Image compliments of nichegardens.com
Heart pumping update:
Friday I was up at 5am so I did an hour of power yoga before the boys woke.
Saturday I cleaned for an hour. Definitely a heart pumper!
Sunday the family and I took a walk. Not the most heart thumping exercise but the togetherness with hubby and little one in the stroller was wonderful. The sun was beautiful.
Yesterday was Bikram (practice and teach) and today I just banged out 10 minutes on the stairclimber.
Phew! This is kind of fun - my goal of at least ten minutes of heart thumping is a very manageable goal for me. It doesn't seem insurmountable, I can do it at home (around the baby's schedule), and when I get out to get a real workout in I feel very proud and excited by exceeding my goal.
I'm very focused as well on creating positive social connections with my friends and family.
I've learned some intrinsic thinking skills. The biggest help I'm finding is to realize that I don't have to solve others' problems. When seeing others as complete, capable, and creative (the Intrinsic Coaching mantra), it takes the heat off of the listener. When others come to you in distress or with a problem, it's much easier to listen fully, and ask questions to help the other person elicit his or her best thinking.
For example, hubby was very exhausted on Friday night. He was a bit crabby, even. I started to feel my own tension rise as I went to my normal pattern of trying to "fix" things for him. Instead, I asked him: "What's the most important thing for you right now." And after pondering it for a bit, he responded, "I need to be silly. Can we watch a funny movie or something?"
I would never have thought that was what he needed or wanted - it would not have occurred to me. He was pleased to have come up with something on his own and had more energy towards it because it was his idea.
In addition, we stole away this weekend and I took him to the spa for a massage. It was a very healthy and relaxing way to spend time away together. I said to him, i want to find ways to enjoy ourselves that don't end up with a hangover or a belly ache. He agreed.
Since this is a yoga blog, I do want to post a bit about what I'm working on in my practice.
I learned what it feels like to have an open hip!
I have a chronic movement pattern of a very closed right hip which has thrown off my gate, sent me to the chiropractor, and had me sort of confused for quite a while. I strive for right/left side evenness and this issue has been a thorn in my side (haha). It's caused pain in the left hip over the years.
So using yin and restorative postures to explore and let go, I've found my way into sensing the right hip which was the first challenge. Then recently I felt the difference between when that hip is open and when it is closed. I will post some images about this at some point. It is a very subtle sensation but I was able to bring it into my bikram practice yesterday.
Oh how wonderful it is to feel poses differently, even after years of practice.
I do love the bikram series, there is always room for change in the body.
I taught a great class, lots of experienced people in the room, so I was able to lay off instruction for some second sets, allowing the students to feel from the inside during the poses.
Ciao!
