Vinyasa

Food poisoning: Day 3. I’m *still* not feeling 100% but at least I was able to sleep last night.

Somehow, I managed to bike downtown this afternoon and teach my classes, then biked back to my neighbourhood. I was marooned in a health food store for a half-hour while it POURED rain outside. I bought some soy yoghurt and vegan-gluten-free macaroons to tempt my capricious appetite and dashed home during the first break. I ate lunch, somewhat reluctantly (I wasn’t really hungry, but really I need to eat...).

Still feeling queasy. UG.

I did a one-hour Vinyasa-style practice this morning. It’s been a long time since I practised with one of the YogaDownload sequences. I always liked Dawnelle, so I picked her Power Vinyasa Flow, 60 minutes, which was basically an hour long flow of standing poses. There were about four floor poses scattered in there, but three of them were backbend-ish and one was Navasana.

Yeesh! That’s a lot of standing, but it wasn’t hard at all. I did everything in the sequence without pause, and though I was sweating at the end, I didn’t feel overly taxed.

One advantage to keeping a blog is the ability to reference past practices. I searched for the entry describing my first experience with this particular sequence: It was very challenging for me, my legs were tired mid-way through and I had to take rest in Child’s Pose a few times.

It’s kind of nice to be able to gauge my progress in such a concrete way. I’m stronger! Yay.

I enjoyed the class but after months of practising Astanga exclusively, it felt unbalanced to me. Too much standing, no seated poses and no finishing poses (I missed my finishing!). But it was a nice change from my routine and it felt good to move my body a bit (and necessary - I’ve been spending too much time laying around).

********************

Audrey understands! Sometimes she feels like being a sloth too!

But I don’t think my ‘Back-of-Leg’ muscles have been getting any benefit as I’ve laid around, watching old episodes of Grey’s Anatomy and sipping coocnut water.

It does not seem possible that I will actually be getting up and going to the Shala tomorrow morning. *sigh* But I will! And I’ll be doing backbends!

*whimper*

Vinyasa

Aunt Flo arrived this morning. Geez, I hate that woman. No matter how carefully I hide the chocolate, she always eats it ALL!

So I slept in again this morning. Unlike yesterday, I *really* made myself sleep in. I woke up my usual early but went back to sleep until almost 9. My noon class cancelled, so I’ve been having the most fantastically lazy day. I can’t remember the last time I did this. I’ve hardly glanced at the clock, just letting things unfold as they will.

It’s great to have a little bit of extra time to catch up on stuff, especially email. Since the Big Life Change, I’ve been hearing from many friends and I’ve taken deep pleasure in reconnecting with them all. It’s difficult to co-ordinate so many schedules for a birthday celebration, so it looks like I’m going to be ‘celebrating’ my birthday several times over the coming weekend and coming weeks. So far, I’m looking forward to enjoying my favourite dessert, eating cake with fellow volunteers at the soup kitchen, sushi lunches, geek brunches, dinner with dear friends, dancing and more dancing.

I’m spending the last day of my 30s quietly. I took the dog for a long walk in the sunshine while sipping a giant mug of tea. I spent some time in meditation and practised an easy Vinyasa sequence from YogaDownload (Morning Flow #1, 20 minutes with Dawnelle).

The emphasis was on backbends and I enjoyed applying some of the knowledge learned at the Kino Workshop over the weekend. It’s a pleasure to find ease in my backbends. My new goal for backbends is to be able to breath deeply and easily in them. I’m no longer afraid of holding Urdhva Dhanurasana and I easily held the three repetitions of the pose this morning, including a version in which each leg is lifted to the sky. Fun!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Old age: coming soon!


Gosh, is ‘dishpan hands’ are an indicator, then I’m ANCIENT!
(years of working on archaeological sites were not kind to my hands).

Vinyasa

I debated whether I would ‘fess up to bad news on such a public forum, but for better or for worse, it’s bound to affect my practice. So here it is: as of last night around 7:30 p.m., I unexpectedly became single. I’m feeling at peace with the decision and I’m quietly moving on with my life. I’m doing okay.

