3.31.16- 6am

This is the last day of the 60 day challenge. I did 52 classes. Due to travel and injuries I didn't meet my initial goal of doing 60 days in a row but I came close enough. This is a very typical grade for me...a B/B-...it's like I'm back in high school! I jest though, because I did the best job I could and tried as hard as possible which I admittedly never did in high school. So I'm evolving after all...just slowly. I am now able to touch my forehead to my knee on both sides and exit with some level of control (sometimes) and I couldn't do that before the challenge. My knee feels stronger than it did before the challenge and so does my back (most of time). Yoga is more important to me than ever...and like teacher Carol says, even it if it's trite it's true: Yoga makes you you.

3.28.16- 6am

Did a 4:30pm yesterday as well...that was after running almost 7 miles in the AM. I'm so sore today and fell asleep at 7:30pm last night. Won't be trying that again for a while. Meanwhile Colin is doing triples. Whatever, everyone is different, and he's psychotic.

3.26.16- 9am

Took a couple of days off of class to go spring break roadtripping with Anton. Was lots of fun for the most part but felt great to be back in class! I may even do a double today...we'll see. Teacher Marty has some great quotes today she attributed to Bikram...the one I liked the best was "No matter how hard you try, you cannot awake a person who is pretending to be sleeping". That really resonates with some recent experiences in my life. In the second part of Awkward pose I was able to really sit in the damn chair today...it was definitely the lowest I've gone so far without falling out. Finally getting my toes activated and talking to my quads and lower back.

3.22.16- 6am

Felt a lot better today than yesterday...back still sore in the AM but yoga really makes it feel better. I have turned over a new leave in Guaranurasana...able to sink down lower than before. Also felt really strong during  Pranayama Breathing...my glutes are finally starting to form. It only took 38 years! A couple more years and I'll be ready for my butt close-up in a Rick Ross video.

3.21.16- 6am

I didn't go to class yesterday, because in class on Sat. I tweeked my lower back...again. It behaved much the same way as last time, really bad when I wake then gets better as the day goes on. This blog become way too much about injuries...I'm surprised how much my body has been falling apart lately. I have to believe there is an internal change happening that is causing this. I feel strong, I look better than I have in a long time, I'm at the lowest weight that I have been in years and I'm not dieting at all and my inner peace and self awareness is growing (this is the best part). So yeah, there are set backs but I have to focus on the positive. I did class today and it wasn't too bad despite a tight back and a cold. Gotta keep pushing forward! I will be having a few days off this week for Spring Break with Anton and that will be a good thing, I think. I am no longer in the mindframe of challenging myself to do class every day...I am challenging myself to stay committed to this staying on this path despite hardships.

3.18.16- 6am

Still detoxing after vacation...might try to do a double on Saturday. I think that more than the actual yoga, my fatigue last week was also due to waking up so damn early. Sleep is so precious and I want more of it. Felt stronger than ever in Standing Head to Knee today...not strong enough to put forehead to knee and exit gracefully but able to focus, breathe and lock both knees confidently. Once I do that, I can make all of the other little adjustments and notice the other sensations. It's so true about building slowly, one step at a time. Nothing worthwhile is easy.

3.17.16- 6am

Back in action after a 4 day break from yoga to go to Legoland with the family. I think the break did me much good. I had a fantastic class today and am also touching my toes to forehead in Stretching. The downtime made me stronger, I believe. I was falling apart and needed a break. My back is totally recovered and my knee is doing pretty good. I am hoping to spend the rest of March trying to focus myself and gain more awareness. That's my new goal since I'm not going to try to make-up for missing a few days by doing doubles. I am OK with adjusting my goals...sometimes that's how life is...how very zen of me.

3.12.16- 9am

Had a great class today...back is like 100% better. I won't go in to specifics but I got my period so there is a link there to the back pain and it's sudden dissipation. Not sure if depletion was the culprit or I just needed a day off or my hormones were adjusting to something or or OR? Meh, bodies are such mysterious contraptions I can't begin to guess. I'm just SO THANKFUL for my quick healing...once again yoga and believing in the process proves itself.

