Eve of the 30

I was determined to practice today, to prepare myself for 30 straight days of yoga starting tomorrow. The yoga does not scare me; it's the reality and necessity of having to get up at 5:20AM on most days to make it to the 6:00AM class. It is so hard for me to leave the comfort of my bed at such an early hour, despite the fact that I am a morning person.

Today, I felt stiff. I was very surprised that my knees have not been cooperating during Fixed Firm Pose lately. They feel like they need a good lubrication, in order for my feet to stay put beside my hips. I used to do the Awkward Pose quite well, but my knees have been buckling and my balance has been out of sorts.

Hopefully, I will be back on track again. Our instructor this morning hit the nail on the head when she said that sometimes we don't feel like practicing, as we are tired, we don't have the time, or just plain we don't feel like it. But, think of the feeling you will get AFTER the class is over. Oh I know all about that feeling. It's the reason why I have been coming back again and again to that hot room for the past 27 months.

Good night, Mommy. I love you.

Psyching Up for the 30

My name is on the list. Starting on Monday, September 26th, I will be embarking on my 3rd 30 Day Challenge. I had originally planned on doing one every year during the month of April, but upon seeing the sign-up list on my studio's board, I couldn't help but join. My practice has been erratic since the summer. This inconsistency has resulted in many steps back, instead of strides ahead. The yoga itself, for me, is easy. It's finding the time that is a bigger challenge. Schedules and commitments get in the way. I know that the 6:00AM classes are my saviour in this regard, but I have been avoiding them lately. I just love my bed too much to leave it that early!

Today at practice, I was relieved to find a spot at the back beside the door. For the first time, in my two-year practice, I decided to wear crops to class. I was a little concerned about overheating, but thankfully it didn't happen. I had a bad case of the dizzies today. It happened, it wasn't pleasant, but I let it go.

The rest of my day went really well. I had almost forgotten how 90 minutes in that hot room sets up the rest of my day perfectly. It's time to get my groove back.

Good night, Mommy. I love you.

Checking Back In

Summer is almost over. It took a while for it to get going. July was pretty much a write-off as far as sun lovers go, but for me, well, it didn't really bother me. It's pretty much out of my control. That's Mother Nature for ya. She throws curve balls too.

My yoga practice has taken a vacation. I wanted to keep the momentum going, but life outside the yoga studio took over. My practice has been off and on, off and on. The thing that I dread about an inconsistent practice is the starting over part. You get to where you want to be, then you stop, then you start again, and now you're back to square one. The hips need to be opened yet again, the hamstrings need to be stretched again, the balance has to be regained, etc., etc. The one posture that keeps going despite these absences is my Camel. I can still hold the Camel the entire time...for both sets. Yes, even if it's Mr. Suggestion at the helm :) Oh, and the water bottle is still waiting for me in the changeroom instead of keeping me company during class. It is amazing how not being distracted by taking water during class helps keep the mind focused on the tasks at hand.

While my practice has been sporadic lately, I still check in once in a while. I know this is okay. It is MY practice, after all.

Good night, Mommy. I love you.

Stirring Things Up A Bit

Today I decided to skip the 9:00AM and instead practice at 1:45PM. Normally I prefer to get my practice in as early as possible, but today, even after having my bag packed and ready to go for 9:00AM, I decided to skip that and instead have my morning coffee, a good breakfast, and a nap before doing a few chores and heading out for the 1:45PM class.

I enjoyed this change. I had a great class. The room's temperature was just right. Teacher C. was awesome as always. There was great energy in the room. I had a few chit-chats before and after class. Glorious sunshine outside the studio. The Vancouver Canucks got clobbered by the Boston Bruins last night, super-duper bummer of a game, but well, there's always tomorrow which I hope they'll win so they'd come home and hopefully win the Cup on Friday. GO CANUCKS GO!!!

Anyway, going back to yoga, it's good to stir things up a bit, in order to challenge the body, and get it out of its comfort zone. A challenge is always good for the soul. Change is good. If it doesn't turn out the way you want it to, there's always tomorrow. Namaste.

Good night, Mommy. I love you.

Savasana Reward

For my 6:00AM practice today I decided to enjoy my final Savasana. Typically I would rush out the door as soon as teacher says "Namaste". I wanted to secure a shower spot ahead of the other yogis whom I know would be rushing off to work. Last night, I visited senior teacher Ida Ripley's blog and one of the topics she wrote about was Savasana. She mentioned that we should take the opportunity to reward ourselves with the final Savasana after a grueling 90 minute practice. One to two minutes of complete relaxation will do a body wonders, and one to two minutes delay will not be a huge impact on one's schedule. Lightbulb moment for me. Yes, why not devote two minutes of my time to my body and mind. So what if I have to wait for a shower spot to come up. Everybody's rushing out of there to get to work on time anyway. So, there I was this morning, taking a 5-minute Savasana. The bonus was, class ended two minutes early so I even had time to have my water after class before heading for the shower. I noticed that my body had enough time to recover and stop sweating. On previous occasions, even after showering, I was still sweating so much that I felt like I had to jump in the shower again.

So, from now on, I will not take final Savasana for granted again.

Good night, Mommy. I love you.

When the Going Gets Tough, The Tough Get Going

This pretty much sums up my last couple of practice days. This morning, I was resigned to the idea that I may not do well today as I did yesterday. But, I was wrong. I had an awesome practice today. I thought the room temperature was just right. For me, it was hot enough. I know that some yogis want it really hot, but I believe that if it is stifling hot, what good will that do you? You're already sweating, so it is really necessary to be hotter to achieve what??? It's all about balance. I believe that if you are already hot enough that you are sweating, your muscles and joints are already pliable enough to do the postures. 'Nuff said.

Back to my practice today. My balance was off. I kept falling out of Standing Bow more often than usual. Awkward Pose has been just that. Awkward. Especially during the first part. I simply could not hold the posture the whole time. I do, however, pay attention to the proper form. And when I fall out, I do get back in again. I believe this indicates that I am a yogi. Apparently, to fall out of a posture is being human. To get back into the posture is being a yogi. 'Nuff said.

Tomorrow marks three straight days of practice. We will see if the tough will still be going...

Good night, Mommy. I love you.

Super Wednesday...Great Practice and A Win For The 'Nucks

I woke up this morning feeling heavy all around. I have gained quite a bit of weight, despite a regular Bikram practice. What happens is that I eat a lot after class, as I do not eat before class. But I think the main culprit is that I have not lost my love of rice, that carbilicious vehicle with which to transport my Filipino favourites like adobo, pork giniling, callos, etc. So I thought I'd curb that heavy eating after class by having fruit a good two hours before class, as well as a glass of water. The latter as an insurance for my (still) no-water-during-class regimen.

We had Mr. Suggestion at the helm today. Nope, I didn't cringe when I saw his truck parked in the studio lot. I welcomed the anticipated great workout that he always serves his students. But boy, what a Speedy Gonzales of a Pranayama Breathing we had! I had a great one today, and almost always, how I do at Pranayama will dictate how my practice will pan out.

Most of the time, it's a seesaw "battle" between the Standing and the Floor. It's either one or the other. I start strong, then I finish weak. I start weak, then I finish strong. But today, I was strong from start to finish. Despite the heavy feeling that I woke up with this morning. I stuck it out the whole time for Mr. S's famous second (extended) set of the Camel Pose. Great advice on focusing on the breath while in the posture, and just allowing yourself to push beyond your edge a little bit.

And for the cherry on top, the Vancouver Canucks took the first game of the Stanley Cup finals. GO CANUCKS GO!!!

Good night, Mommy. I love you. And wasn't that a great game?