tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86038532108179281802024-03-13T13:42:23.877-07:00Yoga, Crazy & MeMy experiences while practicing Bikram Yoga twice daily for 100 days.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger57125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8603853210817928180.post-86780862171711226472016-06-01T10:45:00.001-07:002016-06-01T10:45:07.493-07:00A 40 Day ChallengeScribing today is a little delayed. My phone overheated by the pool.<div><br></div><div>The pool is open, and the sun is out!</div><div><br></div><div>As I discover what my miracle morning routine is, I've decided to include some time in the sun.</div><div><br></div><div>Right now, since I drive late nights, I get to sleep around 2 AM. Affirming to myself that I can get fully restful sleep in just 6 hours, I set my alarm for 8 AM to get my miracle morning underway.</div><div><br></div><div>My affirmations might be working a little too well because I woke up a full half hour EARLY this morning excited to get to my routine.</div><div><br></div><div>Trim the beard, shave, a splash of cold water on the face, teeth brushed, and tongue scraped, I get to the first new habit just before 8. Because I have the time, I've committed to 20 minutes of meditation for my morning silence.</div><div><br></div><div>Water, aminos, then silence.</div><div><br></div><div>Because I have yet to develop my own affirmations, I've defaulted to Yule Brenner's "I see pride" affirmation from the classic John Candy movie Cool Runnings. That, and I look myself in the eye (in the mirror) and tell myself, "I love you."</div><div><br></div><div>Silly? It might feel that way right now, but these three words repeated daily are going to pay dividends like you would not believe.</div><div><br></div><div>Get a shake ready, dressed in workout attire, water bottle, swim shorts, towel, and workout DVD to head to the fitness center and make a fool of myself working out with Shaun T.</div><div><br></div><div>25 minutes and a cool down later and I head to rinse off and change for the pool as it opens. A few laps in the pool. Set up in the sun, I "read" Miracle Morning and drink my green shake.</div><div><br></div><div>Go to scribe and... phone overheats.</div><div><br></div><div>Tomorrow, the phone stays out of direct sunlight.</div><div><br></div><div>I realized this morning that if I push the yoga challenge I started last night to 40 days, the last day will be on my birthday!</div><div><br></div><div>Guess who is doing a 40 day yoga challenge! This yogi!</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-2P22jaLi5rY/V08fIS1DAJI/AAAAAAAADdE/2XS_VnVpYeo/s640/blogger-image-1172959670.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-2P22jaLi5rY/V08fIS1DAJI/AAAAAAAADdE/2XS_VnVpYeo/s640/blogger-image-1172959670.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>I took my first class from Lauren last night, and this afternoon I get to take Marie's class for day two!</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8603853210817928180.post-23366736675896293252016-05-31T07:54:00.001-07:002016-05-31T07:54:33.336-07:00Don't Break the ChainI first heard about "don't break the chain" in an article referencing Jerry Seinfeld's use of the method. With a little investigation I found that he hadn't originated the practice, but adopted it as his own.<div><br></div><div>The idea is, when starting a new habit, or trying to be more regular with a habit you are already developing, cross off the days on a calendar as you complete your intended routine, and try to string together as many days as possible without breaking the chain, or missing a day. The other, imperative part is to make sure that if you do miss a day, you only miss that one day before starting a new chain.</div><div><br></div><div>How long can you keep the chain going? Can you beat your previous best? Focusing on your achievements in keeping the chain going rather than the times you miss your routine, is immeasurably helpful in developing and maintaining the correct mindset.</div><div><br></div><div>Mindset is everything.</div><div><br></div><div>I broke my chain. Like, really broke it. As evidenced by the couple weeks of missing blog posts from my miracle morning routine.</div><div><br></div><div>From now on I am starting an accountability chain with my miracle morning. This is the way I want to start my day every day!</div><div><br></div><div>Thank you for reading.</div><div><br></div><div>Namaste</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8603853210817928180.post-20353390969027388192016-05-15T06:56:00.001-07:002016-05-15T06:56:39.979-07:00Love YourselfOne person in this universe was always meant to love you, no matter what.<div><br></div><div>You.</div><div><br></div><div>Loving other people is simple in comparison. You know your every flaw, every mistake, every thought, every action. No love is more difficult or more rewarding than loving yourself.</div><div><br></div><div>If you love yourself, if you're made of love, if you are love, only then are you able to love others wholly and completely.</div><div><br></div><div>Loving one another is important, certainly. I feel like this gets covered pretty well in our culture. From a young age, this is the mantra taught to many of us: Love one another.</div><div><br></div><div>When I say my affirmations with myself in the mirror every morning, after I've quoted the character Yul Brenner's "I see pride" affirmation from Cool Runnings, the very last words I leave myself with are: "I love you."</div><div><br></div><div>If you want to change the world, change yourself.</div><div><br></div><div>If you want to love the world, love yourself.</div><div><br></div><div>Namaste</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8603853210817928180.post-67908249483913040422016-05-14T10:13:00.002-07:002016-05-14T10:13:22.287-07:00Own Your LifeThis life isn't leased. So, you can't get a new one. This life is yours—not borrowed, let, or loosed. You own your life, so own up to it!<br />
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This statement isn't meant to be daunting. That's the wrong perspective. Realizing that you own your life is EMPOWERING! If that scares you, it should! Have courage!<br />
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Today is the only today you will ever get. And while tomorrow will be a completely different today, the choices you make in every moment plot the course for every day that follows.<br />
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Live today.<br />
Choose your tomorrow.<br />
Own your life.<br />
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NamasteUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8603853210817928180.post-29309352055754317792016-05-13T14:13:00.000-07:002016-05-13T14:13:09.897-07:007000 MilesI've now put 7,000 miles on the LOV Tank. That's the name I've settled on for the minivan, for those of you clamoring that vehicles need names. Why LOV Tank? This vehicle is on a mission, and not just to shuttle Marylanders around Charm City. I'm taking superfood, whole food nutrition to the people!<div>
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I'm off to put some more mission hours. The skies have cleared, the sun is out, and the city awaits.</div>
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Namaste</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8603853210817928180.post-10395534206529475142016-05-12T11:24:00.000-07:002016-05-12T11:24:05.261-07:00Never PerfectPerfect is an ideal which doesn't exist in this world, and that's okay. In fact, it is freeing to consider that perfection doesn't exist.<div>
