Care

As poor as yesterday went, that was how good my practice felt today.  I have found more and more that the swings in performance from one class to another can be fairly severe.  From one of my more challenging days yesterday, to come out and get so much deeper into postures today left me feeling pretty good about my decision to continue to 100 days.

Roy, the yogi who paced me like a marathon runner for the last several days of my initial thirty day challenge (and brought the sparkling cider to celebrate after my 60th class), confirmed today what I was feeling yesterday.  I saw him going into class at 9 am this morning after I was out of my 7 am class, then he was back again for the 4:30, and he said I was definitely right about getting enough recovery time between classes.

I feel that somehow doing two classes closer together is even worse than doing classes back to back, which was something I only tried once during my initial thirty days.  At least if you are doing the classes back to back you are still in the same mode and you are already plenty warmed up.  With the reduced recovery time of two classes closer together you are cooled down, but not quite recovered enough yet for another class.

I was thinking the other day about what Roy said about pacing me like a marathon runner for the last couple miles.  It occurred to me that not taking a break after my initial thirty days is akin to finishing a marathon and deciding on a lark to go ahead and make it an ultra-marathon.  Ultra-marathoners are the kind of crazy that I aspire to be, so I guess that is good, right?

I have been given the advice more than once now that I should take a break if I need one.  Let me say right here and now, that if I needed a break, I would be taking one.  Today was evidence to me that I am still healthy, making progress, and getting stronger, so while I may get to a point before the 100 days that I need a break, today is not that day, and I don't think that day is likely to come anytime soon.

I truly appreciate that the instructors take serious interest in the health and well being of each of their students.  Not only me, but I hear them in conversations with everyone about how they are feeling, how they are doing in class, how they can improve or get better in this posture or that, and even things completely unrelated to the practice of yoga.  The care the teachers take in getting to know each of the students is awesome, and the care they show towards those same students is inspiring.

To the instructors reading this, whether or not you have had me in a class or even teach at the studio in West Linn, I want to express my deep gratitude for everything that you do.  For choosing and following this path, you are awesome.

Namaste.