04/365
Big deep breath the whirlwind begins.
In November I did a 30-day Bikram hot yoga challenge with a friend. I'd taken a few classes four years ago and I knew what sort of energy it required of me so I decided to reduce my work for the month, leave the Internet alone, give myself a breather and just go at it. It was one of the hardest things I've done, to go into that yoga studio every day and face myself. But in terms of mental challenge, physical change and creating a space of focus and positivity? Hands down one of the smartest decisions of life. All that movement and sweating in a 112ish degree room had my skin feeling newborn again, did wonders for the waistline and changed the way I look at myself.
Then came the holidays and routine just flew out the door. Twas all good, Christmas and New Years were so very enjoyable and I didn't feel much like censoring myself.
But today. Today started a somewhat less insane but longer-term stint: 5-6 days a week for 90 days. I plan to take that one week at a time, my schedule is still flexible enough that it should be doable barring unforeseen catastrophe. Was good to get back in there ... how to explain the feeling I have when I walk out of the studio dripping wet ... it's empowerment, balance, the sense that I've just subjugated Matter to Mind for 90 minutes. It's pretty much the same feeling that I get when I hike something torturous like the Grouse Grind. Using the mind to push the body when all it wants to do is quit. It creates self respect and that just feels good.
The thing being, however, that somewhere in the whole mix I committed in fall to try for a half marathon in May. Which means run training on top of the yoga-ing. Running is not something that comes naturally to me, it's brutish hard work, I much prefer short term pain to endurance sport. But I'll try, try to not get myself injured and see if 21km doesn't kill me. It begins today too, the running schedule. Oy, lordy.
But I'm having fun. Seriously. Talk to me in a few weeks, I likely will be groaning, but right now, this is a sort of craziness that makes me smile. The only place to start change is in your own bones, your own mind (queue the strings and MJ's Man in the Mirror). Sometimes change looks like slowing down or moving on and sometimes it simply means pushing beyond what you think you are capable of to see what's on the other side of pain and discomfort. Good times. :)
Cheers to you all.
T.
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Might as well :) This video is 100% Rockstar worship. Crazytown. Michael Jackson was a remarkable artist but still, Crazytown.
In November I did a 30-day Bikram hot yoga challenge with a friend. I'd taken a few classes four years ago and I knew what sort of energy it required of me so I decided to reduce my work for the month, leave the Internet alone, give myself a breather and just go at it. It was one of the hardest things I've done, to go into that yoga studio every day and face myself. But in terms of mental challenge, physical change and creating a space of focus and positivity? Hands down one of the smartest decisions of life. All that movement and sweating in a 112ish degree room had my skin feeling newborn again, did wonders for the waistline and changed the way I look at myself.
Then came the holidays and routine just flew out the door. Twas all good, Christmas and New Years were so very enjoyable and I didn't feel much like censoring myself.
But today. Today started a somewhat less insane but longer-term stint: 5-6 days a week for 90 days. I plan to take that one week at a time, my schedule is still flexible enough that it should be doable barring unforeseen catastrophe. Was good to get back in there ... how to explain the feeling I have when I walk out of the studio dripping wet ... it's empowerment, balance, the sense that I've just subjugated Matter to Mind for 90 minutes. It's pretty much the same feeling that I get when I hike something torturous like the Grouse Grind. Using the mind to push the body when all it wants to do is quit. It creates self respect and that just feels good.
The thing being, however, that somewhere in the whole mix I committed in fall to try for a half marathon in May. Which means run training on top of the yoga-ing. Running is not something that comes naturally to me, it's brutish hard work, I much prefer short term pain to endurance sport. But I'll try, try to not get myself injured and see if 21km doesn't kill me. It begins today too, the running schedule. Oy, lordy.
But I'm having fun. Seriously. Talk to me in a few weeks, I likely will be groaning, but right now, this is a sort of craziness that makes me smile. The only place to start change is in your own bones, your own mind (queue the strings and MJ's Man in the Mirror). Sometimes change looks like slowing down or moving on and sometimes it simply means pushing beyond what you think you are capable of to see what's on the other side of pain and discomfort. Good times. :)
Cheers to you all.
T.
-----
Might as well :) This video is 100% Rockstar worship. Crazytown. Michael Jackson was a remarkable artist but still, Crazytown.
posted by traceyj at 12:00 PM
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