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"Better" exists. I can always do better. I can always be better.</div>
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I can eat better, sleep better, live better.</div>
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I can't eat perfect. There is no such thing!</div>
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I can't sleep perfect. It doesn't exist!</div>
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I can't live perfectly, and neither can you!</div>
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#notperfect #neverperfect</div>
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So, why are you waiting for perfection?!</div>
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Why are you comparing yourself to a perfect ideal?!</div>
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I meet so many people that are paralyzed by the prospect of perfect that they refuse to act, myself included.</div>
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Looking for the perfect workout? Stop looking and start working out—though I highly recommend Bikram yoga, if you haven't tried it.</div>
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Looking for the perfect diet? Any incremental improvement is going to change your life—Here is your new diet plan: (1) Give up something unhealthy, (2) add something healthy, (3) feel better, (4) repeat ad infinitum. Is that a perfect diet plan? No, but it is better than what you're eating now.</div>
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I can't tell you where this came from, but I've heard it said many times, and it is hard to argue with: "You have to be bad before you're good, good before you're great. great before you're outstanding." And, nowhere in there does it say anything about perfect.</div>
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I'm not a good blogger. ...yet!</div>
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If I had to wait to write the perfect blog post before I started blogging, this blog wouldn't exist. I have to wrestle with that every time I post and put myself out there, because there is still a part of me that wants to be a perfectionist.</div>
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I'm good at Bikram yoga. I'm not great, or outstanding, but I'm working towards it with every posture I fall out of, every pose I hold a half second longer, every hair's breadth deeper I get, I am getting better!</div>
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My growth stems from taking that part of me that wants to be perfect, and transforming it into a force that drives me to be better, but allows me to be bad at something.</div>
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Babies are bad walkers. They are completely awful at walking. True story.</div>
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I can't imagine that there is a baby that has ever been born that has waited to take the perfect step before trying to walk. They fail so hard, and spectacularly so.</div>
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Grant me the courage to fail like a baby learning to walk!</div>
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If you were waiting for the perfect time to start something, to achieve something, to do something... I'll tell you right now, the time will never be perfect. Start now. Do it now.</div>
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Be bad.</div>
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Strive for better.</div>
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Never perfect.</div>
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Namaste</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8603853210817928180.post-47958291001864150562016-05-11T12:13:00.001-07:002016-05-11T12:13:22.068-07:00Routine MaintenanceIn order to get out the door this morning, I had to cut my Miracle Morning short. It was my own fault, and I got everything in except for the scribing (this blog), but it has taken me half the day to get back to it.<br />
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As a former expert procrastinator, I have to have a constant vigil on my routines. Allowing myself to slack on a day is a slippery slope for me. I know this about myself. There is always a danger, especially when developing a brand new routine or habit, of walking away if you fall off the horse instead of getting right back up on it.<br />
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Don't fall off the horse. It is important to be impeccable with your word, something which I strive to maintain in my life. It is doubly important when it is your word to yourself.<br />
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Maintain your routines like you would your most valued possessions. A small action repeated daily will have massive effects on your life.<br />
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Eat cookies daily? I don't have to spell out the effect.<br />
Drink a green shake every morning? Vitality like you've never seen.<br />
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Why do I spell out the effects of the green shake and not the cookie? Because we all know somebody who "eats cookies daily" or who has similarly detrimental routines and habits, but not everybody sees the people who are getting their greens in. As a hint, it is a majority of the healthy and vital people you run into on a regular basis.<br />
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Routine maintenance, maintenance that happens in cycles, be it daily, weekly, yearly. Cycles are important when it comes to routines.<br />
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"I'm going to drink a green shake every day for the rest of my life!"<br />
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Blech! No! Who would possibly commit to that?! I would LIKE to drink a green shake every day for the rest of my life, just because I know what that will do for my health and well being, but I can't possibly have integrity in that statement because there are too many variables that could prevent me from having a green shake one day in my foreseeable lifetime. Just like that, word broken.<br />
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"I'm committing to ninety days of drinking a green shake every morning!"<br />
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That you can see yourself doing—especially if you like how your shake tastes. It doesn't have to be ninety, it could be thirty, it could be an intensive three shakes a day for ten days. It doesn't matter. What matters is that you commit, you are impeccable with your word to yourself, and that you have an achievable and measurable goal.<br />
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Then, at the end of ninety days, thirty days, ten days, you reflect, you reevaluate, and you make new commitments or recommitments with yourself.<br />
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As an aside, I have green shakes on my mind because I'm day three of just such an intensive today. My weight had climbed because of poor decisions I was making with food to cope with some temporary stress, and I decided it was time to turn that train right back around. Down 9 lbs. in three days—healthily, I assure you, as some of that is inflammation and excess water weight—and loving the burst of vitality after a rocky couple of days detoxing all of those bad food decisions away!<br />
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I already know after my ten day intensive, I'm committing to 90 days of a green shake a day. A combined one-hundred days of green shakes. Can you imagine? I can, and I'm looking forward to it.<br />
