#30in40: Week 4 Reflections

• Intro
• Week 1
• Week 2
• Week 3

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Yoga Challenge, Week 4 -

• Monday 7:30 p.m., Hatha II, Beth: Class #19 – Beth announced last week that we would be working on crow pose for the month of February – different poses to help lead into it, poses to help sustain it, etc.  Tonight’s class was full of arm strengthening exercises and balancing.  I was definitely less stable in some of my balancing poses but still able to maintain pretty well.  My hamstrings were cooperating more in certain poses – especially my forward folds – than they normally do, and I felt a great sense of length about my body tonight.  As far as getting up in crow, I was barely able to sustain the pose tonight, but I could really feel my arms engaging and they felt strong – the balancing part was just off.
• Tuesday 5 p.m., Hatha I/II, Emily: Class #20 – Emily led us through an awesome class focusing on lower body – hellllooooooo calves (and hamstrings!) – with some crazy balancing flows and a revolved half moon pose that was really intense.  My right neck/shoulder was bothering me before class (levator scapula muscle all in a tizzy), and even though the class was focused on the lower body, I felt a lot less tense in those spots after class.  The coolest thing happened to me after class this evening.  I saw some old friends of mine – one friend came up to me and said, “You know, you look like you haven’t aged a bit in the 4 1/2 years that I’ve known you,” which I thought was sweet but didn’t think much of.  Shortly after that, another friend approached me and said “I swear you look younger.”  That really got the wheels in my head spinning – yoga much??  I’ve often noticed that regular practitioners of yoga (and recipients of massage!) look younger – smoother skin, less fine lines and wrinkles, overall glow – and to think I might already be reaping those kind of benefits for myself is AWESOME.
• Wednesday 7:30 p.m., Hatha II, Zelinda - Class #21 – Zelinda led us through a fun, high energy class tonight.  One of my favorite parts of class was when she had us go through sun salutations, everyone at their own pace, for a good 5+ minutes.  I moved slowly with lots of deep breathing, opened my hips out to the sides on one pass through, lowered my chaturanga in a 4-count once, and really tried to feel the muscles engaged in each stage.  Something that has really become apparent to me over the last couple of classes is that there are definite deep changes going on within my body, particularly my hips and shoulders.  I feel like there is a rearranging going on at a muscular level, maybe even a fascial level.  Not even necessarily that I’m more flexible – I am in certain things, but not in others – but that years of conditioning are being re-woven within me.  It’s hard to describe.  Tonight I was particularly feeling it in my shoulders – my arms move differently, my shoulders lay differently on my back.  It’s intense, and taking note of the new sensations is almost overwhelming, but in an interesting and neat way.  Towards the end of class we partnered up to give each other assistance into deeper forward folds (palms on the lower back, gently offering pressure if warranted), and I was able to get deeper into a forward fold than ever before.  These changes are staggering and totally welcome.  :)
• Saturday 9:15 a.m., Hatha I/II, Zelinda: Class #22 – I had a hard time in class this morning.  Every pose felt like a tremendous effort, and I just couldn’t hold poses like I normally can.  I found myself in child’s pose often, just trying to find my breath and relax; it was tough but I just tried to listen to what I needed and honor my body.  When class was over I felt more tired than anything.  (ETA: Turns out I think I was beginning to get sick and this is what I was feeling in class.  I am now in the grips of a full-fledged cold/flu like thing.)

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Last week I was only able to attend four classes at the studio.  My car was in the shop from Thursday morning to Friday evening (though hopefully the issues it has been having are resolved!), and Sunday morning when I woke up it felt like I had swallowed a million burning razor blades.  I am still very sick today, having started with a fever to 100.4 this morning around 11 a.m. and still going.  Missing yoga tonight and tomorrow is frustrating on me mentally, especially because I was really feeling some DEEP changes in yoga last week that I was really excited about, but I am trying to take it easy on myself and will just get back in the swing of things when I’m able.  I think all the stress I’ve been dealing with, especially with my dad, finally just caught up to me.  On that note, I am going to take some more Nyquil and get back in bed.  

<3 C