I set my alarm for 6:30 this morning and was able to start my day relaxed and mellow by sharing a cup of coffee with Nitsan. Just a few sips for me to wake up. Next I walked down to the studio. I love living in Paia-- just two minutes later I am marching up the steps, yoga mat under my arm and a grin on my face.
Avi and Shari greeted me warmly and any little nerves I had about day 2 quickly fizzled away. Practice was different today. With only two of us in the studio, it was much quieter and not as hot. Initially this seems better, but I found myself slightly more distracted. Ashtanga Yoga is all about the breath that is taken. Infact, there is a specific way to breath that at first seems challenging but becomes easy as the practice goes on. The breath is deep and almost noisy. When I hear the deep, rhythmic breathing of those around me it seems to relax me and help serve as a reminder to focus on my own breathing. I also enjoyed getting so hot and sweaty on day 1, but with only two of us the heat was minimal.
The practice itself went OK, but I struggle to remember the order of the poses. I look forward to having them memorized within my trained muscle so that I can get into the flow rather than get confused about where I am at. It takes time so I am told. Just time.
I felt that my biggest struggle today was that my hamstrings feel tight from day 1. It was hard to really relax into any poses I tried my best to do well but not over-do it. The great news here is that my quadriceps muscle felt fantastic, and still feels great.
After the practice I sat in the window for a few minutes to observe the others. By this time there were three other people. That is the beauty of Mysore class, you can arrive whenever you want to begin your practice. Shari and I began to discuss the benefits of yoga and I realized then that I should make a few goals for myself in order to maximize the potential of the following month.
A mechanical goal:
1. Ability to go through the flow of postures without thinking about what come next. To be able to focus on the moment that I am in and make it the best possible effort, being able to push myself without reservations.
A goal that applies to my everyday life:
2. Improvement in my posture. I have a terrible time trying to maintain proper posture. This month this will be a goal that I will work out outside of yoga class as well. I hope that by the end of the month I will notice a change in my ability to maintain good posture.
A goal about my physical health
3. Becoming more physically fit, mostly having my clothes fit me better. I'm going to be honest with myself-- this goal seems somewhat shallow and silly. But I can't lie, I have not stuck to a regular exercise routine in a long time and I really don't like the way I feel right now. I hope that consistent yoga practice in addition to whatever else I do (surf, beach jogs with Rocko, etc) will be enough so that I notice a difference in my level of fitness by the way that I feel and hopefully the way my clothes feel on me.
These are three things I will pay attention to and see if I notice a change by the end of the month. I am also open to whatever other things I achieve throughout the next month. Maybe I will notice other great things as well.
So now I am headed to work for the day and I feel like a relaxed pasta noodle. A little tired, hamstrings and shoulders a bit sore but overall I am feeling great. The next 24 hours will be spent working in Kihei followed directly by a 6 hour waitress shift and then straight to yoga again.
Have a great rest of the week and take care!
Sierra
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