1.31.16- 9am

Solid Steve class today, Colin joined and touted the fact he didn't bring water in to class. Packed. Got a correction on "Standing Separate Leg Head to Knee", always one of my most problematic postures due to my hips being uneven. I can get my head to my knee no problem but trying to put the weight on my front foot and level my hips is a huge challenge. I have to think about it really intensely the whole time and even then my hips still can't get level sometimes. They are starting to open more though...a little each day. It's a good day in this pose when I get a stomach cramp (sounds crazy, but its true). Didn't get one today, though.

1/30/16- 9am

I touched my forehead to my knee but fell out vs. exiting with control Oh well, as a wise woman once said, "tomorrow is another day". Today I worked on keeping my toes and feet aligned during camel pose. My right foot has a tendency to turn out. That is a habit I have done since childhood and it's taken this long to start to undo it. One wonderful thing that happens in class is you undo old habits. I still have to be very mindful during the set up and entirety of the pose or I inadvertently start turning out again.

Why Am I Doing A Yoga Blog?

I decided to create this (hopefully) daily journal to track my progress in yoga. If others find it interesting, great! It was suggested by one of my wonderful teachers, Steve, at Bikram Yoga of Corvallis, that keeping track of daily progress in yoga practice helps one realize where they are gaining strength, where to focus energies and how the body changes in subtle...and sometimes not so subtle ways. Yoga has done amazing things for me both physically and mentally since I got serious about my practice about a year and half ago by starting hot yoga. I am forever indebted to my husband, Colin, for getting me to go. I'd like to believe that I will continue on this journey for the rest of my life. I can't imagine my life without it! The biggest physical changes I have seen  so far; my chronic lower back pain has pretty much disappeared, I have lost nearly 20lbs and I have more energy to get through my work day. But the most IMPORTANT change that I have observed is internal. I am better able to control my emotions and relax, let things go, and be at peace with the way things are in the moment, even if they might not be particularly "pleasant". Finding inner peace is my biggest goal and through yoga I can see that it is possible. Can I find it all of the time? HA! Most definitely not...but I now know that it  is possible through a continued daily practice and determination and that's a great feeling. The rest of my entries won't be nearly this wordy, this is what they will look like:

1/29/16

Yesterday I was having difficult time getting/staying in my mind during savasana. Even though you just lay on your back and relax it really is true that it's most challenging pose to stay in mentally. Focusing in the concentration poses was a bit better though I still have only been able to get my forehead to my knee in "standing head to knee" once while exiting the posture in a controlled way. That is my goal right now, do to that again. Maybe it will happen today! Off to class...

Thanks for reading, if you so choose...and if not, thanks for ignoring!

Jane