peaks and Valleys

I went out of my comfort zone and parked my mat at the back row, right side. It's partly due to my very skimpy new yoga short with a narrow inseam. I don't think I would be comfortable doing Standing Bow Pulling Pose while in the front row. Can you say, "...cannot concentrate..."

I must say that I felt fine being in a different "home" for a change. What is even better is that no one blocked my view of the mirror. It wasn't a packed class, which is normal for 7:00AM on a Sunday. Oh, by the way, it appears that Dizzies have left town. Yay! Half Moon and Hands to Feet Poses are now Dizzies-free!

Cobra Pose was a revelation today. With being mindful of keeping my legs straight back and really tight, with my feet planted firmly to the floor, I was able to arch my back properly and keep it there for the duration. What a huge difference to be mindful of alignment. It felt really different from my Cobras of practices past!

I love having Teacher J. at the helm. She talked about not being too wound up about how our practices go from day to day. Every day is going to be different. There will be peaks and valleys; one day we're superstars, the next day we are tankers. This pattern keeps us grounded, and it is a good thing to be challenged. How else could we discover what we are capable of?

Tonight is Community Class night at Lululemon. Have I not have had enough yet? Apparently the class is billed as a "Sexy Flexy" workout. I will keep you all posted about it.

Good night, Mommy. I love you.

Day 11 - High Energy in the Comfort Zone

The change room at the studio is a hubbub of activity after/before classes. It's an opportunity for the yogis to share their experiences in the hot room. This morning, with the 7:00AM class over, and as the 9:00AM yogis come trickling in to get ready, I was treated to a nice chat with one of my first yoga buddies, K/C (I don't know which initial applies). She and I were in Ren Soriano's posture clinic two years ago at Bikram Yoga Sidney. Since then, we have been comparing notes about our respective practices. She does back-to-back classes and she said that I should try it sometime, as the second class is really not that hard. She was also the one who got me started on the "no water during class" regimen that I am practicing to this day. Hmm, so who knows, maybe a back-to-back towards the home stretch of my 30 Day Challenge will come to fruition.

Energy level is on a high still. My alarm is set for the appointed time, but I kept waking up every hour a good four hours BEFORE. My poor hubby complained that I kept him awake from all the fidgeting. I think I was just too excited and couldn't wait to get back to the hot room. Upon arriving at the studio a good 20 minutes before the start time, I find myself having to decide where to park my mat. I always gravitate to the front, unless it's on a weekday when I have to make a dash for the showers so a spot closest to the door is most ideal. So the change in routine only involves which side of the room--right of the podium or left of the podium. I used to love being closest to the side mirror, but lately I've been avoiding it, as much as I would like to see myself during Trikanasana. Maybe tomorrow, if no one beats me to it, I will park on that spot.

Change is good. Change is good.

Good night, Mommy. I love you.

Day 10 - First Trimester Done!

Finished really strong today! I practiced at 6:00AM, and today I worked the long shift--9:30AM-6:15PM. What did I get myself into? I was scheduled to finish at 3:15PM, but yesterday I was asked if I could work until 6:15PM. Only after I agreed to this that I then thought of what could become a very tiring day for me.

Before class started, and just after Teacher L. gave the newbies a few pointers on how to survive in the hot room, she looked over to the first row to her left, and addressed us as the "veterans". Veterans!?! I guess with almost 2 years of practice, I can hardly be called a newbie, right?

I would like to thank my yoga buddy J. for giving me a helpful tip on how to determine whether or not my legs are pointing straight towards the back of the room for the Spine Strengthening Series. After that correction from teacher O. yesterday, I am now very mindful of my alignment. Teacher L. also touched on the importance of alignment over depth.

So how do the first 10 days of the challenge feel? Well, here's the rundown:

1. My left bum cheek is sore. Sometimes Standing Head to Knee for the left leg is challenging for the first set.

2. I can't wait to get back to the hot room. Not that I am aiming to do a Back-to-Back or a Double anytime soon. All I'm saying is that I am thoroughly enjoying my practice.

3. Flexibility is definitely improving.

4. While I would love to gain depth in the posture, I am more mindful of alignment now.

5. Energy level is still on a high. I do "shut down" in the evening, though.

I am curious to find out how I will fare in the second trimester. I am aware that I might start to get tired and sore. I think I will review my posts from last year and do a comparison.

So Day 11 is in a few hours. I will be sleeping in an extra hour, as class starts at 7:00AM on weekends--still too early for most of my peeps at work. They still think I'm crazy to practice everyday at 6:00AM, then go to work. Surprisingly, I didn't feel tired at all today, after the workday was over. I am planning on going to bed early, though. I still love my sleep.

Good night, Mommy. I love you.