Class #7 Deep Stretch with Sara

So the beautiful snow has slowed down the yoga quest a little bit. On the plus side, Amanda and I have been warming ourselves next to the fireplace with the kittens. Can't really complain. I was starting to get a little stir crazy though. With the roads a little safer today it was time to get this quest back on track and check back in with the Amsa community. Hopefully the weather will stay safe enough for me to catch up to the pace in the next couple days. So this was a fun class as people who normally come to different times mingled together during the first time available after the snow began. It's always neat to see new faces and those who I only run into on the rare occasions I make a class that usually conflicts with my schedule. Here's how it went down:

Good: Man I love Standing Forward Bend Uttanasana http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/478. I have been practicing it more lately. It helps de-stress me and just feels fun to do and say. I have been working lately on the variation where you have each hand grasp the other elbow behind the knees while folded forward and I am making some good progress there. I got a little buzz today in class after that pose. I felt like whatever asana was next I was ready to greet it.

Bad: We did one asana that I think was a variation on Camel Pose Ustrasana http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/688 that we went into from Low Lunge Anjaneyasana http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/2494. Basically it was like regular Camel Pose but with one leg extended forward with the knee above the foot. It can be pretty scary to bend backwards because you can't really see exactly where you are headed. Once again, my mind got in the way of my body. I know I can do a fairly decent back bend because I actually enjoy Seal Pose (the more extended variation of Cobra Bhujangasana http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/471). I think I will work on this pose at home with Amanda spotting me until it feels a little more comfortable mentally. Meanwhile I will keep reminding myself that it is not that big a deal if I take a little tumble on a padded mat while surrounded by friendly caring people.

Yummy: I talked about it a little earlier, but yoga with snow outside after a couple days of isolation has heightened the anticipation is just good times. I also have really been wanting to make it to a little more intensive class even before the snow interval. While this was not Ashtanga, there were definitely some stretches where I felt the burn. I love that yoga can both calm me down and pump me up.

Be back soon and hopefully with two classes to catch up to the pace. Till then!

Class #6 Yoga Basics with Kimberly

This was the second class in a double header. I absolutely loved this class and highly recommend it to anyone starting out or who wants to ground themselves and check in on the fundamentals. Michael, if you are reading this, you are coming to the next one even if I have to drag you there by your pony tail. You have been warned. So if you have read a couple of my posts then you know I am working to improve my focus and breathing. This class was a wonderful opportunity to do so.

Good: My plank pose http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/470 is getting a little better. It takes a little longer before I start getting shaky. Hurray practice!

Bad: So I found out I have been doing cat pose Marjaryasana http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/2468
and cow pose Bitilasana http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/2467 suboptimally. I really need to activate my arms and shoulders more and get full extension. I (obviously) can't explain it as well as one of the talented teachers at Amsa, but I could definitely feel the difference and should get more out of these poses in the future.

Yummy: It was a great atmosphere since the class was full of beginners looking to learn and start their own new journey. Just a great positive and optimistic feeling vibe. I can't wait until the next one!

Thanks for checking in everyone and see you soon!

Class #5 Slow Mindful Flow with Sara

Okay time to catch up a little with some weekend yoga. I was hoping for the three in a row, but I just couldn't leave the warm bed on a cold winter morning while snuggled cozily under covers with the wife and two kittens. Oh well, two is still good. So I got there on time for some more slow mindful flow with Sara. I leisurely got my mat ready, signed in, got a water bottle, and went to splash some water on my face to wake up a little. Shockingly, time had continued to flow since I walked in the door and I was actually a minute late sitting on my mat. My bad Sara. The beginning of a class is usually when the instructor goes over a principle or theme that grounds that day's practice and it is crucial foundation work. This class and the one that followed were both important reminders of how much my foundation needs to be solidified as well.

Good: So the transition from downward facing dog Adho Mukha Svanasana www.yogajournal.com/poses/491 to standing forward bend Uttanasana www.yogajournal.com/poses/478 often involves hopping the feet to between the hands. Ideally this is done slowly with control and core strength and is almost inaudible when the feet touch down. I managed for the first couple transitions to, if not be silent, at least be significantly quieter than usual. As is appropriate though, once I started dwelling on it and my ego crept in, so did some of the sound. Still, it is good to know that there is potential locked in my body if I can get my mind halfway under control.

