Day 30: Swapping Self-consciousness for Self-confidence

Twenty months ago I stepped into my first yoga class and I was awkwardly self-aware of my every movement.  At one point, I laughed- not because something was funny, but because I was so uncomfortable with my own self.  On my 30th day of working out and probably my 150th yoga class, I noticed how completely un-self-conscious I am in my practice.

Today’s 2.5 level class at Core Power Yoga proved to be one of the most fun classes I have ever taken.  The instructor started out with a drawing on the mirror about adjusting to the ups and downs in life and said we would feel those same waves on our mats today.  At one point, she had us all dancing while in Utkatasana (chair pose) and five minutes later she asked, “anyone who is shy to close their eyes” while the rest of us danced in a pose I have never done before.  I was smiling from the inside out, shining, sweating, breathing and laughing…all while doing a type of dancing I have never done before in front of some of the best yogi’s I have ever seen.   It was not until I was in Savasana that I started thinking (yep, still have not been able to master the art of quieting my mind) about how I did not think about what others were thinking about me.  This practice was just my own- my movement, my body, my practice.

Losing your ego and embracing the moment is a beautiful state of being.  Can you remember a time when you were first able to do that?

Day 28 & 29: Well Rounded

**Day 28 disclaimer:  I drank a little too much wine at a dinner party and then wrote this post.  I have not changed it since, I hope you find it amusing and confusing.  Additionally, my internet is down again.  Sorry for another delay. **

Day 28: Working out for 365 days in a row is going to prove to be difficult at a point.  Today was my point.  This morning I went to my first restorative yoga class at Core Power Yoga. Restorative yoga is to sugar what power yoga is to a double chocolate chip cookie.  It’s incredibly tame, to say the absolute least.

This morning was my first attempt to practice this type of yoga and it was actually a lot more difficult than anticipated.  Holding stretching poses for four minutes does not just test your muscles, but it tested my mind as well.   Many of the poses promised to “help sleep better at night” and “decompress a stressed back.”  I have no clue how to measure that, however, I am willing to try many times as long as this is considered a workout.

Day 29:  Today started off beautifully.  A dear friend was in town this morning and I had her over for coffee and breakfast.  Her dog and my cat toyed with the idea of playing, but settled on some good ol’ butt sniffin’.  After hours of chatting we went on a walk at Washington Park.  It was sunny, there were hundreds of geese and her dog chased every squirrel he saw…it was perfect.

That was going to be my workout, but since I declared today my day off from work I decided I actually wanted to do more.  I went to Pura Vida and ran two miles and then did 30 minutes of cardio on an elliptical.  I followed this up with 45 minutes of weight lifting and 15 minutes of abdominal work.  Afterwards I iced my sore (maybe arthritic) wrist and called it a day.  Tonight they are calling for the third snowstorm in two weeks in Denver and I am so prepared;  two movies, a new cat toy, extra firewood and a skype date with my fiancé in the Phillipines.  What a great end to a perfect day.