Monday morning, 10am class, with new teacher A. I write this as I'm sitting in the car, still in the parking lot, just after class. I feel that post-class euphoria mixed with noodle like exhaustion in all my limbs. Good class. Missed yesterday, unfortunately. My body does not like it when I miss class.
THE SET UP
Teacher A, small girl with a rounded accent. Great energy, attempts at humor in the early minutes of the class fell flat. Guess we were all tired. Monday morning, what can ya say? There was one really cool thing she said today... and I can't recall it. She made a point about all of us being connected, some little anecdote about being in class and watching us all affect each other. She was one of those seasoned, tough teachers. I love it when a teacher makes a point of insisting we stick to savasana, no fidgeting or scratching. I got used to that in NYC, the strict teachers there.
The class was typical Monday morning 10am crowded, which means it wasn't. I was in the middle row, and there was actually no one in front of me, so sparse was the room. Still, it's a big room, and there were about 20-30 people there.
MY PRACTICE
- I started out stiff again, those darned neck muscles. Slowly loosened up a bit. Neck muscles making it difficult to do the initial standing series with the arms up overhead, hands clasped, palms glued together. I used to be able to get my elbows near my ears, and I would try and try so hard to squeeze my hands and arms together overhead. Now I can barely stand to keep my arms up during the series.
- The ab muscles are starting to wake up, and near the end of class as they strengthened, my neck muscles were less stiff, or maybe I was relying on the neck muscles less. Excited to see this development, damnit all.
- Thigh muscles, specifically the quad muscles - forget about. I almost want to start doing squats FOR Bikram practice.
- I hate to be premature about this, but maybe, just maybe, my locust pose is starting to wake up. It is my worst pose, always has been, worse than standing head to knee. Do I just have no butt muscles? No back muscles to speak of? I don't quite get the instructions of using your hands pressed on the floor. The last yoga teacher I asked about it told me that most people cheat, and kick up to get their legs that high, defying gravity. Of course, she was not a Bikram-trained yoa teacher.
- The room started out cooler than usual. I was also in a new spot, by the windows rather than near the door (less crowd and potential harassment). I was actually disappointed in the cooler temp, but it grew hot eventually.
- Some of my poses were weaker than the last class - the standing bow and the, er, regular bow (I sense a pattern). I have had nothing to eat today so far, so maybe that is it.
- Before class I had two electrolyte packets, and water, and that's it. My mind was racing as I drove to the studio, and it put me in an odd mood. As I was lying in savasana before class, I actually experienced a moment of boredom. Boredom! What's up with that? That's how distracted I was.
- And on that same note, I realized that my mind is really all over the place during class. Not enough to get my attention away from the poses or teacher's stream of instructions, but odd thoughts will come up, strange memories especially, my mind always going to the past. Savasanas are moments when I leave the room, floating along a stream of consciousness, when in fact I should be staying in the room, focusing on where I am at the moment. For being such a health/body/spiritually focused kind of girl, I'm amazed it took me this long to notice my distraction.
LATER IN THE EVENING
I feel like I've been so into this Bikram practice, and it's only been four days. Well, six days, four classes. Not even a week, and I'm prancing around like I'm some yoga guru, my life is so changed - pathetic. I'm trying to be cautious, and not considering myself anything until I've done this for at least a month regularly.
What is nice about doing Bikram yoga first thing in the morning, is how nice it is to focus on something other than the computer, email or the internet. I used to check my business online multiple times a day, and now it takes me about an hour after I get home from yoga (about noon) before I REMEMBER to check it. I would like that simple life, yoga and my work. Can't I just simplify everything down to those two things?
I hate to jinx myself, but there is not much in the way of distractions this week, nothing too demanding on the schedule, so I'm going to try to make it every day to Bikram class. Already after four classes, I do see a bit of difference physically, as I feel slimmer, more upright, better posture. I've lost one pound - hurray! I notice I still habitually stretch and move and try to crack various joints, then I stop myself because there is no need for it. What other exciting developments are going to take place? I am expecting - nothing. No visions of toned physique, dramatic weight loss, melting of cellulite and extraneous flesh. Just get to the studio, get on the mat.
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