I stayed after class this morning to practice a few extra poses with a teacher. It was awesome. I am loving this extra yoga I'm doing.
I tried wall walking for the first time ever. Man, was it freaky. Basically you stand 3 feet away from the wall with your back to it. You put your hands over your head and bend backward until your hands touch the wall. You then walk your hands down the wall while backward bending. As you come down to the floor you come up on to your toes, lift your chest and press your chin and chest against the wall while locking your arms. You then just walk back up the wall to come out.
Going down was OK. I got down to the floor in the first couple of tries. Coming up was another matter all together. Figuring out how to push your hips forward, stay on your toes and then walk your hands back up is hard! It just was not happening. I swore loudly a couple of times but my teacher was wonderful and got me out of the pose.
I'm excited to try again!
Showing posts with label Excitement. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Excitement. Show all posts
December 8, 2010
November 30, 2010
Day is Over
It's night. The terrible day is over and in T minus 1 hour I am taking my LW out for his birthday to see Leonard Cohen!
I can't wait!
I can't wait!
November 27, 2010
Victoria Hatha Yoga Championships
My studio, Bikram Yoga Saanich, is hosting the first ever Victoria Hatha Yoga Championships. They've decided to set this up for fun but to also encourage people to compete and prepare them for the Western Regional Championships that occur in Vancouver.
I'd had a few of the teachers approach me or call me out in class and tell me that I should compete. I hummed and hawed about it and about as far as I got to making a commitment was saying I would go to the info session.
Well, I just got back from the info session. The teachers were so inspiring. Ida Ripley spoke to us as well as another man who has competed many times and Abbey, the owner of my studio. They were so inspiring. They told us that there was no need to be perfect. That in the long run this was for us - to push ourselves a little further.
So, I committed to it. I signed up for the competition. I'm excited, nervous and excited!
I'll post more details about the competition soon!
Meanwhile, here is Ida competing.
I'd had a few of the teachers approach me or call me out in class and tell me that I should compete. I hummed and hawed about it and about as far as I got to making a commitment was saying I would go to the info session.
Well, I just got back from the info session. The teachers were so inspiring. Ida Ripley spoke to us as well as another man who has competed many times and Abbey, the owner of my studio. They were so inspiring. They told us that there was no need to be perfect. That in the long run this was for us - to push ourselves a little further.
So, I committed to it. I signed up for the competition. I'm excited, nervous and excited!
I'll post more details about the competition soon!
Meanwhile, here is Ida competing.
September 13, 2010
Blissful Weekend
This weekend was full of gasps, laughs, giggles, loves, sweat and pinball.
Friday night, LW and I went to Cirque du Soleil's Alegria. It was amazing and beautiful. The clowns made me laugh. The trapeze artists made my stomach turn with all their flips. The contortionist ladies made my jaw drop, as they did backward bends I would not have thought possible. It was truly money well spent.
Saturday morning I practiced yoga with a room full of newbies. It was a free weekend at my yoga studio and I love practicing with Bikram virgins. There's something exciting about being a part of a class where things don't go smoothly, where people leave the room and talk. It tests your limits. It wasn't as packed as some other free weekends I've been to but I would have to say more than half of the class had never practiced before. I was up front and center and even though I felt strong, I was dizzy. I kept getting white
spots in my vision and had to kneel down quite a few times in the standing series. I have not sweat that
much in the longest time! This rain we've been getting lately has made the studio much juicier. I practically
fell on my head getting up after class from the excess sweat on my towel.
After I'd recovered from class, we wandered around downtown Victoria with our favourite little buddy. He is 7 and was so very excited to come with us on our wanderings around town. We went to the library, a toy store, a coffee shop where buddy boy had steamed milk with vanilla (he knew exactly what he wanted) and LW and I had americanos. We, then, traipsed off to this video store that has old school arcade games. There was frogger, pac-man and many more that I would have to get LW to name for you because one thing I am not is a video game connoiseur. We played pinball, my favourite of all games. It lasts just long enough to be fun but not too long so that it loses my attention. It truly warmed my heart to spend the day with LW and his best buddy.
That night it started raining, and it rained and it rained and it rained. It was the perfect excuse to stay in bed all morning Sunday. To lay on the couch and drink coffee and watch The Sopranos. To go out for a late breakfast when the rain had turned to a drizzle and then to come home again and cuddle back on the couch and watch more of The Sopranos.
I love these weekends. These days that are completely mine. These days that leave me feeling warm and fuzzy inside.