After the hustle and bustle of the weekend, this Moon Day was really well-timed. I’m yoga-ed out! It was a treat to sleep in this morning. After waking, I tackled the laundry, the cleaning and the grocery shopping, the clutter on my desk.

I made time for a 25 minute YogaDownload session, Yoga for Runners #1 with Dawnelle. This class is one of my favourites and I felt good afterward. I may do the Schiffman shoulder sequence later on today. And there will be a nap scheduled in there someplace too, because I’m playing a late hockey game tonight.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And then maybe I’ll do some of this, just to let off some more steam:


Rowrrrrrrr!

Vinyasa

It’s Earth Hour. I’m typing this post by candlelight, running my laptop off of a battery. But there are no lights on in my apartment! Only candles. Does that count?

It was fun watching all of the lights in the big office towers trickle off. I have a full view of the skyline and I have to admit, it’s a little less twinkly than usual.

Today was excessively busy and I’m exhausted. But I had fun. In the morning, I did a quick YogaDownload vinyasa class to launch my day. I enjoyed 30 minutes of ‘Yoga for Buns #1’ with Dawnelle. I miss these classes! I can’t remember the last time I did a ‘crescent lunge’ (a signature YogaDownload move: a high lunge with the back knee lifted). This class included some unique variations intended to target the gluteals. I jotted down a few notes so I can use some of it in my Hatha classes. My favourite was a table pose with back leg extended and ‘pulsing’ (there was a lot of pulsing).

The Yoga Show is turning out to be a lot of fun (I knew I would warm up to it). I seriously considered signing up for a couple of workshops and I even had money budgeted, but I spent that money on Kino’s workshops instead and it’s a far better value.

As a yoga teacher, the ’show’ part of the conference is gratis and there’s a lot to see. As I did last year, I’m spending much of my time in the ‘Yoga Garden’ where the free classes are offered. Most of the ‘big names’ move through there eventually. It’s amazing how much you can learn in a a short time slot! Sadly, I missed Seane Corn again this year (I was teaching during her session), but I caught a few of the other ‘big names’.

Dharma Mittra is a trip! For the first two minutes he spoke, I couldn’t understand a word he was saying. Finally, I fell into the rhythm of his speech and he became instantly comprehensible - it was eerie, like someone turned on the translator! The best part about Dharma’s session was watching Dharma. The dude’s 70+ and he can casually bend back and grab his ankles. He makes it look easy! I really enjoyed him!

Sadie Nardini’s session was very interesting, emphasis on core work. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised by her depth of knowledge and creativity. She strikes me as a generous person who is passionate about her work. The fact that she’s so willing to offer knowledge freely in a public forum (YouTube) is impressive to me. I’m going to check out her videos.

As always, Natasha Rizopoulos was dynamic, funny and informative. I really enjoy her because our teaching styles are very similar - I always take away some great cueing from her sessions. This year, she talked about twists and how to bring the work of a twist into the thoracic spine (she observed that this opening carries over into backbending as well). If I was going to pay for a workshop, I would fork over the big bucks for Natasha’s (Sheesh, how many pages of notes would I take with *two hours* of Natasha?). Maybe next year.

Bo Forbes absolutely blew me away with her short presentation on the Bandhas. This was one of the few sessions that I actively participated in. We spent the entire sequence laying on the floor, isolating Mula and Udiyana Bandha, eventually bringing movement and breath into the mix while engaging the Bandhas. It was *brilliant*! This was the one session applies directly to my own practice.

My favourite session was a Canadian: Ottawa-based Yin teacher Mark Laham. I was lucky enough to enjoy a 90 minute session with Mark. I took pages of notes and learned a few new tricks that I can apply to the classes I teach. He focused on hip opening which is perfect because my students love it and I need it!

I’m attending a few sessions tomorrow and that’s it. I already did my shopping. I bought a much-coveted bamboo stole from Half-Moon and a bamboo headband from Respecterre (I’ll see how it works. If the headband concept is useful for me, I may shell out for the Halo). I also bought a new bag for my Manduka, one with a side zipper. Since I’m schlepping it around town, I needed a better bag and one that is user-friendly.

