day 27: had a plan, modified my plan

25 minutes - self-guided practice

this morning, i had a plan for how i wanted to move through my practice and i just kept modifying based on how i felt. i did more full vinyasas than i usually do, but i felt strong so i kept going. i added warrior 3 and the full side-angle pose instead of the modified version. i learned the fire log pose at the class on sunday and included that in my practice. it felt like a choose your own adventure book only it was actually my adventure.

last night, while talking with M, he asked me fairly incredulously if i seriously couldn't get my heels to the ground in downward-dog. nope. still can't. well, apparently he can. obviously, i asked for a demonstration. at first, his form was not so good, but after we adjusted, he could still touch both heels to the ground.

i think it's the male body. the only other people i know who regularly practice are women. maybe we're just physically built differently. i feel like he's beating me and not even trying! i know in my head that practicing yoga is not a competition, but it can still feel like that sometimes.

my new goal is to get my heels to the ground by day 30. which leaves me 3 more days. we'll see...

day 26: sivananda

20 minutes - modified sivananda

the sivananda series starts with headstand which as i mentioned the first time i tried this series, i cannot do right now. i tried dolphin instead which is hard, but manageable. my intention was to breathe 10 breaths in each poses. i did 10 breaths, but i had to take a break in the middle of a few- specifically, dolphin, boat and up-ward facing dog. i am building strength, but i'm not there yet.

i've been thinking about continuing my practice after the 30 consecutive days, but giving myself some free passes for mornings like this morning. i hit the snooze button 3 times and i don't even remember falling back asleep in between. suddenly it was just ringing again.

and i may have been a little out of it getting started. i realized after i finished my practice the i wore my shirt inside out the whole time. yeah, that happened.

day 25: yoga at the studio

90 minutes - vinyasa 1/2

i went to my first studio class since i started the 30 day yoga challenge. i used my pass to balanced yoga and attended the 8:30am class. when i signed up for the early class it seemed like a great idea. at about 10pm last night, it seemed less good. nonetheless, i got up, put on my big girl (yoga) pants and headed out.

the regular instructor is apparently out recovery from a surgery, but i still really liked the person who subbed for her. it felt good to practice with a group and still maintain a focus on my body and my breath. i felt tall and strong and open when we finished.

since i've been practicing at home for so long, i asked the instructor after class if she noticed anything i should be aware of or if my form was good. she said i looked good and wasn't noticeably doing anything to hurt myself. she said she thought my practice was good.

it feels good to have validation not only that i'm doing it right, but that i can hang with a group that meets regularly for 90 minutes and still be able to keep going.

day 24: on the floor

20 minutes - legs and hips

M left before i woke up to go run the cap city half marathon today. i figured he'd be toast for most of the afternoon and rather than miss practicing today, i also got up bright and early. i made it exactly 20 minutes before V started calling for me.

i'm planning to attend a 90 minute class tomorrow and i really wanted a light practice to start the day. i used a strap and did seated forward bends, pigeon pose and some twists. i felt good and moved easily.

and then we started our days.

day 23: standing, balancing, seated

25 minutes - same as yesterday (almost)

this morning, i chose the same pattern as yesterday, but as i went through the poses i made adjustments and changes along the way. for some reason, the full up-dog position hurts the inside of my right wrist. i modified to cobra, but i miss the satisfaction of rolling over my toes into down-dog.

the back of my legs felt tight today so i added two forward bends at the beginning to loosen myself up a bit. i did the first two bends from the primary series. as i pulled up on my toes and pushed down through my legs, i opened my shoulders, too.

but, then M walked downstairs and stepped around me. then the cat decided she wanted to be on my mat, too. i kept thinking about all the stuff i had to do today. not as focused as i would have preferred to be.

it happens.

day 22: self-guided practice

25 minutes

last night before bed, i grabbed my yoga deck and pulled out 6 or 8 poses that seemed to flow in my mind. this morning, i rolled out of bed, rolled out my mat and lined up my cards so i wouldn't forget.

i started with some sun salutations and then moved through the poses. as i got into my practice, i rearranged and added variations as i felt like it. adjusting as i practiced made sense.i added happy baby after my shoulder stand and plow because my back felt tight.  i could move how i wanted to move and not feel like i have to go with the rest of the group.

the risk in self-guided practice is that i'll never do the poses i find uncomfortable or scary. i'm hopeful that attending a group class (in person) once a week will help me continue to grow in my practice.

also, today a woman told me that i walk like a model. she said that i walked with grace like the models walk. "did you take modelling classes as a girl?" nope. i am not a model and couldn't really ever be mistaken for one. but i believe that my yoga practice over the last 3 weeks has made a noticeable difference in how i carry myself.

who wouldn't want to walk with grace?

day 21: on my own

30-35 minutes - sivananda

i followed the advice of my good friend and tried the 12 basic asanas in the sivananda practice. to be truthful, i can't really do a headstand at the moment so i skipped that one. i focused on my breath and started with 5 series A sun salutations and 3 B then cycled through the poses.

i couldn't figure out how to prop my hips in fish pose, but here we are. i liked being able to follow my own breath and i held most of the poses for 10 breaths each. when i hold a pose that long i find that about half way through i relax or realize i can shift deeper or move my body to refocus and finish up.

without the verbal guidance, i felt able to focus in on myself in a different way. i'm going to keep trying a quieter practice.