I love hip openers!

My husband says that after every yoga session I claim it was the best one ever. I guess that's a good thing! We spent much time in our class tonight working on opening up our shoulders and hips. I just have to say how good it felt. When my daughters encouraged me to start my yoga journey, one of them said it's just a good way to move in ways that you don't normally move. That is certainly an understatement for this soon to be 58 year old woman. Hopefully, it is a least slowing the aging process.And tonight was the best session EVER!

Can't wait to go to yoga!

I am ready to go to yoga. I put on my favorite yoga pants - I bought them as a pajama bottoms a couple of years ago. They are a slate gray, but they once were black. Since it's been sandal and barefoot around the house season, I made sure I washed off my feet. I took off all my jewelry except my wedding ring, so I have a reminder of my left side. I'm ready to go - but it's not quite time to leave. I find myself being impatient with the clock because I REALLY WANT to go to yoga. I don't remember feeling this way about other types of exercise, EVER.

Two friends of my from school said they are coming tonight. Neither of them have ever been to a yoga class. I hope they don't chicken out. I promised them that no one ever has time to notice what other people are doing on their mats. I know I don't, I'm still to busy trying not to fall down or go the wrong way.

Well, time to go - yea!!!!

Yoga on the Road

I've been investigating ways to make sure I keep up my practice while I am traveling this summer. I plan to find a studio near the family's beach home, but it would be pretty expensive to do that daily. Exercise TV has some OK looking routines that I could do from my computer, and after 115 days I could probably come up with a few positions on my own. But I don't want to get bored with it - so, like I said, I have been looking.

I found a neat little Yoga treat for my Kindle. It's called "My Yoga Studio". It takes you through many series of poses, tells you how long to hold the pose, and gives a great written description of how to execute the pose correctly, and what to focus on.

It even leaves you with a closing thought. Today's was great for my upcoming vacation - "A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving". Actually, that perfectly describes the travel philosophy of my husband. I'm afraid that for the past 32 years I have considered that a character flaw, and now I learn that it is actually ancient wisdom!

DAY 113!

It's great to have the summer freedom to take a morning yoga class. I practiced at 10AM this morning and have felt great all day. I do, however, feel like it's time to go back this evening.

I noticed this morning that my forward bends are getting deeper. When I fold forward my nose touches my kneecaps and my hands will go flat on the floor. The resulting stretch in my hamstrings feels completely different than it did a month ago.

Those balance poses are still driving me crazy. I think I'll practice some at home tonight.

We leave for vacation later this week. I need to find a great yoga workout to use on my computer, and maybe I can catch a class or two at the beach. I hate to break my string of attending class at Yoga East.

Anyone know of a good Yoga video?

Family Wedding

We had the most wonderful family wedding yesterday. My niece and her fiance were married in a gorgeous ceremony on the brow of Lookout Mountain. We gathered at 6:00 AM, had coffee and watched the bride come to the bluff at sunrise. It was breathtaking, not only for the scenery, but for the commitment we witnessed between this beautiful couple.

In a minor contribution to such a glorious day, I was able to enjoy and display some of the advantages of the past 111 days of yoga. Perhaps a tad prematurely, I was confident enough to bare my arms for the outside festivities. I wouldn't quite say yet that I have "yoga arms", but yoga has certainly shaped and firmed my arms. It felt great to be sleeveless.

After a wonderful brunch (at 8:00 am I would still call it breakfast :)), we dispersed and met back at Cloudland Canyon for dinner and enjoyment of a wonderful evening with friends and family. I wore new cropped jeans, down three full sizes from the beginning of my yoga trek. It was a great event, and it was a wonderful feeling to be confident in what I was wearing.

With the wedding's split schedule, I was able to sneak in a yoga class mid day. Having been up since 4AM, I knew I would fall asleep during savanstana, and I did. But that's ok - it was refreshing and renewing to to practice during such a busy day.

Hard is frustrating....

Just when I think I can breeze into class and be challenged but successful, I attend a wonderful class by a fabulous and fun instructor and I can't get ANYTHING right! Everything was so playful, but hard, and painful, and I was back at square one - and I found myself quite frustrated.