Vinyasa

I’m sitting safe and warm in my window seat, sipping tea and eating a chocolate cookie. And remembering the Tsunami warning of 1985.

I was a teen, living with my father on a boat in a marina on Oahu, Hawaii. I still remember the somber regatta of boats that quietly left the harbour in the hours before the wave was supposed to hit. For a small boat, it’s far safer at sea because the wave only does real damage as it comes ashore.

In '85, the warning was a false alarm, but this one sounds more serious. Boats are already evacuating Ala Wai marina on Oahu:


Taken this afternoon, pictured here is the entrance to the harbour. The waters off of Oahu are apparently crowded with small boats. I’m keeping my eye on the news and my prayers with the people who live in the Hawaiian coastal areas.

My practice today was short and sweet: Yoga for Weight Loss, 27 minutes with Dawnelle. This class emphasizes the chin lock in order to stimulate the thyroid gland to facilitate weight loss. I’m not certain how effective this is, but it was an enjoyable class. It moved along at a good clip and the postures were not challenging (beginner level).

I slept in this morning, so I really appreciated a shorter yoga session since I was strapped for time. This is the shortest practice I’ve done in a couple months! It's good to have a break!

I captured my State-of-the-Backbend photo on Friday. The biggest difference I noticed this week is I seem to be pushing my weight more into the hands, so that my knees are directly aligned over my ankles. It’s a better alignment and brings more of the backbend into my upper back.

Vinyasa

It’s here! Saturday, my much anticipated ‘day off’. This is the first time in over a month that I haven’t done the full Primary Series of Astanga Yoga. I was looking forward to it not so much because I anticipated *not* doing yoga, but because I was looking forward to doing something different.

A few months ago, YogaDownload introduced videos and I downloaded Dawnelle’s Yoga for Weightloss #2. I was curious about this format. The videos are shot live, so they’re definitely less polished than the audio classes. There are awkward pauses, gaps in instruction and outright cueing errors.

It was interesting to observe Dawnelle’s teaching style in-situ (an archaeological term that means ‘in place’). It was interesting and she’s a terrific teacher. Given the choice, though, I’ll stick with the audio-only recordings. They’re much clearer and the cues are more concise. I don’t need to watch a screen as I practice.

This was an good sequence, geared for Intermediate-Advanced students. I kept up with most of it, though the Revolved Half Moon flow kinda kicked my derriere. The one hour seemed to last *forever* because I had no idea what was coming next. It was a refreshing change from always knowing what's coming next.

I wasn’t certain if I would be doing my State-of-the-backbend today, but the sequence had more-than-sufficient hip and back openers and Urdhva Dhanurasana was one of the last poses. So here it is:


Hrmpf. Not bad, not wonderful. It looks more or less the same. When, oh when, will my upper back get more flexible? I've been hanging over the balance ball daily, doing hangbacks, sitting on the floor and reading while in Bujangasana.

I do feel stronger, but that Gumby thing just isn't happening for me.

Vinyasa

I didn't feel like doing a long yoga practice today but I wanted to stretch my hips (which were getting stiff from all the sloth, booze and cookies). I decided to try Yoga for Cyclists #1, 12 minutes with Dawnelle.

It’s a fabulous little flow sequence, completely focused on hips and hamstrings. If you ignore the cycling references (including a cue to ‘get off your bike and find a spot on the asphalt or grass’ lol) it’s great as a quick and thorough hip opening class for days when you don’t really feel like doing a lot of yoga, which I didn’t.

Santa Claus was apparently unimpressed that my MacBook was still running Tiger (“Ho, ho, ho, that’s *so* 2005!”) because he put aside the coal this year and brought me Snow Leopard (the latest Mac OS) and iLife 2009. I'm easing into 2010 in style!

I tackled the upgrade during lunch, thinking it would take a while. Keep in mind, I was a Windoze IT Slave for years before my career change. I’m used to computer stuff being painful and drawn out. Not this time.

When I popped in the CD and it instructed me to double-click on the icon to install, I rolled my eyes and looked for the *detailed* installation instructions. I found a PDF which said: Double-click on the icon to install. And it really *was* that simple. Even my internet still worked after. I love Apple!