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You heard it here first, my newest hundred day challenge. I have a feeling this will be much easier to achieve than my hundred days of Bikram yoga doubles.<br />
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For those that aren't in the know, this blog was originally started to share my experience doing three hours a day of hot yoga for one-hundred days, and I'm proud to say that I showed up, limbered up, and got the T-shirt!<br />
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And, yes, I still practice yoga. It is an integral part of my regular maintenance.<br />
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NamasteUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8603853210817928180.post-62247680425129697782016-05-10T03:00:00.002-07:002016-05-10T03:07:37.366-07:00Regular MaintenanceYesterday marked the beginning of a ten day vacation. Not a vacation in the typical sense, a vacation from work. In fact I'm happy to be getting hours in doing some rideshare driving (see <a href="http://yogacrazyme.blogspot.com/2016/05/sunset-sunrise.html" target="_blank">yesterday's post</a>). Rather, a vacation from some poor food habits that I'm looking to correct again. Old habits die hard, and I've found eating habits can be especially difficult, especially when combined with stress.<br />
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I find that a cleanse can be good regular maintenance. Like the regular maintenance you do for a vehicle, your body needs some care and attention. With all the stress of the last several months, I had been feeling some adrenal fatigue, so it will be good to have a clean reset to combine with my new morning meditation routine (as part of my Miracle Morning).<br />
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Not focusing on food gives me a much needed break to reflect on the trajectory of my health and the choices I make. I come out the other side of the ten days much more than physically transformed. Expect to see more in this space over the next ten days about this process.<br />
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NamasteUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8603853210817928180.post-42213092993655157082016-05-09T10:42:00.003-07:002016-05-09T10:42:51.066-07:00Sunset, SunriseThe last leg of my miracle morning was interrupted by not giving myself enough time to complete the habit stack. I'm not making that mistake again. In other news, I am finally — after a long, arduous process — out driving Uber and Lyft in Baltimore (and surrounding areas)! The interruption to my routine was to get out the door and take advantage of the guaranteed rates that Lyft was offering from 5 AM this morning.<br />
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Last night we left Chincoteague Island as the sun was red on the horizon, just dipping below the landscape. This morning I got to watch the red ball appear again. Instead of reflecting on my notable lack of sleep during those intervening hours, instead I saw beauty. Dawn is finally breaking on my new life in Maryland as Lauren and I are finally able to start settling into routine. I expect that I will be doing a great deal of driving over these next few months, though I actually look forward to it.<br />
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I love meeting and talking to new people! The morning commute crowd come in various degrees of wakefulness, a few preferring silence, but the majority seem to love a chance to share about themselves and connect with someone new.<br />
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Today I learned about the plight of homeless youth without guardians and the specific challenges they face from a woman who had been homeless herself as a teen and is now involved in trying to structure programs to help these kids as she studies non-profit management in school.<br />
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Just a couple of days ago I learned which Red Robin is the friendliest in all of Maryland. It is the mall location in white Marsh, and they use it as a training location.<br />
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If you are looking to connect with new and interesting people, I can tell you Lyft is a great way to do it, and bring in some supplemental income at the same time. If you're interested, there is a referral bonus (for both parties) if you sign up using my code: <a href="https://www.lyft.com/drivers/PRESTON916538" target="_blank">PRESTON916538</a><br />
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Please feel free to reach out with any questions about my experiences getting started and driving!<br />
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NamasteUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8603853210817928180.post-9334843673556362132016-05-08T08:47:00.001-07:002016-05-08T08:47:36.731-07:00Love is a Verb<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Proactive people make love a verb. Love is something you do: the sacrifices you make, the giving of self, like a mother bringing a newborn into the world. If you want to study love, study those who sacrifice for others, even for people who offend or do not love in return." — Stephen R. Covey, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People</blockquote>
I can find no higher exemplar of love in my life than my mother. As this is a day that we remember our mothers, I was pleasantly surprised to find a passage about love and mothers in my morning reading.<br />
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Thinking back, it was my mother who taught me a great many things. Seeing opportunity in obstacles, for example. I loved to draw as a child — still do — and I clearly recall one of my younger sisters scrawling on one of my drawings. I was distraught, angry, night inconsolable. I'm sure any mothers reading this can think of a myriad of ways in which to resolve such a dilemma. My mother chose to teach me something. Something now vital to my approach to a great many things. She showed me that I could take the lines scrawled by my younger sibling and make something from them. Instead of being angry that my drawing was ruined, it allowed me to be creative, to make opportunity of adversity.<br />
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My mother knew me, loved me, understood what I needed, and in that one moment helped me become a better, more resourceful human being.<br />
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I love you, Mom.<br />
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NamasteUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8603853210817928180.post-91733812192454791972016-05-07T10:06:00.001-07:002016-05-07T10:06:17.032-07:00ChincoteagueToday is the second day of my new miracle morning routine, but my first attempt away from home. If you missed <a href="http://yogacrazyme.blogspot.com/2016/05/good-miracle-morning.html" target="_blank">yesterday's blog post</a>, I blogged about starting a new morning routine to take control of the trajectory of my days. This morning finds me at the beach with friends! Chincoteague Island, more specifically. I've abbreviated my routine a bit after a late start, and dotted reading and scribing through the morning as Jacob fixed brunch and we all chatted on the patio. Still, I'm calling this miracle morning a success. What could be more miraculous than brunch on an island with several of your favorite people?!<div>
