category: Blog
1/3/11- I woke up at least 3 times during the night out of shear excitement. It’s like I am going to Disneyland and can’t wait to get going. Although once my alarm goes off, the first thing in my head is, “Why are you doing this, you don’t like this!” Class was excellent, I am very tight since I took 2 weeks off, but that won’t last long! I am motivated because I see a board with my name written on it (and everyone else doing the challenge). There are also a few really nice plaques hanging on the wall I hadn’t seen before with all the other names of people who had completed the 30 day challenge. I want to be immortalized at hot yoga too!!!
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locust pose
1/4/11- Woke up ready to go. No more waking up during the night. I was TIRED last night and slept like a rock. My arms are incredibly sore…hmmmm, this might not be good. I did pretty bad in all of my poses because I was sore and had zero flexibility. The one pose I seemed to actually do well (but not great) today was the locust pose. I was exhausted throughout the day today, I tried to take a nap, but it kept getting interrupted. Maybe the 2nd day is the hardest?!
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1/5/11- I actually did pretty well today. I woke up and was wide awake, ready to go. I did yawn a few times in class, but other than that I felt really awake. I practiced really staying in the moment, which isn’t always easy for me to do, but it really kept me in the poses for as long as I was supposed to be in them. I hope staying in the moment is the key here; perhaps that is what I am supposed to really learn from all of this. I know I have a problem with living in the future in my daily life, not surprising that I try to do it in yoga as well. What a difference when I just put awareness on now, not then or what could be.
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1/6/11- Today was Horrible. Yes, that was a horrible with a capital H. I was completely side tracked the whole time. The awareness realization from yesterday was just not working today. I had an interview after class, plus Steve and I fought the night before. The combo of the 2 made it impossible to stay in the now. I went through the poses, but very very poorly! At least I get credit for showing up and trying, right?
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1/7/11- Today I went to a candlelight session of yoga in the evening. It was the first time I’ve done either and I loved it. The class was packed, 50-60 people jammed in there, so it was rough getting into some of the poses without hitting the person next to you. Katy hit my butt during a pose, I just saw it as a perk J. Since there were so many extra bodies in the room the heat was incredible. I had rivers of sweat coming down my back, never in my life have I sweat so much. I loved it though. I was able to get into my postures much deeper than before, I am not sure if it’s because of the heat or because its later in the day, so my body is more warmed up. Either way I love it! I am able to get my head to touch my knee without bending my leg now during our stretch, it sounds lame, but to me, that’s pretty damn exciting.
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1/8/11- My first Saturday class…it’s just as packed as last night was. This time it was even hotter though. I didn’t think that was possible. I had to lie down twice because I was pretty sure I was going to pass out. Whenever I moved my hands for a posture I flung sweat on my neighbors (sorry!). Even though its intense, I love the heat, I love the sweat…Although, I prefer last night’s heat, today was just a tad too much for me to bear.
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1/9/11- I wanted to stay in bed today. I was comfortable and warm, waking up early on a Sunday didn’t sound like my cup of tea, but I did it anyway. I was not as flexible as I have been lately, not sure why that’s the case, but I won’t dwell on it too much. You can’t get stiff overnight can you?? Hmmmm maybe you can?! I officially hate 2 postures, the standing knee to head, because I can’t get my standing leg to stay straight without feeling like it’s going to break and bow because I just physically don’t stretch that way. Kate (my friend who goes to class with me too) laughed at me when I showed her my version of this posture. She looks like a goddess when she does it. Damn it.
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1/10/11- I have officially graduated myself to the middle of the room. The back of the room is where the newbies go, it’s generally cooler back there, not by much, but it’s a little relief. Over the weekend I was forced to be in the middle and I sweat so much more, it felt good. So I committed myself to always go in the middle, I might as well make the most of my work out! I was able to really stay in my head. I wasn’t necessarily better at my poses, but I really was all there, in the moment. I loved the class.
