30 Day Wrap Up

I survived my 30 day challenge!
I feel like I have 26 new best friends. Through these last 30 days I’ve gotten to know these 26 postures intimately. I knew them before, but not like I do now. We’ve done a lot together through just starting out, falling to illness, recovering and finally making improvements. It’s through these postures that I’ve become better acquainted with myself. I’m much more aware of each part of my body than I was before. For instance, I knew I held a lot of tension in my shoulders, but never noticed how much it can throw my whole body out of balance, or where I store other emotions. Truthfully, I thought that was all a little bit hokey before. I dismissed yoga because I wasn’t really into meditation and getting in touch with my inner whatevers. I didn’t like sitting perfectly still. My only previous yoga experience was a class I took in college that was really boring. And none of the classes I've taken at Hart Yoga have been boring.

You may not know this, but I was once an athlete. I played ice hockey and a number of other sports. I was lucky in that where I played there was a great focus on maintaining athletes and preventing injuries, and as such there was always an emphasis on stretching before and after working out. This is a practice I have actively maintained since leaving high school, though I haven’t necessarily maintained being active. Thanks to this habit of stretching, I started yoga with an amount of flexibility. Not a large amount, but something to build on so I was not completely miserable. Through this challenge my biggest hurdle was overcoming the lack of strength I had, especially in my legs for balancing.

I was just looking through some photos we took, and I’m amazed at the progress I’ve made, that I’m still making. These are not “after” photos, I guess they're "midway" photos.

TRIANGLE:



I'm definitely getting my hips lower and holding this posture longer. The inner thighs may be screaming now, but they'll appreciate it later!

HALF MOON:



My shoulders are getting more stacked - I think I was in this posture more in class. If you notice, my hands aren't quite right, so I wasn't pulling and stretching my side as much. But either way, this one's going pretty well. Oh! And check out the back bend:



I'm really proud at how much this one has improved, and a little sad that I didn't take pictures earlier. I mentioned in an earlier blog that I've suffered from minor back pain for a long time, and I didn't think my back would ever be able to handle bending this far without me being unable to walk the next day. The spine strengthening series has helped me tremendously to improve my posture and in general handle my every day life of sitting at a desk.

My other major improvement is in Standing Bow. I'm really proud at how far I've come, since before I couldn't even balance, let alone kick my leg up and back. So here's the before and midway (I definitely have a long way to go!) [also, funny how the color of the wall changes from day to night]


I'm kicking my leg MUCH higher, and I could fairly easily be reaching forward more (yay for taking pictures!) As you can see, my standing knee still hyper-extends a fair amount, but not as badly as it used to. I think doing Yin Yang and Vinyasa helped open my hips and stretch my thighs enabling this posture and triangle to improve greatly. Just being able to balance for the majority of this posture is amazing.

Speaking of, I didn't do any pictures of non-bikram postures, but I've definitely been improving in the other classes as well. I admit I favor the steady, unchanging posture series, possibly because I can easily see measured improvement. But I also really enjoy trying new things in the Vinyasa and Yin Yang class, so hopefully in the future I'll take some pictures of those classes as well. I also am incredibly appreciative that Hart Yoga offers these class variations.

Some unintended side effects of doing yoga everyday:
- I do laundry every day. Since I only have a couple of outfits comfortable for the hot room and flexibility, and only the one yoga towel, I have to wash clothes often. So the laundry is almost all caught up, even if the folding isn't.

- According to husband-elect, I'm "very flexible in more ways than one", which apparently means I'm more comfortable varying my dinner time schedule (you thought he meant something else, didn't you?). And I possess greater patience when things don't go my way. Who knew that could ever happen.

- I stay up later and have more energy when I get home after class, but I still get the proper amount of sleep (most nights, at least)

- I'm happier with my body. Yes, I've lost a few pounds (6) and a few inches (2 inches from my waist, 1 inch from my hips, 1.5 inches from my thigh, and half an inch from my upper arm), and gained whole bunches of muscle, but after being in that hot room every day, I'm much more comfortable with me the way I am. Or at least I'm uncomfortable being too covered and stifled by lots of clothing.

Admittedly, my challenge was a bit unorthodox since I took a week off in the middle while I was sick. I think it both help and hurt me. I lost some of the momentum I had, but my glutes and thighs were getting very painful and it's possible if I had pushed through I could have injured myself. Instead, I was immobilized for at least 4 days, exercising my lungs by coughing. But I think being sick propelled the second half of my challenge to even greater heights. I came back with much more energy and drive than I had before. I was more appreciative of my healthy body and eager to stay healthy and fit.

I'm not a person who lets go of things easily. I hold grudges for a long time, I keep hoping for the impossible, and I try to control the uncontrollable. This sets me up for a lot of disappointment. I think what I gained the most from this challenge is the ability to just be. For 90 minutes each day I could go into a hot room with a wall of mirrors and watch myself struggle through these postures while looking a sweaty mess. This may not sound appealing, but it really was the best part of my day. Because for 90 minutes I wasn't thinking about anything except how to do the posture I was doing, or possibly thinking ahead to the next posture. I wasn't thinking about what bills needed to be paid, what pet needed to go to the vet, what mistakes I made at work, how much cleaning needed to be done at home, how much wedding planning needed to be done, what food I needed to eat, or how much weight I need to lose. For 90 minutes every day I could let go of all of that and just be me.

Yin Yang with Hoa

I woke up to no power this morning, and was quite anxious to leave the house and get to the studio, although rolling over and going back to sleep seemed like a good idea too. The ying yang class is kind of perfect for a Sunday morning, and I now look forward to it each week. This is the last ying yang class of the challenge, but it definitely won't be my last one forever.

Today we had a guest yogini leading us, Hoa (pronounced Waa). I was a little nervous at first, but then I realized that each yin yang class is a little different anyway, so I probably would have had the same amount of nervousness if Kate had been teaching. I really liked Hoa, and she's going to be teaching a regular class this summer (sadly I think I will always have to be at work at the time of her class). We did a couple different Vinyasas in the yang part of class with chair pose and dolphin pose.

