Day 24 - Morning yoga makes my energy levels go "POW"!

DAY 24 - June 2, 2011

Time to make up some of those missed classes. I actually got myself out of bed at 6am for the sunrise yoga class at Be. Monica Delgado Chaffee was standing in for the regular teacher and she was a delight. The sun was indeed shining in through the windows of the studio, making the name of the class quite accurate. In what seems like a past life, I used to row on a crew team. We would have 4am practices and, by some stroke of insanity or lapse in my normally lucid consciousness, these early morning trips on the river quickly became my favorite time of day. There is something great about mindful and deliberate movement in the morning. Yes, your hamstrings are too tight and you may have to stop mid-movement to wipe the remnant of sleep from your eyes, but it is easier to bring your focus back to yourself. The mind isn't racing from a day of emails and to do lists. I love taking advantage of this morning energy that is so peaceful, yet still softly humming, eager to burst into the full blown craziness of the day. And the best part - it wakes you up. I had more energy all day then I knew what to do with!

At night, I took Ame's vinyasa flow class at Back Bay Yoga. I am chronicling my yoga pose wishlist here on this blog and I am adding this to the list. Galavasana, as demonstrated by Luke Jordan:

Come on, that is just cool. Of course, I will have to continue this ongoing, strongly-worded discussion/battle I am having with gravity and my inability to overcome it.

By the end of my second class of the day I was feeling awesome. I know the guy behind me was feeling pretty good too, at least super relaxed. I was barely finished staggering with my neighbors and negotiating ideal hand placement in savasana before the rumblings of the nasal orchestral symphony began behind me. Yep, he was relaxed I'll tell ya. Always a compliment to have people completely conk out at the end of your class. Sheer exhaustion or utter bliss - who cares, he obviously needed a few extra minutes of shut eye.

Day 24 overall: Crazy amount of energy. The arm balance saga continues - I will keep lifting my butt to the ceiling, hoping one day my legs will decide to follow.

Day 15 - Midpoint!

DAY 15 - May 24, 2011

I've reached the midpoint in my challenge! Day 15 and I have to admit, I did NOT feel like doing yoga today. Not at all. I wanted to make a lentil loaf, sit on the coach and watch the Biggest Loser finale. Thankfully, I have the best boyfriend who took up all lentil loaf making responsibilities and motivated me to get going. I had no excuses. I looked around for what I thought would be a mellow class and when I found one titled "Just Yoga" at Be. in Union Square, I thought 'perfect'. I begrudgingly gathered myself together and schlepped down to the studio. On the plus side, the neighborhood smelled like flowers and BBQs. On the down side, did I mention I did NOT feel like doing yoga today? Blerg.

The "Just Yoga" class was the second class of the night and the heaters had been pumping for a full 2 hrs before we even got in there. The studio was hot and soupy and it didn't take long (maybe by the second "om" of the class) before we were all sweating profusely. I even questioned bringing a towel to this "just yoga" class before I left, thinking it was going to be chill. Well good thing I decided otherwise. It also didn't help that it was the first 80 degree day of the season. Swell.

I slipped and slided through the poses, muscles twitching from trying to stabilize themselves on my sweat stained mat. I thought they were going to go on strike, and my mind was right behind them. I zoned out. I rolled my eyes once - ok, maybe twice. I just wasn't feeling it today. It wasn't the class or the instructor (both were great), but it was just one of those days. Ya know? I am happy I made it through though because I felt great afterwards. There is just no escaping the yoga buzz, no matter how hard you fight it.

Day 15 overall: Glad I sucked it up and went to class. It's not easy getting yourself to the mat every day, but it is important to make that commitment to yourself and to your practice. It is so worth it.

Day 6 - Flow slow and just be

DAY 6: May 15, 2011

Energy levels were low on this rainy Sunday afternoon so I decided to head over to Be. Yoga Studio in Union Square for some Yin Flow action with Frances Harper. Yin yoga is a natural accompaniment to the vinyasa practice. In yin yoga, the practitioner holds poses for longer periods of time, releasing the muscles so that the deeper connective tissue is working, stretching and opening. Vinyasa is a meditation through movement in which you link poses to the rhythm of your breath. It is much more vigorous and active compared to yin, but I find that stilling the mind in yin poses is the real challenge. The yin practice teaches you to let go and to surrender - a very foreign and scary thing to many of us.

The class was dimly lit and the sounds of women chanting emanated from the mounted ipod on the side of the room (e.g. Donna Delory and others of the like). We moved slowly and methodically through Moon salutations - opening the hips through horse pose, 'kung fu' lunges, triangle, and low lunge. Building on the hip opening action, we sank deeply into frog and pigeon (i.e. sleeping swan in the yin practice). As my mind raced and fidgety feelings took hold, Frances was there to remind us to bring our awareness back to the breath. She spoke about the elemental nature of our hips - water. A paradox she points out, since so many of us hold our emotions, stress, pain, etc. in this space. It is often a place of tightness and I know the feeling all too well of being stuck or stagnant in the hips. It is only when we let go, will we find the fluid movement that is the true nature of this region.

Day 6 overall: Peaceful, calming. My mind was my worst enemy today and it took some time to be able to slow my thoughts/movements and just be in the poses.