Week 1:
I started during my last week of work at my old job, aka I had about 8 hours of work total that week, so my schedule was super flexible and it was no problem to get in a daily practice. My balance is slowly improving, but I have yet to really push my flexibility to ensure I can make it through the class without passing out. As far as meditation goes, this place isn't big on it so introspection is not occurring as much as hoped. Generally I am just more beat by the end of the day, which makes me nicely passive and accepting.
Week 2:
Despite a full work schedule with the new job, things are starting to get easier; I am working on isolating the muscle(s) that is(/are) supposed to be engaged while relaxing everything else. This has carried over to the rest of my day, making me realize how often I am unnecessarily tensing up something. I haven't actively attempted to push further, but have been focusing on technique, which actually has made me more flexible in a roundabout way.
Week 3:
Coming down with a chronic case of rhinorrhea (runny nose); hot yoga is nice for its humidity but I think the change from hot & humid to cold & dry once outside is getting to my system. It still feels good, and I'm trying to listen to my body to get the most from my practice. I ended the week feeling healthy, maybe the cause and solution? Or neither.
Week 4:
I started this last week off with the feeling that I am over the whole thing, knowing I can do the challenge and pretty certain not much would change either way. Towards the end of the week, however, my attitude changed. It wasn't so much the challenge I was concerned about, but the opportunity I had given myself to reflect, improve and strengthen. It is no longer a question of whether I will continue to practice regularly, but how.
My 30th class was yesterday. It was crazy busy, smelly, and hot, and I ate wayyy too much before showing up, but it was one of the simplest practices I have been to. Things I thought I struggled with were happening with ease. I think that's the biggest takeaway; there are a lot of blocks I put in my head that have nothing to do with physical capabilities. The more I relax, the stronger I can be.
Checking off my last day on the calendar with a "Chea", I got one "Good for you" from a passerby. With no further ado, I left the studio with a mini sense of freedom and accomplishment.
Week 2:
Despite a full work schedule with the new job, things are starting to get easier; I am working on isolating the muscle(s) that is(/are) supposed to be engaged while relaxing everything else. This has carried over to the rest of my day, making me realize how often I am unnecessarily tensing up something. I haven't actively attempted to push further, but have been focusing on technique, which actually has made me more flexible in a roundabout way.
Week 3:
Coming down with a chronic case of rhinorrhea (runny nose); hot yoga is nice for its humidity but I think the change from hot & humid to cold & dry once outside is getting to my system. It still feels good, and I'm trying to listen to my body to get the most from my practice. I ended the week feeling healthy, maybe the cause and solution? Or neither.
Week 4:
I started this last week off with the feeling that I am over the whole thing, knowing I can do the challenge and pretty certain not much would change either way. Towards the end of the week, however, my attitude changed. It wasn't so much the challenge I was concerned about, but the opportunity I had given myself to reflect, improve and strengthen. It is no longer a question of whether I will continue to practice regularly, but how.
My 30th class was yesterday. It was crazy busy, smelly, and hot, and I ate wayyy too much before showing up, but it was one of the simplest practices I have been to. Things I thought I struggled with were happening with ease. I think that's the biggest takeaway; there are a lot of blocks I put in my head that have nothing to do with physical capabilities. The more I relax, the stronger I can be.
Checking off my last day on the calendar with a "Chea", I got one "Good for you" from a passerby. With no further ado, I left the studio with a mini sense of freedom and accomplishment.
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| I could probably do this... |