Dolphin pose I had never done before and it was a bit challenging. Definitely an ab workout moving in and out of it! Another pose I had never done before was a yin posture, dragon. Actually, I just took a little break and looked up some pictures, and I have definitely done some variations on dragon before in Kate's class. Here, check it out: http://www.yinyoga.com/ys2_2.0_asanas_dragons.php

Dragon was the most challenging pose of the day for me. My hips really felt the stretch, and it was the only yin posture I wasn't sure if I could hold for the entire time. We did a lot of hip stretching and opening today, which I have decided I really love. Frog pose was another hip opening yin posture that felt really good. I may not like doing them at the time, but my hips appreciate being opened and stretched now and then.

I both love and hate doing yoga in the morning. I hate getting up and actually going to class, but I definitely leave class with more energy, feeling much less stiff than when I rolled out of bed.

Tomorrow is my last day of the challenge!

Energy Boost

Saturday mornings are rough. I spend all week dreaming of sleeping in Saturday morning, and then all I get is an extra half hour to make sure I can eat a decent breakfast and not throw up during locust or floor bow.

Today the orange furry alarm clock started in at 6:30. I was able to put her off for an hour, but by then the pooches were on the same page as the cat, and it was time to get up and feed everyone breakfast. When I got to the studio a little before 10, I still wasn't quite awake yet. All I really wanted was to go back to bed, and any other day I would have talked myself out of going.

Morning classes can be frustrating because my body is still stiff, and not as bendy as it can be in evening classes. My back especially was tight today, but once I let all of that go, I did pretty well. By the end of class I was feeling like I usually do, plenty warmed up and able to get to my fullest expressions of each posture. Standing bow I even maintained for the majority of the second set. I like working on toe stand. It's funny, I have an easier time balancing on my right foot in toe stand, when that is the more difficult leg for me to balance on when standing. Maybe it just feels better because I have lower expectations for that side.

Speaking of low expectations, I think that's why class went so well today. I went in not feeling it, thinking it was going to be terrible, and I left pleasantly surprised. As an added bonus, I had a lot more energy when I left class than when I arrived.

Only a Few More!!

Today's class was pretty great. I was a little dehydrated, definitely had one too many cups of coffee today. But the room was warm and I was nice and bendy.

It was pretty easy to leave the outside world behind when I walked through the doors. Nothing terrible happened today, nothing wonderful either. Once in the yoga room, it was just me and a big mirror. Nothing to prove to anyone else, no competition to win. Just 90 minutes to do the best I can in 26 postures. Not the best ever, just the best I can that day.

Awkward felt really good today. The second part where you stand up on your toes was super hard, but I feel like I'm improving. And half of standing bow also felt good - I'm making improvements on both sides, but my right side is a lot better than my right. I'll get there, though. Balancing on my right leg is steadily improving. Toe stand is coming along as well, though slowly. I like that when I do toe stand, my ankle is better prepared for fixed firm. And I get a good ab workout using my core to balance!

I really enjoyed the spine strengthening series today. There's something in half locust I don't quite get sometimes, and when I figure it out I'll let you know. Some days I can get my legs up there, some days I can't. But I still just don't know the difference between the two. Full locust felt really good though - I was totally a jet airplane!


Overall, when I left the studio tonight, I felt good. I worked hard. I did some things well. My butt was sore. My clothes were soaked. And I was ridiculously hungry and ready to go home :)

Feeling The Burn, But Not Burnt Out

It's possible I underplayed the impact of Ashley's hour class yesterday. I was definitely feeling my abs today!! Sad when sitting all day is hard.

And then Kate kept up the ab soreness today, meeting in boat pose WAAAAY too often :P Plus a good core workout in the beginning, raising and lowering legs.

I love the Bikram series - I like how predictable it is, and how the only thing that changes each class is me. Whether or not I can hold a pose depends in large part on where my mind is that day, and what I'm willing to put into each class. Vinyasa on the other hand is a surprise every time. I never know what's coming next, and that is also good for me. I like that I'm learning more poses, and while I may not have measurable improvement in the same pose, I'm definitely learning and growing (or shrinking, as the case may be).

Vinyasa has also helped my bikram practice. Working my abs and core muscles help keep me strong for poses like awkward and toe stand (though I'm just starting out with that one). Kate's instructional style is very focused on proper form and alignment with corrections when you need them, but also little tips from the beginning. I've learned in standing separate leg stretching that it's easier to maintain locked out knees without hyper-extending my knees if I engage my quad muscles before hinging at the hips and lowering my upper body. Same with standing bow - if I make sure my standing side is long and rooted to the ground before kicking and reaching with the other side, I'm able to maintain my balance for much longer and get fuller into the posture.

I also have a greater appreciation for downward dog. It feels like much more of a resting posture than it used to, and I'm learning still to keep my core muscles engaged to move efficiently and quietly to the front of the mat when I need to. It's going to take a little more work.

This was my last Vinyasa class of my challenge, and I think it was a great one to end on. We did more work on shoulder stands, moving through to plow pose and then fish pose. I really like that series of postures, I think they flow very well together (as they're supposed to). They're just fun. And pretty hard.

Don't worry, this is definitely not my last Vinyasa ever, I plan to keep coming back. It's great that this class builds on itself and grows. And my abs can definitely use the work for my honeymoon!!

p.s. Husband-Elect earning a gold star yesterday giving me a back massage after my double class day. And he made me dinner.

Double the Fun!!

Ever felt like you wanted to slap a pregnant woman? No? Clearly you haven't taken Vicki's class lately :P

Let's start at the beginning. Doing yoga every day is really starting to get to me. I thought by now I would be dreading going every day, but the opposite is true. Every day I'm excited about going. I woke this morning thinking about yoga, wondering what Ashley's class was going to be like and how it would be different from Kate's Vinyasa class. Also a little anxious for sneaking over to the studio at lunchtime - I felt like a teenager ditching school.

I'm pretty sure I was one of the people who told Vicki that having an hour long class at noon would be a good idea, so I thought it was time I stepped up and went. Having a little yoga break in the middle of the day seemed like a great idea!