Did I mention that I have been writing around the border of my mat? It is probably against some kind of yoga etiquette, but I have written reminders, as well as tallies of my consecutive days of practice. Breathe - be present - peel the onion - you will be like a tree firmly planted - wake up. I think I need to add - don't take it so seriously. I guess it was a good reminder that I still have a long way to go. It was nice to see the tallies mark along my mat to remind me how far I had come.

"Floating" into a pose

"Float your foot in the air." "Step or float to the front of your mat." "Float your hips toward the ceiling." I had heard the instruction before, but last night it seemed that every instruction began with the word "float". Yoga is usually a pretty quiet place, but I heard the words come from my mouth in the middle of class - "What is FLOAT?".

It took me 85 consecutive days of yoga to be able to step to the front of my mat. Apparently, stepping is not the final goal. I learned last night that the difference between stepping and floating is that in floating, the core muscles are doing most of the work. It's a matter of finesse. Moving in a controlled, slow manner uses more muscles and reaps more benefit. It's a goal in every move. Another layer of the onion to work on. OK, it makes sense. How long will it take for this to move from my brain to my actual practice?

Stormy Weather

I was a bit distracted during class tonight by the storms that could I hear outside. I had to make a concerted effort to concentrate on what I was doing. It's important for me to pay attention, as I don't want to end up flat on my face. Beth always tells me to concentrate on my breath, and that helped, but it was a constant battle.

Because of an experience with a Colorado hail storm many years ago, I really get nervous when I think it is hailing. After class I looked out the window and told all my classmates to look at all the hail on the ground. On a closer look a classmate realized it was just petals from the crepe myrtle trees. I guess those didn't damage the Subaru!

There were lots of new people in class tonight. I'm no longer the newbie.....

Summer Yoga

I love the free pace of summer. In graduate school we were chastised for listing June, July, and August as advantages of being in education. But for me, it remains an advantage - a HUGE advantage! In my yoga quest it is giving me a chance to try new classes, different instructors, and to meet different people in my classes.

Yesterday I went to a morning class. It was a different feeling to start my day with yoga rather than coming in after a hectic day at school. I could tell a big difference in my energy in class and the rest of the day. It was a flow class,but the instructor took us through at a very slow and gentle pace, holding poses just a bit longer. That was good for me - often I just find the pose when it is time to move on. This way I felt myself getting into the pose and taking it a bit further in the extra time.

After class I realized that I had been practicing with someone I knew - I never have time to notice who is around me during class. I'm much to busy trying to stay upright and in the correct pose.

Today I am going to enjoy having the time to take two classes. I'm going to a Yin class this morning, then joining my regular Tuesday flow class this afternoon. I am taking full advantage of this package for unlimited classes!

I'd love to hear from you about your yoga experiences!

Trying out blogging from my phone!

Feeling at home on my mat.

I like my mat. I have even had some passing thoughts about just sleeping on it- and about taking it to school to use instead of a desk. It's come to represent time and effort I exert to help my body and mind through this crazy aging process. Other fitness endeavors showed some benefits relative to my consistency, but this is the first endeavor that I have really enjoyed and seen such quick and good results. I'm sleeping a little less but feeling more rested. I am eating less without bouts of hunger. My energy level is up, so even though I am investing significant time at the studio, there is not a resultant drop in what I get accomplished. I'm getting callouses on the heel of my palms!

This post will get me to the 100 mark. As you know, that landmark was actually last week. I'm not sure I'll keep posting every day. I want to check in on occasion and journal my yoga thoughts. It's been a great journey - thanks to you who shared it with me.

Day 95 - My instructor has always said that each yoga pose is like a big onion. There is always another layer to peel. It feels great that I go through more layers with each pose, but I realize that this is a lifetime process. I'm curious how this will really affect my aging, and how my aging will affect my practice. I feel confident I can carry this into my 60's - that's pretty close on the horizon. If I continue my daily practice, will I be able to do a forward lunge at age 70? 80? Just typing those ages makes me realize they are not so far away!

Day 97 - I'm really excited and feel sure I will accomplish my goal. Today I wrote 97 tally marks on the edge of my mat. I'm counting down. Maybe I will keep up the tallies and end up with a border all the way around. This feels really good.

Time Flies When You're Having Yin!