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"Holding people to the responsible course is not demeaning; it is affirming." — Stephen R. Covey, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.</div>
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While yesterday I picked up Chop Wood Carry Water, this morning's reading had to come from my Kindle. Picking up where I left off, I peruse a few pages of Habits, which I thought appropriate given my new habit stacking initiative, and this passage struck me. I highlighted it to come back to later, not quite being able to put my finger on why I liked it so.</div>
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As a part of a Miracle Morning, you say affirmations — there are studies. It's legit — but I don't think much focus is given to affirming others. What affirming actions do we take towards others? As I think about the people I love and connect with most closely, I see where they affirm me. This, I think, is foundational to community, to love. Love is affirming.</div>
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This is what I will take with me today as we bike across Chincoteague Island: I affirm others.</div>
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What role does affirmation play in your life?</div>
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Namaste</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8603853210817928180.post-83283330296086984892016-05-06T08:53:00.000-07:002016-05-06T08:53:07.003-07:00Good Miracle Morning!It is time to bring my inaugural miracle morning in for a landing here with a little scribing.<br />
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The beautiful and talented Yasmin Kahn introduced me to the concept in a miracle morning, and after hearing about it, I knew it was something I was going to have to implement in my life. I didn't even wait until I had the book. I did some research on my phone while I was waiting for my Maryland State Vehicle Inspection, and quickly ran across this great synopsis written by Niklas Goeke: <a href="http://niklasgoeke.com/the-miracle-morning" target="_blank">The Miracle Morning</a><br />
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How is it that I'd never heard of habit stacking? This is seriously genius, and I kinda feel like people have been holding out on me. Conventional wisdom says not to try and develop too many habits at once. Pick one or two, repeat until they are cemented, <i>ad infinitum</i>. Habit stacking lets you take a <i>series</i> of habits and develop them as <i>one</i> habit! Do you even know what a big deal like this? This might be the biggest, most importantist life hack ever discovered!! My excitement has overwritten my need for proper grammar — or using real words, apparently!<br />
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How does habit stacking work? If Niklas Goeke is to be believed, it is as simple as "after I... I will...". You might not even realize how integral this process is in your life. Without even thinking about it, you probably do this when you make yourself a sandwich.<br />
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<li>When I go to make a PB&J I will get out two slices of bread, sunflower butter, and raspberry jam.</li>
<li>After I get out the ingredients, I will get out a plate and a knife.</li>
<li>After I get out a plate and knife, I will lay out two facing pieces of bread.</li>
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<i>As a quick aside, does anybody else make sure that the bread in your final sandwich are oriented the same way they were in the loaf of bread? I'm not saying I'm OCD, but I'm fairly certain I have some OCD tendencies....</i><br />
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<li>After I lay out the bread, I will spread peanut butter on the inside face of the first slice of bread.</li>
<li>After I spread the peanut butter, I will spread raspberry jam over the facing side of the other slice of bread.</li>
<li>After I spread the jam, I will sandwich the two pieces together.</li>
<li>After I sandwich the halves, I will cut the sandwich at about 15-30 degrees from the vertical.</li>
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In case you weren't previously in the know, cutting at a slight angle from the vertical will make your sandwich much tastier, not to mention easier to put in sandwich bags (fat bottom first).<br />
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Just maybe your sandwich habit stack isn't quite so specific as mine, but if you make sandwiches, you have one.<br />
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This same principle, having a series of habits you do in succession, is the foundation of the miracle morning. First thing in the morning, before your day really gets started, you'll already have six or more habits knocked out and a much different trajectory than if you hit your snooze half a dozen times and rushed out the door without a minute to spare.<br />
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I'm committed to my miracle morning. Bonus! The last part of my miracle morning is scribing, which I intend to do here in my blog! Expect to be seeing much more in this space. Much of it will be yoga related, some of it might seem a little crazy, but you know I will always be my most genuine me with you here.<br />
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Worrying about the space between this post and my last isn't the best use of energy of anybody involved. Just know that it has been a journey, and that I am a better person for the experiences. I love you all.<br />
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NamasteUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8603853210817928180.post-81141421012280664702015-02-09T22:06:00.002-08:002015-02-09T22:07:53.594-08:00Pulled from the Dustbin<b><i>NOTE: This post was written last year while my challenge was still ongoing.</i></b><br />
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"If you fall out, get right back in again."<br />
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I have heard those words so often over the last couple of months, it is high time I started applying them to my life outside of the studio. It has been three weeks since I got a blog post up, and I had been doing so well. It seems that the longer I wait the harder it is to pick it back up again. So much to cover, I keep thinking to myself that one of these days I'll have the time, motivation, and energy to write a post that covers the entirety of my experiences over these last few weeks. Since that hasn't happened, we will see what I get written tonight.<br />
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Luckily I continued to check in on Facebook after every class, so I have a fair record to draw from, starting with the morning of the 21st when it seems I was given grief for showing up "late" to yoga, going to the 9 AM instead of the 6 AM. Where I needed the full recovery between the 6 AM and the 4:30 PM classes early in my practice, for the last several weeks I have been attending the 9 AM fairly regularly with no ill effect. My body has been recovering fine without those three extra hours.<br />
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That is not to say that my classes are easy, by any means. I described a somewhat common experience thusly:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}">At
one point I was sitting out of a set, looked down, and saw that the
muscles in my calves were twitching and I couldn't feel it. At first I
thought I was hallucinating and just seeing scintillating patterns
because I was sitting out for feeling like I was going to pass out.
