New chapter

Good afternoon! I can't believe it is mid-November already.  I have 3 things I am working on for the month of November:

Standing Bow Pose Spring 2013

1. Practicing Bikram Yoga 6 days per week MINIMUM! My good friends who know me know my motivation in Bikram yoga is not to have perfect Standing Head to Knee (although it would be nice!). My motivation for practicing became crystal clear to me when I began working in an office after a 4 year hiatus. Sitting at a computer for long stretches of time did a number on my back. After only a few weeks of the 9-5, I was in so much pain. The little yoga I was doing kept the pain at bay, but I was only getting to practice 2-3 times per week. I tried to supplement with strength training and other forms of yoga, but Bikram is the only thing that keeps me from being in a debilitating amount of pain. Controversy or no controversy I love the yoga. It works for me. Of course, there are days I wish it wasn't this type of yoga. 90 minutes! 105 degrees! It takes a long time and its uncomfortable, but its amazing what the difference 90 minutes makes in the other 22.5 hours of my day.
2. Play guitar for 1 hour a day.  I bought a guitar in January. I was good about practicing and taking lessons until March when I went back to work full time. I think I've had one lesson since May. I picked it up yesterday and made a commitment to spend one whole hour on it daily for Nov and Dec. Wish me luck!
3. Build a website. I took a class last night. HTML and CSS for beginners. Holy shit -was it scary. Fortunately, everyone else in the class was scared too! I left class with a headache and some homework. Now I am working on my homework- as posted below.  Bit by bit I will figure this monster out. Just like the guitar, I will commit one hour per day on this new skill :)

1. 

   My homework!!

Repitition

"Don't you ever get tired of doing the same poses over and over?"

This is a frequent question I get from new students about Bikram Yoga. The truth is, even if you take two classes in a row from the same teacher, you will have an entirely different experience each time.

Like life, your yoga practice and body are continuously evolving. The cool thing about Bikram Yoga is the controlled setting in which you do the yoga. As a beginner, the postures can have an almost immediate, profound results, including some which I have experienced:  less pain in my lower back, improved range of motion in my shoulders, overall sense of well-being.

I've also started to have a bit more compassion for myself. For example,  I will start the breathing exercise thinking I have no business wearing such a teeny outfit. Usually by Eagle Pose I a feeling ok about how I look and maybe I have sweat away about 5 pounds. By the time I get to tree pose, the occasional " I look ok!" might sneak its way into my head in between remembering to breathe in and out through my nose.

On a deeper level as an experienced practitioner, this yoga has been my saving grace The yoga studio is my church, my hideout, my sanctuary. It is a place where the noise of my mind can turn off. Although I began this yoga as physical therapy to help me with my aches and pains, it has proven to benefit my mind more than I ever could have imagined. I am a much more peaceful, even tempered, compassionate person.

When I answer the beginning student's question, I always answer "No way! It's been almost 10 years since my first class and if anything, I love the yoga even more!"