4.27.16- 6am

Didn't have a great class today thanks to not sleeping well (work stress has gotten best of my sleep pattern so far this week) but during class teacher Carol told a story she's told before about how her mother used to always say "If someone doesn't have a smile, share half of yours with them". A bit trite? Perhaps. I had remembered thinking the first time she told the story "cute mom!" and not much else...then yesterday I was driving to a business meeting on campus and for whatever strange reason had a huge smile on my face as I turned in to the parking lot...a somewhat disenfranchised looking student on a bike looked at me and my big smile (not directed at any particular thing, just existing) and she immediately lost the surly look and smiled back! I could tell she didn't really even mean to, it was just contagious. It was lovely and I thought immediately of Carol's cute optimistic mom's quote. I told Carol that story today and I could see that she really appreciated it. She mentioned the quote today in the context of  talking about missing her mom who has passed, as well as gratitude for what she gave her. Carol said "see, we really are all connected!". And that is true...just one more little slice of proof.

4.21.16- 6am

Yesterday I went to an 11:30am class, which was a great change of pace, so much more flexible than 6am! I learned a couple of great tips from teach Kacie that I remember in class today and it's amazing how much of a difference they make. First in Eagle pose when sitting down initially you need to put your weight on your heels as you sit, so that when you lift your leg up and over you are as upright as possible and the weight is already 100% on the heels. They say this in the dialogue but I guess I never heard it the right way until Kacie demonstrated.

The other great tip, though as always it seems so simple and has probably been said a million times but yesterday was the first time I HEARD IT is on Stretching pose to really flex at the ankles as well as bring all 5 toes back equally towards your face. You think you are flexing your ankles...maybe you are...but you can do it MORE. I also have a tendancy to let my little toes lag behind my big toe...nope! They all need to come up together. This helps with Standing Head to Knee too.

4.15.16- 6am

Today I struggled in Standing Head To Knee because I've been given some new tools/tips on how to correct certain things and, as is usually the case, when you are doing something correctly  it's harder! Jeannie is very exacting about having the raised bent leg be at a perfect 90degree angle to the floor before you straighten it. I would generally have my heel in closer to my body before extending it as well as sort of leaning weigh from my bent knee on to my arm. Both of these things are no-nos if you want to be doing it exactly right and I'm at the point where I want to. I think once I can build the strength in my legs to do those two things the rest of it (putting my forehead on my knee without falling out) will happen.

4.13.16- 6am

Even though my knee is a little sore I'm feeling very good in class right now. This morning I had a minute or two of really peaceful meditation where I my mind was truly clear. Learning how to meditate is a really challenging for me, progress is slow but if I can get there before class then I always have a better class. Today I basically floated through it...it was hard physically, it was sweaty, but it was mentally not too challenging at all. You know you've gotten in to the flow when you aren't waiting for a posture to end, you aren't anticipating anything. You just follow the words and let it go. This is how the body gets stronger too and how you find new places to strive for. You can read these things or someone can tell you, but it doesn't translate until it happens to you. Thankful!

4/11/16- 6am

Today in class I focused on trying to see things as they are, not how I think they are...actually HOW THEY ARE. Mentally this is a really hard thing to do. It's easy to look in the mirror and judge, or even see something that's not there. It's easy to stand with your arms at your side and not actually feel the floor with your feet, not make the connection. I would like to do this more often in all aspects of my life and yoga is the way it starts to happen. Just cracking the surface now.