High up on a mountain

Surpise, here I AM!



I know, I know, you (whoever YOU are) are thinking..."She's back?"

Although I cannot promise indefinite posts, I have missed my blogging way too much to ignore the urge to post at LEAST once more.

So what have I been up to? Well, surprisingly, NOT yoga.

I have been sidelined from the hot room for several days with an absolutely cringe-worthy hamstring injury. My additional WebMD research (which by the way I have been told by several close friends I should NOT be allowed to view) also suggested Sciatica. Hypochondriac or not, my left butt cheek and thigh have traded in hot shorts for heat packs and icy hot. Lemme tell you, everyone LOVES my new scent.

While spending quality time with my new fav items (above) on the couch several things have occurred to me:

1) I have eaten waaaay too many carbs for my own good which have resulted in my stomach feeling like a giant pasta boat setting sail for meatball island

2) I really LOVE anything about Mount Everest

On the first, I have vowed to reclaim my healthy eating habits, now if only those damn girl scouts would take their cookie brigade and beat it.

Regarding the second, I shouldn't be surprised.

My love affair with the "tallest mountain on earth" began some time ago. It could have been a late night documentary, or interesting photo in National Geographic, but most likely is was my first read of Jon Krakauer's Into Thin Air.

If you can stomach one survivor's traumatic retelling of the infamous 1996 Everest Expedition, I highly recommend this book. Never has nature appeared more glorious, more equalizing and more monstrous then in this book.

In a continued fascination with her beauty (mountains are ladies right?) I devoted several hours this weekend to watching the Discovery Channel's Everest: Beyond the Limit. What a trip it was. These unbelievable athletes (quite the characters!) essentially sign up to risk there lives 30,000 feet above anything that is normal to me.

The sheer beauty of the mountain is absolutely breathtaking, and the struggle unbelievable. It is this STRUGGLE, this basic understanding of the human condition, and fight for life and glory, that truly inspires me.

So whether you are tackling the highest of peaks, with barely a breath left, or attempting to get through your first 20 day challenge, the shared expereince is the struggle.

Appreciate everything that you fight for today, and enjoy the struggle, for that is the TRUE measure of our heart.

"Technique and ability alone do not get you to the top; it is the willpower that is the most important. This willpower you cannot buy with money or be given by others..it rises from your heart" ~Junko Tabei

Namaste

Days 19 AND 20- Completed

Double the fun, Days 19 AND 20

"The more you sweat in practice, the less you bleed in battle." ~Author Unknown



Surprise, I am DONE! Yep, that's right kids...instead of waiting for tonight's 5:30pm Bikram class, I opted for back to back practice at the 4:30pm and 6:30pm classes yesterday!

So, what does that mean (besides 3 straight hours of yoga in 105 degree heat)...it means I have completed my first ever 20-day challenge! Cheers to ME...and to YOU, for following my adventure and keeping me honest and motivated along the way!

I have to admit, I was a bit sneaky. I knew from the moment I woke up yesterday I was going to end my challenge with a BANG! After all, subjecting yourself to 4 hours in the hot room takes a little preparation. My yoga bag was super-sized, with two of everything:

Two towels, two water bottles, two pairs of booty shorts, two tops, two Gatorade zeros (a new personal FAVE!), and 1 lonely granola bar. If there were ever a flood on it's way, my two-by-two belongings were ready to march on board the ark!

These physical preparations helped to sustain my mental clarity and determination. I was ready. Like a Marathon, I had done all the training, and had all the necessary supportive pieces lined up and ready to go. Much like a 26.2 mile road race, the end of my practice delivered many of the same feelings (more on that later).

Class ONE, 4:30pm:

My first class felt very relaxed and ironically quite "cool" for Bikram. The thermostat still read a toasty 106 degrees, but somehow my calm focus and deep breathing provided a veil of fresh air and much needed energy. I stretched through all of the 26 postures and two breathing exercises, knowing the whole time this was just the "warm-up" for my NEXT 90 minutes of yoga.