I spent the rest of the day reading and watching movies (‘Wall-E’ was seriously cute!) I’m eating too much chocolate, enjoying the wine and discovering (once again) that I’m gloriously content spending Christmas solo.

Who needs family drama? I don't!

I didn’t forget Princess Fur Friday and this week’s photo has a holiday theme, of course!


(she earned some serious dog treats for that one)

Merry Christmas!

Hatha

Cruising around the Interwebz today, I noticed something disturbing. Snow. Everywhere but here. Seriously, this is Canada! Where's our snow? I want some white stuff and pronto!

I still haven't put up the tree, but I might feel more inspired if it looked a bit more like December.

I'm glad I did my yoga practice early today because it's certainly not going to happen tonight. I can barely lift my right arm. I figured two weeks was long enough to wait after getting the dreaded H1N1 shot. I went to my doctor's office this afternoon to get the regular flu shot, something I do every year.

The first surprise: The office was empty! I guess no one is sick this year. Seriously, you could hear echos bouncing off the walls. The nurse brought me into the Needle Room mere minutes after I walked in. I got the shot and I was out of there in under 20 minutes - and that's with the 15 minute wait afterward.

Second surprise: My arm hurts. No, it really HURTS! I asked to be injected in my right deltoid this time around, just to give my left Deltie a break. I can't believe how much my arm is aching! I don't remember this amount of discomfort last year or ever.

But it's better than getting the flu!

I'm feeling a lack of enthusiasm about my practice lately and even Beryls DVD isn't helping. So I'm mixing it up a bit and going back to the YogaDownload classes. Today, I tried Power Yoga #4, 35 minutes with Dawnelle.

I'm a great fan of Dawnelle, but I hated this class. There was nothing 'power' about it. There was no flow, no warm up. The holds were waaaaaaay too long and they were inconsistent between sides. This was not a vinyasa class at all - it was more of a Hatha style.

And it was unbearably flakey. I didn't think Dawnelle did flakey much, but I guess she does. I'll never practice with that class again - it was a waste of time.

On the bright side, there was some Vasisthasana in the sequence and I discovered quite by accident that this pose is suddenly do-able for me. I even grabbed my big toe and extended my leg upward. This is a first! Despite my sloth, I'm getting stronger! Who knew?

Coming up tomorrow: I'm going to post my thoughts on the Mobile Meditator inflatable zafu I've been using for the past month.

Vinyasa

I'm feeling completely lazy and unmotivated to accomplish anything today. I slept in an extra hour, did my morning meditation and walked the dog. But I couldn't seem to coax myself to the mat all morning. I made a phone call, fussed around the apartment, played around on the computer, finally settled down to 45 minutes of vinyasa yoga.

I warmed up with a few sun salutations, then did an audio class, Power Vinyasa Flow #4 with Dawnelle. This wasn't my favourite Dawnelle class. I found the sequencing a bit awkward. I'm hoping this is due to the shorter class format and the longer versions have a more natural flow.

This class was challenging! The level is accurately listed as 'advanced intermediate'. I'm hoping that the 'new' YogaDownload will include some true 'advanced' vinyasa classes. I love the way these classes help me build strength and flexibility in areas that Astanga doesn't always target.

There were two sections near the end of this class that had me begging for mercy. In one, a long hold in high plank was followed by side plank with top leg lifted (full disclosure: I bailed). The other started in a high lunge ('crescent lunge'), followed by a Parivritta Parsvakonasana variation (with bind), followed by a Virabhadrasana III variation back to high lunge (and onward into other poses).

If nothing else, the challenge of those sections will bring me back for another go at this one.

Vinyasa

I'm far less sleepy this morning than yesterday. I was able to settle into my meditation with no problems. The nap yesterday helped and I went to sleep earlier last night.

In my meditation sessions last night and this morning, I used a new zafu, the Mobile Meditator. This is a portable meditation cushion, inflatable and folds into a small pouch, making it easy to transport. It's similar in quality and design to an inflatable camping mattress, the ones with the flocking.

