DONE AND DONE

I'm going out on a limb to say my summer yoga challenge is done. 100 classes! Some of these at the end have been seriously modified due to foot pain and the need to rest before training. I leave on Sunday morning.

I will do my best to update here about how I'm doing.

9 more and a milestone

9 more classes till I hit 100 for the summer.

I have sealed my envelope with my final payment (till I get back, when I'll have 3,000 more to pay off), my medical waiver, letter of recommendation, and photos. I'm off to mail it now!

12 more classes

The studio has been closed for a week so I've done a lot of home practice. I have been feeling some strange twinges all over - especially in my knee. I just try to be calm and know that the yoga really does heal everything if I can practice and be mindful and careful.

I have less to say about any one class... I can't wait to practice in the studio again. In the studio - the teacher says it, you do it. At home, sometimes I struggle to keep myself motivated to, say, stay in floor bow for the entire time I should.

My home yoga closet was 110 yesterday. I don't have a humidity monitor but I had a humidifier going full blast for quite a while before I started. It just felt great. I hope I'm heat-ready.

The last 3.5 weeks before I leave are kind of bittersweet. I feel nerves mixed with glee mixed with anticipation and wanting to go right now. However I need this last bit of work to get things done and get the whole thing paid for. This Friday I'll send my final payment (but will still have 3000 to pay off when I return.) So I guess that's final payment for now.

19 to go until i hit 100 classes

Friday, Saturday Sunday - great practices all. I feel strong and amazing right now!

The bigger news is that I leave in less than four weeks - four weeks from yesterday. That's 27 days!!!!!!!!! 27 days to training HOLY MOLY!

Four more down, 26 to go!

Had a great couple of classes back. One of them I took from a teacher who went to the training this spring. Coincidentally, I felt I had a crappy practice that day. I told her I was worried about being one of the wobbliest people at training. She said, you won't stick out one way or the other. Your practice is solid and your alignment is good. There will be plenty of people at the teacher training who are better than you are, and PLENTY who will be less experienced and won't have as strong a practice as you have.

That was great for me to hear, from someone so fresh back from the training. She also said that the work I've been doing with the dialog is great and that I'll be in good shape.

I feel happy to be back practicing. I am not positive I'm going to do these 30 last classes in a row. I'll do my best to practice every day, but I'm not going to stress over it as I try to see friends and family before I leave.

My wrist is feeling great these days!

Finally, back at it. 30 TO GO!

I took a grand nine day vacation from practice. There. I said it. I had to do it. It's very easy for me to become militant with myself, and frankly, I was getting to the point where I was not enjoying my practice. I was seriously bored. So I took some time off, and feel really refreshed.

Back in the studio yesterday, my practice was definitely a little wobbly - more than usual. But I just relaxed and didn't push too hard, as I am going to complete a 30 day challenge now, then modify my practice for my needs the few days before I leave for training.

I have felt some wrist tendonitis activated over the last month, something that I thought I got through. After a week off, practicing yesterday, I identified exactly what has triggered it recently. I have a bit of extra heft. I'm working on it, I'm working on it! I've lost a lot of weight this year - a lot of weight for the fact that I'm not dieting it off, I'm eating more healthfully.

This extra weight does get in my way in certain poses. In rabbit, for example, I have not been able to grab my feet well ever. In the past six weeks or so, I have actually done some rabbits - real ones, where I grab my heels.

So having taken some time off, I was very curious yesterday to figure out what was triggering the wrist pain during my practice. Wrist pain that nags me all the time when it gets triggered. It's uncomfortable. So... as soon as I did the real grab, which I can barely hold, my wrist exploded with pain.

Now I know - that pose puts too much strain on my wrist at my current weight. Because, I have to reach really hard to get around the thighs to the feet, I have short arms to begin with. So I immediately went back to what I was doing before, which was to grab my towel as close to the heels as possible and use that for leverage.

As soon as I did that on the second set, the wrist pain went away. It doesn't require me to bend my wrist too far to do that. I was loving rabbit when I could grab, but my top priority is to be as pain free for training as possible. So I'm really excited to do this last 30 day challenge to complete my 100 class summer now that I know for certain what's triggering the wrist pain.

Other than that I feel great. No more booze going into the system. I'm trying to eat healthfully without restricting myself, allowing for some treats. But really, I know that refined sugar is just not going to do me very much good at this point. So I guess those treats need to be wholesome stuff.

I look forward to training. I am incredibly nervous about training. I feel like everyone there will be skinny and I will not be. I'm really going to have to keep my head in a positive place. I have my line all planned out for when Bikram calls me a fatty - I'm going to say, you should have seen me last year, boss!

Last year at this time I was not as far along in my recovery from Binge Eating Disorder and Compulsive Overeating Disorder. I was not exercising that much. I was significantly heavier. I don't know how much on the scale because getting on the scale does not assist me in my recovery. I am much stronger and more confident now, and I know without a doubt that I will be an amazing yoga teacher.

Since my last post I have started leading a weekly yoga class at my office. It's nothing much, yet. I want to work with the ladies that come in building strength and confidence eventually, but first I want to show them the joy of yoga - the relaxing of the muscles, the care for the heart and mind that comes from watching the breath and moving with intention. This ain't no bikram class. Really I am going to teacher training for my own personal practice - I look forward to teaching bikram, but it's just the beginning of my teaching journey.

