Yoga: Challenge Accepted

Today was day one of my 30-day yoga challenge.  I am commiting to practicing yoga at Hart Yoga 5-6 times a week for 30 days.  Then I will come home and blog about it here to share my experience and the benefits of a regular yoga practice.  Life is busy and it's not always easy to take time to care for yourself, but it is just as important as your other obligations.  So for the next 30 days, I will make my mental and physical well-being  a priority--regular yoga and no fried foods.

Like I said, today was day one (just 29 more!) I woke up excited, raring to go.  That is, until I weighed myself and took measurements for the first time in a while.  Someone's definitely put on a newlywed nine.  Yikes. 

"Okay, so there's room for improvement," I told myself.  "Easier to see results when the starting numbers are high, right? Stay positive."  I'll let you know what, if any, changes I notice in my measurements.  I know there's still snow on the ground, but swimsuit season has a tendency to sneak up on us.  It would be nice if alabastar skin was the only bikini deterrent, not a muffin top. 

Today was also Kate's first time teaching Tuesday evening Vinyasa class.  It was a little slower than I am accustomed to for hot Vinyasa, but that meant I was really able to break down the poses and sink deeper into them.  I wasn't even aware how hard I was working until afterwards when I felt fatigued in every muscle group.  I feel mentally energized, but am vaguely aware of my body sinking deeper and deeper into the couch, imagining how well I'm going to sleep tonight.  Now that is a good workout.

Positive pose: Half-Moon Balancing. 

I struggled with this initially.  I have trouble rolling open my hip and maintaining my balance.  Kate pointed out to me that it's because when I roll open my hip, I also thrust my extended leg behind me, throwing my weight off-center.  I had no idea I was even doing this.  Now, with this awareness, I am certain that the next time I try Half-Moon, I will have a much more positive experience.

Struggle pose: Side Crow

I know, I know, this is a super-challenging pose.  However, I feel like I've mastered Crow, so Kate offered me a bigger challenge.  I did not get very far.  At all. 

I'm definitely still in the beginning stage where I'm more afraid of falling on my face than concentrating on contracting my core and picking up my feet.  This might have to be my yoga homework assignment--to experiment with shifting my weight to the side and lifting my toes before next week...

I'm not going to set any weight or measurement goals for this challenge.  That just isn't the sort of goal for positive mental health--especially if/when I don't make them.  Instead, my goals are pose-oriented.  By the end of the challenge, I would like to be able to reach the fullest expression of Standing Forehead to Knee (without immediately falling over) in the Bikram class and in the Vinyasa class, I would like to be able to hold some variation of Side Crow.

Ambitious, no?  That's one of the things I love about yoga, there's always something to work towards, always somewhere to improve.  How boring it would be otherwise!

I look forward to sharing my yoga experience with you, the good together with the not-so-good. 

Until Thursday,

-Allie