I'm interested in this zafu because I would like to use a cushion at the meditation group, and also when travelling. The product was designed by a meditators and the guy who designed it just gave it the ultimate 'test run' while travelling in India. Reportedly, it passed with flying colours!

First impressions: So far, I like it a lot. The two sits I've had on it were comfortable after a period of adjustment (an inflatable zafu doesn't have the same 'solid' feel of buckwheat hulls, but once I settled in, I felt a certain sense of ease sitting on 'air'). I'll have more to say (and photos! it's orange, my new favourite colour!) after I've had a chance to thoroughly test it out. But, so far, so good. I like it!

Today's yoga practice was Yoga for Runners #1, 45 minutes, with Dawnelle (20 minute class is a freebie for those interested in trying it). Nice flow in this one. No gaps - in fact it felt like a complete class. I enjoy Dawnelle's teaching because she sometimes meanders around and breaks things up a bit, but the flow always concludes in a coherent way. I appreciated the back bending and strengthening sequence in the middle of the practice. The resting poses (mostly Balansana) were well-placed.

In these YogaDownload classes, I'm finding that I prefer to have the instructor bring me into and out of the Savasana (with a nice 'Namaste') at the end. It brings a more authentic feel to the class. The alternative is coming into Savasana with the music fading out until the recording ends. This ending feels too abrupt; there's no closure.

I have a long day ahead of me. I'm teaching four classes and I'll be on public transportation for all of them, since it's *pouring* out. That's okay, though - I can knit on the subway, and read, and sleep. I'm actually looking forward to November and a having a subway pass again. I'm way behind on my reading.

Vinyasa

This morning, I was all happy and gushy about the beautiful autumn weather we've been having. Bright blue skies! Sunshine! Gorgeous fall colours.

As I was teaching my noon class, the skies clouded up and by the time I left for home, it was POURING out. Argh! I'm one of those people who hates getting wet. I have trouble finding grace in any situation that sees me dripping and cold on a street corner, waiting for a bus. I quietly recited my mantram to myself and held onto Positive Bus Schedule Thoughts. It worked. I got home.

I had a productive morning which included 30 minutes of meditation very early (if I can make it to the Zafu by 6:30 a.m., I'm done by the time the annoying constructions noise starts). I walked the dog, practised my guitar and enjoyed a new YogaDownload sequence, Yoga for Weight Loss, 30 minutes with Dawnelle.

I hadn't tried this one yet, mainly because it's billed as an 'advanced beginner' class. I'm raising an eyebrow at that designation. I don't know many beginners who could work at that pace.

It was great! I'm eager to try the longer version because by the time it was ending, I was ready to do more. There was a huge emphasis on Jalandhara Bandha, including some pranayama engaging that lock. There was Jalandhara in poses you wouldn't expect, like Parvottanasana (and where you would, like bridge and shoulderstand). It was very different from anything I've done from YogaDownload so far.

Dawnelle sounded a bit 'down' on the recording. I wonder, was she having a bad day? Coming down with a cold? Not really a fan of Jalandhara Bandha? I think it's funny that I picked up on that, given I've never met her or been in her classes 'live.' I wonder if my students pick up my vibe when I'm feeling 'under the weather'? (I imagine they probably do)

Vinyasa

I skipped out on Beryl today. Aw, sorry Beryl!

I overslept and had a time-crunch situation this morning. Rather than stress myself out trying to fit a long practice into a short morning, I opted for a short practice. And I'll do my meditation tonight because the last thing I need is to get all stressed out trying to fit that in too.

This morning, I did the 30 minute version of Dawnelle's Yoga for Runners from YogaDownload. I absolutely loved the 60 minute version of this class so I was curious to try a shorter one. I'm not a runner, but I really enjoy this sequence. It includes many hip and hamstring openers, plus a few wicked Psoas lengtheners. The 30 minute version didn't feel 'cobbled together' from the longer class. In fact, it felt like a brand new class to me and flowed really well. Dawnelle fits a lot of asana into 30 minutes. I was sweating a bit near the end.

This is definitely a 5-star class. I can't wait to try the other durations. Like many of the YogaDownload classes, the 20 minute class is completely free! Go try it if you're curious.