Class TWO, 6:30pm:

Hallelujah, here come my peeps!! There was something magical about my 6:30pm class. It wasn't my second outfit choice, or my limber, already warmed up hamstrings, it was my fellow yogis! These are the people I have sweat next to consistently for 20 days. The people I have come to learn little things about (like when B forgot his shorts and almost attempted yoga in his underwear--thanks for opting out of class that night, B!). The people I can glance at when I am running on empty, and KNOW that their energy will carry me through. And like I have said a few times before, most of one's practice can be completed determined by ENERGY.

The familiar and positive vibe in the room put me at ease as I stretched into the next set of 26 postures. The standing series flew by, and the floor series, well, it wasn't exactly pretty. As we entered the Spine Strengthening series, things went slightly down hill. Not in a spiraling, out of control kind of way...but more of a "I'm starting to feel the exhaustion, and my back is ever-so-slightly tightening up" kind of way. Given such I decided to opt out of the sit-ups (sometimes considered optional anyways...) and finish strong with Camel, Rabbit, Head to Knee with Stretching pose, and Spine Twisting.

With the last of my Blowing in Fix Firm or Kapalbahti breathing now in the rear view mirror, the only thing standing between me and the sticker chart was a final Savasana. And what better way to absorb all that I completed then laying completely relaxed, next to my dear Emily, and letting the cold air rush in from the lobby. Hooray, I was done.

And with THAT, a rush of emotions came over me. As I have alluded to before, I am a professional crier. Give me a Disney commercial, or mile 25 in a marathon, and I am nothing but a ball of tears. The completion of this yoga-marathon brought much of the same. Tears, tears and tears. Fortunately for my fellow yogis, I held them back until I got home. Not so fortunately for my bf, I was near the edge (emotionally and physically) by the time we saw each other and collapsed into my post-20 day challenge cloud. But hey, I am never one to apologize for FEELING, so as quickly as it swept over me, I experienced it ALL, and let it quickly drift away.

So, what's next? Good question. And to tell you the truth I have NO idea. I do know a few immediate things that are on the docket:

1) I plan to take a 3 day hiatus from the hot room, as I prepare for a work event, and some personal time away
2) I will continue to drink massive amounts of water as if I am going to sweat bucket loads for 90 minutes in the evening
3) I am going to continue to BREATHE, very slowly in and OUT, and KNOW that my breath is ALL I need

Regardless of WHERE this next chapter takes me (more yoga? longer challenge? teacher training?) I know that Bikram will be a part of it in and out of the hot room. He is already leaked into my home life with this fantastic read:




How can you NOT love this man? I have never met him, and am only 50 or so pages in...but I realize now that wherever I go, meeting Bikram is top on my list.

Thank you for your love, support, and interest as I struggled through and successfully completed my first 20-day challenge.

Celebrate yourself and the amazing things YOU can do for YOU when you commit your intentions to the universe (and to a blog!)

Namaste

"Nothing can steal happiness, peace away from you: if anyone does make you angry, you are the loser; if someone can allow you to lose peace, you are the loser" ~Bikram Choudhury

Day 18- Completed

Small and sweaty, Day 18



It's amazing to think that even the smallest of classes can sometimes be the sweatiest. I usually hold out such perspiration awards for Sunday's overcrowded 4pm class, but last night was a scorcher!

This hot room heat wave marked day 18 in my 20-day challenge. Any mental strain I was experiencing on Sunday/Monday finally drifted away as I caught the end in sight. I am ALMOST there. Wow.

There will certainly be some more celebratory posts in order when/if I make it to the final day (Thursday), but inside I am already starting the party and wondering about my next step.

Where will I go when this 20 day challenge ends? Where will my blog go? It's been a truly unique journey through my mind and body, and without getting too dramatic (probably too late!) I somehow feel very different from the gal who started chatting with you 18 days ago.