Of course I arrived right at noon, and had to hurry to get into the room. I work off of Maine Street, and it shouldn't have taken me as long as it did to rush over to Stanwood St. I hurriedly changed and got into the room, with a quick introduction to Ashley and assurance that I knew kind of what Vinyasa was about. More or less I was right. I'm pretty sure I had done every pose that we did in class today before.

The hour really flew by! I was sweating plenty and moving fairly quickly through postures. I was not the only one having my first class with Ashley, so I think it was good that she would pause now and then to see how we were all doing, and that she went through everything with us. It was definitely a great core workout if you're looking to make your abs more solid!

The only downside was I had to rush back to work as my lunch hour was up. I planned ahead and took a shortened lunch last Wednesday so I would have 1.5 hours to complete my yoga journey this morning. As I was heading out the door Vicki said, "So will I see you tonight?" I really hadn't planned on doubling up today, but the way she said it made it seem like a good idea.

So after work I again headed over to the studio and geared up for yoga-ing. I thought I had brought 2 changes of clothes with me just in case, but I only had a clean top and had to throw back on my sweaty pants. And pants proved to be a terrible idea as it was a super hot class!

I'm not sure if it was the heat or the warm up I had 4 hours earlier, but I was definitely very bendy today! It was excellent! I even had standing bow going pretty well for a few solid seconds. I'm getting better at holding it steady at the "halfway" point, and then stretching up further bit by bit.

Triangle was super hard today, as I was super sweaty and engaging my inner thighs was making my whole body shake. At that point I wasn't sure if the humidity was making it hazy in the room or if my vision was starting to get blurry. Who really knows. The important thing was that I kept going (albeit a little slower than I was before, perhaps a bit less deep). When we got to tree and toe stand, I knew toe stand just wasn't gonna happen today, and that's ok. As sweat was pouring down my elbow and landing on my thigh, Vicki pointed out my "arm waterfall" and chirped, "Isn't it great?? The humidity is perfect today!" As I struggled to maintain my breath through my nose and not chew the thick air, I kind of wanted to slap her. Especially since it was her happy tone saying, "Will I see you tonight?" that got me into this in the first place. My shirt and pants were clinging to me, my stomach felt like it was suffocating and I had to pull up the bottom of my shirt. Sorry to all the folks that had to see my tummy today, but you're supposed to be only looking at yourself in the mirror anyway :P

When we started the floor series, I really just wanted to give up. But I didn't, and I actually did much better in floor bow, full locust, and the spine twist than I usually do! All of the other floor exercises went just fine too. I've never been so happy to have a class end though. It was consistently hot and steamy the whole way through, there was no cooling down as you laid on the floor.

As I write this, I'm tired, I'm sore, and I'm really happy I did the double dose of yoga today. I was definitely much more limber in the second class. I left the first class super hungry, but after eating my lunch I really wasn't too peckish through the afternoon like I usually am. Perhaps because I was drinking water preparing for class #2.

The evening class was easily one of the hardest classes I've been to yet, and still I left smiling and ready to come back again tomorrow! I know i heard a few groans in the room (and yes, once or twice it was me), but I hope everyone else who was there tonight feels the same way.

Happy Sunday!!

Yin Yang on Sundays is really starting to grow on me. Today there was a lot of laughter and friendliness going on before class even started. It was just a great Sunday feeling, and a good set up for trying new things.

I like that it's fairly gentle, the yin postures definitely sneak up on you, but the heat helps you be a little bit more bendy. And we get to try something new each week, at our own pace. It's nice to work through new postures and make sure that you are doing them correctly. And then if it comes up in the Vinyasa class on Tuesday, you already have a good base before moving more quickly.

Today was just fun! I left class with lots of good energy and came home and got lots of things done! So much so that I nearly forgot to write this blog :)

We did some work on shoulder stands, which seemed much scarier than it ended up being. I would have liked to spend even more time going through that series. Although I'd probably be much more sore if we'd done it more.

I'm even starting to enjoy the free practice at the end of class as I learn more postures. Today my hips were really tight (especially the left one) and a few minutes in pigeon was just what I needed after spending most of class working on opening them up. I know I keep mentioning having tight hips, but I definitely notice that they're getting more flexible each week.

I hope everyone else enjoyed their Sunday! I'm going to try to give the noon Vinyasa a chance tomorrow - here's hoping I can make it there!

Saturday Morning Wake Up

Saturday morning was a rough one! I usually like to make sure I'm up around 7am so I can have a decent breakfast and have plenty of time to digest before going to class. Today I couldn't rouse myself until 8ish, and then I didn't want to eat a huge amount.

When I got to class, I was already starving! I'd had a fair amount of water, so luckily I wasn't dehydrated. But that first set of half moon was rough. My empty belly was screaming at me, and so was my lower back. Just tight all around! That meant I had to do a little more thinking today and pay closer attention to make sure I wasn't over stretching anything.

Despite being not very bendy today, I listened to Vicki and made some adjustments to certain postures that changed things a bit. It's funny, she probably says the same things every class, but every now and then I pay closer attention and learn something new!

First, it was in awkward. I have a hard time holding up my weak flabby arms through the breathing, half moon, awkward, and eagle. It's a lot of arm holding! Today I focused on keeping my arms engaged and reaching toward the front of the room. I thought that the more active I kept my arms, the more they would hurt. I was both right and wrong. Keeping them active in the posture helped me maintain my balance more and it actually wasn't as much of a chore to keep my arms lifted. A few hours later and trying to fold my sheets on laundry day is more of a challenge than its ever been!

Next, as my sweaty feet were slipping across the room in triangle, Vicki told me to really engage my thighs and they wouldn't slide so much. She was very right! I was trying to ground my feet, but it seemed the more I tried to hold my feet firm, the more they kept slipping. When I squeezed my thighs, my feet stayed put! I couldn't get as low as I have been in triangle as my hips and butt were super stiff.

My back slowly loosened up, but still wasn't quite there when I got to camel. I could get into the posture, but I couldn't maintain it. Vicki has often said in this posture to acknowledge whatever you have going on, good or bad, and let it go. I like camel a lot, it's often one of my better postures, so I usually have high expectations for it. But today it wasn't there, and I had to take my expectations and just let them go.