I'm off to my guitar lesson next. I'm still struggling with this new fingerpicking pattern. There are the sanskaras that you try to avoid and then there are the ones that you try to acquire. It's taking a while for this one to carve itself into my brain (In my last lesson, Guitar Teacher noticed that I'm still 'thinking' about the pattern as I play it).

I'm finding that it's a bit like meditation - it goes easier if you practice daily. And (unlike meditation) maybe while watching the Amazing Race. ;-)

Vinyasa

Oh no. I'm going through one of my sick-of-Astanga phases, I'm afraid. I couldn't coax myself into the Primary Series this morning so I treated myself to a led vinyasa class.

I loved the 30 minute version of Hip Opening Flow #4, but the 40 minute version was even better. It's my all-time favourite, hands down. I loved the Supta Garudasana at the end too. I'm going to add that to my classes next week!

I was so calm and happy afterward, I did my meditation before getting up to make lunch. Today is a holiday here - no classes for me, but ice hockey stops for nothing so I'll be playing a game tonight. I'm meeting the girlfriend at the sushi place for a Thanksgiving maki feast later on this afternoon.

My plans for the afternoon include hunkering down with a good book and doing some knitting.

I'm thankful for hip openers and guilt-free hibernation followed by Japanese food and high-aggression ice sports! Hurrah!

Vinyasa

A reader recently commented about the body/mind/spirit connection and my response grew so lengthy, I thought I would just address it here:

There's definitely a strong spiritual component to my practice, though I don't often talk about it on this blog.

It definitely *is* true that I take a very practical and physical approach to practising and teaching asana. You won't find me waxing lyrical about my connection with the Chakras in my home practice or find me describing my student's 'auras' during a class. Astrology makes me roll my eyes. Much of typical 'yoga teacher speak' strikes me as flaky and cheese-ball.

My strengths as a teacher are in conveying proper alignment, how anatomy corresponds to movement and asana, and how to build a practice of yoga through modified variations of poses, especially those that are considered 'advanced'.

My motto is: “There is no 'can't' in yoga.” There's always a modification, there's always a way forward. The practice is never about reaching a final, 'perfect' pose and everything about the process, the journey, the steps taken along the way and the lessons learned.

I'm very much a 'scientist' when it comes to my practice and if something works for me, I consider it carefully. If I observe something in my asana practice that makes sense on a more energetic or spiritual level, I explore it further.

This is why I practice Pranayama. It's effective, it beneficial. The idea of energetic meridians in the body definitely resonates with me. I have my First Degree in Reiki (energy work and healing) and I believe that Reiki works on a subtle level. Much of my supplemental teacher training has been dedicated to yoga philosophy. I love chanting. My meditation practice (sporadic as it is) has been a great refuge to me in times of distress.

And here's something that may surprise you (or not): I have a mantra and use it regularly, using it in my day-to-day life and also practising Japa (repetition of a mantra with a mala, meditation beads).

The asana practice I talk about here is just one part of a larger picture.

Speaking of which... :-D

Today, I had two choices for my asana practice. I could do a longer but easier practice (hatha) or a shorter but more intense practice (vinyasa). I opted for vinyasa. I did a class called Hip Opening Flow #4 with Dawnelle (YogaDownload).

I really liked this sequence. It flowed well (no gaps or inconsistencies in the cueing) and felt very complete. The length was ideal - nothing seemed extraneous and it ended on a good note. I liked doing Savasana in a Supta Baddha Konasana at the end. I'm looking forward to trying the 40 minute version of this one.

Tomorrow, I'm back to Astanga.

Today, I'm making butter cookies to bring to Thanksgiving Dinner (we're celebrating Canadian Thanksgiving with friends on Saturday evening). I'm also making those sticky sweet Candied Yams with the little marshmallows on top. This is a uniquely American contribution (I grew up in the States) and my friends always ask me to bring the 'weird sweet potatoes' when I come to Thanksgiving.

