Day 5 – My Sun Didn’t Quite Set (Yet)

I had signed up at a relatively new yoga studio in town, Yoga Garden, for their New Year’s Day Yoga Mala….108 Sun Salutations.  My mind was thinking “great way to start of the year taking care of ME (that’s my word this year-more on that later)”. 

Currently, my yoga practice (as also my entire exercise program) could be called “in the fledging” stages.  Actually, it could be considered to not really have hatched at all.  Just laying there in the nest, like a little lump, all pink and beigey. 

I have forsaken Wii Fit yoga for Wii Active, coughing up an additional $12.99 for the Wii Dum (and that is not referring to myself) - the dumbbell attachments for the remotes.  But no real “practice” and especially not yoga.  (Does laying on my mat and ogling Rodney Yee perform yoga count?)

I was primed.  I had my yoga stuff, I was mentally in the right place.  However, someone forgot to inform my back.  New Year’s Eve, Savvy and I stopped by Target on our way to drop her off for a sleepover.  The good news was I was there to get a belt to hold up the two remaining pairs of blue jeans I have from falling to the floor.  The bad news about half way through the shopping experience, my lower back said “ENOUGH” and spasmed.  Got Savvy where she needed to go and back home.  Crab walked up 2 flights of stairs and into the door, past Texter who wanted to know what was wrong.  I hated to advise her that her mother had died, but I did.  A couple of Doan’s pills and the heating pad and I celebrated New Year’s Eve in bed….alone….except for 1 dog and 2 cats.

The next morning I get up to find Texter has decided to pay me back…..by having cramps and is laying on the bathroom floor in pain.

Now part of the whole “yoga” thing is not just body, it’s soul too.  And despite the desire to just step over her and continue my day I went to Wally World for drugs and heat patches for her.  This morning my back was ok.  And despite the fact the stop lights in town where conspiring to see how long it would take to loose my ‘zen’ and scream at them for not changing, I got her meds and took them home.

Something told me if you are planning on being kind to your body in the new year, stopping by Dunkin Donuts would not be the way to start off.  So I came home, had a grapefruit and some yogurt and trotted off to class (after walking both dogs).

I had not been to the actual studio before, but had a pretty good idea of where it was.  It is in one of those places where I have always fantasized about living, above the shops in a little downtown area.  Margaret, who runs the place (and looks incredible by the way) took me on a quick tour since I was there early and I sat myself in the back corner since there was suppose to be a full house and I didn’t know how long I was going to last.  Everyone coming in seemed to have been doing this (yoga) for awhile and I was the only neophyte.

What was I exactly expecting?  I’m not sure.  I have done some sun salutation sequences with Rodney (Yee) in my living room before.  Ok, he was on the DVD.  I should have put two and two together to realize if I can only make it through the sequences with him for about 15 minutes and I’m thinking 108, am I really thinking at all?

But was not all about the poses.  We started out with some meditation to get our intentions and breathing aligned.  Some gentle warm-ups and then Margaret, who was leading the first set of 27 walked us through the sun salutation, giving us a couple of ideas of alternative moves for those more or less advanced.

Did I mention it was a tad on the chilly side in the room?  Did I mention I ended up sweating like a hog about halfway through.

I did manage to make it through the first set of 27.  One-fourth of the way through and I’m thinking “OK, still moving.  Boy, I need a pedicure.  Everyone’s toenails are polished!”  I am sure that is not what a seasoned, mature yogini should be thinking, but anything not to focus on the fact I am lifting 200 plus pounds up and down and was out on my back the night before.  Now what did the chiropractor/acupuncturist say about my range of motion in my neck and hips?  I had none.

After resting, while Margaret read us some inspirational and very soothing words, Brittany came and lead us in the next set of 27.  OK, one, two,tttthhhhhrreeee, foooouuuurrr, it’s getting a little tougher now.  Just focus on the breath.  I did have to take a break of a couple of salutations and then get back into the flow.  But everyone had assured me it was ok before we ever started.  That’s the great thing I have found about a yoga class.  It’s not about competition, the way other exercise classes are, it’s about you and what you can do at that moment in time.  No judgement involved….except on my part.

I seemed to have taken a partner along for this class.  My inner critic tagged along and stayed for a while before I was able to send him off to find his own mat elsewhere.  So I can’t bend over and touch my toes and I know they (the other participants)  are my age and they can do it!  No, I can’t push them over when they are in down dog!  Go away!

Brittany let us rest, much like Margaret did, with a few readings, letting us focus on our breathing and the centeredness of the moment.

Then David came up.  Well, I figure they placed the guy there to make us work our way through the hard third of the class.  We were over halfway there, the ceiling fans were on and off we went again.  David had edgy music playing and I made it though the first few before I had to sit down for a while longer.  I was focusing on my breathing and not on how everyone else was still up and down and down and up and the breathing was really heavy and all in unison.  And David looks a little like a not quite as beefed up Vin Diesel.  Ok, I’m sweaty and pooped, not dead and my blood sugar is tanking!

Then Margaret came back to finish us up.  Actually, I was pretty much finished up already.  All I needed was to be taken out with the trash.  Soon all 108 sun salutations were finished, we cooled down.  Did I mention I excel at the corpse position?

What did I learn on this first day of the new year?

1.  I can challenge myself and don’t have to 100% perfect at it.  Trying is the main thing.  I figure I did over 50% of the salutations and next year I will be in a place to come closer to the whole 108.

2. I will be back…oh, that’s Arnold and not Vin…anyway, with work and school and LIFE in general I am going to count my pennies and try and make it to a couple of classes a month.

3. A grapefruit and a container of yogurt is not enough to see you through something like that.  While a huge breakfast would not have been advisable either, something more substantial should have been consumed…..and no, not Dunkin Donuts.

4. I seriously need to get in and work with the chiropractor.  I may not be an owl and turn my head completely around, but I should be able to look over my shoulders more.  And the flexibility in my hips?  We won’t even go there.

5. What color should I paint my toenails?  Should I go for subdued or something really wild?

Namaste