If I had tons of cash and time, I'd run right off to the Viniyoga certification, anusara, and iyengar certifications. I do however believe strongly in the healing power of bikram, and would send someone to that practice first. But the other traditions have much to give, and I am a student always.

So... nerves, living on pennies for these last six weeks, hoping to meet some good friends at the training, hiring a temp to replace me, hoping that person just kicks so much ass to give back to the company that has allowed me the nine week leave of absence, trying to feel connected to my hubby, who is very sad about the reality of living alone again...

and the saga continues!

Classes 60 - 63 of the Summer Yoga Challenge

Class 60 - Studio Monday night. Challenging class. However I felt cool and collected - I worked hard and I had it in me to work hard.

Class 61 - home practice felt very little of the peace and strength I did the day before.

Class 62 - home practice ditto class 61

Class 63 - great strong home practice held all postures and did five camels instead of two.

My plans for the rest of the summer - I'm going away for three days, no bikram. Then seven days straight when I get home will get me to 70 classes down, 30 to go. I think a break after the seven days will be in order, then I will do a modified 30 day challenge - I'll do my best to do 30 days in a row but will not stress if it takes me a little over 30 days to complete those classes.

Then I will relax and drop back on my practice in preparation for training!

58, 59

58: Friday class in the studio, worked hard, worked it out. I did Rabbit pose all the way for the first time, ok, well maybe second time. I actually find it easier to try to hold the grip without the towel. I slip, but it's very encouraging to have this pose. Now there are no poses that I can't do somewhat respectably.

59: Home practice after a few drinks the night before. It wasn't the greatest in terms of stamina.

Ongoing challenges in my practice: the standing balancing poses are still challenging me - I can't stay on one foot for the whole time. Well to be more exact, when I really work the pose, I fall out of it.

My new triangle which is deep into the hips like it's supposed to be is very hard to hold for both sets both sides. I'm hoping to check in in a month again to see how I've progressed. Floor series is great.

Today I did some extra camels and about 45 minutes of non-bikram yoga when I awoke, including... backbending up and down the wall. A teacher recommended this to me, he recommended I learn it from another teacher who wouldn't teach it to me. Luckily, it showed up in my yoga journal this month and I recognized that I could definitely do it myself. Huzzah!!!

And congratulations to me for Saturday - yoga then nine holes of golf then two swimming holes. Not the most intense physical labor but I love knowing that I can do my practice AND whatever else life throws at me.

56, 57

Wednesday, practiced in the studio, Thursday, a great practice at home. Feeling strong and slender again. My wrist tendonitis has been selected as my next ailment for bikram yoga to heal. I'm working with it and hoping to see and feel some healing!

55

Morning practice this am... took 3 days off instead of the planned two. It felt good to get my motivation together and practice this morning. I like the option of getting up at 6 and practicing. There is more time in my day than I think... I smell a double coming soon!

Rockstar Yoga 51, 52, 53

51: Home practice. After getting past last weekend I'm practicing on cloud nine. Did a good hard home practice Tuesday after work.

52: Home practice. Yesterday I worked in the morning ran home grabbed a class before a meeting with client and then to Bruno. It was a great day. I worked hard and consistently. I think I skipped out on Triangle though.

53: This morning back in the studio was a fabulous class. I am apparently lifting my back leg too high in balancing stick and it's one of the factors in my falling over so much. Something new to work with. I worked really hard, turned the mats sideways so I could check out my triangle. I still have to go down to a place that feels really "not ok" wibbly wobbly to set up the pose. Continuing to work on it!

50 classes - halfway to 100!

I had a really amazing class yesterday. It was my 50th class! After two classes of struggle and pain, I made it through class yesterday with a minimum of brain chatter. My mind was quiet, my body was calm, I completed all the poses, I worked hard, the heat didn't get to me, I wasn't chugging water, it was a real testament to how far I've come.

I am so proud to be on this journey.

I am going deeper in the poses, my back bend was so great at the beginning of class yesterday. I struggled in triangle - I want to see what it looks like in the mirror because I'm going so deep that I'm losing the integrity of the pose I think. I wanted to write more about that quiet feeling.

I chose to just watch myself yesterday. To be present. To be quiet, to attend to the yoga, and not let my brain chatter take over. It worked - I was so focused and relaxed. I even managed to smile.

Class 1 of the summer

Yesterday, Sunday, was class one of my summer yoga training challenge.

I really enjoyed doing standing pulling bow pose. I have found an instruction that I previously didn't pay much attention to (keep the chin close to the shoulder) has given me an additional bit of stability in the pose, a rigidity of sorts, that keeps me aligned nicely in the upper body. I'll figure out this html thing soon and post some pics.

I had a great idea yesterday to start a challenge to help me pay for training. If some people I know will pledge a dollar a class, it will help me immensely with training costs. I doubt I'd be able to take more than 100 classes from now till September One. Anyway it's an idea in its infancy, but I already have two sponsors. Thank you sister and husband!!!