Vinyasa

I have a guilty secret. Right now, at this very moment, I'm eating this:


It's a maple-walnut butter tart from the Farmer's Market. I've made a weekly ritual out of this since late August, when I started teaching a noon class downtown on Wednesdays. There is a big farmer's market in the square that day and one of the farmers sells single butter tarts for a buck. His red awning has a Pavlovian effect on me: I see it and drool. It's one of the small things gets me through the week, especially now that I'm teaching 4 classes a day again.

This morning's practice was a YogaDownload class called Power Vinyasa Flow #1 with Dawnelle. I've already tried the 45 and 60 minute versions of this class. I enjoyed the 30. There were a few spots that didn't make sense, but overall, the shorter class flowed well. Since I'm familiar with some of the transitions between poses, I found it easier and even fun moving through the flow sequences.

I think beach season is really over. I've been in a stubborn denial about this, but early yesterday morning I finally put the fan away and brought out the space heater. It's a sign. Another sign: I've had to run the space heater to get the apartment up to practising temperature in the morning. It's been dropping below 10C at night.

I guess I can put my bikini away now, but I'll hold off on the hammock - we may get some warm days yet!

Vinyasa

Today, I did Power Vinyasa Flow #1 with Dawnelle, the 45 minute version. With this class, I really noticed the spots where they 'cut' things out to make the session shorter. The Prasaritas with tripod headstand were gone, but there was still a cue for Prasarita (which then led to a Toppling Tree pose). Back and forth and back and forth. Not a big deal, but a bit confusing.

So, no inversions in this sequence, which is fine because my Lady's is imminent. I noticed that the intensity wasn't necessarily higher in this shorter version (as I've noticed it being in other 'short' versions of these YogaDownload classes). All in all, it was good. I think the 60 minute version of this class may be my favourite so far. 'Advanced Intermediate' level seems to be working for me.

My entire day was just slightly bizarre. Gmail was down in the morning, which means I couldn't check to see if I had a noon class (and the students who were emailing to ask about that noon class were not getting any answers). Gmail eventually rose from the ashes and there *was* a noon class.

My afternoon youth class almost always runs (and full too, lately I've had upwards of 16 children in that one). But only one person showed up for my evening class in the park. I had to cancel it. I guess it's too cold (to be honest, it really *was* too cold). That's it for outdoor classes. I'm putting the early Saturday morning class on hiatus until we can move indoors.

This knitting project I'm working on is making me crazy. I had to rip out several rows twice in the morning, only to mess the whole thing up again in the afternoon and then discover I was doing it wrong in the evening. Rip, rip, rip. At least I'm getting good at backtracking. It's all one step forward, two steps back. Someday, I'll have a hat. Someday.

Vinyasa

The ice hockey season started up last night. After my meditation, I dressed in my finest dorky-looking hockey gear and headed to the ice rink to see if I could remember how to skate.

I don't play ice hockey in the summer months, so it's been six months since I was actually on any ice. I suffered all the usual problems: the brain-eyes-to-hockey-stick disconnect (the puck was flying right past me), the feeling that my feet were doing stuff my brain had no handle on (like stopping), feeling overwhelmed by the action of the game (addled confusion) and my complete and utter lack of endurance on the ice (*wheeze*).

By the end of the game, I was milling around in our end (I play defence) woefully watching the forwards take the puck down the ice and I was all “Do I HAVE to skate all the way down there?”

I figured I would be sore today, but I wasn't at all. Surprise. By the way, we lost, 4-2.

Today is vinyasa day. I've been saving an 'advanced intermediate' Yogadownload class for a day when I was feeling perky. I decided today was the day: Power Vinyasa Flow #1 with Dawnelle, 60 minutes.

This was a challenging class for me; it just goes and goes and goes without stop. The poses aren't difficult, but there are a lot of them. Half-way through the standing pose section, I realised that my legs were feeling really shaky! I couldn't figure out what was going on. Then I remembered: hockey! My legs were actually *tired*!

I enjoyed the class a lot. I'm really starting to dig the tripod headstands following the Prasaritas. I rarely have the opportunity to do Parivritta Ardha Chandrasana, so I liked that (and struggled with it a bit). The class included a spine strengthening series and some core work that made me whimper. It's rare for me to take breaks during a class, but I had to stop a few times to rest in Balasana.