6.11.16- 4:30pm

full disclosure (to myself) i wrote really depressing blog earlier this AM saying I was on hiatus from yoga due to a sprained back. I thought I was too, I could barely walk this morning and stayed home from work. But all of a sudden it went away and I decided to very carefully try 4:30 and I had a great class...I couldn't do the sit ups and didn't want to attempt standing head to knee but otherwise had a great class. The body is so strange. I think taking a day and a half off, sleeping in a bit and recharging made all of the difference in the world. I guess I won't complete the everyday goal of the 60 day challenge but I am learning more about my body so that can be my new goal.

3.9.16- 6am

I haven't missed a day of yoga (yet) but been busy and tired and missed a couple of posts. The challenge is getting to me in yet another physical way. I missed my period this month, it has been like clockwork for a long time and then bam, it's gone. After I determined I wasn't pregnant I was kind of at a loss...then I had a great chat with my acupuncturist, Christi, and (after asking me several other questions about my health which she does at every visit taking extensive notes and it's so key) it became obvious I am depleted due to both the daily intense workouts and the fact that I have stopped eating meat. It makes perfect sense...my sleep has been a bit off as well per previous posts and that could be related to this. I'm not going to stop the challenge or eat meat but I am going to be more aware of how much I  eat and drink...I need more fat and protein...and I am going to start taking B12. I may miss my period next month too but after the challenge is over I'm going to dial the yoga back a bit and hopefully it'll be OK.

3.6.16- 6am

I'm back in action...had a great class today, felt really strong. It was a relief after crashing and burning yesterday. A good reminder to stay humble!

3.5.16- 8:30 Sellwood

Normally I have a really good class at this studio but today I had a really hard class. I had to lay out of several postures towards the end and even puked after class which usually only happens if I'm hungover or that one time I foolishly did an illegal white substance the night before. Anyway...this was strange because I felt really good going in. Perhaps it was because I was getting too cocky...I got a yogic reminder not to get overly confident...you will inevitably get hit by the yoga bus before long. Today was that day...

3.4.16- 6am

My class today was fantastic and I am now able to do Toestand again on the 2nd side...still can't get all the way down on the first side though...but closer. Yaay! Also my back pain is totally gone. What a difference 2 days makes...I really hope that's it with the strains for a while.

3.3.16- 11:30

Today was different from the norm in several ways. #1 I had insomnia last night and got about 2 hours of sleep so I stayed home most of the morning trying unsuccessfully to sleep (not sure what's going on) and then went to a special class Steve had wanted the more senior students to attend where about 25 students from OSU fitness classes would be doing Bikram for the first time. It was packed and hot as hell and several of the ripped, super fit 21 year olds had to leave the room. Not this old bitch, though...hehehe! It feels good to know that my mind is getting sharper and my body more in line with it as I get older. It's the hardest thing to learn (well one of the hardest) and you are reminded of how far you've come when you see people just starting. The key is to keep wanting it more and more and not getting cocky about it. *drops mic, steps off of soapbox

3.2.16- 6am

Today I feel like shit...why do I always sleep poorly and feel bad on Wednesdays? Need to break this cycle. And yes, I did slightly tweak my back yesterday and wasn't able to do sit ups today. Hooray.

3.1.16- 6am

I did 6am yesterday on leap day 2/29 but was so slammed at work from the second I walked in that I didn't get a chance to blog. Today in class my knee was very noticeable better...I'm so happy and thankful and hope it stays that way. I can almost do Toe Stand again but i'm still not pushing it. Also a strange thing happened in  my lower back during the first set of Half Tortoise Pose...as I was going down I felt a strange sort of sharp sensation in my lower back. At first I was thinking "oh shit here we go again" but then it didn't hurt on the way back up or in the second set or at all. In fact I was able to get probably another inch closer to touching my forehead to my toes in Stretching pose!? So I'm wondering if something in my lower spine opened up or loosened? I'm going to go with that theory for now.