Sometimes, when I get dizzy and my vision starts to blur, I disappear in
the front mirror. Poof. Vanished slowly like the Cheshire Cat and
nothing left but a smile.</span></blockquote>
I was waxing somewhat poetic, but it is not uncommon in the standing series for my vision to blur or go out of focus for a few moments, and sometimes it gives the effect of making it look like I am disappearing entirely in the mirror.<br />
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On the 24th, Ahmad<span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"> asked
me to demonstrate triangle pose for the class. So that you understand
how honored I feel, it has been my experience that teachers and advanced
students are typically the ones asked to demonstrate postures in front
of the class. I do not consider myself in any regard to be an advanced student, but triangle is one posture that I have worked on the most over the time that I have been practicing, and I have maintained my streak of holding every set of the posture in every class.</span><br />
<span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><br /></span>
<span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}">In fact, doing some quick math, I have now done 258 sets in a row of triangle posture. If each set of the posture was forty seconds (just a guess, assuming each side is 20 seconds), that would be 2 hrs and 52 minutes of triangles. That number doesn't include my failed attempts before I conquered the posture at the end of that first week, and really begins to show the scope of just how much yoga I have been doing.</span><br />
<span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><br /></span>
<span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}">In the afternoon class the same day Ahmad had me demonstrate triangle in the morning, I made another huge breakthrough in my practice. It was nothing that I had even considered being a possibility, but all through that afternoon class I felt like I was going crazy. The room just did not feel hot. If you had told me it was 80 degrees instead of 105, I would have believed it. The same thing the next morning, that afternoon, the next day, the day after, and every day since. I have acclimated to the heat.</span><br />
<br />
I still sweat heavily, so my body is reacting appropriately to the heat, but the room does not feel oppressive like it did previously. I no longer yearn for a cracked door or to have the fans on for just a few moments. Sure, the breeze feels nice, but I am free to just focus on my yoga without even thinking about the heat anymore. It is incredibly freeing to no longer have to divert any attention away from just the moving meditation of performing the postures.<br />
<br />
Another completely unexpected turn of events late last month, an ambulance had to be called and class was abruptly cut short when Robin, a regular of the studio, had her replaced hip dislocate in the middle of a posture. Luckily there were some experienced women right by who were able to support her and help her remain calm until the paramedics arrived.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately, that was not the only injury to transpire over the last few weeks. I had noticed that Charlie, one of the regulars, had been gone for several days before I finally asked where he was. Turns out he had torn his meniscus while going too quickly into toe stand. A sad and cautionary tale about really listening to the instructor, your body, and not rushing into postures.<br />
<br />
Robin waited for the swelling to go down, and then was right back in the hot room, and Charlie too was only gone a short while before he returned for more. Their steadfast strength and courage in returning again and again is inspiring.<br />
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<a href="http://photos-h.ak.instagram.com/hphotos-ak-xfa1/10375822_275880082592047_348261451_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://photos-h.ak.instagram.com/hphotos-ak-xfa1/10375822_275880082592047_348261451_n.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
A little taste of the beautiful weather we have been seeing here in Oregon this last several weeks.<br />
<br />
Namaste.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8603853210817928180.post-846113227561512442014-05-20T23:28:00.000-07:002014-05-20T23:28:01.643-07:00100Today I finished my 100th's class, into the triple digits now and halfway to my goal of doubles every day for 100 days. I wanted to write a long post about my journey thus far, and maybe that will happen tomorrow, but tonight I am too tired to do any sort of justice to what I would like to write, and I am not about to start sacrificing sleep when I am only halfway done.<br />
<br />
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Namaste.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8603853210817928180.post-61944947641471065932014-05-19T22:17:00.001-07:002014-05-19T22:18:13.244-07:00RainbowsWhen I started this blog, I wrote daily because I felt like I had a lot to share. Then I wrote daily because that was my routine, and I was still able to put something together every evening. My routine has been thrown off the last few days, and without anything pressing to share I took a few unexpected days off from blogging.<div><br></div><div>Seems for a couple of days my readers were content, but going on day three, I had multiple people ask about my blog today and why there haven't been any new posts. I can assure you, I'm not even halfway done with this blog yet.</div><div><br></div><div>I would catch you up on the last couple of days and the progress I have made, but I think I will leave that for my day 50 post tomorrow. Oh yeah, did I mention that tomorrow is the top of the mountain for my hundred day challenge?</div><div><br></div><div>More on that tomorrow.</div><div><br></div><div>Today felt like a really rough day. I made the choice to sleep in, skipping my usual 6 am class in favor of the 11 am. I knew full well the consequences, but at 2 am my brain was willing to take that risk.</div><div><br></div><div>I sat out more sets than usual today, and the room seemed hotter. In the morning class I don't think the door was cracked or the fans turned up even once. Despite some use of the fans, the afternoon class did not feel any cooler.</div><div><br></div><div>When I walked into the afternoon class the hot room was almost full, the only remaining spot in the front row was near the window, a place I try to avoid on sunny days like today because the direct sun can make the heat feel just that much warmer. I didn't start directly in the sun, but as the sun drifted lower in the sky I was soon enough laying directly in a rectangle of light like something straight out of Citizen Kane.</div><div><br></div><div>In savasana this afternoon I kept placing my water bottle next to my head to block the sun from shining directly in my eyes. It was a mind game that I was losing, not unlike early in my practice several weeks ago laying under an unmoving fan.</div><div><br></div><div>Midway through the floor series I glanced over at Roy. Roy being the guy who paced me for the end of the thirty days and just kept on coming back, racking up a very impressive forty-eight classes in thirty days. Roy had a wide grin across his face, a contagious smile that I could not help but emulate.</div><div><br></div><div>Smiling is a fantastic strategy against the various mind games you may encounter in yoga practice, especially if you are trying to hold in triangle pose for those last few seconds.</div><div><br></div><div>I found out after class what he was smiling about, and it turns out it was me. He said he looked over and saw me laying directly in the sun, and that he could see steam rising off of me. The part that made him smile? He swore he saw a rainbow in the rising steam.</div><div><br></div><div>Namaste.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8603853210817928180.post-81447426320403810222014-05-15T22:01:00.002-07:002014-05-15T22:01:44.150-07:00I Lost My PhoneTo cap off the comedy of errors that my day has been, I now seem to have lost my phone. So, there is that. Who wants to take bets on whether I can wake up for 6 am yoga without the alarm on my phone?<br />
<br />
I don't even...<br />
<br />
Well, I came back by the house to search for my phone and get a quick post up if I couldn't find it. This is me getting up a quick post so that I can get back to my house sitting job and give antibiotics and painkillers to an adorable, sweet kitty.<br />
<br />
If I am not able to make it to the 6 am, I guess there is always the 9 and 11 am classes tomorrow.<br />
<br />
Namaste.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8603853210817928180.post-69076643437107806252014-05-14T21:53:00.001-07:002014-05-14T21:53:16.166-07:00HealingPosting from my phone for the first time tonight, which will likely have some effect on the length of my post, though hopefully not on the quality.<div><br></div><div>I stayed up much later last night than usual, though in very good company. I had the opportunity to voice a story that I don't often share, and one that I doubt will be shared in this blog, or at least not anytime soon.</div><div><br></div><div>It was interesting, with so much practice over the last month and a half on really paying attention to what my body was telling me, how strongly I could feel my own energy. My levels of anxiety and apprehension, even though I was in a safe space, were dramatically raised. It is not an easy story to tell.</div><div><br></div><div>It put into stark contrast the relative calm and peace that I have cultivated in the last month and a half. Certainly last night was evidence I still have a lot of healing to do, but I <i>am </i>healing.</div><div><br></div><div>Namaste.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8603853210817928180.post-34960465649552524882014-05-13T19:25:00.000-07:002014-05-13T19:25:54.473-07:00I HurtI just found this scrap of writing from just about four months ago, posted below with just a few small edits for clarity. It doesn't have much to do with my yoga practice, other than perhaps to give some insight into the space I was in before I began this endeavor. I was two weeks out of a very unexpected breakup at the time, to give some perspective of where some of this came from. I have certainly had brighter days.<br />
<br />
<hr />
The hum of the fans in the tower beside me are only silent when I
don’t remember they are there, white noise that betrays quiet and
solitude that I might achieve if they were still, the monitor black, the
miscellany of other peoples lives not constantly refreshing and pinging
me with moment to moment updates. Social media as I sit alone with silent
lips.<br />
<br />
I want to talk for hours, and texting is no substitute. The quality
of the spoken word, imperfection and inflection would lend more meaning
to the same words, but the words wouldn’t be the same. Conversations
more quickly understood, more organic, alive with ideas and reflections.