Some yoga classes seem longer than others. Most of the classes I attend last for an hour. It's kind of a hierarchy. Power yoga seem like two hours. Flow seems like an hour and a half. My Sunday yin class seems like it lasts fifteen minutes. That was exaggerated today by the real nap I took in the middle of it. I'm always a bit embarrassed when I doze off and then wake up and see that everyone else has moved on to another extended pose. I wonder how long I was out and if I made unattractive sleeping noises for my yoga buddies to hear. They say that it gives all the same benefits of a flow or power class. If that's the case, my vote is to make them all yin!

Have any of you ever done restorative yoga? I haven't and I am curious if it is similar to yin.

Stress Release - and step right up!

Have I mentioned that I'm a first grade teacher? There is nothing like the month of May in a school. The kids are rocking along, full of newly learned skills and ready to take on the academic world. Then the adults throw a monkey wrench in it all. We add all these events and things to do and we totally take these newly academic kids and put them into a frenzy in the last month of school. Every year it happens and stresses out the kids and then it stresses out the adults. It takes me by surprise every year that May is more stressful and hectic than December.

I find myself yearning for the peaceful hour that will come each day at Yoga. It's quiet, it smells good, it takes my whole mind not to kill myself on the mat so I really can't think of anything else during yoga. And the relaxing time at the end - is worth the exertion. I don't know if they do this at all studios, but at Yoga-East at the end of each session while we are relaxing, the instructors come around and give us little mini massages on our necks, and sometimes on our feet. They use special aroma therapy lotions that just make me want to melt into my mat and spend the night at the studio. Seriously, I have asked if I could do that. I'd buy a special spend-the-night package just so I didn't have to get up and leave when I am so relaxed.

Day 76 - In table top, the instructor asked us to grab our opposite ankle and pull up and arch our back - I think she called it making a bow. My brain said, "oh, right", but my body actually did it. What a stretch - and a surprise.

Day 84 - I am walking through my den, not realizing that I am thinking about yoga. The neurons in my brain make a sudden connection. All this time I have been trying to step to the front of my mat by bringing my knees toward my nose under my body. What if I went around instead? I put down the puppy and go to downward dog on my den floor. I reach up on my tip toes, take a deep breath and swing my foot around and it lands at the front of my mat by my hands. I can't believe it. Finally. I can't wait to go to class.

Day 85 - It still takes thought, I have to really exert some energy, but I step to the front of my mat IN ONE STEP (well, one on each side) throughout the practice. I call Michael in the car and text the girls to tell them the big news. Well, it wasn't that big of news to anyone but me - but I am stoked!

A Quiet Spring Evening, Yoga on the Deck....

Spring has come to East Tennessee. There is a noted calm in the air, so evident after the recent fury and destruction of the weather. I am quite cognizant of my blessings and have a renewed appreciation for my home. It's my one day a week to practice yoga at home, I find myself on my deck with my mat. I love this time of year when I can be on my deck and not bothered my mosquitos. I'm thinking I will do a short practice, but the night is so calm and peaceful, I end up working for an hour under the stars. I'm thankful for the privacy of my backyard, and that I know enough about yoga to take myself through a good workout on my own. It was lovely to do this under the spring stars and beautiful moon.

Day 68 - I both work hard and relax with Yoga on the deck.

Day 71 - "Step to the front of your mat". Why does a command that sounds so simple stump me? I determine to practice this transition several times a day.

Day 74 - I try my first "power yoga" class. I have been avoiding it because of the word "power" and the stated heat of the room (90 degrees). I spent so much time being hot in my early 50's that I usually avoid hotness at all costs. I survive - and am thankful that they turned on the fans and AC before I passed out. I'm not sure I ever want to do it again, but I made it through.

A Bit of Extra Help

During this period Chattanooga and surrounding cities and states were going to through the worst storm devastation EVER. Mike and I were blessed to not have any real damage, other than cleaning up sticks and being without power for eight days. We were truly grateful, and very aware that we had only a minor inconvenience while others were dealing with loss of everything, including loved ones. This has nothing to do with my yoga experience, but felt it was worth putting in the time line.

Day 60 - class is slim and solemn. We try to focus on our practice, but knowing what is going on around us places a heaviness on our hearts.

Day 62 - I go to a class with my original instructor and discover I am the only student in attendance. She is gracious enough to work just with me and asks - "what do you want to work on?". I give her a laundry list of poses that still stump me and she works with me on those poses. It was truly an unexpected gift. High lunge, tree, airplane were broken down and practiced.