Yesterday's day off was good for me. Gave my muscles a chance to rest and rebuild. My butt and hamstrings have been really sore lately, but today they gave just a little bit more without causing too much hurt. Hopefully that progress will continue :)

I hope everyone gets a chance to enjoy the sunshine today! It's beautiful out, and thanks to practicing this morning I'm nice and loose and have lots of energy for all the yard work that needs to get done! Given how hard it was to get myself out of bed this morning, I doubt I would be doing much of anything if I hadn't dragged myself into that hot room!

The Floor is Lava!!

Wowzers! Today was a hot one! Class stayed above 102 the whole time, so for those purists who think the high 90's aren't hot enough, you should definitely come back to class! And the rest who dig the lower temps, don't worry, it was challenging, but it felt really good.

I'm pretty sure I drank more sweat than I did water this class. I could already see beads of sweat forming on my arms in the beginning breathing series, and in Hands to Feet I had sweat going up my nose.

Pictures were being taken today, and so I wore capri pants since I was a little self conscious, and the shorts I had brought were really short and kind of loose fitting, so I thought bad things might happen. By standing bow pulling pose I was so miserably hot! I pulled my pants above my knees, which was a huge relief, but just not good enough. Since I was about to rip my pants off and do the rest of class in my underwear, I decided to quickly run out of the room and change into my shorts. (My deepest, sincerest apologies if I was a disruption or distraction to anyone's practice today - I know it was a little rude to change my clothes halfway through. I promise I will never do that again.)

We also had a celebrity in class - Robin Ivy from WCYY!! It was very exciting to have her there, and hear all the wonderful compliments she had for both the studio and for Vicki.

I've been in class where the temperature has gotten up to 103 before, but this class felt so much hotter. My towel was drenched with sweat, but the floor was even hotter than my towel was, so there was no relief to be found. Ever played "The floor is lava!" when you were little? It reminded me of that. Except, you know, you could actually stand on the floor without burning anything because it wasn't actually THAT hot. Huh, I guess it's exactly the same as the game.

A small personal triumph - I actually gave toe stand a try today! I've been worried about trying it because my balancing needs so much work, and also I have one ankle that is really tight. It screams a little every time I try to lay all the down in Fixed Firm. I think it partly stems from my being pigeon-toed (also the reason I walk on the outsides of my feet and therefore have a hard time grounding down through my big toe in balancing postures), and partly because I was in a car accident a few years ago and injured that foot. I think balancing on my toes is actually going to help gain strength in that foot and ankle. After trying it today, Fixed Firm already felt a little bit better, so I'm going to keep giving it a try!!

Tomorrow is a much needed day of rest after 6 straight days of yoga! My butt is really sore, so I'm definitely going to practice some stretching tomorrow.

Keep an eye out for those pictures and anything Robin Ivy has to say about class or the studio!!

The Good With The Bad

Today marks 5 days in a row!!

And 4 different people (including Husband-Elect) commented today that I was looking great and like I have lost weight. That's because I have! 5 pounds so far - I'm really excited!!

That being said, I know I've mentioned before that negativity has no place in this class, I just couldn't help myself I guess. Standing Bow just made me angry. And I was doing just fine on my right side, but the left side was a big hot mess. I have such an issue balancing on my right leg. And then through balancing stick, and standing separate leg stretching series I was just mad for really no reason. Just... angry. I guess some days are like, but it definitely took away from my practice.

By the time we got to tree, I was able to look at myself in the mirror, take some deep breaths and calm down. And then I got to lay down and relax for a minute, and the floor series went great! Camel was back! At least for the first set, I think a little of that negativity was bouncing around in my chest still, and the second set was harder.

I haven't mentioned it in awhile, but both tortoise and rabbit felt really good tonight. I actually felt my bum touch my heels in tortoise, and I felt like I was getting I really good stretch down my spine.

Even with all that going on, I felt great at the end of the class. The tension in my shoulders had melted away, and I saw lots of smiling faces outside the yoga room as I got changed to go home. I'm still excited to go to class tomorrow for 6 days/classes in a row!!

Steamy Vinyasa!

Woo! Tuesday night Vinyasa - such a workout!! Tonight's class was warm and steamy. I had sweat streaming up (down?) my nose in a few downward dogs.

My legs are definitely feeling it now! All those lunges and warriors... man! I'm having a hard time thinking of anything else now. So here's this cute little dude - he's pretty good :P

Downward dog is coming along. It's starting to feel more like a resting posture than it did before. Shaking my head out each time is super helpful to make sure I'm not tensing my shoulders or neck too much. And it's definitely easier for me than high to low plank. I like to give those a few tries though in an effort to make my arms resemble actual arms someday.

I'm starting to dig the switch up between Vinyasa, Hatha (Bikram) and Yin Yang. It's nice to get some variety in throughout the week, and to work different muscles. My arms and shoulders were much more fatigued at the beginning of class than I expected, but I was able to mostly work through, taking it a little easier when I needed.

I tried balancing half moon for the first time ever tonight. It was a lot harder than it looked!! We all know balancing is tricky for me, but I was shocked at how hard it was for me to touch the floor and then open my hip. And by "hard" I mean I couldn't do it. Something to work on!

Overall, class went well. I was really excited to go to class, and a little nervous as I never know what to expect with Vinyasa. I was breathing hard and sweating, and feeling good about it! I could slow down and catch my breath when I needed to, and keep pushing forward when that felt good too.

Improvements!

Seemed like we had quite a few new people in class tonight. Hooray!! I love seeing people start out at this lovely studio. The bigger classes get, the better! Speaking of, I at first thought it wasn't too hot and humid (especially considering that it was raining), but then as we were getting through the standing series I realized how super sweaty I was! Especially during Standing Bow - it was really hard to hold onto my ankle.

Speaking of Standing Bow, I had about 4 whole seconds of AMAZING tonight! I still have a loooong way to go, but I'm definitely seeing progress and getting happier each time to do it.

