Again, for Ashley, I am happy to report day 5 went smoothly and without incident. I think, as of day 5, it has now turned into a 10 day challenge. Being an organized person of routine, I am beginning to see how this fits my psyche, as well as my lifestyle. First, it's the same 29 poses each day, done twice, held for 10 seconds each (that I can easily count with my breath), allowing me at all times to be in control. Then the classes are at 9:30 -11 Monday thru Friday allowing a routine schedule to my week. To top it off, my favorite coffee house is around the corner on my way home. They make better coffee than Dunkin and it's only $1.35. Stopped for the first time today, and I can see a daily routine building here. Schedule, routine, organization, all right down the road from my house and not too early in the morning, add cheap, good coffee, and I think we have a winner here. Now that I've covered all the important stuff, I should talk about the yoga.
As I have mentioned before, it's the breathing and intense concentration that makes this a self-competitive sport in itself. Right now I am picturing my face in the mirror as I intently stare into my own eyes, sweat pouring off me in huge droplets as the instructor calls out "lock your knee, right shoulder back, left hip forward". Each day I get better and better at holding and perfecting each pose. I am also so in touch with my body and am learning to feel where my muscle tightness lies. Today during the rest periods, I cued into my heart. I felt it beating very fast, feeling the cardio workout, and feeling it ease as I lay still breathing. During these brief rests, the instructor gives us alot of great teaching in many areas contributing to a happy, more serene life. Today she talked about joy. She said we own our own joy and no one can take it away from us. If people are making us feel sad, angry, disappointed, etc. it's not them, it's us letting them. We need to take our intense focus out of the yoga room and practice it in our own life. Our joy comes from within us and we can't let people take it away. Funny how that is the very charm I bought 2 weeks ago to work on in my spiritual journey. I firmly believe there are NO coincidences.
During one break she also told us that she brings in teachers on weekends from all over the country, because we hear her say the same thing everyday and we could be missing stuff, but maybe hearing another person teach it their way, we will suddenly see it. The girl coming this weekend perfected the practice of these 29 moves, then moved onto the advanced moves and her body became so cut that she now has moved into body building. I had no idea this yoga could cause such dramatic body changes. Again, another incentive for me to push on everyday, working hard, intensely focusing on what every muscle of my body is doing. I like the idea that each day I am the one who brings new focus to my practice and none of it depends on anyone else in the room.
And so, another day goes by, joyfully, and …..I have written.
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