Day 65 - After practicing my new found techniques at home (there is not much to do without power), I go to class and successfully move through three poses I now felt confident doing. More success!

So this is what metabolism feels like.....

"Exercise improves your metabolism and decreases your appetite." You read this everywhere. I have always wanted to exercise enough to prove it to be true. Well, I am catching a glimpse. I find that I want to eat to fuel my next yoga session, that I don't want to eat too close to class time, and that I am just not as hungry afterwards. All that is great news. I'm still a little frustrated at the slow rate of losing pounds. One would think it would be faster. The good news is that my frustration is not translating to more eating. My diet is much cleaner, surely that will eventually pay off on the scale. I have been reading The Flexible Diet. I has a long list of things that good eaters do. The premise is that you make sure you are doing one of them, and that you can swap and interchange the good habits to keep things interesting. This week I am trying to log everything I eat on "Tap and Track" (iPhone app).

Day 56 Those dang balance poses! My foot wobbles and my "tree" shakes and falls.

Day 57 Yoga is proving to be a great stress releasor in the crazy last weeks of school.

The 100th Day!

You might have guessed with the speed of my posts that I am in catch-up mode in blogging about my yoga experience. In reality, today, June 14, 2011, is my 100th consecutive day of practicing Yoga. I am very excited, very thankful to be at this point. I still have much to share about the journey, and the journey will certainly continue.

My sweet husband has been so patient and supportive. Never complaining about late suppers or meals he fixes for himself. Beth and MC have encouraged me greatly. I'm sure I've been the challenge student for many instructors.

I'm proud of myself, and feel great about trying something so out of my comfort zone and sticking it out for 100 days. It's up there with going back to college when I was forty, and leaving a school I loved a few years ago for a new professional adventure.

I have a few more things to share about the journey that I will post in the next week. This has also given me the writing bug, and I mulling over some ideas for another blog.

100 DAYS!!!! What a ride....

Flipping my dog.

It is becoming routine to walk in the studio carrying my mat. I am beginning to recognize smiles and faces. No two classes are ever exactly the same, but on most days, about 60% of the commands are at least familiar. That's not to say that a familiar command equals my successful execution of the command on my mat. That ratio is trailing by more than a few percentage points. I like facing the challenge of each class. I have experienced that feeling of wanting a challenge in my professional and academic lives, it's new and it's joyful to experience it in a physical endeavor.

Day 44. While "resting" in downward facing dog, I follow the command to "float" my right leg toward the ceiling. In one of those BAM - it-all-comes-together-moments, I gain momentum with that leg and FLIP MY DOG! No one was more surprised than me (well, maybe than me and my instructor).

Day 47. I have fun at my aerial class, but decide to take it out of my schedule for a while. I think I need to gain more strength for it to be of its maximum benefit.

Day 50. I am half way to 100 consecutive days of practicing yoga.

The Spiritual Side of Yoga

Many people think of Yoga as a spiritual journey. Hmmmm, is this a spiritual journey for me? Not really. Is being more fit good for my spiritual life? Probably. Does relaxing give me more time to "be still and know that He is God?" Of course. Do I find my time on my mat to be a spiritual adventure? No. Why? I'm not sure. It's much more physical and mental to me than spiritual. No judgement here - just my thoughts.

Day 35 - I strive for a balanced life, but I have no sense of balance on my mat. Tree, airplane, and warrior 3 are always assisted by a wall that I step close to.

Day 37 - I find that I yearn to go to yoga and stretch. I steal little snippets of time during the day to elongate my body. I guess for 57 years my muscles have been compacted and ignored.

Day 40 - I can't work the studio into my schedule today. I work out to my trusty beginner's class on Exercise TV. I discover that it is way too easy and not a challenge. I must be making progress.

Right? Left? Oh, no.....

When I started school I did everything with my left hand. My dear first grade teacher, with all good intentions, felt left handed children went through life with a disadvantage. She MADE me write with my right hand. I've often attributed my clumsiness to this change. I have always had trouble with remembering which is left and which is right. I still use my rings to help me keep it straight. This makes things difficult in yoga class. It is quite embarrassing to end up nose to nose with your next mat neighbor when you are supposed to all be facing the same wall. This week I began employing my old trick. I started out going to yoga with no jewelry to get in the way. It dawned on me if I would just wear my wedding ring, I wouldn't have to guess if I was going the right (or left) way.