Laughs shared.<br />
<br />
I need to voice my voice, and not in so idle a practice as small talk
and chit chat of, “how was your day,” and the oft repeated, “fine.”<br />
<br />
I am not fine. I am never fine. I don’t know who knows.<br />
<br />
I don’t fit in. Never have.<br />
<br />
I don’t think people are cogs, though some endeavor to perform the task. I never fit quite right.<br />
<br />
I am tired.<br />
<br />
So tired.<br />
<br />
I don’t think I’ll ever commit suicide. I often wondered if I would,
but perpetually I am optimistic enough to see hope, even if I don’t
believe it.<br />
<br />
I have lived a life. It occurred to me earlier today. Or, was it yesterday? No matter.<br />
<br />
I have lived. I was in love, got married, had my heart broken. I have
felt joy, sorrow, pleasure, pain. I have fought. I have been in the ocean, the woods, the dessert, fields, mountains,
rivers, valleys, at cliffs and waterfalls, on hikes through the deep
wilderness. I have traveled on bikes, in cars, on planes, trains, and
boats. I have been published and printed,
recognized to some small degree as an artist and writer. I served in the military,
operating a wide assortment of firearms and military vehicles. I have loving
parents, loving sisters.<br />
<br />
I have cried, a lot. I have smiled, likely as much.<br />
<br />
I laugh.<br />
<br />
I want to love.<br />
<br />
I want to love myself, and I don’t know that I do.<br />
<br />
I am a stranger, having distanced myself from me. I don’t really remember why.<br />
<br />
I have been kind, and had kindness given.<br />
<br />
I have started fires, watched them burn.<br />
<br />
I am loved.<br />
<br />
I hurt.
<br />
<hr />
<br />
Namaste.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8603853210817928180.post-24533852410668026362014-05-12T21:56:00.001-07:002014-05-12T21:56:56.133-07:00The Emperor's New ClothesI got my new yoga shorts today!<br />
<br />
They arrived this afternoon, so I was able to wear them to my second class today. They fit well, were generally comfortable, and more importantly they moved well and there was no binding as I went through all of the postures. The fabric is moderately heavy to provide a modicum of modesty. Well, as much modesty as wearing nothing but form fitting shorts can allow.<br />
<br />
I was not aware just how much sweat my other shorts wicked from my body during my yoga practice. With the new shorts, I think my legs were doubly wet, which I did not even consider to be within the realm of possibility. I also had not given much thought to how much more exposed I would feel. If I felt half naked before, now I feel almost fully exposed.<br />
<br />
I think to the story of the emperor's new clothes, his procession naked through the streets, and nobody saying a word. Yoga is similar in that nearly everyone in the room is wearing as little as possible, every curve and imperfection bare. The difference is that everyone walks into the room knowing full well they are in their most raw form.<br />
<br />
There is a beauty in facing yourself in the mirror like that. For those that are not familiar, Bikram yoga is practiced facing a wall covered in mirrors. The first lines of every class, "everyone stand and face the mirror." Facing a mirror, you are really facing yourself, forced to see the naked truth or free to see the beauty of where you are in that moment.<br />
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I was surprised how comfortable I was standing nearly naked in the full mirror. It was not something I could have comfortably done before I started this challenge. It was not a direction in which I expected to grow. I am glad this is a journey that can still surprise me.<br />
<br />
Namaste.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8603853210817928180.post-25244427930613559052014-05-11T22:55:00.000-07:002014-05-11T22:55:40.775-07:00Mother's DayI wake, my usual weekend time,<br />
And out of bed I slowly climb.<br />
Already lights on in the home,<br />
About the house I slowly roam.<br />
<br />
Up and dressed, now using Skype,<br />
She is the early rising type.<br />
Seeing this is Mother's Day,<br />
My sister calls from far away.<br />
<br />
She also gets her gift from me,<br />
A little cutout chickadee.<br />
Its shape is plump, and color rusted,<br />
And in the garden will be trusted.<br />
<br />
Off to yoga, bright and early,<br />
To stretch my body, big and burly.<br />
Touch my toes, and head-to-knee,<br />
Soon more flexible I'll be.<br />
<br />
Home to shower, dress, and eat,<br />
Fix my mom a breakfast treat.<br />
Waffles offered, she says "no."<br />
Not how I thought that would go.<br />
<br />
Eggs instead, fruit on the side,<br />
Bacon, mushroom, kale inside.<br />
She says she likes it when I cook<br />
(Especially when she's off the hook).<br />
<br />
Laundry turned, I turn to nap,<br />
My bed is like a snuggly trap.<br />
Briefly wake, my clothes to dry,<br />
Then back to bed for more shut eye.<br />
<br />
Wake to throw on shirt and tie,<br />
Then to church by car I fly.<br />
No time for a proper lunch,<br />
Grab an apple, grapes (a bunch).<br />
<br />
Straight from church to yoga rush,<br />
Each request their patrons hush.<br />
Stretching further than before,<br />
Stretch like tree, cobra, and more.<br />
<br />
Numbers, logic, order, math,<br />
A knack in these my mother hath.<br />
Patterns do delight her mind,<br />
And so this pattern I did find:<br />
<br />
Eighty-two, an easy one,<br />
Current yoga classes done,<br />
Also happens, as luck would be,<br />
To be the year the world met me.<br />
<br />
At home, my parents busy packing,<br />
Again a meal is clearly lacking.<br />
My happy task then to prepare<br />
An evening meal for us to share.<br />
<br />
Together as I seem to be,<br />
Little credit goes to me.<br />
Though you will never hear her boast,<br />
My mother deserves this credit most.<br />
<br />
To her I say, you taught me of<br />
The importance that I act with love.<br />
So, just like any other day,<br />
I close my post with, "Namaste."<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8603853210817928180.post-78251827956058955222014-05-10T22:49:00.000-07:002014-05-10T22:49:09.569-07:00Day 40I bought new jeans today. The regular fit jeans that I bought back in March were looking downright baggy, and I just couldn't take it anymore. I dropped four inches in my waist line, down to a 36, which I haven't fit into since I don't know when.<br />
<br />
Also, I weighed in at 269.4 lbs. this morning, a net loss of 16 pounds in the last 40 days, or .4 pounds of weight loss a day. At that rate, I could get down under 250 lbs. by July, a weight I probably haven't seen since I was in the Army.<br />
