I had to go to a celebratory drinks party and it was prearranged months ago so I wasn’t able to do a session on my eight day. So on the eighth day, I have decided to double up, with one class in the morning and one late at night.
I went to the coolest part in the room this time, but I still felt as hot as I did when I was in the hottest part! That was really weird. I found that if I went towards front by the mirror, I would really concentrate much more on my balancing poses.
I was really happy with my standing head to knee pose, I held my pose fully in the second pose, which I was really proud of. I completed all of my standing poses, although it took me some time to get into them because I was getting breathless. This was especially so when with triangle pose, but I completed the pose in a timely manner. I just had to stand up and get my breath back. No way was I going to flop on the mat.
Then came the back strengthening poses. And that’s where I got really cross with myself again. Wind strengthening postures were a challenge as I wasn’t using a towel and my hands were slipping off my knee constantly. Actually, that didn’t worry me too much, as I could see a path of progress with this pose. If I keep my grip firm and focussed, I can deal with and improve this pose. In fact, it is a progress that I think I will enjoy.
It was the locust poses that got me really angry. As usual, my body was telling me to get out of the room. It was a flow day for me (Ladies, I am sure you get my drift). And I got the signal that I was due an erm.... costume malfunction in a matter of seconds. My instructor looked at me as I bolted out, but how could I tell him why I was leaving the room. Most embarrassing.
But when I went to check, it was nothing of the sort. It was a very, very, very, false alarm.
It made me realise that the mind was such a powerful thing to convince the body. It got me really angry that the ‘monkey mind’ can play all sorts of tricks to convince one not to carry out an action and get me out the heated room. And that made me really angry. Because of this trickery, I missed my locust post and full locust pose. I was not a happy bunny.
So I had to be stern with the monkey mind. It pleaded for rest between postures. I would give it none. I would complete all of my postures. It BEGGED for water. I was having none of it. Water could be drunk at the end of the class. Nothing more, nothing less. End of. Period.
I am beginning to work out my mind. And it is bloody annoying when it plays up.
As a result of my mindset, my evening class I did all the poses and did not have a drop of water unless I was invited to by my instructor. In my evening class, I noticed my instructor in the class at the front. He had no water bottle by his mat. So I know now that with my mindset I could control my water intake. To be honest, I think that the waterbottle (and small towel) is a bit of a crutch, and I need to keep my eye on it. So it is crutchwatch on water and towels from now on.
No... I don’t look at men’s or women's crutches while I do my yoga sessions.Who has time to stare at someone's crutch? I don't.
Days 9&10
I had to miss a day again as my boyfriend had to go to hospital for a check up on his face and head injuries. I went with him for moral support.
If there is anyone who is a prime candidate to go to Bikram yoga classes it is him.
A couple of years ago he was involved in an accident where he was projected from his bike onto the pavement. He landed on his chin and shattered his chin, nose, cheekbones, eyesocket and forehead and all the ribs on his left hand side. He has just over 100 metal pins in his head, metal plates in his forehead and had reconstructive surgery on his eyes, nose, lips and chin. He really has a great time with the metal detectors at airports....
Would you believe, he is going to have Botox on the NHS. The metal plates have made his forehead really sensitive and he needs to dull the pain. (Some women would jump for joy at that prospect!)
Does anyone remember the opening title of the Bionic Man. Well it’s him. He’s still alive...and complaining about leg pains, and back pains. He is woken up and is prevented from going to sleep from body pains.
Go to Bikram Yoga, I say...repeatedly.
'No,’ he says, ‘It’s full of big girl blouses’.
Er... Well, excuse me. I’m going everyday and I notice that
1. Sometimes there are more MEN than women
2. They definitely do not look pansy-ish to me. In fact they look very masculine.The pansies are the ones who leave the room (Occasionally, that would be me!)
I did show him Shortlist magazine where they had an article on sportsmen doing Bikram yoga. I also mentioned that Andy Murray did it too. He went quiet at that point. He still won't go. Maybe one day....
Anyway, I digress.
I decided to do my double session back to back.
Not a good idea.
My first class was with Sam. I like Sam, as she is very descriptive and informative. In my younger yogi days, I must admit I did find the extensive commentary very annoying, especially in my least favourite poses. I was not a fan of the triangle pose, and I’d be in position with my mind screaming, ‘Hurry up! Hurry up!’
I have become much more patient since, and I am grateful for my development in that discipline.
I did want to go into tree pose in this session, but my knee did not lock out enough. I am locking my knees out more and more, but sometimes I do not feel the tension in my knees and thighs which makes me think, am I locking it out enough?
This session was really smooth, and I did make an attempt to push with my poses. Crutchwatch was successful in that I did not use my towel to grip in wind removing pose, nor did I drink from my waterbottle unless invited to by Sam.
The second session?
Well.......er.....hmmm.......
Have any of you seen the opening titles of Quincy? For those who don’t know, please look from 0:16 to 0:35.
The poor person under the sheet was probably a newbie. (My tongue is firmly in cheek!)
I looked around and we were all dropping like flies from the humidity. It was bizarre. People were leaving the room. The instructor was opening the door far more than usual to let drafts of air in. It was still really humid.
I felt as fresh as a daisy until I did Standing Separate Leg Stretching - Dandayamana Bibhaktapada Paschimotthanasana. I sat out a lot of poses. Most of the standing poses, which disappointed me in hindsight. It was terrible.
Just. Could. Not. Do. it.
This was not laziness. The humidity got to me this time. I will attempt a back to back double again. Definitely.
There was no crutchwatch report on the waterbottle. Crutchwatch report went out the window. Or in this case, the door, as it was constantly left open. I slugged every drop of water.
Ahh....the heat.....At the time I didn’t know whether to curse it or praise it.
Oh well, tomorrow beckons.
No comments:
Post a Comment