Bad: Yoga is a lot more than just stretches and exercises with health benefits. Without going into the philosophy right now, let's just say that the breath and being able to connect both the mind and the body to the breath is really important to get the most out of practicing yoga. Despite good instruction, I just couldn't sync up as much as I wanted to. I don't think there is an easy answer to how to get breath well connected consistently with the body through a long series of movements (but if eating a turnip while hopping on one leg or something similar does the trick please let me know. I just have to keep working on it. Each moment and each breath is a new opportunity.

Yummy: So as some of you may or may not know, I love nature and especially the sounds that large scale nature can make. Obviously rain and ocean waves can be soothing, but I also enjoy more subtle sounds like wind blowing through the trees or the soft whisper of snow slowly drifting down and gently blanketing the world is a "shh"ing blanket as if to say "There, there quiet down it's okay. Let's share a few quiet secrets and then go to sleep." So anyways, I could hear the wind blowing through the big tree outside Amsa (I love that tree by the way) and it made me smile and helped me get through some tough holds.

Okay time for some sleep, but I will be back soon with further adventures in Yoga Basics and hopefully I can stockpile some Sunday classes as well. Thanks for reading everybody!

Class # 4 Slow Mindful Flow with Sara

It looks like Columbia's best secret is out. Amsa was packed again with eager yogis. Sara had us scoot forward and together to make room and we were good to go. It was a really fun class filled with a lot of energy and shard breath. I was in the back row and could still feel it.

Good: We did head to knee forward bends Janu Sirsasana www.yogajournal.com/poses/476 and I, you know, got my head to my knee. More importantly, I got there not with excessive strain but with slow breathing step by step on my exhales.

Bad: So we did Wide-Angle Seated Forward Bend Upavistha Konasana www.yogajournal.com/poses/684 and I did a little better at not getting frustrated by how little I can lean forward but I still need to work on my mental attitude for the poses that "feel" like I should be better at. I don't get grumpy about not being able to do the most advanced variations that look difficult, but I have got a lot of work to do so that I can consistently find a healthy balance of striving but not stressing over the "simple" poses that are currently out of reach.

Yummy: Lots of yummy to choose from. Great adjustments helped me get closer to the essence of some of the poses. Sara does a wonderful job of not just "fixing" the students but reminding them of what the core of a pose is. Sometimes I (and presumably others) focus on the wrong part like straining to get a hand to the ground in extended triangle pose Utthita Trikonasana www.yogajournal.com/poses/494 instead of working on opening up the chest and creating a line straight up from one hand to the other through the shoulders.
In an effort to find more focus I also tried keeping my eyes closed except when looking for instruction or balance purposes. This definitely helped quiet my mind a little and also slowed down my comparisons with others. My breath is certainly not where I want it to be, but I felt some progress this class using the method of thinking "in" when breathing in and "out" when breathing out.
Oh, and I got to meet one of the new(ish) people of Amsa's growing community. Katie is a friend of Kerry's (so you know she must be nice) and a fellow USC alum. She does counseling work and is hoping to work with veterans. It seems like most of the people at Amsa are involved with helping others in some way. I don't think it's a coincidence.

See everybody soon!

Class #3 Yin Yoga with Kimberly

Wow, I really needed this class. With school starting the next morning, I had a pretty bad stress headache. Fortunately, yoga is always there to soothe the mind and provide focus. Once again, class was pretty packed and I definitely saw several other people with school ties. Maybe they were looking for some comfort too... Two spots were left up front this time so I tried to leave my ego tucked away with my shoes in my little cubby and headed out on the floor.

Good: The name has slipped my mind, but we got into a position where we sat with one leg stretched out in front of us and the other was curved with the foot underneath our rumps. I can do this sitting flat on the ground but I tip over like a ship that's hit an iceberg so I used the alteration that Kimberly offered the class of sitting one cheek on a block to even out. The fun part was when we reclined back onto a cushion with our shoulders so our body from the outstretched leg to the shoulders was approximately parallel to the floor. So, obviously, I am not that great at this position, but I was able to hold it on each side until it was time to move to a new position. In the past I have had a lot of trouble not fidgeting and trying to come up early. So a little progress there.