Friday night, LW and I went to Cirque du Soleil's Alegria. It was amazing and beautiful. The clowns made me laugh. The trapeze artists made my stomach turn with all their flips. The contortionist ladies made my jaw drop, as they did backward bends I would not have thought possible. It was truly money well spent.
Saturday morning I practiced yoga with a room full of newbies. It was a free weekend at my yoga studio and I love practicing with Bikram virgins. There's something exciting about being a part of a class where things don't go smoothly, where people leave the room and talk. It tests your limits. It wasn't as packed as some other free weekends I've been to but I would have to say more than half of the class had never practiced before. I was up front and center and even though I felt strong, I was dizzy. I kept getting white
spots in my vision and had to kneel down quite a few times in the standing series. I have not sweat that
much in the longest time! This rain we've been getting lately has made the studio much juicier. I practically
fell on my head getting up after class from the excess sweat on my towel.
After I'd recovered from class, we wandered around downtown Victoria with our favourite little buddy. He is 7 and was so very excited to come with us on our wanderings around town. We went to the library, a toy store, a coffee shop where buddy boy had steamed milk with vanilla (he knew exactly what he wanted) and LW and I had americanos. We, then, traipsed off to this video store that has old school arcade games. There was frogger, pac-man and many more that I would have to get LW to name for you because one thing I am not is a video game connoiseur. We played pinball, my favourite of all games. It lasts just long enough to be fun but not too long so that it loses my attention. It truly warmed my heart to spend the day with LW and his best buddy.
That night it started raining, and it rained and it rained and it rained. It was the perfect excuse to stay in bed all morning Sunday. To lay on the couch and drink coffee and watch The Sopranos. To go out for a late breakfast when the rain had turned to a drizzle and then to come home again and cuddle back on the couch and watch more of The Sopranos.
I love these weekends. These days that are completely mine. These days that leave me feeling warm and fuzzy inside.
March 22, 2010
New Energy, Focus, Excitement
On Saturday morning, I walked into the studio for my private class with Ida Ripley. I wasn't sure what I expected, but I wanted to learn - a lot.
I laid my mat down in the hot room - it seemed very large and foreboding with no one else in it. I was nervous and unsure of how this class would go. Ida walked in and immediately made me feel at ease. She sat down with me and asked if I had specific poses I wanted to work on, any injuries or concerns.
It felt strange talking in the room that is strictly a no talking zone when practicing a regular class - a room I have only whispered in - a room where I have never heard my voice reverberate against the walls. Ida encouraged me to talk at any point during our class with any questions or comments. I knew then - I was going to love it.
In the first 10 minutes I could have walked out and felt satisfied. I learned so much in the 2 hours I spent with Ida - I don't even know where to start.
We focused mainly on my alignment in poses. And I worked - hard.
I learned how to really constrict my throat in Pranayama Deep Breathing. How to make the noise in the back of my throat. I had never understood how to inhale with my throat. Ida had me kind of growl in the back of my throat - I felt like I was going to hoark something up. After a few tries I finally understood how the noise is created when you inhale. I understood how to constrict my throat and inhale through my nose without really inhaling through my nose. I know it doesn't make sense and I can't really explain it but I can do it now!
I have been fighting with Standing Head to Knee for a few months now - gotten to where I have started bringing my head to my knee and then losing my balance and falling out. I felt like I had advanced well but something was off. I knew my kicking foot was not straight - my toes were always leaning out but I wasn't sure what else was going on. Well, that was just the start of it. First we focused on my grip. Ida had me loosen my grip and then press the heels of my palms to the sides of my feet, she then showed me how to lean forward more into the ball of my foot. I had been keeping all of my weight in my heel. I then squeezed my knee that was up in the air into my body and suddenly my hips and feet were in a straight line. As I kicked my leg up, Ida told me to keep my upper body light that all the strength should come from my kicking leg. My goodness, it was incredible - it was a whole new posture - the bottom half of my body really was solid, concrete - my torso and arms were light and airy - it was bloody hard! I think I tried Standing Head to Knee about 5 times on each side - I started getting dizzy by the end and had to have a rest.
In Standing Bow, I learned to contract my hips and to really stretch my arm forward. I was always concentrating on the kick - I wanted to get that leg high up over my head but I could never ever balance. Ida had me stretch - stretch - stretch my arm forward so that my shoulders were in line. Chin up, leg locked. The difference in my balance and strength was amazing. I could feel so many more muscles in my body working and completely understood why the dialogue really emphasizes the stretching forward.
