Good advice

It's Sunday afternoon and I decided to rest up today and take the day off from my usual Sunday 2pm class, get some essential jobs done and have lunch out with The Man. As I've mentioned so many times Craig Villani will be hosting a posture workshop and master class next Saturday so I want to be refreshed and on top form. 

I also went out last night and had my first alcoholic drink in two whole months. I didn't plan to go this long, it just sort of happened. The sparkling wine tasted so good but I was super sleepy after just a few hours. I may have lost my drinking endurance! I didn't drink too much and felt fine today. I haven't missed hangovers. At teacher training it is in the agreement that students do not drink for the duration of the course (9 weeks) or risk expulsion. My dry run has been good practice for that.

Yesterday I did the 9:30am with Dom. He'll be moving on after next weekend which is again sad. I may not have said that before Christmas as his classes used to kill me. Now I am used to his style and really enjoy them. He is full of very useful hints and tips and I've learnt a lot in the past month. Isn't funny how you can change your mind so easily. What was once hard becomes easy and not an issue anymore, just like postures.


The class was hard though. It was like the old days. I had well digested my light breakfast but something was tight in my chest. The feeling I get when I've eaten too much. It was weighing me down, it was hard to breath. The room was the spot on humidity and temperature but the air was thick. I was screaming out for some circulation, I felt like I couldn't breath. By Standing Bow Pulling I was contemplating taking a knee, I was zapped. I didn't I pushed through. British Bulldog determination.

I got some more well needed help in Trikanasna. The moment I adjust one body part I loose the one I just fixed. For example, I get the hips down then go to adjust my arms and the hips come back up again. 


I literally dragged myself through the rest of the class. The Yoga Bus was back. I flaked the first set of camel, as did half the class. The air came on and I managed to get through nearly the whole second set but it was a crap effort. I didn't feel good and drank throughout the floor series. I can not pin point what caused this, it doesn't matter really but it would be nice to know so I can avoid it happening again. I was very well rested, fed and hydrated. Only today I realised it was a moon day. Could this have been why my energy was all over the shop?


This leads me to the good advice we received in class yesterday. We were told to stop scrutinizing and judging our practice. Just go in there, do it and except that's how it is for that day. Obviously I do scrutinize and then I come in here and write about it! This is how I keep a record of how I'm doing. What I'm finding hard, what I'm finding easy. The good advice would mean me letting go of that. I understand every day is different, we should be in there to have fun not turn it into an exam. It's yoga practice not perfect, we will never be perfect. I do enjoy analyzing it all, it's part of my fun. Through the feedback I get from this blog other people find it useful to know that they are not alone with their personal struggles. I'm going through it too. However, I will take up this advice as I think it is valid. 

I shall stop judging myself whilst I'm in the room. Instead of scrowling at myself when I fall out of Standing head to knee or get cross when I can't even kick out one day I will let it go. Whilst I am in there I shall stay present and not judge. Then afterward I will look back and review how the class went and write about it as I enjoy doing this. It's nice to look back and remember a good class and the high it brought. It's a reminder that gets me through those tough classes.


Being zapped of energy left me with yoga brain. I had it before leaving home too as I forgot my entire wash bag. Then on my way down the freeway after class I missed my exit as I was so totally absorbed in driving/thinking/singing I forgot where I was going. Good job I was running early. But what a feeling suddenly snapping out of it and thinking 'where am I going, I missed my exit!' At least I didn't end up in the centre of Perth before realizing, what a waste of fuel that would have been.