My uncle recently posted on my FB wall and asked me if I've seen any changes with all of this yoga practice. Having had some more time to think on that question I would like to now share some of the many ways I feel "changed":

1) I now spend any and all extra cash and time perusing sites like Shakti
2) I know how much water one needs to drink to be fully hydrated before 90 minutes of yoga...and how much one needs to pee
3) I appreciate Saturday morning sunlight, and the acoustic program on 103.1
4) I admire the way my short and curvy body looks in a skin bearing sports top and booty shorts (a true feat!)
5) I feel closer to understanding what meditation is, even though my mind still wanders aimlessly during Savasana
6) I know what pain feels like, and it feels different than just wanting to give up
7) I understand the difference between heat and humidity, and respect that the combination of both equals a LOT of hard work
8) I respect the slow and methodical entry into and out of each posture just as much as the posture itself ( it's the journey not the destination!)
9) I have been graced by people both better and worse than me during practice, but each day, every day, my class is about ME and the body I showed up with
10) If you open your heart to the universe and honestly ask for what you need...you shall receive

Here's to 18 wonderful days of transformation...can't wait to see what the last 2 bring!

Namaste


“You can search throughout the entire universe for someone who is more deserving of your love and affection than you are yourself, and that person is not to be found anywhere. You, yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.” ~Buddha

Day 17- Completed

You can do it, Day 17


Bad, Fido.


If a vicious dog were chasing me, I am the kind of gal who might just opt to sit down, get it over with. Not to say that I give in easily, or don't have the physical stamina...but sometimes when you are at the end of your rope, you just feel like LETTING GO.

And that was me last night. Day 17 in the hot room was okay physically, but mentally I am starting to feel the strain. The end is so close, but yet so far away. Never did this feel more true (and debilitating) than during our second set of Camel or Ustrasana.

I had already decided after the first set (in which I almost simultaneously threw-up and cried) that I was O.U.T, OUT, for the next round. I settled back into my Savasana, thankful for the extra long rest I was about to expereince. It was then I heard a sweet whisper from my left:

"You can do it."

I looked over, and there staring back at me was a fellow yogi (but stranger), cheering me on. She continued:

"You are so close to the end."

Not only was I three full postures and a breathing exercise away from the end of class, I was THREE days away from my 20-day challenge completion.

Hallelujah, where did this girl come from? It was at this moment that I realized, the universe had opened up and given me exactly what I needed (no, not water)...Encouragement. Pure, unsolicited or expected support.

So, when you receive a gift such as this, what else can you do but sit up and join in for the second set of Camel.

Thank you to my fellow yogi (who I profusely thanked at the end of class), and to MYSELF for opening my mind to these blessed words: YOU CAN DO IT.

The end of any race is never easy...finish line in site, and your legs just want to give in. I hope to pay forward the encouragement I received last night and make sure that all of the other 20-day challengers finish strong in our last few days!



Namaste


"When you come to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on." ~Franklin D. Roosevelt

Day 16- Completed

Waterfall, Day 16


Now picture this massive rush of water trying to ease it's way down my tired, dry, and scratchy throat. Not pretty.

Sunday classes are always an inevitable struggle. We are typically mat to mat, dumping sweat on each other, and each others mats. It's during these challenging (and grotesque) times I often find myself distracted by things like, cool sparkling bottles of water. As if it were the last sip on earth and I was crawling through the Sahara, I rely on my water bottle as the only life line I have left. Forget about breathing, and "relaxing my mind"...I want my water dammit!

My quick abandonment of all things zen, definitely came back to bite me in the butt. Sure I had made it through the standing series with hardly a drop of liquid, but come Rabbit Pose or Sasangasana (which if you remember from Day 14 is my LEAST favorite posture) it all went downhill.

Suddenly, I was grasping at my water bottle, clutching it so tightly I could see the white of my knuckles. I looked around erratically, trying to spot the teacher and make sure I wasn't "caught" hydrating. Then again, it is nearly impossible to NOT be found out when you are drinking as if you are a part of an early 1999 frat party chugging contest or game of waterfall (No really, I thought I wasn't supposed to stop until the person next to me did!).

As to be expected from such a scene, I immediately started choking and was not only "caught" by our teacher, but managed to disturb anyone in a 10 foot radius (i.e. the entire class). I hacked and hacked, gasping for breath, and finally found some relief with, you guessed it, more water.

