Yoga Crazyness.... Wonderful Crazyness!

So I have been busy with work and of course yoga classes. I did my 60 day challenge at Bliss Yoga Spa and managed to get 45 classes in! Not bad juggling a full time mortgage business and 2 kids a husband and 2 dogs... the number I did was actually a bit higher as I did some double classes per day. Im pretty proud of that truth be told, but I did find doing it to many days in a row made me too tired. However it could be the rest of my schedule catching up to me too... really I think I was getting too dehydrated. More water required to be sure, note to future self. I am sad that my paid credits at Bliss are currently up, but a friend has convinced me to try another place and type of yoga..Moksha in Southside Edmonton. Not bad, $40/month unlimited to try out the studio...so I am giving it a go. I must say the 1st class there was hard and sweat inducing (arent they all) ... only complaint was the smell in the room. Yowza it was awful! I am hoping the next classes I have will be in there larger room, so I do not have to go in that one room again but maybe it will not be so bad next time. Back to what is important however, is the class itself was awesome, hard and I really liked the instructor. There was a savasana thrown into the middle of the class that for me threw me off some but I gamely continued on... core series.. lol. Speaking to my friend after, Moksha seems to be a set series of moves- that are the same every class... the instructor does not do the class with us either (which takes some getting use too) but I am sure I will get the swing of things. The challenge we are trying is 30 classes in 30 days...or at least a good kick at it. I am excited.

What I am trying to learn is to shoot back into plank from standing... and it is not easy, not doing it the correct way I am finding out. Doing it the right way is supposed to stop you from impacting your shoulder joint as much.. which long term is a good thing. The concept seems simple ...the "how" it is supposed to be done or even seeing the ease at which your instructor shows the class... is all lost with the very real aspect of falling on ones face. And trust me, I have done that and it hurts like hell. For me it showed me that I need to build up more tricept space as well as be more ok squishing my knees into my belly (and no, that is my least favorite pose of all I find). The picture does not quite illustrate what we were shown in class, it was more of a knees to chest not to armpit but you get the general idea. For me, I am sticking to forward fold and walking one foot back at a time, but I am working on leaning forward more and bringing my gaze over the front of the mat...seems to be helping. One day I am sure I will be doing it with ease, but until that day I will continue to get stronger and more sure of myself... maybe one day wrestle with my inside brain in regards to the why of not liking being curled into a tight little ball (seriously I have a strong dislike for that pose...). On a plus note, it did get me to do my Chaturanga better as I am sure I was doing them incorrectly. So this I will share, as I know when I peek around in class I am not the only one, and really I wish the instructors would correct us more, as doing this pose incorrectly can lead to rotator cuff injuries... plus it is just damn hard when done correctly... but hard means good results. Actually I am finding the more I do it, what I am now hoping is correct, the better the whole flow seems, and the more connected and open I am starting to feel.

I pulled this off the internet, and found it super helpful so I am going to share it. (from www.MindBodyGreen.com)

Start from plank:

• Hands under elbows 
• Elbows under shoulders
• Abdominals and low ribs pulled in; core engaged
• Thighs pushing up
• Heels pushing back
• Hug all your muscles into the midline of the body
• Roll WAY forward on your toes (see pic below). Even more than you think you should. (This ensures you will lower down with your arms in a 90° angle.) I loved this part especially, it really helped me get more forward...also hoping it will eventually help with building strength to do the "shoot back to plank" move....
• Now begin to lower down until your arms form a 90° angle and stop just at that point.  

Do this while keeping the following in mind:

• Keep your core VERY engaged just as in plank—abdominals and ribs really pulled in
• HUG your elbows into the sides of your body
• Keep the tops of your shoulders pulled back away from your ears and pointing straight forward, not drooping down. 
• Imagine that you’re trying to make your clavicles SMILE. In other words, broaden through the chest. “Smile your clavicles”

The Goal for me one day is this... Yoga on the beach. I am going to have to visit my mom to do this...so it will mean so many good things all wrapped into one :)