I learned how to stretch my stubborn hip flexor muscles in Tree by gently pushing my bent knee towards my straight knee, simultaneously lifting my hips and torso up. Amazing.
Half Moon, Balancing Stick, Standing Separate Leg Head to Knee, the Spine Strengthening Series, Fixed Firm and Tortoise I was fairly confident with, have good alignment and a good understanding of the poses.
So we breezed through them with only one set.
The two hours flew by! I was exhilarated and energized when I left the studio and wrote down 5 pages of notes of tips and new discoveries I remembered. I haven't written them all here - I am still marinating on the endless information I was given. I am consciously allowing myself to explore my new yoga with a clear and fresh mind- with patience and precision.
If you ever have a chance to take a private class, it is SO worth it! I have a renewed sense of passion and excitement for my yoga. This morning I felt like I did when I first discovered Bikram yoga. An awe and admiration for the practice. I can't wait to get up at 5:30 tomorrow morning and practice again!
I laid my mat down in the hot room - it seemed very large and foreboding with no one else in it. I was nervous and unsure of how this class would go. Ida walked in and immediately made me feel at ease. She sat down with me and asked if I had specific poses I wanted to work on, any injuries or concerns.
It felt strange talking in the room that is strictly a no talking zone when practicing a regular class - a room I have only whispered in - a room where I have never heard my voice reverberate against the walls. Ida encouraged me to talk at any point during our class with any questions or comments. I knew then - I was going to love it.
In the first 10 minutes I could have walked out and felt satisfied. I learned so much in the 2 hours I spent with Ida - I don't even know where to start.
We focused mainly on my alignment in poses. And I worked - hard.
I learned how to really constrict my throat in Pranayama Deep Breathing. How to make the noise in the back of my throat. I had never understood how to inhale with my throat. Ida had me kind of growl in the back of my throat - I felt like I was going to hoark something up. After a few tries I finally understood how the noise is created when you inhale. I understood how to constrict my throat and inhale through my nose without really inhaling through my nose. I know it doesn't make sense and I can't really explain it but I can do it now!
I have been fighting with Standing Head to Knee for a few months now - gotten to where I have started bringing my head to my knee and then losing my balance and falling out. I felt like I had advanced well but something was off. I knew my kicking foot was not straight - my toes were always leaning out but I wasn't sure what else was going on. Well, that was just the start of it. First we focused on my grip. Ida had me loosen my grip and then press the heels of my palms to the sides of my feet, she then showed me how to lean forward more into the ball of my foot. I had been keeping all of my weight in my heel. I then squeezed my knee that was up in the air into my body and suddenly my hips and feet were in a straight line. As I kicked my leg up, Ida told me to keep my upper body light that all the strength should come from my kicking leg. My goodness, it was incredible - it was a whole new posture - the bottom half of my body really was solid, concrete - my torso and arms were light and airy - it was bloody hard! I think I tried Standing Head to Knee about 5 times on each side - I started getting dizzy by the end and had to have a rest.
In Standing Bow, I learned to contract my hips and to really stretch my arm forward. I was always concentrating on the kick - I wanted to get that leg high up over my head but I could never ever balance. Ida had me stretch - stretch - stretch my arm forward so that my shoulders were in line. Chin up, leg locked. The difference in my balance and strength was amazing. I could feel so many more muscles in my body working and completely understood why the dialogue really emphasizes the stretching forward.
I learned how to stretch my stubborn hip flexor muscles in Tree by gently pushing my bent knee towards my straight knee, simultaneously lifting my hips and torso up. Amazing.
Half Moon, Balancing Stick, Standing Separate Leg Head to Knee, the Spine Strengthening Series, Fixed Firm and Tortoise I was fairly confident with, have good alignment and a good understanding of the poses.
So we breezed through them with only one set.
The two hours flew by! I was exhilarated and energized when I left the studio and wrote down 5 pages of notes of tips and new discoveries I remembered. I haven't written them all here - I am still marinating on the endless information I was given. I am consciously allowing myself to explore my new yoga with a clear and fresh mind- with patience and precision.
If you ever have a chance to take a private class, it is SO worth it! I have a renewed sense of passion and excitement for my yoga. This morning I felt like I did when I first discovered Bikram yoga. An awe and admiration for the practice. I can't wait to get up at 5:30 tomorrow morning and practice again!
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