<br />
Namaste. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8603853210817928180.post-76990945139626386182014-05-09T23:11:00.000-07:002014-05-09T23:11:27.075-07:00MotivationMotivation is a strange beast. The driving force which carries us through a task. At the start, the newness was its own motivation. Doing something new has always had a strong pull as a motivator for me, and without a transition into other forms of motivation my interest can wain.<br />
<br />
Thinking back, I think that excitement was the motivator I found second, and that lasted quite some time. The speed at which I developed in my postures was quicker in the beginning, I was meeting and getting to know new teachers at the studio, and my personal challenge was a regular topic of discussion.<br />
<br />
In the middle of my initial thirty days, when I felt like I was breaking down, and the newness and excitement had somewhat tarnished, I had to change gears and rely on determination. Determination is a nice way of saying that I am stubborn, a trait which sometimes works out to my benefit.<br />
<br />
Perhaps one of the most dangerous motivators is habit, which is where I feel like I am now. Dangerous because it is less actively motivating than the previous three. 100 days is so far off that it is hard to draw motivation from, and so I try not to think about what exact day I am on or how many classes I have done.<br />
<br />
I think those have been my major motivators over the last several weeks, though certainly there have been less constant ones. Ego more than once has offered its form of motivation, especially, as mentioned, in triangle pose. Subtly different than ego, the desire to impress has also motivated me from time to time.<br />
<br />
For day thirty, when my sister was in town to celebrate, I think there were many strong motivators that came into play. I was excited to be finishing the thirty days, I wanted to see just how well I could do at the postures, and I had a strong drive to do my very best, more so than any other time I have walked into that room.<br />
<br />
I think that it is important to bring motivation into the room anytime you practice, whether or not you take the care to identify it. The more motivation you can bring, the more energy the class has, and the easier it is for everyone. If you have abundant motivation, others around you will feel it. Conversely, if your motivation is waning, feel free to draw from outside yourself.<br />
<br />
Namaste.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8603853210817928180.post-48639743601987232022014-05-09T00:28:00.001-07:002014-05-09T00:28:10.184-07:00Water WeightI looked down today, a rain of sweat splashed against the towel. So saturated, the drops had to spread out to dissipate into the fabric slow enough to watch the overhead lights reflected in the drops before they each soaked down.<br />
<br />
I was spreading my legs for the second set of triangle pose, right foot out four feet in the same position, only this time it slipped and I watched as it slid those few inches, sweat from the drenched carpet curled like a tiny wave in front of the side of my foot as it slid.<br />
<br />
I step back to my mat and towel to a plopping sound like treading on wet leaves on the pavement.<br />
<br />
Water trickles down my body, tributaries paying tribute to perseverance.<br />
<br />
I read an article where a woman was perturbed that a little sweat had been accidentally flung on her during a hot yoga class, but what did she think she was breathing? The humidity rises rapidly during a class. Once I walked into the room after a full class and my glasses fogged. Just one more reason to keep taking the early classes as my routine.<br />
<br />
<br />
After class my towel doesn't have the capacity to hold all the sweat that it did when it was out flat across my mat, and I leave puddles anywhere I stand too long. At the water fountain where I fill my water bottle to drain and fill and drain again. Out in the lobby where I catch my breath, reflect, and do my Facebook check-in, I leave more puddles.<br />
<br />
A liter in the morning before class, another during. Two more after class before I even leave the studio. Five, six, maybe even seven before the afternoon. Another during class, and two more after. If I drink two more that night, I drank twelve liters of water, or just over three gallons of water a day.<br />
<br />
I drink three <i>gallons </i>of water a day.<br />
<br />
A gallon of water weighs roughly eight pounds. I drink twenty four pounds of water a day.<br />
<br />
Weigh myself in the morning before class, drink eight pounds of water, practice yoga, and still weigh two pounds lighter when I get home. I lose roughly ten pounds of water weight in each yoga class. Three hours out of every day I am shedding twenty pounds of water, or a little better than a gallon of sweat per class.<br />
<br />
I think I will go refill my water bottle and get some sleep, so this is me signing off.<br />
<br />
Namaste.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8603853210817928180.post-44274070231894344502014-05-07T23:21:00.000-07:002014-05-07T23:21:18.673-07:00NemesesA month ago today I defeated the posture that had been my early nemesis. A month strong I have performed every set of every posture of triangle pose. The math: Four sets a day for thirty one days (inclusive), equals one hundred and twenty four sets. There have been several times that I have nearly fallen out, and I can admit that it has sometimes been pure ego that has kept me from collapsing, but everything before it and everything after is made easier by having conquered just that one posture.<br />
<br />
I asked Dara today what I should write about, and her suggestion was that I should write about how I was doing in the postures. Specifically she said that she thought my standing bow pulling posture was coming along really well. I am actually pretty excited she mentioned that posture specifically, because all the way back last month on the 12th, when I wrote the post <a href="http://yogacrazyme.blogspot.com/2014/04/adapting.html" target="_blank">Adapting</a>, I had identified standing bow pose as my new nemesis.<br />
<br />
While I defeated my first nemesis in a week, this second has taken quite a bit longer. The major delay was my elbow, which was getting worse while I was otherwise getting stronger. When I should have been making gains, I was slowly losing the posture, and there was a time when I had to sit out the posture entirely. Fixing my sleep fixed my elbow, and fixing my elbow has allowed me to really make an effort in getting bow pulling pose conquered.<br />