Bad: So we did some low lunges Anjaneyasana www.yogajournal.com/poses/2494 with our hands palm down on the floor on either side of the forward leg. I know that I should use blocks if I am not getting both hands down stably on the floor, but I have lingering lookarounditis and don't want to when a lot of other students are reaching the ground without blocks. The pose cannot help me as much if I don't do it properly and stably but I did one side with no blocks. At least I faced reality and used blocks on the second side. Oh Jesse, this isn't weighlifting or something, let go of the ego and just be in the moment letting the poses do their magic.

Yummy.: It was just a good place to be with a lot of positive energy during a stressful time and I definitely got rid of some tension. Kimberly was also kind enough after class to suggest some poses to help in my home practice for when I am having a rough time. Thanks Kimberly and thanks everyone who helped make the class great!

Class #2 Deep Stretch with Sara

Hello again. Thanks everyone who has already visited my little blog and/or shared feedback with me. Sorry this post is a little later than I expected. I tried to go to an earlier class but didn't quite make it on time. I often try to fit too much into a day and wind up rushing from one place to another. While this can be fun and exciting, it often leads to disappointment and sometimes I let myself or important people in my life down by my attempts to cram many activities into a small amount of time. Hopefully I can remember this latest experience and use it to make a little better decisions in the future. Anyways, I did manage to make it Sara's class (early!)this evening. Here's how it went:

Good: I managed to rock a fairly decent Standing Forward Bend/Fold (are those different?) Uttanasana. I continue to have a lot of trouble with simple seated forward bend Paschimottanasana which I don't understand why is so different since it seems so similar. Any idea out there? Maybe the standing version is easier because "Uttanasana" is fun to say and hear and I usually smile and relax whenever the teacher says it...

Bad: Oh pigeon pose... Eka Pada Rajakapotasana
Sometimes this pose is fun and feels great. Sometimes though, one or both legs are really cranky and lowering myself below my elbows and staying there is really rough. So one side totally did not want to lower today while the other felt like I was barely doing anything when my forehead was on the floor. If my legs are that asymmetrical maybe I should live on a sharply sloped mountain side.

Yummy: Even getting to the class early there were only a few spaces open. I like to be near a wall and it really helps me to see the instructor well, so it was front right for me today. I was a little worried at first about the location because the music was understandable loud right in front of the speakers and I get a little self conscious when I am in the front row. Fortunately though, it wound up being a great place for me. There were several songs I really liked (the electric guitar Amazing Grace was especially sweet) and I got to be really enveloped and supported by the music during difficult poses. Plus, since I was right next to the instructor, my mistakes stuck out like a crooked blind and I am sure I got more adjustments than I would if my awkward angles had been hiding in the back.

So a good class and a good lesson reinforcing patience and not getting bogged down in silly concerns. Thanks for reading everybody and make sure to check out the new additions to the "characters" descriptions on the right. Please let me know if I can either improve your description or if I have not gotten to you yet and would like to be added. See you soon!

Class #1 Yin and Flow Yoga with Kimberly

Welcome everyone to the first step of this journey. So the quest is simple to describe but will be challenging to achieve. I will be attempting to participate in 365 yoga classes before midnight December 31st 2011. The majority of these will be at Columbia's Amsa Yoga Studio(www.amsayoga.com).
I am fortunate enough to be a short walk away from an amazing community of nurturing instructors and practitioners. For each class I will give a brief description of what I felt was Good, Bad, and Yummy. The Good will be an area I feel I am making progress in, the Bad will be an area that I will try to work further on or need to adjust my attitude towards, and the Yummy will be something cool that I especially enjoyed and/or made me smile.

1)Good: My hero pose (Virasana) www.yogajournal.com/poses/490 is getting better. I used to really dread whenever this pose came up. It still is difficult to stay in for a long time for me without fidgeting and having my mind chatter, but I am in a better place now than I was just a few weeks ago.

2)Bad: When I go from Chaturanga Dandasana www.yogajournal.com/poses/469 to Up Dog (Urdhva Mukha Svanasana) www.yogajournal.com/poses/474 after I've been in plank pose for a little while my belly keeps scraping the ground. Just gotta keep working on it and building up some more core strength and endurance.

3)Yummy: One of the practitioners is completing teacher training and the class was fortunate enough to enjoy adjustments from both her and Kimberly. I thank you and my formerly bent triangle pose thank you.

4)Bonus Yummy: My friend Kerry was right behind me and helped me focus with her steady Pranayama Breathing. Thanks Kerry. Your breath is awesome. ; )

Thanks everyone for reading and I'll be back soon with more yoga adventures.