I started today with sore shoulders from sitting in an office all day, and while I managed to rock half moon, the rest of the "arms up" series was so tiring! By the way, in case you wondering, the key to half moon is totally pulling. If you're just trying to bend and you're not pulling and stretching the "long" side it's so much harder! Although it does make the arms tired. Or the limp noodles, as is my case :D

Class went by pretty quickly today. And only once did I give Vicki the "OMG Hurry UP!!" look. It wasn't intentional, it's the equivalent of checking the clock for when time's up - Vicki's just my clock :) Speaking of Vicki, it was super great to watch her and her pregnant belly get into triangle with us! Another posture that's getting better as I go. I can't say that I love it yet, but I definitely hate it less than I used to. Lunging is getting easier, and getting deeper into my hips makes holding triangle easier.

Floor bow also went better today. Squeezing my bum helped me get up on the soft part of my belly and off the hard pointy parts of my pelvis that pinch when I balance on them. And yay! No heartburn or throwing up. I was a little worried after lunch today, and the fact that I nearly threw up after one of the standing balancing poses. I also think I need to work on keeping my knees from splaying out too much in floor bow.

Today's class felt great! I was excited to go, really happy to see a fairly large class, and overall felt good going in. Any soreness I had at the beginning of class had totally vanished by the end. It's so great to see and feel that I'm steadily improving! I'm getting more excited for each class. I know I took some time off in the middle and I'm just getting back in the swing of things, but I really thought by this point I'd be tired of going and dreading each class - just the opposite is happening! I'm so excited that I'm able to do more in each posture that I want to keep going back and trying again!

Another Day of Yin Yang!

2 days in a row of Yin Yang Yoga! I'm going to forget all about the bikram series soon :P

I was a little worried going into this class that everyone went to class yesterday, and I was going to be there all by myself. Which I supposed wouldn't be so bad. But I needn't have worried as there were plenty of people who wanted some yoga this morning.

Today I made sure to have breakfast and plenty of water before class, and I think that made a big difference.

Yin postures are a lot more challenging than I initially gave them credit for. The challenge is that you hold them for a LONG time. So what starts out as slightly uncomfortable can be practically unbearable by the end of it.

Today we did a lot of core work, something I really need to work on. I really appreciate that this class and Kate as the instructor has a large focus on correct posture. I've taken classes before that just move quickly through, and it's easy to make mistakes and keep making the same mistake class after class. Sometimes it seems like a minor adjustment, but it can make a HUGE difference.

We also spent some time really working those hamstrings! I was not quite a melty as this picture here, but it still felt pretty good. My hamstrings are slowly getting used to stretching out more, and my quads are getting stronger and are much more useful in supporting my legs and protecting my hamstrings.

And we played with straps and balancing! As you may know, balancing is a bit challenging for me, but it was really fun. Trying to move my gaze though turned out to be much more difficult than I thought it would be!

Overall, class was challenging and fun!

Open House and Yin Yang

I probably should have done some yoga at home yesterday to keep myself loose, but I didn't. My legs were SORE after class with Vicki on Thursday. It's good though - means I'm building :)

Today was the big Anniversary Open House at Hart Yoga. It was fun! The room was PACKED with people, but I rather liked it like that. I'm not as used to Yin Yang as I am with Bikram, I think this was my second or third Yin Yang class. It's definitely a change! My arms get a lot more fatigued, and I never really know what's coming next. It's good to switch things up though.

As I mentioned, I was tight and sore going into class, especially my legs. They were so shaky through the whole class and made holding lunges for all the warriors very challenging. It definitely made me more aware of both my legs though, and made me put more of an effort to keep my weight disbursed evenly whenever possible.

I really liked the energy in this morning's class. There were a lot of new people, and a lot of experienced people, and it seemed like everyone was there to enjoy themselves. And since I got there a little late, I was front and center in the room! But I think it worked out for me because I was able to see myself clearly in the mirror and focus on my own practice. And when class is started with the promise of muffins after, what's not to love?

While I don't *love* pigeon, today it felt really good! It helped me get deep into my hips and stretch them for awhile. It felt better on my left side than my right side, perhaps I positioned myself a little differently, but either way, it was enjoyable today.

And when I was in child's pose, Kate came over and pushed down on my back a bit and it felt great! I got a few seconds of a mini massage, and it was just what my aching muscles needed.

I'm excited to give this class a try again tomorrow!

p.s. the ginger muffins were really, really yummy.

Back in the Game!!

I tried the Barney Stinson approach to illness, which is: "Whenever I start feeling sick, I just stop being sick and be awesome instead. True story." It didn't really work.

But today I was awesome! I was a rock star! Well, a drug addicted rock star who comes on stage all amped up, sings through the songs too fast, and nearly passes out halfway through the show. I started out great! I could breathe! And I rocked Half Moon and the back bend - best ever!

Then I did ok at some other things. Still working on balancing and locking my leg out without hyper-extending my knee. I had a few fantastic seconds of Standing Bow where I actually "got" the posture. Somehow it finally clicked, "Oh, right, kick UP and back." I feel like I've been mostly kicking back and trying to pull my leg up.

And then came standing separate leg Forehead to Knee. I won't lie, I was a little afraid of this pose after doing it sick. But I was ready to push through until my face started tingling and I realized my breath was nowhere near controlled. So I sat down. I realized I had limits and took a few moments to catch my breath, then jumped back in for the second set.

Which brings us back to the drug addicted rock star. During this plague I suffered through, sudafed and mucinex became my bestest friends. And since I was going to be doing a lot of breathing tonight, I decided not to give up on my friends just yet, and took a sudafed about an hour and a half before class. It did not dry out my nose as hoped, but my throat was like the desert. And then the hearburn! I'm assuming it was caused by the sudafed. A few weeks ago, I'm not sure if I mentioned this, I took Midol before class and then suffered the WORST HEARTBURN EVER. Even worse than that time I had a frozen burrito for lunch before class. So here's a lesson for you:

DON'T TAKE DRUGS BEFORE YOGA.