Day 30 - I go to class sleeveless. This is a huge step for someone who has covered flabby arms for years. I was inspired when Michael mentioned my biceps last night. Biceps! Who knew?

Day 32 - I'm thinking about trying to "flip my dog". My brain has figured out how that would work, but my body is a little chicken.

Day 34 - I've dropped another pants size. Woo hoo!!!!

A New Perspective on Exercise

Being non athletic and uncoordinated, any exercise I have ever attempted has been from necessity, guilt, or discipline. I have never enjoyed an active endeavor. I've gone through walking phases with friends and enjoyed the conversation and social aspect, but not the walking. I've stuck with some exercise programs because I paid for them and felt obligated to get my money's worth. I used my treadmill for a while because I invested in it. I've also paid for months at the Y that I didn't use. My new perspective with Yoga is that I actually like it! Maybe it's the balance of exertion and relaxation - maybe it's that it is so complex that I am fascinated by it - maybe it's the friendly and social atmosphere of the studio. I'm not sure yet what it is, but it is a new feeling for me to like exercise.

Day 22 - I am very frustrated with a simple command - "step to the front of your mat". It seems simple, but I feel like a clutz having to break it down into so many steps. Sometimes I transition with table top, but that is still awkward. My instructor says, "be patient, get there however you can".

Day 24 - I think Pigeon is my new favorite pose. I discover that I can hold it as a yin pose with lots of props. Blanket under my thigh, bolster to support my forearms. The resulting stretch makes me feel taller.

Day 27 - Beth is home and we do a flow class and an aerial class together. Where does my daughter get her flexibility? Sharing some yoga classes with my adult daughter is really fun. She notices that I have improved since the first class we went to several weeks ago.

Learning New Tricks

Every class brings it struggles, and every class seems to have a surprise. The surprise is generally something new that I can suddenly accomplish. Boom! Suddenly mind, strength, and flexibility meld into a successful pose. It catches me off guard each time and I want to exclaim my joy aloud. It's even better when the instructor notices and gets excited with me. I am also finding joy in having this new interest in my routine. There is a youthful feel to exploring and experiencing something new.

Day 16 - Having just become comfortable with downward dog, I am flabbergasted when an instructor offers "flipping your dog" as an option. People all around me turn upside down in the pose. I know, "my mat, my time, my practice", but I can't help but wonder - "how the heck did they do THAT?".

Day 18 - My knees are gaining flexibility, but my rear still is too high in the air during child's pose. My dear instructor sat on my back during child's pose tonight. I was quite surprised with how nice the resulting stretch felt.

Day 21 - I realize I love the props in the studio. I have a special attachment to the bolsters. I learn how to wrap a strap (another handy prop) around my waste, around my feet (in buddha position) and lay back on my bolster. Another wonderful trick for a good stretch!

A Menu of Yoga Classes

I think the studio I go to has much to do with my new commitment to Yoga. The classes are amazingly affordable, it is two minutes from my home, and the instructors are all wonderful. I had to become educated on the different classes and decide a weekly set of classes that fit in with my work schedule. In the beginning I looked for classes that were named "level 1" or "all level". The studio's schedule also states the temperature that the room is during the class. I steered away from classes where the room would be over 80 degrees.

After some experimentation and visiting of different classes, I came up with a schedule that had flow classes on most days, yin on one day, and a combo flow/yin class rounded out the schedule. During the school year (I teach first grade) I would allow myself one evening a week to practice at home with a tape and my rewind button. I throw in an aerial class on Saturday just for fun.

Day 9 - I discover "supported bridge" - I love laying on my foam block and just hanging out. This is what I do almost everyday as I am waiting for class to begin.

Day 13 - I go to my second aerial class and actually invert. I don't think I've been upside down since I was eight years old. It is so playful and joyful.

Day 14 - My Sunday yin class now replaces my Sunday nap. Actually, on this Sunday it was both because I fell asleep.

"I get a little bit stronger..."

Sara Evans sings a great country ballad about getting a little bit stronger day by day after a heartbreak. I'm glad to say I am not nursing a heart break - but every time I hear her beautiful voice singing about gaining strength, I think of it as my yoga song. Even as I was progressing through the first week of my 100 consecutive days, I feel a little bit stronger in every class.

Day One - I am excited about my new commitment. I successfully execute about ten percent of the poses, but I try each one. I feel what it means to shrink wrap my abs.

