Days 121-123: There’s Always Time

Day 121:  On day 121 I had one free hour between 12-1 pm to squeeze in a workout.  I was near a Bar Method studio in Cherry Creek and popped in for a quick hour at the bar.  They really should think of calling it “Happy Hour” instead, it might bring in a steady flow of curious women…and men!   The class was taught by the owner, Leslie, who explains the class so that it makes sense.  Although I was not planning on going to a bar class that day, I am glad that I went because it restored my faith in my body at the bar.

Day 122:  Yesterday was a wham-jammed day.  With the lingering of a cold still hanging around, I decided that early morning yoga would not be a good idea.  Instead, I walked for 50 minutes to work.  It really should have only taken 30 minutes, but the snow filled Denver sidewalks made my walk into more of a hike.  Next time I will wait until the latest snowstorm has melted before I hit the streets!

Day 123:  I have been itching to go for a run for the past two weeks.  I can tell that my body needs that amount of cardio and my spirit needs it even more than that.  Unfortunately, I have a fear of slipping on the ice outside and tearing, tweaking or snapping something serious.  This fear (and lack of a gym membership) led me to a nearby yoga studio for a 75 minute power class.  The studio was closed due to a water break, double sigh.  After my first two dreamy workouts had to change I was stuck doing TRX at home.  As much as I love TRX, I really do like leaving the house to workout.

This chilly weather really has altered my style of working out and I am ready for that unseasonably warm weather to return.  The good news is that weather.com tells me that the average Denver day in March is in the mid 50s, phew….only 19 more days until my sneaks can hit the pavement on a regular basis again.

Day 52 & 53: Dancing On My Mat

Day 52:   On day 52 I went to Bar Method in Cherry Creek.  This class is always hard on my tight hips, but it was especially hard to tackle after completing the yoga sculpt class the day before.  Walking today proved to be especially difficult.

Day 53:  Whenever I come home from Karma Yoga I feel rejuvenated and enlightened; tonight was no different.  I went to a 90 minute bhakti flow class with my friend Sangeeta.  The instructor, Katrina is quickly winning over my yoga heart.  She had us keep our eyes closed for the majority of the practice and it not only made the balance and poses more challenging, it also challenged the faith that I have in my own practice.

Katrina started class by asking us why people are so unhappy?  She said it baffles her how we can turn up our heat to 70 degrees, grab a Starbucks, head to our jobs, practice yoga, eat whatever food we want, talk to friends and family, buy lululemon clothing (she said that!) and still find reasons to be unhappy.  I felt like was staring into my soul with that question…primarily because I turned my heat up before I left the house, drank bucks this a.m., was sporting lululemon and was looking forward to my salmon burger when I came home from practice.  Things are good, but my heart was feeling extra heavy.  I decided to dedicate my practice to celebrating gratitude for how abundant my life actually is.

After a few flows we did something I have never done before….

The drummer from a previous class I had taken there was back again tonight and I can almost guarantee that his eyes were open over the next five minutes that we were asked to “free dance.”  Now, I actually cannot tell you anytime in my life that I a. danced soberly in public b. danced with my eyes closed c. danced to bongo drums and d. danced while confined to a yoga mat.  During my five minutes of dancing confusion I ran into a wall twice, chuckled to myself like a child, peaked at other practitioners to make sure I did not look like I was break dancing in comparison, snapped my fingers a few times for good measure and tried incredibly hard to channel a past viewing of Shiva Rea dancing on a sand dune.

After some of my embarrassment wore off (I wish I could say that stuff does not embarrass me, but I am not there just yet!) we headed into a prolonged savasana.  The instructor ended class with singing a bit of “what the world needs now, is love sweet love…” and with the quote “you’re heart doesn’t break, it just breaks open.”  It left my heart feeling gratuitous for the ups and downs, the dark parts of life and the light parts, for my awkward mat dancing and my sweet fishing pole move, the heartache and the beautiful parts of love.   It’s in the yin and yang in life that we find balance.  I hope you know a way to find yours.  Namaste.

Day 31: Pretzel What?

There are many glories of living in an apartment complex with free internet,  one of them being that the internet NEVER works.  If you know me at all, then you know that I am pretty positive and that I am cheap.  This plays into the internet issue by me constantly thinking, “I bet the internet will work again tomorrow.”  And so goes the ongoing internet saga (and delayed posts)….until my hunky IT fiance comes home.

Yesterday I went to a bar class at Bar Method in Cherry Creek.  It astounds me that every time I go my comprehension of how to complete a bar class actually diminishes further.  There is no way that this is possible, but it makes me want to take my tight hips and run far away.   At least that’s what I am thinking during class.  As soon as it’s over my overly exhausted muscles are so happy that I stayed.

The instructor kept saying, “this is almost your last set,” and then I would be hit with more energy and try to move my pretzel’d leg (see photo of someone who is clearly not me doing this hard move) up a quarter-inch.  I find it interesting  how we respond to the promise of an end.   Like if I said, “this is your last time doing X,” how would you want to complete that task?  Why aren’t we more motivated to complete these tasks without thinking it could be the last time?   Is this just me that feels this way?

Don’t leave me hanging out here in slacker land all alone…