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1/11/11- Well, I am pretty sure I screwed up my knee. It was yesterday while doing standing head to knee, I felt like I hyper-extended my right knee… It continued to hurt throughout the day. This morning I asked the instructor what to do, she gave me some pointers, and I gave it a try. Nope, it hurt too much and on top of that was just really weak. Ugh. I laid down for the entire posture, I just couldn’t do it. The instructor told me to not force it, just let it heal. Let’s hope it doesn’t take too long. On another note, I think my forehead grew. This is the problem with standing in front of a mirror for an hour and a half every day; you look at yourself for way too long. My forehead looked at least 3 inches bigger this morning. Is that possible? Forehead growth overnight? Sheesh, I hope forehead shrinking overnight is possible too then.
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1/12/11- My knee hurt all night last night, so I was a bit worried about today. When I started getting warmed up in the studio, I felt some of the pain decrease, so I went for it. I was able to get into the postures and didn’t lay down at all. I for sure felt resistance in my knee, but that was it. Let’s hope I don’t regret it later.
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1/13/11- Silly me… yesterday was stupid of me. I really hurt it, pushing it too far. I couldn’t even put my leg straight when I laid down to go to bed! So I talked with a couple instructors and they told me to honor where I am at, if I don’t push it, it will heal faster. So, I laid down for so many of the postures and I improvised with the others. The problem is, is that most postures ask you to have a straight standing leg…I can’t straighten mine without some pain though. I am hoping that it heals soon, since I respected where I was at and didn’t push it. I will not give up on this challenge. I’ve done way too much already! I am seeing my Kinesiologist today; I’m hoping she can help some!
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1/14/11- 2 pulled hamstrings…yep, that’s what the doc said. She adjusted me and did some other treatments; it seemed to help a lot. By the end of last night I wasn’t in pain like I was before. Not even close. Today I went to the candlelight class at 630pm, I love it when its dark, makes me get into it more for some reason. It was pretty packed, but not to highest capacity, close enough to fling sweat on others and get their sweat on me….yummy J The instructor opened all windows and then even the doors, which is technically against the rules, but people were dying in there! My legs held up pretty good. I didn’t force the poses at all and refrained from doing standing head to knee, since that’s what hurt me in the first place. I’m going to have to warm up to that one again…
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1/15/11- I’m really not sure what happened to me today. It was just as hot as last night (like the burning pits of hell), but I felt like I was having trouble breathing- and in turn I was having mini panic attacks. I was unable to stay in the groove. I was constantly trying to remain conscious and breathing. On top of all this I had zero flexibility. I really think evening classes see more flexibility for me since I’ve essentially been stretching and warming up those muscles all day. Perhaps I was also tired since I finished the last class at 8pm and started this one at 8am, not much rest in between…just a theory.
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1/16/11- I totally chickened out today. I went back to the back row. However, I think that it really didn’t do me any good, because the sun shined perfectly through the window and warmed me up, in addition to what the room was already doing… thanks a lot sun. I felt better when I heard some of the long time regulars complaining that the heat has been much more intense lately…whew! It’s not just me!! I attempted most of the poses this time and even kicked my foot out on the standing head to knee (my nemesis) , that felt so much more natural than the “beginner” position of that. I have decided I hate weekend classes though; I like my early morning, still dark weekday classes, with instructors and people I know or at least recognize. Looking forward to tomorrow. Kind of. I mean, it’s still 6am, who can be excited about that?
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1/17/11- Guess what today is?! It’s the half-way point. I think that’s what got me through this class! I just kept thinking I have done this for 15 days now, I gotta keep on keeping on. I looked on the board where all the 30 day challenge participants are listed; looks like the weekend go the best of a lot of people. That motivated me further, I don’t want to be one of those people who just couldn’t do it, I’ve got to do this, for no one else but myself! I’ve made it half way, I can sooooo do this!
