30 Day Yoga Challenge Week 2

Week 2 was a week of subtle changes for me

My Practice

This week I pushed up into Upward Bow 3 times. This is a pose I haven’t done in a long time. When I lowered down I felt so proud that I hugged myself!

I did a DVD and a podcast that both worked toward Hanumanasana, monkey pose or splits as I was easing into the pose my youngest son walked into the room and said “hey mom can do a split” and walked out. I was so happy he recognized what I was trying to do.

My Teaching

Early on in the week Pam posed a question to the group about balance and many participants acknowledged their struggle with balance. I like tree pose and personally think Warrior 3 and Extended Hand to Big Toe Pose are both challenging. Because of the online discussion class this week focused on balance. We did, Tree, King Dancer, Warrior 3 and Extended Hand to Big Toe Pose. It turned out that the class liked Warrior 3 and Extended Hand to Big Toe. They were soaring and beautiful. It reminded me again to teach every pose and most importantly to embrace the one’s that I find difficult, because someone out there may love it!

Yoga IS becoming part of my day, just like showering, cooking eating etc. I try to get my practice done in the morning, but when it doesn’t work out I always find time for it. I struggled once this week and that was after shoveling. I felt sore and tired but once I finally got on the mat, my body was grateful.

The Group

Sometimes when I read an e-mail from the group I feel like a proud Mom. I’m usually grinning from ear to ear when I read what everyone has been up to.

When I read that Deb discovered yoga can be done in her own time and at home I felt like I’d hit the jackpot. This is EXACTLY what I’d hoped participants would gain from this.

“This challenge has opened me up to a third option – doing yoga for a few minutes in my home when I can fit it in”

Yoga is about interconnectedness and when Susan greeted fellow yogi at the outlets with a Namaste’ I felt a little emotional.

“I was down at Limerick Outlets last weekend and no kidding there was a lady outside talking on her cell phone in tree pose (a very balanced tree). As I walked towards her our eyes met and I folded my mittened hands to heart and “Namaste’d” her . . . she was grinning from ear to ear . . . . thought she should get some credit from one yogi-in-practice to another.”

I love that tree pose is taking place everywhere and that we are finding HUMOR in our yoga!

“…I was standing in a store talking to the owner. We were talking for quite awhile and I was in tree pose for over 5 minutes :) I giggled to myself!

“Over the weekend I was making soup and realized hadn’t worked yoga into my day yet…and it was getting late. So I decided to incorporate yoga into my cooking and was practicing tree pose in front of the stove in between steps of making the soup. May not have been the ideal situation but I did get a little yoga time in….and entertained my husband when he walked in the kitchen not expecting to see me in a yoga pose. :) “

Week 2 has been another amazing week! I look forward to what week 3 brings!

Namaste’