Good Intentions

Well more good intentions out the window. Project deadlines continue to crash down on me at work so I didn't make it to Mysore once again. I forsee a pattern repeating itself until the end of next week. And I see my yoga clothes and mat rotting away on my office floor no less. I'm scared they're going to start thinking of me as the very delinquent and flaky yogi at my school! lol! I'm just going to have to say, "But, but, I had very good intentions" But I digress ...

So once again the very flexible yogi that I am, I went home and did Kino's very excellent Primary series DVD. Among my many Ashtanga vid's (I have a few, oops! David Swenson, Beryl Bender Birch, John Scott, David Garrigues, Ease Into Ashtanga by Yoga Hawaii among others, must do reviews on some of them as there so good in different ways.) Kino's has very nice pacing. Somebody said it's the same as Sharath's pacing. It lends itself more to my own breath count which is a little faster than most (due, I'm quite sure, to years of smoking in the far away past. Ouch!). And I just love moving a little quicker as I have less dread factor. Haha! I tend to need to move a little quicker so it doesn't feel as much of a mental and physical slog especially when I'm feeling very fatigued or sleepy. Though saying that, I do like to relax into the seated poses especially when I want to go deep or need a wee bit of calculated strength mustering. I tend to find ashtanga at home can feel so daunting after work and doing it at more of a clip with great music on really helps me to focus and "Just Do It or Just get it on" if you know what I mean.

Anyway it was a good practice after mentally psyching myself to "get it on the mat!" and almost backing out twice. My music helped with momentum and Kino's wonderful cues got me in the zone. I lacked a little sweat factor in standing but my seated was no shortage as I didn't shirk my vinyasa's. Yeah! Man those vinyasa's can keep you warm especially when you don't cheat and do them between sides.

Practice Overview

I'm just going to speak about the positives and accomplishments in practice this time:
• I can now touch my chin to shin in parvottanasana
• Also in parvottanasana I can get my hands in backwards prayer without being super warm. Before I could only do this in class as my wrists and shoulders are super tight. My shoulders are another story which deserves another post, no pun intended. lol! So this is quite an improvement. Though bottom palms of hands remain apart. (Oops! Wasn't supposed to say negs.) But will get there yet!
• My forward folds are getting deeper and deeper with torso now skimming legs. Way awesome.
• My marichyasana C twists are getting deeper and deeper. I can fully bind with hand to wrists and my twists feels deep and sweet. Improvements would be loving to see my shoulders more level. Hopefully that will come in time as my shoulders open more, I think?

I did up to the marichyasana's and left Kino there. I felt SO accomplished having done it since I honestly have to psych myself up each time. But it makes it all the more rewarding when I complete it. Hallellujah! Also, was quite proud that I did two practices in a row. Not common for me as I do still need to be cognizant of my wrists and not work them two days in a row. So slap my wrists! It's always nice to break the rules sometimes!

Practice and all is coming ...

Feeling Like Levity

Didn't make it to Mysore today. Had all good intentions with bag and mat all packed and lugged to work. But work took over, and client demands must be answered to. So of course had to work late. Humf! It's so funny as suddenly our client is all giddyup whereas before it was all dribs and drabs and twiddle of thumbs. Oh well at least the day goes by faster and you feel very productive. But none-the-less I missed my class. 

So what does a girl do, have a flexible plan as always! Home practice here I come and I can choose what I feel like doing no less! So I felt like some levity and happiness instead of the oh so deep and focused ashtanga. And who fits that bill better than Eoin Finn's Power Yoga for Happiness to get a smile on my face. A year ago he even tickled my feet, so I know he'll get me happy! Now don't get any ideas it was in a class he held at my yoga school. Haha! And he has the most amazingly smooth and well directed voiceover with just the right verbal cues to get you deep and rightly aligned in a pose. Yet the atmosphere is happy and playful which just gets me in a good mood. Can't beat that.

 What I love too about this disk, or disks as there's 2, is that there's a great balance of power yoga and ashtanga. But less intense and more fun. It allows me to get my bhanda on and be stronger in my arm balances without being so poopered out as in a full ashtanga class. He even includes jump thrus and backs from seated -- can you tell I love those -- though still unmastered! And he sprinkles in some great arm balances such as crow, galavasana, vasisthasana, the fun and challenging tittibhasana to crow to chatarunga and the very impressive astavakrasana thru to chatarunga. Just love that one as I can now do it on my right side. YES! Don't ask about the left, that's a sorry sight. And it's a 2 disk package with five different practices of varying lengths to choose from. He's a very generous and innovative guy. Love him! Oh and just love his little doggy doing updog in the vid too! Now if that don't get a smile on I don't know about you!

