Final Reflections

Some last thoughts on my 30-day challenge:

I weighed myself and took measurements this morning--I'm down 3.5lbs!  Pretty good considering I was back to starting weight around the halfway point.  I also lost 4" all over, 2" of which was just off my hips!  Vicki warned my that I might see an increase in the size of my ribcage, but I actually lost half an inch there.  Guess my lungs were already huge from a semi-regular practice...  I'm also down half an inch off my waist (just another half inch back to wedding size) and half an inch off each thigh.  No change in the size of my arms, but I can see every single muscle now.

I know these measurements probably don't seem like much, but I can definitely see a difference in my physical fitness.  Guys, I have muscles in places I didn't know girls could get them!  I have a clearly defined triceps, abdominals, and that weird little muscle right below your obliques.  You know the one I'm talking about?  I didn't before.  Things didn't get much smaller, but they got tighter for sure--firmer legs and a perkier tush.  I feel like all I need now is a base tan (ha!) and I'm ready to hit the beach!  Heck, if we didn't have leering neighbors, I would be tempted to walk around the house in my underwear all day just so I could check out my rockin' abs.  "Oh, hello muscles.  Where have you been all my life?"

And then there's the psychological element: I'm not sure if it's confidence, endorphins, flush from success, or just that exercise balanced my whackadoo hormones, but after 31 days of regular yoga, I am much more cheerful.  I sleep better and smile more.  I also have less wrist and knee pain.  These are very common sources of pain for a lot of people.  I work at a desk and am an avid knitter and after regular Bikram practice, especially Locust pose (it gets easier, I promise), I can knit much longer without wrist pain. 

Of course there's also the improvement in the Bikram postures. You saw my before and after pictures from yesterday.  I advanced in every single posture in the series--deeper, higher, more balanced, holding poses for longer.  Really, the photos speak for themselves.  With dedication and focus, anything is possible. 

I really could not be more excited with my results.  Even though I was initally bummed out that I weigh considerably more than I would like to, I now understand the benefit of being fitter and more muscular.  Muscle weighs more than fat, right?  It's not about the number on the scale, it's about how confident and beautiful and fit you feel.  And right now I feel like a movie star.  Watch out, Hubby. ;-)

Thank you Vicki for giving me the opportunity to expand my practice and to share my experience with Hart Yoga.  It's been such a pleasure and I can't wait to see what else I can do as my practice evolves.

Hope to see you all tomorrow and Hart Yoga's open house!  Free yoga at 10am and 12!

-Allie

Challenge: Complete

I did it!  I finished my challenge!  21 classes in 31 days!  I am amazing.

I was absolutely determined to go to class today.  My cold isn't 100% gone, but I was going to practice and let that sweet heat blast the germs out of me.  It did work--I feel so, so much better now, but I struggled in class today.  I felt like my body was strong enough to do the postures, but couldn't get enough air to sustain it.  I found myself gasping for air a few times and had to sit down for a bit after Triangle so that I could once again breathe through my nose.  Embarrassing, but necessary.

The spine strengthening series was especially tough because my lungs felt compressed lying on my stomach like that.  However, the spine strengthening series felt very liberating.  I had to fight a little nausea in Camel (this was my struggle pose today), but afterwards my lungs were wide open and I found I could breathe once more.  I just had to push through because now I feel fantastic, not only because I can breathe again, but also because I accomplished my goals.

Now how about some photographic evidence of how awesome I am?  Vicki and I stayed for a little while after class to take some "after" pictures.  I couldn't be more pleased!

Half Moon:

Check out that difference!  Granted, the former picture was on a Saturday and I was much tighter, but dang, my shoulders are stacked!

Back Bending:

I really wish we'd taken a "before" picture of this one because I thought I had been going farther back than this--at least it feels this way.  Still pretty cool...

Standing Forehead to Knee:

Look, look, look!! I'm doing it! OMG!!11!!one!!!1  :)

Standing Bow:

 I think it looks a little bit like I'm falling away from the camera in the second picture, but man, my leg is waaay the heck up there--rotating my hip a little helped immensely.  Next step will be to start sliding my arm down my shin and work on arching my torso back to get my leg a little straighter.



Standing Separate Leg Stretching:

Hello Hamstrings!  Every class I'm getting my legs closer than the one before!  I love the geometry of this posture.  It makes for such a pretty picture.

Floor Bow:

Okay, this is just awesome.  Yeah!

Seated Forward Fold:

Just in case you didn't believe me about those hamstrings...I feel like there's still room for improvement--I see a good deal of curving in my spine.  But what would be the point if there wasn't alway somewhere deeper to go?

Even though I've now completed the challenge, in no way does this mark a finish line for me.  I'm thrilled with the progress I've made and I'm eager to see where else I can take my practice in the future.  I will continue to practice at least a couple times a week, only building on this month's accomplishments.  I can't wait.

Measurements and Final Reflections tomorrow.

-Allie

Nevermind

I didn't go to class today. 

I really, really, really wanted to.  Honestly, it's killing me that I'm not completing my challenge as planned, but I think I'm finally coming down with Melody's bug.  I went home from work early to get some rest and try to head it off.  Even I have to admit that well being is more important than pride.

I felt much better after a big nap--I can almost breathe normally through my nose!--but I didn't want to push it.  So I'm going to do a gentle practice on my own at home, go to bed early, and sincerely hope I feel better tomorrow.  Because then I'll have the stamina for Wednesday and Thursday's classes.  I will be so disappointed if I had a strong practice for so long, but then fizzled right at the end. 

So sorry, Kate.  I'll definitely be there for Vicki's anniversary open house.

Breakthrough

Hey guess what? Focus works!  I had one of my best practices ever tonight and it's all because rather than setting physical goals like kicking up higher or balancing longer, I met my own gaze and kept my concentration on regulating inhale and exhale.  Everything felt better!  Half Moon, Standing Head to Knee, Standing Bow, all of it!

I feel like now that I'm towards the end of my challenge, I finally made a mental breakthrough.  If you empty your head of every thought but "inhale, exhale," there is no room for judgment or competition--a very physical meditaton.  Boy is that tough, though!  I caught my mind wandering a number of times and wobbly neighbors are not easy to ignore.  Like Vicki says, it really does take a lot of mental strength to help build your physical strength.  Now with this goal in mind, I foresee more improvement in my future.

Positive Posture: First Back Bend

I never cared for this one when I first started my practice, but it gets better and better each time.  My low back felt a little tweaky at the start of class today, but extending and shining forward through my chest kept me from just dumping into my low back and really getting a good stretch today.  I obviously can't see how far back I'm going myself, but I see more and more of the back wall.  I will definitely be taking some "after" pictures of this one.  Now that I've done all the spine strengthening and stretching today, my low back feels sort of "reset" and much, much better. 

Struggle Posture: Floor Bow
Okay, lame story: the biggest struggle I had today was that my hands were too sweaty and I had a hard time holding onto my feet.  Sorry, no whiny story for you tonight, just that I was so awesome and "glowing" that I couldn't effectively finish the posture. 

Now that I've completed 20 classes in 28 days, I really could quit and congratulate myself on a challenge well done, but being the silly overachiever that I am I'm going to go for the whole 31 days!  I will definitely attend Tueday night Vinyasa and Thursday night Bikram and am considering Wednesday's Bikram, too.  I've still got more yoga in me yet!

Vinyasa with Kate tomorrow night.

-Allie

Sunday Yin/Yang

No matter how I'm feeling--how tired, tight, or grumpy--I never feel inadequate or frustrated in a Yin/Yang class.  It's so much easier to accept my body's current state and ability.  Do I get fatigued in long warrior holds?  Absolutely.  Can I match Kate's deepest expression in every posture?  Of course not.  But the tone of the class is so gentle and joyful and linked to how your body is feeling right now, not where you would like it to be.  I do what I can, ensuring that I am working and feeling something, but without judging myself.

Perhaps it's because the postures are never the same and therfore it's much harder to quantify my progress or maybe because it's 11am on a Sunday and the judgment part of my brain hasn't woken up yet (I don't think that's it, if you recall yesterday's post).  I'll admit that I have a competitive streak and there are days when I want to push and tally results, mark the exact places where I have made progress.  I take comfort in revisiting the same postures over and over, building my practice cumulatively and soaking in the medical benefits of the prescribed yoga regimen.  Those are Bikram days.  There are other days when I want to just be, to move gently and to love my body as it is right now.  Those are Yin/Yang days--selfish, laid back Sundays. 

Positive Posture: Upward-Facing Dog

I've been working on that High-Low Pushup for a long time now and I don't think I ever really got it right.  I never could get the swoop into Updog to feel right and almost always went straight to the ground and did a Cobra instead.  This is how the Yin/Yang class has helped me--the slow pace made me reassess my form, adjusting where I needed it.  Today, for the first time ever, I flowed through High-Low Pushup and into Updog like it was no trouble at all.  I swooped away from the ground, opened my heart to the mirror, and breathed a deep, satisfying breath of victory. 

Struggle Posture: Pigeon

I learned something today--it's a bad thing when you lose feeling in your foot in pigeon. Apparently my hip joint is so compressed that I'm cutting off the blood supply to my foot.  Since I was so used to Bikram, I wasn't alarmed by this at first, but the Bikram compression postures are all less than a minute.  Turns out it's not a good thing to allow your feet to go numb.  In the interest of general health, I will be backing off this posture a little in the future.  I need to build more flexibility in my outer hip first so that I don't cause permanent damage to my feet.  Oops.


Have a lovely remainder of your Sunday!  Bikram tomorrow

-Allie

Morning Class

I have a confession to make: I am not a morning person. 

This may come as a huge shock to you (although if it does, you've probably never seen me in the morning), but it's true.  I've been in denial about his for years.  I really wish I could be one of those people wakes up limber and ready to go, but alas, I am not.  The idea of waking up to a productive, energizing practice and then having the rest of the day to relax is wonderful, but the practice is not so feasible.  I wake up cranky, with tight muscles and my nose and throat full of gunk.  Honestly, I'm lucky Hubby loves me because I must be some kind of unpleasant in the mornings. 

Anyway, the point is that I am finally admitting to myself that late afternoon/early evening practices work best for me and my body.  I've had time to move, loosen up, and dose myself with caffeine.  While I envy the early workout bird who can take her tight little tush for a run before dawn, I am not her.  After I complete my challenge, I will probably come to Sunday Yin/Yang because it's gentle on my sleepy body, but otherwise stick to the 5:30 classes.  I think it's important to know your body's internal schedule and to work with it to find energy and productivity, rather than work against it and find only frustration.

As you've probably guessed already, I did not have the best practice this morning.  My waist and hamstrings must have been conspiring with each other to defeat me and breathing was a bit of a challenge through my stuffy nose.  However, I did persevere, getting pretty close to my usual expressions--albeit with more effort--and didn't have to sit down once. 

Positive Pose: Standing Forehead to Knee
I am awesome, hear me roar!  This posture just gets better and better.  I estimate that I held my forehead on my knee for nearly 10 seconds on the right side today--way longer than I've ever held it before and probably long enough to take a picture if I can do it again on Thursday...  It was a little tougher on the left side, but just because that hamstring was tighter than the right.  I expect Monday's practice will be super-amazing.

Struggle Pose: Standing Bow

Like I said in an earlier post, this one and Standing Forehead to Knee seem to be inversely related.  Since I did sooo well in the previous posture, this one was a disaster.  My silly, silly hamstrings pulled back, preventing me from kicking up and effectively balancing.  Vicki suggests that I rotate my top hip back a little bit to help with the hamstring stretching.  I think I do this without realizing it when I get really deep into the posture, but then am so surprised that I fall.  Perhaps if I'm more conscious of where my hips are, I will have more success on Monday.

<--This kind of looks like I'm rotating my hip up, right?


I'm getting pretty tired of saying "next time I'll do better."  I've only got two more bikram "next times" left in my challenge. Monday's goal, rather than striving in specific postures, will be to keep my breath and my focus in line.  By refusing to let my mind wander, I predict that I will find the series much easier and have a wildly successful practice.  Wish me luck!

Yin/Yang with Kate tomorrow.

-Allie

One More Week

I started out well in today's class.  I got really, reeeeaaaally far into Half Moon and the first Back Bend, which was lovely because it usually takes me a while to warm up and those two postures normally hurt quite a bit. I pushed my hips out to the side and pulllled my arms up and over and felt only a deep stretch.  Unfortunately, it all went downhill from there. 

I must have been tired today--tired from lack of sleep and leftover muscle fatigue from Tuesday's class (which was amazing, but totally kicked my butt).  I wanted to strive, I wanted to improve, but just didn't have it in me today.  The worst offenders were my hip flexors and quads.  I had a lot of trouble locking my legs and kicking out during both the bow poses, which was so disappointing because I rarely have any trouble with Floor Bow.  My rockstar cred was somewhat diminished in today's practice.

Then after Eagle, I nearly choked on my water and my poor sad throat was sore for the rest of the class, which made breathing (and therefore concentrating) rather difficult.  I nearly fell on my face after Standing Separate Leg Stretching because I wasn't concentrating on locking out my legs and dumped weight into my head. Boo! Expert tip: Don't do that.  Keep pulling on your feet and refrain from putting any weight on your head, just graze the floor.  Good news, though--I brought my legs in a little bit closer and still got my head all the way to the floor.  There's always a bright side, right?

Positive Posture: Seated Stretching Posture

Like I said last time, my hamstrings are gradually loosening with regular practice, at least with forward folds.  They still need a lot of work with stretching away from each other, like in Standing Bow, but I am noticing less and less resistance with all of the Hands to Feet postures.  This one comes at the very end of practice, when everything is all warm and noodly.  I stretched and pulled and felt like I could almost graze my feet with my forehead.  I'm sure I actually did nothing of the kind, but after a frustrating practice, it was really nice to end on a more positive note, especially one with a delicious stretch to my legs and spine.

Struggle Pose:  Standing Balancing Forehead to Knee
Yuck.  That's all.

Okay, with the aforementioned muscle fatigue, neither the standing nor the kicking leg wanted to lock out for long.  I think I did get to the fullest expression of the posture, but only held it for about 0.5 seconds.  I think after another, more productive day of rest tomorrow, I should be ready to work on Saturday.

Now I'm warm and comfortable on the couch, with a purring kitty working the kinks out of my stomach (or would be if I had any).  Who couldn't love a face like that?  Even if it is in the sink.

I'll hit the sack early tonight, do some serious relaxing tomorrow, and look forward to better practices this weekend.

Until Saturday!

-Allie