Day Three - I try an aerial class. I am awkward, not quite strong enough to pull myself into the sling, and petrified when it is time to invert - and I cannot let go and let myself go upside down. I drive home feeling the slightest bit defeated and seasick.

Day Seven - I feel what it means to lift my sitbones toward the ceiling in the downward facing dog pose. My abs help me accomplish this, I guess they have become a little bit stronger.

Making a Commitment

What if I really sink my teeth into this new interest? After nine sessions, I not only was free of the nagging knee pain, I am seeing other results. Things are firming up - seriously, after nine sessions. I dropped a pants size. During this same time, I am doing Weight Watchers on line. I have not lost an ounce, things are just trimming up. The physical activity and deep relaxation are doing wonderful things to my energy level and attention span. So, the question is - how much should I do this, and what type of commitment would give me a chance of really merging this into my lifestyle?

This is where the 100 day idea came in. I'm learning it slowly - so surely committing to a large chunk of time would give me a chance to at least become a beginner. Here we go - I purchased one month of UNLIMITED yoga. Yoga-East is a gift in many ways. One gift is its affordability. Here we go!!!!

Class eleven - this class actually becomes day one of my 100 day commitment.

Rewind and Yoga 101

"It's your mat, your time and your body." "There is no judgment here." I learned in the early weeks of yoga that everyone is in a different place in their yoga practice. Well, I guess I knew I was in a different place - I just didn't realize that everyone was. My struggle in each class was intense - I was extremely aware of my clumsiness and hated the awkward ways I flowed from movement to movement. I had purchased ten classes and was determined to use them. I found a secret weapon on my remote control.

Our cable provider has yoga classes offered "on demand". I spent a few evenings alone in my den, on my mat, practicing a very basic yoga routine. When I didn't understand the words or the movement, I would hit rewind and watch the movement again. Then I would try it again. Mind you, I couldn't always do it, but I would start to see the movement in my head. And I would keep trying. Rewind/try, rewind/ try, rewind/try. OK - that helps.

Yoga 101 was being offered at my neighborhood studio. Since they weren't offering "yoga for dummies" or "remedial yoga" I thought that might be a workshop for me. The kind instructor spent two hours breaking down even the simplest poses. Forward fold, table top, downward facing dog, plank, even child's pose. We were able to stop, ask questions and try again. Like rewind in real life. Now the language is not sounding so foreign.

Yoga 101 also offered freedom. "My mat, my time, my body." "There is no judgment here." OK - that REALLY helps.

Class seven. Most of the language was becoming familiar. I smiled every time I heard something that I recognized, and giggled silently when I knew how to at least approximate the pose.

Class eight. I was almost late. How, in eight days does one accumulate so many black yoga pants to choose from?

Class Nine. I discovered yin. You hold each pose for extended periods of time. Relaxing poses designed to stretch out connective tissue in the joints. It's like taking a nap only better.

Decision time. My 10 classes are almost gone. What type of commitment am I willing to make to this new adventure?

Not your average yogi...

Clumsy. Non-athletic. Bad knees. Overweight. Combine these adjectives with the age of 57 and you begin to get a glimpse of me at the beginning of my yoga experience. There is a lot more to describe, but these five things have the most to do with walking into the yoga studio for the first time.

My daughters made me. Despite being reared by someone described above, or perhaps because of it, I have two adult daughters that have adopted extremely healthy lifestyles. They eat right, they work out, they even cook. They have been worried lately about my falls. Nothing too serious, a few staples in my head after a spill down some stairs at work. Well, and the falls after having my ACL repaired. Oh, and the rabbit hole I stepped in - it left me with a limp that I nursed for many weeks. The elder daughter comes home for a visit and takes me to a yoga class at a new studio that is less than a two minute drive from my house. With their price structure, it made sense to buy a 10 class package.

Class one. My daughter tells the instructor I have knee problems. I learned to put a blanket under my knee so I can at least kneel. I am sure they are speaking another language that everyone knows but me. I have trouble with child's pose.

Class two. The blanket still feels good, I successfully transition from table to downward facing dog. I really like corpse pose, and the relaxation at the end of the session.

Class three. The knee pain is gone. Yoga has my attention and I purpose to make it part of my daily schedule. I really like walking, sitting, and standing without knee pain.