The Long Respite

Back to The Peak today for not only my first trip into the gym in 2 weeks, but of course, my first yoga class during the same time.  I appologize for not posting in a while.  Just before the Christmas Break, I had a death in the family.  My 20 year old nephew died down in California.  My boys and I packed up our things and drove down to Temecula to be with my sister and to mourn.  Needless to say, it was a long, exhausting 2 weeks.  Now that we are home and the boys are back in school, it is easier to get back into the usual routines of working out and yoga.

This morning was the first class of the new year, and it was easy to tell as the class was packed!  The parking lot was full and there were at least twice as many people working out than usual.  So there I am, sitting on my mat and breathing through the nose to prepare myself.  I was really looking forward to getting back.  I was reflecting on the past 2 weeks and wondered how yoga would go as I have been easily distracted and preoccupied lately.  Once we started though, it was all good.  One nice thing about the new year and new faces, Cyndy, our instructor, took it easy with traditional, beginning poses.  Nothing too crazy.  Since I haven’t been in 2 weeks, I welcomed this approach.  The holiday fare that I have been eating has taken it’s toll.  I knew it would.  So the first class back was enjoyable.  I have now realized that I need to seriously readjust my diet.  I have gained all of the weight I lost 2 years ago.  I know how to do it, just need to get that self-discipline back.  Loosing a few lbs. will definitely help with the yoga.  So bottom line is, great to be back on the mat and working on me again.

~ NAMASTE ~

Paying For My Athletic Past

Well, I pretty much knew that my yoga experience would be an interesting journey.  So far it has failed to disappoint…lol.  I was confident that the spiritual part I would easily embrace.  However, I knew it would be the physical part of yoga that would be tough to overcome.  I am not a skinny, limber person.  I am a former collegiate lineman with a corresponding body type.  My muscular body doesn’t have the same flexibility as a smaller, thinner person.  With that said, throw in some old sports injuries such as a broken left wrist that has half of its former flexibility and a right knee that had a torn meniscus tendon that limits flexibility of that knee, well you get the picture.  I have some joint limitations that make some of the poses tougher than what would be for others.  So when we were doing a pose today that was almost a lotus position, I knew this would be near impossible.  I was right!  Needless to say I was doing a “modified” pose…lol.  I do my utmost to do the correct poses, especially when my body says it can’t do it.  But I attempt them, none-the-less.  Because it’s about pushing your body to its limits and then push just a bit further.  Thank goodness there are no cameras in the class.  I also thank God there are other males in the class.  In fact, today, I bet there was at least 6 guys in the class.  So with that, I don’t get the, “Why are you the only guy in class and why don’t you leave if you don’t know this stuff”.  Luckily, it is a beginning yoga class, so that helps me out…lol.  But with more guys in class, you don’t get the women thinking you are some perv or something.  I take this yoga seriously.  I want to solidify my “core”, gain better balance, flexibility and spirituality.  So I am fairly confident I am on the right path.  My body is telling me I am more flexible than the first classes.  I am also hoping that I gain more flexibility in my damaged joints as well.  I know that it is long-term in making that happen.  But, bottom line is, I am enjoying the experience so far, and as long as I am seeing/feeling a difference, I am all-in.

~Namaste~

Yoga: A Poem

The following poem/saying was read to us by our instructor, Cyndy, in the closing of one of our yoga classes last week.  It kind of hit home with me and re-enforced my feelings that not only is yoga a physical exersise, but an exercise in spirituality as well.  I wanted to share it on the blog for all of you.  ~Namaste~

Yoga is not about the pose

It’s not the alignment of toes or hips or shoulders

It’s not about the form.

Yoga is an invitation to explore,

not a command performance.  

It speaks the language of the soul.

In the flow of breath and motion,

yoga coaxes us from the confines of the known,

across the silent threshold into vastness.

Yoga is the union of prayer and movement,

guided from inside.

It is healing and the joy of saying yes to life.

Breathe, relax and feel the body receive it’s own truth.

The seed of freedom flowers within each of us

whenever we are open to what’s real.

The Week After Thanksgiving

So, interesting week in yoga.  Wasn’t as strenuous as sessions before.  One thing I have noticed about this week, my old body needs stretching before class.  Which is kinda funny.  As an ex athlete, I should know better, right?   Bottom line is I am starting to notice physical changes in my body.  I am starting to notice positive things from yoga.  Looking forward to this coming week.

~ Namaste ~

Yoga Girl

This video was placed on my Facebook feed by my yoga instructor, Cyndy.  I thought it was funny.

