Continuing the journey....

Over three hundred days ago, I began my challenge to practice yoga for 100 consecutive days. The roadblocks of confusion, directionality, age, lack of coordination-strength-flexibility, and fear of the unknown are becoming memories rather than my daily reality. I really like feeling strong, my husband playing with my new muscles, buying clothes with single digit sizes and yoga pants. I love yoga pants - and I must say I have acquired quite a collection.

I have tried every class that my neighborhood studio offers. Hot classes, yin classes, aerial classes, flow classes, restorative classes - Yoga East has them all. I have my favorites, and have learned how to fit a class into each day's schedule. Excepting Friday - I haven't been able to always fit in Fridays, but transferring my practice to home one day a week is a good thing.

I can stand on one foot now - in several balance poses. Even three weeks ago that wasn't happening consistently. Like so many things in my yoga journey, what seems impossible suddenly isn't. I can't do a handstand, but I'm very proud of my shoulder stand. I may never be able to bind my hands behind my back or under my thighs, or - I might suddenly realize I can do it next week or next year. It doesn't matter, I've learned to push myself toward new things, but relax as the process continues.

I sat today with about twenty people who are up for a ninety day yoga challenge. I wanted to hug every beginner and tell them that it is possible and worth every down dog they will attempt.

That's it - some ramblings as a year of yoga has almost been invested. More later.....

Squat!

It may not look so hard - but getting my stiff 58 year old body in this position has been a challenge. At first I could hardly bend my knees, so it was impossible. When my knees gained some strength, then is was hard to put that kind of pressure on my thighs. Once they loosened, I could get in the squat position, but had to elevate my heels with a blanket.

This morning I went into the squat position and found my body easing into it - and as I went down closer to the floor I was ready to reach for a prop for my heels, and then I noticed they went right on down to my mat. I certainly felt the stretch, but with no pain anywhere I was squatting. After 156 consecutive days of yoga, it is quite encouraging to find this aging body able to do new things.

It's interesting that I noticed in my classroom last year that as I was struggling with the "squat", children do it all the time - with no effort! I guess we grow up and then need to make our body childlike again....

Training time!

There is training for certification in teaching yoga to children next weekend in Asheville, NC. It is a three day intensive training - and I am going! I am very excited and thankful that I get this opportunity. I was hesitant to mention this desire to my husband - after all, I have already invested quite a bit in my yoga quest. He was quite excited and sees that it could be a great fit for me.

So, off I will go to North Carolina next weekend for three days and many hours of yoga. Yahoo!!!!

Taking on the half moon!

Half moon is my new challenge pose. Just when I think I have them all, it seems like there is a new trend in all the different classes.

Here's what it is supposed to look like:

As I was looking for this illustration, the wall gave me a great idea on how to practice, but generally one is unsupported by brick and mortar! The idea is that you pivot on one leg, and the upward leg is in a straight line from your shoulders. Then you have to balance. This is going to take some work.

Another thing that is taking some work is getting my classroom ready for the new class that will be arriving in three weeks. I can already tell a difference in my appetite as the stress of school is on the horizon. Unfortunately for me, stress=appetite. My hope is that the stress release of yoga plus it's cardio benefits will help balance that out. And, I need some new habits.

Yoga East is offering a free introductory yoga class each Saturday night at 6:00. I'm hoping to rope my husband into going. I'd love to have a fellow yogi in my house -

Always check the schedule!

All rolled up and ready to go!

My alarm went off on this lazy summer morning at 5:15 am - on purpose. I was so ready to go to my third power yoga class of the week. I forgot an important thing I have learned - in the unpredictable days of summer, check the on line schedule before you head to class. I arrived only to find a darkened studio with no cars in sight.

There was an upside to this, though. It's now 8:23 and I have already cleaned my laundry room, given my den furniture a complete vacuuming, and posted on both blogs. So, I guess I can say that yoga made me more productive even if I didn't have class.

I'll pick up a class later this afternoon - on my 151st consecutive day of yoga! I'm off to get a hair cut, and I have a great reason to stay in my very comfortable yoga clothes all day.

Yoga and Children

Hmmmm.......I've been thinking, and sometimes that is dangerous, other times it's expensive, occasionally it's brilliant.

Working with young children has certainly been one of my life's callings. After working at a summer camp in college, I was hooked. I changed my major and have pretty much been working with young children in some capacity ever since.

I have always been able to incorporate my real world interests into my teaching world. Art, literature, my family, my pets....sharing things I am interested in keeps teaching interesting for me. I have been contemplating how I will weave my interest in yoga into my classroom practice.

I have thought about breathing and stretching breaks, I've thought about having a couple of mats in the room for children that might need to take a break from our routine. I've been picturing myself in child's pose when the students are off to special areas and I need a break!

Yesterday I started investigating becoming certified as a children's yoga instructor. I've been known to get a wild haired idea every now and then, and I am trying to determine if this fits into that category. What might I do with it? Maybe incorporate it into my classroom teaching. Maybe teach a class or two after school. Birthday parties? Retirement job?

Might be an interesting thought process, or maybe just a passing phase.....

Yoga at the crack of dawn.....

I'm up in the summer at 5:15 am. Have I lost my mind? I'm off to a power yoga class. My goal is to go all four mornings that it is offered this week and for the four weeks that I have before the students start piling into my classroom. It's really early - we'll see how this goes.




Michael just asked me if I'm going back in the afternoon, too. Not so sure about that........


I just got back. It's 7:01AM and I have already done power yoga. I'm drenching wet and laughing as I look at the picture I posted. I didn't see the orange glow of the sunrise - just the orange glow of the heat lamps! I was able to secure the position farthest away from the heat. Just when I really thought I was going to die, she turned the fans on.

I survived....now, can I do this four mornings a week for the next four weeks???