That probably shouldn't have been a lesson that took me so long to learn. Let the hot room and the humidity and the yoga do their jobs. Let them stretch out those cramps. Let them clear out your nasal passages. Know your limits. If you're not well enough to go to class - then don't go. Take a day off and get back to the studio when you feel up to it. Otherwise, you're going to be trying to get through the spine strengthening series without throwing up.

Even through I tried to cheat, the yoga definitely worked! I felt energized and able to breathe at the end of class! I was really worried about the time I took away from yoga to recuperate and how I might be starting back at the beginning. That's definitely not the case. Yes, there were things I struggled with tonight, but there were many times where I felt like I was picking up right where I left off.

Hiatus

As you might have noticed, I hit the pause button on my challenge. This definitely isn't normal behavior for a 30 day challenge, but I was so sick I couldn't risk doing further harm to myself. And still, more than a week later, I'm barely functional. I took a few days off from work in order to do nothing but wallow in my misery. The running theory is I got 2 colds, back to back. It makes sense, since I felt a little better for a day or two, and then my symptoms changed and I got much worse.

I'm really excited and anxious to get back to my challenge, but I want to make sure I'm at 100% before I do so. Today is the best I've felt lately, so I'm hoping to be back at it by the end of the week! I think I'm going to do a home yoga workout and go from there.

I hope everyone else is well!!

Not What I Expected...

Let's start with the things that went really well today: Balancing stick!! The past few classes I just cannot hold balancing stick on my right leg. But today I was determined that I was going to nail it in both sets, and I did!

The majority of the standing series went pretty well. Standing bow is still a struggle, which frustrates me because I remember being able to do it when I started practicing last spring, but I was coming off of another work out challenge then and I think I had much stronger legs.

And then we got to standing forehead to knee. The posture itself went well, but if you remember from Saturday, I've been struggling with a head cold. It hasn't been too bad, mostly just annoying. But today I'm pretty sure I re-arranged all the "stuff" that was in my face and I felt like crap. By the time we got to the floor series, I really just wanted to lay there, but I gave each posture a try, and only stayed in ones where I had to have my head upside down for minimal time.

I thought yoga might clear out things, but I didn't get very sweaty today (could be because of me, could be because it was so much colder out today), and I definitely didn't drink a huge amount of water today.

Now, I feel a lot worse. I walked out of the studio and immediately burst into tears, which is fairly unusual for me. I guess class brought up a lot more than just a cold! I cried most of the way home, but the good news was that by the time I got home I was done crying and my nose was totally cleared out.

I think I will be taking a break from the challenge for a day or two. I definitely don't want to pass this on to anyone else now that it has escalated. Especially Vicki and the wee one she's carrying!!

Ups and Downs

My orange furry alarm clock started in at 4:30 this morning, and didn't relent until Husband-Elect locked her out of the bedroom at 6:15, and then the real alarm went off at 7:30 so I could eat and have some energy for class without throwing up during locust.

I've had a bag of vitamin C cough drops on my night stand for the past 4+ months in an effort to ward off any diseases that might feel like coming in during the night. The past two early mornings Fiona (the orange furry alarm clock pictured here) has felt the need to try to get into this bag of cough drops. And then sit on my pillow and purr until I agree to feed her.

When I got up I felt like crap. Tired and kind of stuffy. Other days when I have felt this way, going to yoga miraculously healed me. While in my head I was coming up with excuses not to go to class, in the end I decided to just go and see how it went, since I figured I was just tired from being woken up too early and too frequently.

It was pretty terrible. I love morning classes in theory, but I always do better in evening classes. I decided to pick a spot in the room closer to the mirrors so I could just focus on myself and concentrate on doing my best. Half-Moon, normally one of my best postures, felt terrible! I was tight all over. But then standing head to knee went really well. I was able to lock out both legs and balance for a fair amount of time.

Standing bow and balancing stick were both really strong on my left leg, and really weak on my right leg. Overall, the standing series went by pretty quickly. I was struggling, but I made it through each one. I was actually surprised when we were already at Tree and Toe Stand. For now, I'm maintaining in Tree as I try to strengthen my balancing leg, hoping it will help me keep my leg locked without hyperextending my knee in Standing Bow Pulling Pose.

As soon as we got to the floor, I felt chilly. I warmed back up again, but I was feeling stuffy and thirsty. Camel, normally one of my stronger postures, felt terrible. I just couldn't maintain it. But then Floor Bow, one I normally struggle with, went really well! I need to work on balancing more on my stomach, the stronger I kicked, the more I ended up balancing on my pelvis. I need to isolate muscles more, so that I can relax my stomach while maintaining the kick.

By the final savasana, I was feeling ok. I knew I had some strengths in class and it wasn't all bad. Class had been a series of ups and downs for me, but I could look back and find positive aspects, even if it was only for a few seconds, of each pose.

But then I went home. The drive home seemed to take FOREVER. When I finally got home, I could barely move. My throat was swollen, it was hard to breathe, I just wanted to sleep. Husband-Elect made me some chicken soup before he headed out to work, and it seemed to do the trick for a little while. And 6 hours later I'm finally up and together enough to write this blog.

Maybe my cat had a point. Perhaps those cough drops were needed more than I thought. I'm going to keep resting, drinking plenty of fluids, and I'll see how I feel in the morning before going to Yin Yang class. Right now, I've had a nap and dinner, I'm feeling pretty good and I feel like class in the morning will be perfectly fine :)

Start of Week 2!

Whenever I've gotten the urge to start working out every day, right about now is when I would normally give up. I'm tired. I'm sore. I don't wanna. But I committed to 30 days, and I'm going to keep going! Besides, it's just one more day, and then I get Friday off!

Today was the hottest class I've been to yet! Vicki said we were up to 105!! Overall, I thought the standing series went by fairly quickly, and by then it was feeling stifling. At first I was really happy to have the fans on, and then I quickly realized they're just blowing hot air around :P But it felt good. Like a tropical vacation.

In case you haven't noticed, I'm not exactly tiny. Or even medium. I'm pretty big. There are some postures where flexibility isn't as much of a problem as my overall mass is. Sometimes my bulky thighs get in the way, sometimes my belly, and very often my boobs.