Walk Softly and Carry a Big Stick

New week and my first class since the Thanksgiving break.  Now, normally I will “just show up” to my yoga classes and dive right in.  Well, maybe not dive…more like dip my foot in the waters and see if I like it.  Today, I decided to do something different.   I got to The Peak a half-hour before class so that I could stretch these middle-aged muscles.  The plan worked!  Instead of yoga stretching me out first, I was able to do the yoga moves better.  Who knew?!  Oh, yeah, the stick.  You were probably wondering what the stick is that I referred to in my post title.  Well…after the usual opening poses…you call them poses in yoga?  Well, we partnered up and each team was given a wooden dowel roughly 4′ long.  While one partner bent over in a 90° pose with their hands reaching out to touch the wall, the partner used the stick to ensure the tailbone, shoulder blades and head were all aligned straight.  Yes, I discovered a couple of long lost muscles on this one.  We then proceeded to a down dog position and your partner used the stick up under the belt line and raised up.  That extra stretch surprised even myself.  So today’s class wasn’t as strenuous in the cardiovascular sense, but it sure helped with the stretching and flexibility I was looking for going into this.  The pre-class stretching proved valuable as I felt I was a bit more flexible and my breathing was better controlled.  Softer class+big stick=

~ NAMASTE ~

Thanksgiving Week

Kind of a short week due to Thanksgiving.  I already blogged about the cardio yoga lesson that whipped me.  Since the classes are held Tuesdays and Thursdays, obviously we didn’t have one Thanksgiving morning.  I tell you what though, the way I ate this weekend, I will be working hard the next couple of weeks.  Lite weekly wrap up post today.  Promise to be my humorous self this next week.

 

~Nemaste~

Cardio Yoga

So, second week of yoga.  I’m starting to understand this yoga thing.  I understand that it is harder than I anticipated.  I understand there are muscles I never knew I had.  You get the picture…lol.  With that said, I learned something else about yoga.  I learned there is something called cardio yoga.  Really?  Cardio yoga?  Yes folks, we got after it on Tuesday.   It started off fairly similar to my other classes.  But by midway through the session, we were doing this arms above head, back-and-forth, down to back, push out chest, drop to plank, lower body to mat, facing up dog, down dog, then snap up to put one leg in front with other trailing behind while reaching arms to the ceiling…  Man I hope I explained it right.  Lord knows it was the craziest 15 minutes of my adult life!  I guarantee this was a challenge for every one else (read: slim women), but for this 6’1″ 270 lbs dude, it was torture!  I was so glad when it was over and I hadn’t keeled over.  Finally we went into the laying down and meditating part at the end.  I know there is a name for it, but I haven’t learned that one yet.  I should, because its my favorite part of the workout…lol.  So with this being Thanksgiving week and we all have things to be thankful for, I give thanks to being able to survive yoga.  Until next weeks session…
~ Namaste ~

My First Week

So the first week of my yoga foray is in the books.  This out-of-shape middle-aged guy made it!   I discovered several muscles that either I forgot I had or they made their first ever appearance.  Kind of like discovering a new planet.  Yoga is a lot more difficult than anticipated.  We all stereotype things, and yoga is no different.   The male ego says that yoga will be easy.  Well, I will be the first to admit that it isn’t and I was so, so wrong.  So believe it or not, I am looking forward to this next week.  I do know that this is a long-term deal.  Rome wasn’t built in a day, and my road to physical and spiritual well being won’t be as well.  So, bring it on yoga!

Are People Supposed to Bend Like That?

Alright.  Went to The Peak this morning for the twice-weekly Yoga 101 class this morning.  Cyndy, the instructor informed us that we are doing lower body work this morning, which is great, cause she crushed me with upper body stuff the other day…lol.  We are all told to get a strap.  A strap?  WTH are we going to do with that?  I soon found out!  We opened up with some exercises on all fours.  I think they were some of those dog ones?  Seems like standard stuff.  Then we did some spine stretching by having our hands above our heads, then lean it over to the right and then the left.  Then we bend down and touch the feet and back up, bend the back and chest out.  Then repeat.  Breathing deliberately between moves.  Still wondering about the strap?  Me too!  So we eventually put the strap to use.  I’m told to put it under one foot, raise said foot with the strap, and BALANCE.  Right?  The instructor tells everyone that we can go to the walls if we don’t think we will be able to do it.  It was like cockroaches scurrying when the lights come on…lol.   EVERY one shot to the walls for support.  I was one of them…lol.  Although, I actually balanced better than I thought, so I ventured away from the wall to see what would happen.  Not bad!  We return back to the mat and we lie down and we are doing some moves with the legs stretched out using the strap.  Then to place our leg across the body to touch the ground and have your back and shoulders flat on the mat.  WOW what a stretch!   There were a couple of other extremely strenuous leg stretches with the strap.  Bottom line is, today was tough.  But in a different way.  Today was stretching some muscles I haven’t stretched in years.  Note to self:  When the instructor tells you to “grab a strap”, know it will be a workout!

~NAMASTE~