So what did I learn today? A few things, really:

1) Water bottles in Birkam are like mirages in the desert---just an illusion that should not be trusted
2) Adults are still susceptible to having something "go down the wrong pipe"
3) A full belly equals a dismal and sluggish end of class


Cheers to hydrating appropriately from here in out.

Namaste

"I believe that water is the only drink for a wise man." ~Henry David Thoreau

Day 15- Completed

Varsity, Day 15



Believe it or not, waking up at 6:15 on Saturday wasn't as bad as I thought. Waking up, having to feed and walk the dogs AND shovel the 4 new inches of snow off of my windshield, didn't even phase me. Does this mean the yoga is REALLY working? Or perhaps it means I've been upgraded from the JV team?

As I went into the hot room on day 15, I was prepared for a morning of tight muscles, sleepy postures and extreme heat. I certainly got 2 out of the 3, but my postures came to life when I heard teacher Maeghan say the following:

"Saturdays are my favorite class to teach. You know why? VARSITY."

What a fantastic sentiment! Finally I've reached the land of dedicated, varsity yogi. And with that motivating one-liner, I couldn't help but give it my best shot.

I know I have posted pictures, and alluded to the nature of these 26 postures, but if you are interested in seeing some truly VARSITY YOGIS, click HERE.

I mean, WOW! Who knew the backward bend was supposed to look like THAT. Yowsers. I have got some stretching to do.

Speaking of stretching, my mind, body and gag reflex were stretched to their limit during a new addition to the class; Saturday morning 60-second Camel or Ustrasana.

Think This:


Not This:


And with that, Day 15, or 3/4 of my way through this challenge, was complete! Hooray!

I hope Saturday helped YOU to bring your varsity game and reap all the benefits of giving 100% to life. Because when you give 100% you get 100%.

Namaste

"The moment when you first wake up in the morning is the most wonderful of the twenty-four hours. No matter how weary or dreary you may feel, you possess the certainty that, during the day that lies before you, absolutely anything may happen. And the fact that it practically always doesn't, matters not a jot. The possibility is always there." ~Monica Baldwin

Day 14- Completed

Yoga Bunny, Day 14


This one is for YOU, Kell!

As I mentioned yesterday, my intention was to dedicate Day 14 to Baba Hari Dass. Instead of quieting my mind, all I could think about was my dear friend Kelley who lives across the proverbial pond in Tunbridge Wells, England.

Kelley and I have been GREAT friends for over a decade now, and although it has been nearly 1.5 years since I last saw her, our bond is as tight as ever. She is the girlfriend who will set you straight with loving honesty, the one who will listen to you cry and cry (and as I have mentioned before, I am QUITE good at crying!) with no agenda, the one who will push you to your limits and make you realize your full potential in the world...and she is also the one who left me an unexpected voice mail yesterday in which she referred to me as "Yoga Bunny."

If I haven't mentioned it yet, I am a sucker for rabbits. On more than one occasion, as a small child, I attempted to sneak home small bunnies (from pet stores at the Mall, and other various locations). I would keep them in my closet (with a proper set-up of food and water of course) until their inevitable bunny smell would leave my mother wondering. It was then, I would call her into my room and make her promise to "not get mad at me" for what I was about to tell her. And voila, I would then pull out a small critter from behind my clothes and shoes, and we all lived happily ever after. OR so I imagined. This wasn't just limited to rabbits, I once brought home a kitten (rest in peace wherever you may be Skittles), and to say the least, my parents were saints.

Needless to say, when I was listening to Kelley's lovely little message yesterday, I quickly adopted my new affectionate nick name, "yoga bunny."

Not only does it remind me of my pet-napping days of the past, it gives me a new appreciation for my least favorite posture in the floor series, The Rabbit, or Sasangasana.


Sasangasana

Although I was unsuccessful at silencing my mind last night, I can assure you that as I head into my final 6-day stretch (almost there!!) this yoga bunny will do her best to relax the mind, and open the heart.

Happy Friday! Be sure to celebrate YOURSELF and those once-in-a-lifetime friends like Kelley.

Namaste

"What is a friend? A single soul dwelling in two bodies." ~Aristotle