So all in all I still got a good practice, felt accomplished and finished with a happy face! 

Practice and all is coming ...

P.S. This dvd was one of my many faithful go to's when I still hadn't yet stepped into a yoga studio while I was recovering from chronic fatigue. I could never do I full session but I always did what I could.

Cloudy with Rainbows ... And Peter Pan

I've been experiencing some cloudy days lately. It happens to everybody, I'm no exception. But when I have those days it's then I remember that those are the days you get to see the rainbows! So I decide to look to the rainbows when I'm going through the clouds. Rainbows mean promises to me. And I love this song called "Look to the Rainbow" reminds me of a promise in the bible in Isaiah I got, oh so long ago, that I'm still "looking-expecting" for and it also starts with "Look ..." So, I'll keep looking to the rainbows until it happens. But I digress ...

Noteworthy Mysore Happenings

Bhuji: 

Nearly got my head to the floor! Just one more inch and I would've stuck it. All the while with feet not touching. Nice! Got back up but flopped again trying to get legs to bakasana. Went back and did bakasana again but no jump back yet, only because the knees are at an odd resting place on the sides of the arms and not on top. Would love to see the day when with total and superior bhanda pride I can hike those errant knees UP! so I can jump back like the pros do. I think being able to hike my knees high enough is my ticket outta there. ... Don't be misled I can jump back badass style — well kinda badass style — when my knees are up. Just can't hike them up from bhuji yet. Humph!

Garbha:
S. graduated me to garbha pindasana! My first graduation in mysore.

Kurmasana:
Was satisfying, as my legs are getting straighter. Still must look like dogs breakfast to other finely tuned yogi's but it's mine all mine!

Supta K:
I did it again without adjustments. Cool! Still secretly would've loved it but I did it all by myself with bound fingers and head nicely nestled under crossed feet. Felt quite pleased with myself. Then I lifted up but wasn't able to get both feet back, did the flop again. Sometimes I can and sometimes I can't. It's one of those inconsistencies that what with practice will surely become more certain. May need to schedule in some practice sessions for bhuji and supta on my own when I'm less tired from practice to work on getting more coordination and lift happening. Also less sweaty and slippery! Lol!

The Piece de Resistance: Headstand!
Did it all by myself. Wait! That's not all. I did it in the middle of the room! WooHoo!! I went up with straight legs, did the 90° for about 5 breathes, went back up and then lowered. Truth be told my lowering lost it's classy control about three quarters of the way down and I plunked it. But man, that was nice!

All in all a satisfying practice. My next practice I want to focus on my jump backs from standing to really feel the weight transfer into my hands. Sometimes I feel it and sometimes I forget. So I really want to concentrate there. And also with the jump throughs in seated to lift my butt up a bit more, trying to control the swing through when my hips are higher and tucking my feet more. I don't want to concentrate on too many of the floats or I end up concentrating on none of them. It's my dyslexic multi-tasking disability. lol!

Practice and "looking" and all is coming ...


P.S. Silly things that lift my spirits: Got these cuty-cas booties from Winners for my birthday gift that makes me feel like I got my Peter Pan back. ;)

I Want to Look Like This!

I want to look like this coming out of bhujipidasana and supta kurmasana!

Is it wrong??? I can look like that when doing the old faithful crow. It never lets me down. And jumping back from that is a weeeee! So much fun. But doing it from bhuji and supta makes a fool out of me. Instead, even if I get into bhuji right my stamina is so spent that I can't barely get out for flopping. Then when I exit from supta kurmasana my exit is the novice way where my knees are flopping off the sides of my arms in a very cumbersome manner that it's practically impossible to jump back. I need to get to the core of things and find core lift to be able to get the knees higher. But by this time my stamina is at an all time low so I can't do bhuji and the exits out of it justice. Yet the whole point IS in building that stamina, which of course, as I said before, is not my strong point. Oh well, so much to learn in ashtanga that it's probably why I keep on coming back to the mat.

Practice and all is coming ...

Made it to Mysore ... again Or Put Down Your Braces and Pose!

Once again made it Mysore. I don't know why it seems like a feat but it still is. lol! But I digress ...

