Practice Yoga

Building physical strength, building non-physical strength, building awareness.

This goal is linked back to the “completed” goal of Have My Soul Be Completely Protected

Blacked out trying to do camel; ended up lying down in savasana for most of the rest of class. The instructor said that I was pretty strong (and I was right in front of her, so she would know) up until that point, so maybe I just pushed too hard, and went over the edge of what I could do today.

I haven’t been for a while, and after last night’s disasterous bike ride, it seemed like I should drive to work and then go to yoga class.

I was tired, so I teetered quite a bit in all the balancing poses. But I actually made it through nearly all of it, only sitting out during Triangle, which I thought was pretty darn good considering I felt like I was only at about 80%.

Also, I’m now using a new yoga mat. The old one I’ve now donated to my husband, who has taken up the new yoga class being offered at his workplace. Me, after dithering for some time over the half-dozen designs and marketing claims of various brands, got one that was supposedly eco-friendly (still out-gassed something nasty).

Good things: I remembered to take sweats to change into afterwards. I remembered to take a plastic bag for my sweaty yoga clothes for taking home.

So, a couple times, I walked into the hot yoga studio, and casually turn the heater to “fan”. It just evened out the heat so I wouldn’t be stuck in the hottest corner of the room, absolutely roasting, while people who got in there early (like, 20 minutes early – the must not be employed) got the cooler spots by the door.

Well, you know what they did. They took the knobs off the heaters. Now they’re permanently set to heat the room, and can never, ever, ever be set to fan.

So, I don’t care any more. I’m not going to do yoga in the back row any more. I don’t care how much of a beginner I really am, how much I teeter and teeter and teeter on one leg (although, today, I not only got into Tree, I got my hand up to Namaskar without falling out). I’m going into the second row, with the intermediate students. It’s cooler than the back row, where all the heaters are located, and there’s more room – everyone crowds in the back.

With being able to set up all poses, even if in the most pitiful fashion, I feel like I am over my first hump in the class – what I now need to do is to get from barely being able to set up certain poses into setting them up with control and balance.

Also, true confession – because I’m usually skittling into class at the last minute, the only place for me to set up my mat and towel is the hottest hot spot of the room. On Sunday, when I went into class, I casually turned the heater from “heat” (where it’s cranked to maximum) to “fan”. If anyone noticed, no body said or did anything. That corner became about the same temp as much of the rest of the room. When I went into class yesterday, it was still set to “fan”.

Let’s hear it for “fan”, for evening out the temperature in the hot yoga studio, and for me not having to get to class 20 minutes early just to get the ideal mat spot.

I wonder when any instructor will notice. Maybe Thanksgiving break?

17 classes in, and I can now at least set up every single freakin’ pose. Doesn’t mean I’m able to do much more than set up Ustrasana, and do the very basic set up for Dandayamana – JanuShirasana – BUT, I did at least get a stab at each one, and not have to sit the pose out.

I have come to the realization that my purpose in yoga is on body awareness and grounding. Purification may just be a side benefit.

Balancing on one leg getting easier – could set up tree pose now, even if I couldn’t hold it for the entire period.

Still getting too dizzy for camel pose. I need to be patient with myself.

Still can’t do all the poses.

Got good advice from the instructor on how to balance better during Eagle.

I want to be able to at least set up properly, if not actually do, all the asanas in class.

Today I set up or made a good stab at doing everyone but Ustrasana (camel pose) – I just got too dizzy to put my head back, and had to sit in a kneeling position during that set. But today was the first day I made through all the standing and balancing poses, including tree pose, which I’ve had to sit out of in all the previous classes.

Attend yoga class at least 8 times in the month (an average of twice a week).