Bringing family to class

Friday at gentle class, we got to meet Angela's husband and some of her family who were visiting from Canada. She took it really easy on us, which Shawn was grateful for, thanks to the new tattoo on her chest.

Today in gentle with Zelinda, Shawn and I brought her sister Kristi and Kristi's two daughters. It was so much fun to introduce them tot he yoga room while they're here visiting. We had a great stretch, did a lot of neck and shoulder work, and the girls are excited to go back tomorrow.

Zelina also had a theme today, which was to spread happiness. I got a hug from Zelinda before we left the studio, and I got to pass that on at breakfast to Joy, one of our favorite ladies at the Cafe Java.

After that, we had a lazy day watching movies and playing with the bassets, so joy was pretty easy. It was a good day.

tough day in class

I had a rough practice today. I'm not sure if the left side and right side of my brain don't like to talk, or if my head and heart chakras were having a throwdown, or what. Could be just that I'm teetering on the edge of that time of the month so hard that my basset's breath could knock me into it at any moment. (That always makes me uncoordinated and a little unstable.)

In the end, I felt incredibly frustrated with my body because it wouldn't do what I wanted it to. I couldn't balance on one foot because of the $#@% puncture wound. I couldn't hold my arms up and breathe. I couldn't...

But what I could do was relax at the end and free my mind for relaxation. And at the point of revisiting things we love and that make us happy, I had a clear, shining image of my life as it is right now, with my writing and my home and my travel and all the wonderful people I've met this young year.

So, I might have felt like the grumpy kitty during class, but I didn't let it get me down for very long :D

XXOO

Lorna

My inner thighs don't surrender

Angela's 5 o'clock gentle class tonight was about surrender. You might have seen that in Shawn's post.

I have trouble with that concept. My body and mind fight it. I'm not sure why, as I would hardly call myself a control freak. I am a huge procrastinator, though, which means I do have trouble surrendering to the fact that some things must get done.

I was pondering that when we were laying on our backs doing a variation on the bound ankle pose. I pressed the soles of my feet together, let my knees fall to the sides. Uh-huh. You should have seen my inner thighs, y'all. My legs were flapping like duck wings, and it was all involuntary movement. My muscles were so not surrendering. It made me giggle, but it also made me think of all the things I've been putting off and why. Why I'm resisting.

I'm not sure I came to any conclusions, but it was sure worth mentioning.

Thanks to the lightning strike that hit just outside our house at 7am and the resulting chaos, I was pretty stressed tonight. Class put me in a much better mood, so I think I must have surrendered something, right?

Night y'all!

Lorna

Get over yourself

Class four of our forty day challenge was the 9:15 gentle yoga class with Angela this morning.

I would have said I was in a pretty good mood this morning, even if I am sore from pilates (still) and my back is super sensitive from the massage I got yesterday. You know how you feel really bruised after someone pummels your muscles? Yeah. Ow.

I have to admit, though, that when I walked into class this morning, I found my mood was as sour as an old fashioned lemon drop.

We were talking in the gentle class on Tuesday how the "morning group" at the Yoga room is chatty and not too introspective before class. This morning, I felt incredibly intimidated when I stepped through the door, because the atmosphere was... almost somber. Everyone was in place already, and most folks were getting centered, focused inward. Angela greeted us with her usual grace and cheer, but otherwise, it just felt weird. I mention this not to upset anyone, but just to take notice of how any change in our routine can make us instantly uncomfortable.

So, when Angela asked us to set an intention for our practice today before we got started, the one thing that instantly popped into my head was, "Get over yourself, Lorna."

I worked through stiff hamstrings and sore abs, and when we rolled to our back to pull our knees in and rock, I almost let out an operatic scream as my muscles protested. (I'm sure everyone is glad I didn't.)



As we relaxed into shavasana, I checked in with myself to see if my intention had been met. Nope. I was still grumpy and sore and grr. Hey, it happens, even when we try our hardest.

Then we sat up, pulled our hands down to our heart center, and Angela smiled at us, and POP. My bad mood burst just like a soap bubble. And suddenly everyone in class was chatting and laughing and asking where Shawn and I got our blankets, and I realized that 99% of the time it's our perception that needs to change, rather than any kind of outside influence.

I just thought it might be worth mentioning. Now, if my hamstrings would just relax the same way...

Raging river of death

Went to the gentle yoga class with Angela this morning at The Yoga Room in Round Rock

I always find it so interesting to go to a class with someone who's not my usual instructor (I admit to loving Zelinda's style). Angela is a bright, cheerful soul with a lovely smile, and her instruction is very meditative, focusing on how your body feels and on breathing through each movement.

I really enjoyed the mat work we did, and I can definitely feel space opening up in my hips. My hips are a constant source of stiffness for me; I was born with my hip joints turned in rather than out, and between the ages of about 2 and 6 I wore orthotics and special shoes and did all sorts of exercises to give me turnout. Caused me no end of trouble in third grade ballet, you can bet. Sometimes it causes me stress in yoga, because unlike everyone else, I can't sit cross-legged. My left hip just won't bend that way. It was really illustrated today in the modified pigeon pose we did. I could bend all the way to the floor with my left leg bent back behind me. With my right leg bent back, I had to straighten my left leg instead of folding it across the front of my body, and I could only bend a few inches. Occasionally it makes me self-conscious; I know yoga isn't competitive, but you can't help but feel odd when everyone else can cross their legs. *g*

On the good side, I felt much more flexible in that hip when we were finished with class, and not sore, which is a minor miracle.

Worst Lorna's mind is wandering moment? At one point, Angela told us our breath should be like a river... And I immediately thought, "Careening out of control down a raging river of DEATH!" - what? I have a movie line for every occasion. (Emperor's New Groove, anyone?) My breathing is often like that... Not so smooth. More like an asthmatic buffalo on steroids.

The more meditative the practice is, the more the voices in my head talk to me. I think I need to work on that notice your thoughts then let them go thing, huh?

I love how every yoga practice gives me something new to think on!

Peace, y'all

Lorna