When I first started, my boobs got in the way a lot. I'm carrying 38 D's in front of me, and when you're trying to stand with your forehead on your knee and your throat choked, those things are trying their hardest to suffocate you. But I learned with some little modifications (basically trying to get my chin between them) that I could hold the pose just fine.

I'm a stomach sleeper, so generally the floor series doesn't bother me, but it REALLY did today! I was more focused on the fact that I was squishing my boobs and they kinda hurt than I was on anything else.

But since yoga is all about focusing on the positives, I can tell you that I rocked half moon today! And I went further back on the back-bend than I have yet.

I also did better with balancing stick. I'm learning that I need not to clench my toes, and I'll be able to ground down through my whole foot and maintain better balance. This will help a lot with standing bow, too. I love that the Bikram series seems to build on itself. To help keep my legs locked and maintain balance, I need to loosen my hamstrings and strengthen my quads, which just about every posture in the standing series helps you work on in different ways. Definitely felt the quads burning in Awkward pose! My hamstrings are definitely looser than when I first started, and I think my quads are coming along too, because the balancing is definitely getting better.

Tonight was also a very happy group of people! What a great way to celebrate St. Patrick's Day :D

Week 1 Reflections

Hooray! I finished Week 1!

And I am sore! I was thinking on Sunday that I wasn't super sore, and man was I wrong! After Monday and Tuesday, I'm pretty sure I can feel every muscle in my body.

Drinking water has gotten a little easier because I'm constantly dehydrated. As soon as I walk into the yoga room, I immediately sweat out all the water I drank in the past 24 hours. I'm not sure if this is a product of conditioning, or if the amount of sweat is proportionate to amount of water ingested. I'm not willing to drink less water to answer this question. I can now make it through the "warm up" series to the sanctioned water break before feeling like my mouth is a desert, and I'm calling that improvement.

What I love about the hatha/bikram series is that you can see/feel improvement as you go. It's the same series each day, yet each time feels completely different. One day I'll nail a posture, and the next it's the one I struggle the most with. But the opposite is also true, and that's what keeps me going back!

And, on a slightly TMI note, this was the easiest "time of the month" I've had in a long time!

I'm really excited to keep going for the next 23 days!!

Day 6 - Vinyasa!!

I had a rough time getting out of bed this morning. I was just tired. It was hard to shake this feeling all day - especially since looming ahead me was the dreaded Vinyasa.

Shhhh - I'll tell you secret: I took a Vinyasa class in college and I hated this class so much that I hated all yoga until I met Vicki. And over the years she slowly convinced that trying Bikram might not be so bad. I took a different Vinyasa class as well, and it just moved too quickly and I didn't know what all the positions were, so I just tried to muscle my way through and often failed. I didn't like that class much either. But I still liked the Bikram series, so I stuck with that.

This is all to tell you that Kate's Vinyasa class at Hart Yoga was nothing like those classes I hated. Yes, it was challenging. Yes, there were things I couldn't do. But I left the class feeling good about myself, and I wouldn't mind going back for more :) I was a little worried when the first pose we did was child's pose, and it kind of hurt a lot, but that was just some soreness I needed to stretch out from the past week!

I'm generally very aware that I have limitations, and even though I could hear Kate saying I didn't have to do a certain series, I thought to myself, "I can keep doing this, I can slowly lower down from plank..." Nope, couldn't. Instead I just fell to the floor. And made Kate laugh. That's the second time in two days I've made the instructor laugh - I hope that's a good thing! I've mentioned before that instead of arms I have freakishly long limp noodles hanging next to me. It's pretty convenient for flexibility purposes, but not so much for holding myself up. Arm strength - definitely something I can work on!

My hips are ridiculously tight. It seems like the more I try to relax and stretch them, the tighter they feel. But it's only week one and I have a loooong way to go!

It's hard to look back on class and find something that was "best" or something I struggled with more than others. It was all pretty new to me. But I had a good time and just about every muscle in my body hurts now! It's difficult not to have a good time when Kate is so cheerful and easy to get along with :D

Days 4 & 5

Yesterday was a much needed day of rest. Granted, I had one of those on Friday, too, but yesterday I really couldn't handle much. I slept until after 10 (unheard of for me these days) and didn't get dressed all day. Not to totally overshare, but it's about that time of the month and I tend to lose all energy, and all ability to positively interact with human beings (bless the husband-elect for still wanting to marry me after these days!).

Naturally, I was not particularly enthused about getting hot and sweaty and going to yoga. I felt gross and bloated and wearing tight clothes had minimal appeal. But then I remembered back to my days as an athlete in high school when working out made the pain go away. And it turns out an excellent way to get rid of water weight is to sweat it all out!!

Once I was in the room, I was pretty happy about being there. I put myself more front towards the mirrors in hopes that I would focus on myself and not other people. At first, I wasn't a big fan of the big wall of mirrors, but they make it super helpful to see what I'm doing and make improvements. Especially balancing! Speaking of, I held standing bow and saw my foot above my head for like 7 whole seconds!! During the photography session on Saturday, I realized a major flaw of mine is my tendency to hyperextend my knee. It rears its ugly head most in standing bow and the first standing separate leg stretching. I need to focus on engaging my quads and protecting the knee so my leg doesn't bow backwards. Also, in reading more of Yoga Journal, hopefully if I fix my knee posture, it will fix my shoulder/back posture. Definitely something to think about.

Camel also felt REALLY good tonight. Opening the chest and lifting the heart can cause all kinds of emotions to bounce around, but more often than not I feel energized and happy after. Camel is definitely one of my favorite postures.




Tomorrow: Vinyasa.

Day 3 - Keep Your Eyes Open

After a day off yesterday, I was feeling pretty good about myself! I got up at 7, ate breakfast, played with the dogs, and was psyched to go to class.