I had a great practice felt a bit stronger and smoother in my movements and had a better breathe/flow. Nice when the breathe becomes more coordinated with my movements. This has always been a sticking point for me and still is as I'm horrifically multi-task challenged. Breathe and movement, whaaaa??? But man how it feels gooood when I finally get to flow in the zone! One thing I've noticed though is I have an unusually fast breathe count. So I tend to slip in some extra breathes in postures or trick myself by starting my count on the second or third breathe. It's my cheat to go deeper in a posture. And my sneaky tactic in seated -- very useful indeedy -- to buy me extra time to rest, go deeper AND build the extra mojo I need for the lift-up-jump-backs. Whatever works I say! Haha!

Put Down Your Braces and Pose!

I decided to do something new and test my knee health by putting down my knee braces and pose without them! Yeah! Just for most of standing up to utthita hasta padangushthasana. I want to see how my knees fair with jumps and warriors. I then put them on for the rest of the practice. So far so good! Will know more tomorrow as my knees sometimes have a naughty delayed response. Cross fingers!

Postures & Practice

I actually did the half lotus on my right side for ardha baddha padmottanasana. That was amazing as I'm usually only able to do that on my left side. Yeah! I'm seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. lol! Though in seated my right was having none of it! Oh well, just keep on keeping on and one day, surprise! I'm trusting this practice as it never ceases to amaze me how due diligence really works it's magic on my body. And how sweet it is when the opening does inevitably come!

My jump backs were a wee bit stronger same with my jump throughs being more consistent. Made it to the marichy's before I needed to do the old plant hands down and plop back. Even my marichy's seemed more bindable and twistable. I practically got my knee down in mari-B on the first side. Totally cool. Of course the second side there is NO half lotus to speak of. All in good time, all in good time.

Urdhva dhanurasana was abysmal! That is SO inconsistent! One day I can get up, another day I'm a beached whale. Today was the latter. Yowza! Same goes with headstand. Took 3 freakin tries to get up with straight legs AND S. had to help me up on my last go round. Waaaa??? And don't talk about lowering to 90! That was a total bailout. Last time I did it I was able to get up on my own and do 90. What the flip! Ah, the mystery of inconsistency! Who can explain it. 

Practice and surely all is coming??? lol

Weekend Birthday Bash & Legs at Home

My Birthday Bash!

I've been a bit delinquent in posting as I was gearing up to my birthday celebrations. I had an amazing birthday bash this weekend with all my old family friends I grew up with and my cousins and family. It was a ball and so special and memorable! It was so much fun to reminisce and have a screach about the things I did growing up. What a blast! You'd think I was an old fogey! But I'm NOT! Not until I'm 100! 

My Mom and I made all the cakes for my birthday and the rest was catered at my cousin's house. I made a beautiful pink ombre cherry cake which was tri-colored on the inside too. Gotta go all out for my b'day!! I was smitten! It was awesome both to look at and to eat! It was so moist and cherry delicious just like an old-fashioned 60's cherry cake that your grandma used to make but on roids. Haha! Here's some pics. Too bad you can't lick the pic!

And here's what was left of my cake. Which is mine all MINE!

And this is the Tres Leches cake my Mom made. Divine!

Legs At Home

Got home too late tonight to do my normal leg routine at the gym. Stopped off at Cobs to pick up some double-chocolate scones on my way home for my dinner. Ssshhh! Don't tell anybody! I do this every once in awhile as a cheat day, though it's been 3 cheat days in a row. But it's my birthday so I'm allowed. ;) Then proceeded to get stuck on the subway sitting there for half an hour! Guess that's my just "desserts" punishment for being so naughty! So by the time I got home I was having none of the gym. So an at home one it had to be. Ideally I like to do my legs on Friday nights so I have the weekend free to my whims of fancy (as I hate being tied down to a schedule), whether it's lazing about, hanging with friends/family, partying (not so much these days! snort!) or doing step aerobics (best time as my neighbors are usually out and won't be bothered with the jigglies from my jumping. lol!) or yoga. So I took out my trusted Cathe Gym Styles Legs and gave my legs a nice burn. 

True to form Cathe worked my legs out! Even though it's low weights by my standards compared to the gym that woman can still work them out with high reps, low ends, pulses, slow counts, etc, that will work your leg muscles to the core. We did barbell squats, barbell plie squats (I like to use the barbell for this one even though they use free weights), free weight lunges with low ends and pulses, step ups on the high step (I use a 15 lb weight even though they use a band, I believe the band is just as hard, yowza!). Then after all that there's still the floor work. Holymalony Batman, I haven't even gotten there yet! I have more DOMS from the standing then I get from my heavy weights at the gym. Go figures! I think it's because I'm still not used to it since I haven't done her home weights in a while so it's still shocking my legs. A very good thing. Always good to mix it up and keep your muscles guessing. 