<br />
I still fall out (a lot). It is a particularly difficult posture, and while I can get into it pretty deep, invariably I lose my balance and fall out. Falling out just means that I am pushing myself, and that I am that much closer to defeating this nemesis and moving on to the next one.<br />
<br />
Standing bow is not the only posture that I am making gains in. I remember how excited I was early on just to get my forehead to my knee in the aptly named head to knee pose. Now I can regularly get my leg all the way straight and my heel off the ground with my forehead to knee.<br />
<br />
On the other hand, standing head to knee might have to be the next nemesis I choose, as it seems like it has been a long while since I have seen any sort of gain there. Mostly because when I am rounding over to pick up my foot, I still have too much to round over, though that is slowly changing.<br />
<br />
Really, all of my postures are coming along. I am in a space where I feel really good about my practice, I am enjoying the benefits of practicing so often. Also, this may be the most successful I have ever been in fighting off a cold, which is something I attribute wholly to my yoga practice.<br />
<br />
Today it seemed to come up several times how my challenge and this blog have inspired others in their own practice. I am both gladdened and humbled that sharing my journey has had a positive impact on others. It was never my intention to do anything more than my own personal yoga practice, and certainly I never expected the response from the community that it has created. Thank you to everyone that is a part of this community, and for everything that you do to lift each other up.<br />
<br />
Namaste.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8603853210817928180.post-10625693082307207322014-05-06T21:38:00.002-07:002014-05-06T21:38:32.383-07:00Kill It With Yoga!Back on track today with my routine.<br />
<br />
It is a good thing I had the routine to fall back on, because my motivation sure wasn't going to get me there. I have been feeling like I have been coming down with something for a couple of days. Just a tickle on Sunday, then soreness and congestion yesterday.<br />
<br />
This morning I was feeling pretty yucky (I say "yucky" because Facebook doesn't recognize "queasy" as a legitimate feeling), but opted to go to yoga regardless. Taking a page from the Barney Stinson playbook, I decided to stop being sick and be awesome instead, slightly altering the mantra "kill it with fire" to "kill it with yoga." <br />
<br />
In the morning class I did not feel particularly awesome, but I persevered. A combination of the heat, humidity, and breathing did wonders for my sinuses. After yoga I went and got some Airborne, came home, and proceeded to sleep for most of the day.<br />
<br />
Afternoon yoga went exceptionally well, I was feeling great, I had energy, and my residual congestion was again wiped out. Not that all of my symptoms are gone, I still have that tickle at the back of my throat, and I am sure the congestion will be back for another round in the morning, but I am excited that getting sick has not gotten in the way of my yoga practice. Rather, I am excited that yoga has seemed to help so much in lessening the impact of getting sick. As those that know me can attest, I can be a pretty big baby when it comes to getting sick.<br />
<br />
Extra glad that the yoga made me feel so good this afternoon, because coming out of class I got a text from Alison, my cousin, saying she was in town, so I was able to go out for dinner and catch up with one of my very favorite people.<br />
<br />
Living the day to day of weight loss, the change is so gradual that it can be hard to see the whole scope of the change that you have gone through. Alison remarked that I looked great, and so much thinner. I get a lot of the same compliments at the studio when somebody sees me that hasn't been in for a few days, or just draws comparison to what they thought when they first saw me.<br />
<br />
The weight loss has become evident to me in a few ways. I bought new shorts for practice at the very beginning of my challenge. They are athletic shorts with a short inseam, like running shorts, and I thought they would work well because they had an elastic band down the side. I was wrong. They bind in all the standing postures, and from day one I have had to pull up the shorts to the tops of my thighs so that I can bend my legs how I need to without being restricted by the fabric.<br />
<br />
When I lifted the legs of my shorts in the first few days of practice they were tight around my thighs, perhaps even stretched a little. This had the benefit of holding them in place through the rest of the postures, which was nice. As time went by they slowly became looser, so that they would occasionally fall down between sets, and I would have to hike them up again. These days they just kind of billow down, which would not be an issue if they still didn't bind up my legs when I try to do most of the postures in the standing series, so I find myself pulling them up between almost every set.<br />
<br />
There are worse problems to have, I know.<br />
<br />
A couple of days ago I ordered myself a pair of yoga shorts online after scouring the internet for the style I was looking for in my size. Turns out most retailers believe that men my size shouldn't be wearing spandex, and make that choice for me by not offering those styles in my size. The ones I did find only offered my size in black, and not any of the other colors they offered in the same style for smaller sizes.<br />
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In determining what size shorts to get, I took the waistband of my size 40 waist jeans that I bought after losing 15 pounds in February, and crossed the waistband over itself around my waist about 4 inches. You can imagine how baggy my four inch too large jeans are fitting me these days. Again, there are worse problems to have.<br />
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I have not really talked much about a goal weight. My goal was always just to finish the thirty days, and the weight loss was ancillary. Ideally, I would like to get back under what I weighed coming out of basic training. Not that I was a feather weight by any means, but that 230 pounds was the most hard fought shape of my life.<br />
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Speaking of hard fought, I am going to need more sleep if I am going to fight off this cold, so this is me signing off.<br />
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Namaste. <br />
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