Astanga

Today was another perfect day. This weather is just amazing! Normally, practising in the sun in the middle of summer would be an invitation to heat stroke, but today it was a bit chilly whenever a cloud passed over and the temperature was just perfect in the sunlight. So after work and a round of errand running (which included riding through the city with a 30lb bag of dog food balanced on the handle bars of my bike - I do have the madskillz, don't I?), I headed to the park for my practice.

I had a great practice and I figured a few things out. Even though there were huge grass stains on my heels from sliding my feet forward for Kurmasana, Supta Kurmasana is definitely easier on the grass. And in one of those bizarre little shifts of perspective, I found myself face-to-face with a white and purple flower as I held the pose. Hello, Nature!

I'm struggling with Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana in the great outdoors. No available drishte seems stable enough. My balance is just completely off. Could be the uneven surface underneath my feet, but that's probably just a handy excuse. I'm a creature of habit in so many ways! The truth? I miss looking at my bookcase as I bring my leg out to the side. Outdoors, looking at the ground helps a little bit so I'm sticking with that.

And this time, in addition to the kite and the books, I brought a picnic lunch (I was starving after practice yesterday) So after I finished my lengthy Savasana in the sunshine, I enjoyed a salad and some fruit. Flew my kite for a couple of hours (bliss!) and read a chapter, then headed home for supper.

It's no secret to anyone who reads this blog that I've struggled with my diet over the past year. At this time last year, I was a very dedicated CR practitioner. But I was single then and I've found that being in a relationship puts a new spin on things. It's harder to say no to unhealthy food choices when they're dancing enticingly within reach. Still, I was holding together pretty well until I fell ill in the fall and that when things really fell apart for me. I lost my yoga practice. I stopped meditating. I started eating bagels. I gained weight.

I finally have my practice back. This weekend, I dusted off my altar and resumed my meditation practice. So far, so good.

This week, I'm resuming food logging. Just logging - I'm not changing my diet right away. It's actually pretty good right now - I think. I eat a lot of salads, some healthy proteins, I don't snack too much. Logging my foods in CRON-O-Meter will give me a good idea of where I'm at nutritionally and how much gaky snacking I'm doing. My goal is to lose the extra pounds by late August.

But in order to do this, I'll need to avoid Chocolate Explosion cake, brownies and other things that make me happy. ;-D