I was so happy to be going, I even got there early! I went in the room, set up my mat, did a few stretches and laid down on my back and closed my eyes - MISTAKE!! I was so cozy in the warm room, I didn't want to get up to start class. I just wanted to lay there. As soon as you get "I don't really want to do this" thoughts in your head, class is soooo much harder. You really need to keep the positive thoughts and energy going. By the time we were through the breathing and half-moon, I was feeling a little better. And man, was I sweating! I wore capri-pants today instead of my usual shorts, and I have no clue how people wear pants in that room. I want to be wearing as little as possible.

My standing bow was TERRIBLE, but I had about 3 seconds of it that went really well and felt good. I'll have to remember that for next time. Once I struggle in Bow, I find it hard to pull it together for balancing stick.

I felt like I was doing better in Awkward, but the second set I really struggled. Standing head to knee went really well! I had my standing leg locked out with no wobble, and I even started to kick out the foot I was holding. I've never done that before!

By the time we were on the floor and doing the spine strengthening series, I was again feeling good and glad I was there. The best part about the floor series is the little nap you get between each posture and each set. It makes me laugh when Vicki says, "Now relax quickly", but it really does need to be done that way. It's a good chance to recharge and let go of whatever you were struggling through and move on to the next!

And I have to say, my final Savasana was also very good. Yeah, I know I laid on the ground like no one else! But I also managed to clear my mind and just be there. That's a big improvement for me.

After class, Allie, Vicki and I did a little photo shoot. It was fun, and a good chance to look at my form and see how I can improve. I'll put some up, and then at the end try and do a before and after.

For now, here I am in Rabbit, since I've been talking about it so much :)

Day 2 - Helpful Talking

Perhaps I started out too strong yesterday :P Today was still good, I just didn't feel as great as I did yesterday.

I drank more water today, but still not quite enough. Perhaps tomorrow I will implement a trick used by bartenders far and wide to get customers to drink more - the straw. Tomorrow is my off day, but with class at 10am on Saturday, I need to make sure I'm hydrated in advance!

For those who have never been to a hot hatha/Bikram style class before, one thing that really separated the class from other yoga classes for me was the amount of talking the instructor (in this case, Vicki) did throughout the class. It does two things that I appreciate: it keeps me out of my own head, and gives me constant advice to make me better. Although, there are times (like tonight during Eagle) where I'm just thinking "shut up! shut up! shut up!", not because I want to do the posture in silence, but because I just want it to be over :) In Eagle you have to twist and balance, both at the same time and I'm not good at either of those things. Wait for the day I successfully do this - you might hear some joyful screaming, you will definitely see dancing. Well, after the soreness wears off.

Half Moon went really well for me tonight. It was an example of how the continual instruction helps! Small adjustments made throughout made a big difference, so that by the end I was stretching as far as I could and feeling a good stretch rather than feeling pain from collapsing too far on one side without supporting myself.

I know I mentioned Rabbit yesterday, but it made me laugh tonight because as I was coming out of Rabbit, I noticed my upper abs were really sore and I wondered when that happened. Right at that moment, Vicki asked if I had felt something and I was caught off-guard and just said, "Ok, I guess." Maybe my face said I was feeling something, maybe Vicki can read minds. Vicki often mentions pulling in your stomach to protect your lower back, and since my lower back often needs protecting I tried to do that more and more this evening, and I'm definitely feeling it now! I hope to feel it more and more as the weeks go on!

Stay tuned for day 3! If all goes to plan, there will be some pictures of yours truly!

Day 1 - A Good Start

My first day of the 30 day challenge was a big success! A very wise person recently told me that yoga isn't about being the best or the most flexible, but about your own personal improvements and doing better than you did last time. Nothing highlights this better than being in class next to the super bendy Lexie. I even found myself watching her in awe during standing bow pulling pose as she easily kicked her leg into quite possibly a standing split. Meanwhile, I was struggling to stand on one leg while holding the other. Lexie is so talented (and such a nice person), she definitely gives me some inspiration to keep improving!

I went into class with sore shoulders and upper back. I don't have serious back pain, but I often have back aches - the product of sitting in a crappy office chair for the majority of the day. But working through the ache to stretch and improve the muscle had me feeling much better by the end of class.

I definitely struggled a little bit less than I have recently, and I heard, "Nice job, Mel" from Vicki a few times. I always love that little bit of encouragement, even if it comes 1 second before falling out of a pose. And especially when it comes during a pose I don't quite "get" (I'm looking at you, Rabbit).

I was not as hydrated as I should have been going into class, and since it was a 7pm class I have no good excuse for that! So today I'm starting right off drinking my water instead waiting until noon and only having a couple of glasses. Perhaps tonight I won't have to stop to get a drink of water quite so often.

Having class at 7pm was a bit of a struggle for me since I get out of work at 5:15 and I had some time to kill and some hunger to overcome. But it was worth it to practice with such a great group of people and get this challenge started off on a positive note.

I slept very well last night, and even woke up concerned this morning that our naughty kitty had let me sleep so well :) Today, my hips are kind of sore, especially my right hip. My back feels less sore than it did yesterday, so hopefully I can improve my posture throughout the day and keep it feeling that way. And my arms are tired. Overall, I'm energized and ready for day 2!! (We'll see if that keeps up for day 12 and beyond!)

Day 0 - Why am I doing a 30 day Challenge?

Hello! Welcome to my Hart Yoga Challenge Blog! I'm starting the challenge tonight, and I thought maybe some folks would like to know why.

I've been practicing at Hart Yoga in Brunswick, Maine off an on (more off than on) during the last year, and I decided a 30 day challenge would be a good way to get me off my butt and into the habit of working out every day. I'm getting married in November and I would like to look my best well before then, at least while trying on dresses!

Why Hot Yoga? Short answer - I like it. I don't like running, or going to the gym, I don't really have the motivation to work out at home. I like the heat. Yeah, it can make breathing kind of hard, and it makes you super sweaty, but I think it makes me more flexible and allows me to get into postures I might not otherwise be able to do. And trust me - there's a lot I still can't do. But at the end of class, I'm tired and I'm sore with a bonus of feeling really good about myself.

I'm still very much a beginner at yoga, and I encourage all you beginners to come in and try it out with me!

Though you're probably finding me through facebook - here I am: