Yoga Day 24

"Do your practice and all is coming"       - Sri K Patthabi Jois

I am now on Day 24 of my Yoga in February month. I have practiced yoga every day with 5 or 6 days per week in the studio, then 1 or 2 days per week at home.

There is something in the daily discipline of the practice that inspires me. I think the daily routine heightens my attention to the project and commands more of my focus. 

Have I mentioned how much I love yoga?!

Lessons learned so far...
I thought yoga would be a set of poses that would focus on stillness and flexibility.
Turns out, this is just one small part of the yoga experience. There is large part of the practice dedicated to movement - deliberate and challenging. While flexibility helps with some of the poses, it isn't necessary to start. I am the least flexible person I know, yet I still benefit from the practice and my flexibility is already improving.

I imagined my mind would wander, much like my previous failed attempts at meditation.
Turns out, the practice requires full attention and focus, so my mind is clear and clarity comes much easier.

I thought it would only benefit me physically in terms of adding stretching to my routine.
Turns out, yoga practice is extremely challenging and will (and has already) helped improve my endurance and strength. The pace at times seems like cardio and the weight bearing poses are more strenuous than some weight lifting I've tried in the past. If the excessive sweating, sore muscles, and pleasant exhaustion are indicators, then my entire body is benefiting from these sessions.

I thought yoga with heat (the beginner class is at 93 degrees, the next class up add another ten degrees or more) would be miserable.
The heat of the room, and generated by my energy and breathing, is cathartic, healing, and invigorating. 

So yoga is full of surprises, and I'm thankful for this month of discovery! 

"Tapas-- Burning Enthusiasm. Literally translated as "fire" or "heat", tapas is the disciplined use of our energy. Because the word discipline has the negative connotation of self-coercison, I take the liberty here of translating this central precept as "burning enthusiasm." when we can generate an attitude of burning ardor, the strength of our convictions generates a momentum that carries us forward." 
     - Farhi

Yoga in February - Day Four

This morning I had an inspiring talk with a good friend about our month by month goals. Truly inspiring!

Then, took my second yoga class at Purple Yoga with Ace Paule. Wow - this was super challenging! Different poses at a different pace. I have never sweat so much before in my life! I ran a 10k last spring, and didn't sweat half as much as I did during this session. I loved it. I had to push myself to stay with the poses. Now I understand why yoga teachers and students have such incredibly beautiful bodies - they work for it with every pose!

I love the newness of this adventure - to learn to new poses, to explore weaknesses and inabilities, and to push past the challenges.

I can't wait for tomorrow's class.

"...yoga is not about self-improvement or making ourselves better. It is a process of deconstructing all the barriers we may have erected that prevent us from having an authentic connection with ourselves and with the world."
     - Farhi

Yoga Day Three

My first yoga class! I woke up early for a 7:30 am class (did I mention I am not a morning person?). This was the first day of the unlimited two-week pass I purchased at Purple Yoga. I wasn't sure what to expect... here are a few thoughts on the experience:

• I love it! 
• I am thankful that I had learned a few poses at home first. That helped me transition to the class setting, but there were still a number of poses I had never done before. 
• The instructor, Siri Högfeldt-Delaney, was very helpful. She adjusted a few of my poses, and I appreciated the guidance. 
• I liked Siri's balanced approach to the yoga. Calm, encouraging instruction from pose to pose, with reminders about breathing and focus. 
• I brought a mat and a small towel. Next time, I'll need a large towel to cover the whole mat. Without the towel, my hands slipped. 
• There was a blend of experienced students and new ones, like me. I appreciated the experienced students, so I could learn from their poses. 
• It was super challenging! Some of the poses I handled easily, but most required me to truly focus. 
• I was shaking through some poses, trying to balance and build by strength.
• Some pose series had me dripping in sweat - I didn't expect that but loved it.
• I was definitely present in the moment.
• At one time, one of my favorite songs came on during one of our sustained stretching poses (pigeon something, I think), and I had tears in my eyes. Overcome with emotion, and knowing I was in the right place in my life. I expected yoga to touch on this spiritual understanding, but I didn't imagine it would come to me in my first class.

I have a lot to learn, but I loved this morning's session. It pushed me physically and mentally cleared my mind. What more could a girl want from a yoga class?

"Yoga is a technology for arriving in this present moment" - Farhi

Yoga Day Two

I came home late from work again tonight, so I oped for the On Demand yoga. This time I chose a "gentle yoga" class. Very simple poses and stretches. It was nice and relaxing, with a few challenging poses. Again, I enjoyed the experience, but it wasn't exceptional. 

Afterwards, I starting reading "Yoga Mind, Body & Spirit" by Donna Farhi - a wonderful book that a good friend gave me last week. I love the holistic approach, detailed description of the poses, and good writing.

"In such moments we experience a sense of translucence such that that which we see, feel, sense, hear, or touch no longer feels separate from us but is experiences as a part of our totality.... when we become the same midnight sky that fills us with awe, we remember, however briefly, our place in the scheme of things...These moments have always been there... These moments are simply awaiting our arrival"