Overall, two thumbs up! I'm going to download the 45 minute and 30 minute versions of this one. The same teacher offers a Power Vinyasa Flow #4, same level, so I think I'll check that one out too.

Busy day today. I'm spending a couple hours at the dentist in the afternoon, then teaching two classes. I'll be goinggoinggoing until the 8 p.m. Right now: off to the grocery store before it rains!

Vinyasa

I had a funny little practice today. I was feeling really indecisive. We're having a warming spell, but I wasn't sure I wanted to take my practice outdoors because the park was crowded. I didn't feel like doing a full Primary but I felt like doing a bit. I didn't feel like doing a lot of yoga, to be honest. Also, the batteries on my iPod shuffle were dead.

The solution: Very slowly and mindfully, I did 5 Surya Namaskara A's and 5 B's. The shuffle charged up while I saluted. Then I went out to the balcony and did the really short version of that vinyasa core class, Core Yoga #1, I've been loving lately (aka: 'Hello, Bandhas!').

All together, with the 9 rounds of Nadi Shodanam pranayama, I spent 45 minutes on the mat. Perfect! This is such a great time of year to use the balcony. The balcony faces south, with lots of sunlight in the afternoon and it's sheltered from the wind, fairly warm even on a cool day.

Today was every bit as lazy as I hoped it would be. I did a lot of reading, listened to music, swung in my hammock in the park (later moved to the sunlight; it was a tad chilly for hammock-swinging), made significant progress on my knitting project.

The GF and I finished watching Grey's Anatomy Season 2. I've seen it before, but she hasn't, which is a lot of fun for me and it's difficult to keep my mouth shut about future plot elements.

Vinyasa

It's getting way too cold to practice (or, particularly, to teach) yoga outdoors. I taught an outdoor class this morning, then did my own practice. Brrrrrr! I checked the Environment Canada website and found out it was 10C (50F) out. I did manage to find a sunny spot, but still! Layers!

I did the 45 minute version of the Core Yoga #1 class with Dawnelle. This is the class with the fun Virabhadrasana III ('airplane') to Standing Splits transition. I think I definitely prefer the 45 minute version to the 60 minute one. The 30 minute version is actually great too - very intense.

I spent my afternoon eating Death by Chocolate cookies, drinking tea and knitting, then I biked to the GF's house and watched 'Slaughter House 5' on TVO.

I'm being lazy and milking it for all it's worth. Next week, it's going to get a bit crazy. Ice hockey starts, I start back up with my guitar lessons. Then, the next week, the rest of my class kick in: VERY crazy.

I'm trying to fit in all then naps and leisure I still can. Because once it starts, I suspect that I won't be coming up for air until the holidays.

Tomorrow: more lazy. Stay tuned!

Vinyasa

Everything has been going so well lately! Sleeping well, waking happy, feeling strong, balanced, well-grounded. I've been content and at ease with my life. Practice is good, the dog is good, my classes are good, and plentiful. Money is rolling in (finally). I'm reading and learning and listening to music and making music and doing all of my favourite things.

And you know what that means.

It's time for life to bitch-slap me around a little bit.

*sigh*

Last night was challenging. This morning, I woke unhappy and agitated after a night of BAD dreams, feeling weak, off-kilter. I silently raged against the routines of my life, feeling anything but ease.

And you know what that means.

Time to draw upon all those inner reserves I spend so much time cultivating and just get on with it! So that's what I did.

I splashed cold water on my face and took the dog for a walk. I decided to do a shorter practice today. I chose the lunchtime sequence I enjoyed so much last week (Lunchtime Flow #1 with Dawnelle, 30 minutes). It felt so good to escape from my mind into my body and breath. I followed up with 9 rounds of Nadi Shodanam pranayama.

I haven't meditated yet today. I'm saving my meditation for later in the evening to calm my mind down before sleep.

As luck would have it, I'm teaching a lot today. I'm putting on a 'happy face' and reminding myself of my commitment to offer my very best self to students.

I'll get through this day. And this too shall pass. It always does.