Saturday 19 December 2009

The next 7 days - 17-24/30

Bikram 101

Day 17-24

Days 17&18

I have got into the bad habit of not noting down my thoughts on the day that I have done my yoga sessions. Again…
Also, I could not do days 19, 20 and 21 consecutively as I had to audition for a film over those days and was away from my local studio. So I’m three days behind.

I did a double on day 18 to cover for day 19, but I still have to cover for day 20 and 21.

This means I have to double up for the next few sessions. As my 30th day is on Christmas Eve, and I want to carry on doing Bikram yoga every day , it means I have to double up for to compensate for Christmas Day, Boxing Day and the day after that (which is Sunday). It’s gonna be tough, but I will do it. I’ve reached so far and I’m not turning back.

People’s reactions to my 30 day has been varied.

‘Won’t you get addicted to it?’ ( I think it’s a bit too late for that….)
‘Are you going in on Christmas day, then?’ (Ho ho ho…Ha bloody ha)
‘You need to rest your muscles, don’t you?’ (Errr… no…..)

Basically, they think I’m mad…. And I don’t really care….


Day 19

Bikram 101

This was a double done back to back on day 18. It flowed perfectly. I think because I planned the logistics, I wasn’t flapping all over the place so my mind could rest and focus.

I made sure that I had a fresh towel for my mat for my next session, as well as a fresh change of yoga gear. I had a shower, grabbed a banana to eat and was set to go.

The only thing that was stopping me was the paranoia about my yoga gear. I thought it was a bit too low cut and was showing a bit too much. In hindsight it wasn’t, as there is another yogini who wears stuff a lot more low cut than me and is much more well endowed too!

I had enough puff to do standing head to knee pose and bow, but felt that I was showing too much. I will have to wear this costume again due to laundry issues.

I will have to address the costume issue over the Christmas & Boxing day. I can pattern cut and have made my own yoga stuff, but recently didn’t have the time to do it. I have a large suitcase full of dancewear lycra material, so I should really be sewing.



Day 20

Bikram 101
This was covered in day 23 when I did my double.


Day 21
Bikram 101
This was covered in day 24 when I did my double.
Sheesh….this is getting confusing…..



Day 22
Bikram 101
Because I did not attend any yoga sessions for 3 days on a trot (days 19, 20 and 21), I was so rusty.
I did not help myself much by having a couple of packets of ready salted crisps and two sticks of Cadbury fudge an hour before I started. (It was so nice at the time!)

It was a ‘car crash’ yoga session.

It started ok. The deep breathing exercises and Half Moon - Ardha Chandrasina
poses was okay. I could hear my fingers crunching because they were so stiff. I don’t think I can let my practice lapse for more than two days.

My twinges in my back started during the Half moon pose. I got twinges in my shoulderblades throughout, even on my back in corpse pose.

I started yawning in Awkward Pose - Utkatasana.
.
I wasn’t sweating in the Eagle Pose - Garurasana, so I found it more difficult to place my legs into position. I think the lack of sweat was due to the crisps. I guess it’s not good to have processed foods anymore.

By this time, my body felt like it had that cartoon character Tasmanian devil whizzing round me in a blaze of sugar. It was horrible.

It was so bad that I lay down during the Standing Bow Pose - Dandayamana Dhanurasana. I did get up and attempt second pose.

I lost my balance in Balancing Stick - Tuladandasanaand my balance went after that. I tried to get up and do the triangle and started feeling dizzy. No chance. I sat back down.

Tried to do Standing Separate Leg Head to Knee - Dandayamana Bibhaktapada Janushirasana, and that was difficult too. I had the energy, but couldn’t do it. I felt too dizzy. I lay down until the standing sequence was over.

My Bikram grip isn’t too spectacular. Learned to squeeze and pull. But I can’t do grab both my knees.

Cobra Pose - Bhujangasana was ok, could have pushed myself further. I could have done better.

Locust Pose - Salabhasanawas ok. I’m learning to lock out the knee, but it is hard. I couldn’t do it at request, but after five seconds after the event.

Full Locust Pose - Poorna Salabhasana was hard. Could only lift up a little for the first pose. Couldn’t do the second.

I just could not do the Bow Pose - Dhanurasana. This was due to laziness. I’m not happy with that.

Fixed Firm Pose - Supta Vajrasana was difficult, and that was understandable, as I had not done much of the standing leg poses.

I was happy with the stretch in Half Tortoise Pose - Ardha Kurmasana. It was really good for my shoulder blades. It was a relief.

Camel Pose - Ustrasana. Too much sugar made me dizzy. I had to just lay there. Infuriating.

Did not feel the full stretch with Rabbit Pose - Sasangasana. I felt it in the back, but not the shoulders.

Head to Knee and Stretching Pose - Janushirasana and Paschimotthanasana
Right was ok. Left felt really awkward and took a lot of time for me to reach my most extreme pose.

Grab toes and I could feel progress. Need to stretch more. I can push down a little bit further.




Day 23
Bikram 101

I am beginning to discover all the muscles in my back that I never knew that I had. It aches. Badly. When lying in Dead Body Pose - Savasana I could really feel strong twinges in my shoulderblades. It was so strong, I almost yelped out loud in class. I can still only sit up in Fixed Firm pose. Joachim asked how were my knees. I responded that sometimes I do get a twinge and can’t go back, and in this case my knees were twinging. He seemed a little despondent at that. Fixed Firm pose is one of my ‘Long Term Investment’ poses. It will take time to get there. I will get there.

I did a class later on that evening to cover for day 20 and although there was a twinge in both shoulderblades and knees, it wasn’t so bad the second time around. I concentrated much more on my breathing and the class seemed to fly by. I moved to a different part of the studio where the mirror is at a rather strange angle, which forced me to work on my balance even more.

I went a bit further in my toestand today! I’m really pleased with myself. While I am creaking to my squat like an old woman, all the others whizzed down to squat on their tippy toes. I’m still working my balance in that one. I quite like it. It is a challenge. I like the fact that I have time to congratulate myself before going into Dead Body Pose – Savansana. It is such a sense of achievement.



Day 24
Bikram 101
It was a bit difficult in getting into to the studio this morning. There had been forecasts of snow and the early buses were not running on time. I had to ring ahead to ask them to let me in. When I got in there was only about 7 of us! It would have seemed that everyone had been scared off by the weather forecasts of heavy snow in London. It never really happened. I never had so much space! I walked in and was able to place my mat anywhere I wanted! No mad rush for the showers either!

As for my poses, I was really happy with them. I was really happy with my toestand and was given instructions by Hortense on how to get to the floor with my toestand. But it needs working on, as I still don’t know how to get up.

Work in progress…

As for the evening session, it didn’t go so good. It was like a sauna in there, and my breathing went a bit manic. It affected my poses. I was laying down for quite a few poses and people were leaving the class. I think this particular tutor really likes the heat. If I do doubles in the future, I don’t think I could go to this class, although in the morning it would be fine.

No comments:

Post a Comment