Bikram Yoga, Day 5

BEFORE CLASS - Today is a mental day. Anticipation led to hesitation, stomach not feeling so great. The euphoria of new practice has worn a bit. But here I am in the parking lot, just pulled in. Hope... Was going to say, "hope I make it through the class" but I have to remind myself I have one task, just lie down.

AFTER CLASS - again, writing this in the parking lot, just after class. Class was fine, no problem. Shows the illusion of the monkey mind tricks. The initial poses were quite strong actually. I think it's because I had something to eat in the morning before coming. I was going strong until the triangle pose, the peak of the class. So maybe I used up all of my energy on those strong beginnings.

The teacher was D, the newbie drill instructor. She does her job just fine, keeps the class going. But geez, I wish she would slow down for just a bit. Does she even give herself a moment to breathe? At the, end she announced that we finished early. Well that means ya gotta slow down! I don't know for a fact that she is new, but she has yet to really connect with the class, like shes focused on just keeping to class going, keeping the dialogue perfect. So there's no corrections really, no bits of wisdom. Does she yet have wisdom to share? I guess in the future it won't deter me to see that she's teaching the class. It is my own practice after all.

My issues - my stomach took a turn last night, after eating some popcorn, of all harmless things. Maybe that was it, from the fake coffee & cream, to a bit of brownie, then finally with the popcorn, it's now rebelling. Then this morning my stomach acts up again, which made me hesitate to get to the 10am class. As always it behaved fine during class. In the past minor physical issues like this would have kept me from going anywhere, doing anything I didn't have to do. But the rest of my body wanted to go to class, so I just dismissed it as my body adjusting, and that I would have tro suck it up a bit.

LATER IN THE DAY - Not being much of an athlete, I tend to associate tired sore muscles with the onset of a cold. So now that I am entering the all over body sore phase in this new practice, my initial reaction is to take it easy, to take a nap, rest, or take a hot bath or shower. I have to remind myself that I am physically working my body, waking up muscles that have been asleep for a few years, and that I must keep trudging through the day. Not that this proves very difficult, as I work on my own, no boss to hide from. But sometimes that is where all the tricky territory lies, in being ones own boss. I can get away with anything.