My Hopeful Schedule for This Week

Tomorrow I may try to do an online class with the amazing ashtanga teacher Jodi Blumstein at YogaGlo.com in particular her most recent class "Working Towards Leg Behind the Head" or more accurately eka pada sirsana (of 2nd series) to open my hips OR my fav DVD The Rocket to get my compressed primary, second and third series propulsion fix (I love this dvd as it has alot of arm balancing to train my bandha's and gain lightness). Wednesday is "set my face as a flint" to mysore. Then Thursday is up in the air and Friday to gym I go for my back, legs, chest, triceps and abs workout.

Practice and all is a-coming ...

Cross-training and Having a Blast with Step Blast!

Had a blast with Cathe Friedrich's Step Blast today! This woman knows how to literally BLAST you into the stratesphere with her blasts of high intensity intervals! If you want to build your VO2 max fast she's definitely the way to go for a short cut. Pretty much all her aerobics will incorporate high intensity blasts to push you to your limits. She wastes no workout getting you to your max output one way or the other. And it's always fun! This is an oldie but goodie step workout where it's pretty much high energy steady state for the warmup and 3 combo's then when she puts the combinations together at the end called "The Challenge" she adds in high intensity plyometric intensity blasts between each go around. It's awesome! Check out the video starting at 5:31, 6:19 and 6:51 and  and you'll see her start adding in the intensity blasts. Her last blast at 6:51 is a doozer (just drag the little ball over to 6:51, it will let you really it will) starting with benign 3 repeaters with an over the board, face, and over the board and then SURPRISE, 2 plyo-jacks followed by 2 air-jacks followed by one tuck jump and jump ropes and then you do the 3 repeaters, over face and over, plyo's, cycling through it 5 more times!! Yowza!! It's so freakin invigorating and fun, fun, fun!! A total BLAST!!

Cross-Training

I was pleasantly surprised that I was able to keep up with this one and not stopping too much to catch my breathe and doing most of it at full output. Awesome! What's also quite amazing is how I'm noticing that the cross-training with ashtanga, weights, and step aerobics is really benefiting each other. For instance what was so surprising is that I found the plyometric blasts easier than the steady state as my legs are getting so much stronger from my leg weight training (90lb leg extensions @ 6 sets-4 turned out and 2 straight, 100lb barbell plie squats @ 3 sets)! My legs are so strong from the weights that I don't feel it in them for plyo's which feels amazing. It just eventually hits me aerobic's wise. But that is even getting better fast as it becomes easier on my legs and also the stamina being built in my cardio capacity. Moreover, the cardio is causing my ujjayi breathe to be a bit more open and steady and contributing to a bit more stamina in ashtanga. Still a work in progress though! lol! So it's all feeding on each other. Quite remarkable but shouldn't be so surprising. Yet it's so neat to actually see the benefits of it.

Forgot to Post

Did an awesome weight workout on Saturday. As I still have to be careful with my wrists always wearing my wrist braces and weights gloves I have been able to start back a limited upper body routine. And of course always wearing my knee braces: So I got in my:

Back: (didn't overdo it this time. Shewf!)
• Seated Lat Pulldown: 3 x 12 (60lb)
• Seated machine row: 3 x 12 (60lb)

Leg Extensions: 90lb + weight plate
• feet turned out to get my vastus medialis to stabilize my patella, 1 x 18, 3 x 13
• feet straight to get overall quads, 2 x 10

Barbell Plie Squats: 100lb
• 2 x 16 reps + 4 reps of 3 pulse squats going for the burn

Pec Dec: 45lb
• great cause it doesn't require your wrists
• 3 x 12

Tricep Pushdowns: 75lb
• safer for my wrists right now than the cable pulldowns
• 3 x 15

Abs: Killer 80° incline bench
• 1 x 40, hands crossed on chest, KILLER!
• some mat frog leg situps, really gets your upper core especially when muscles are already worked!
• reverse situps and leg lifts to get lower core. Hoping this will benefit me with achieving, one day in the not so distant future, the floaty jump backs and forwards and fancy fun hand balancing postures.

Practice and all is coming ...