Heart Opened and Closed

The first thing I noticed this morning was that I am not super sore from yesterdays yoga class like I thought I would be.  My last class on my monthly pass at Ashtanga Yoga Charlottesville was some serious vinyasa with Annie.  The women was on a roll yesterday and instructed us through not 2 (which would have been enough) but at least 12 warrior III’s and as many standing splits.  Yowza!  I was sure my hamstrings and glutes were going to be yelling about it this morning.

I am convinced that the sole reason they aren’t screaming is my run-yoga-run sandwich really warmed my legs up for the practice and cooled it down afterward.  Pre-yoga was 2 miles, nice and easy, and post-Warrior IIIing-until-my-legs-gave-out was 1.15 miles with lunch on the mind with each step.

My yoga practice was dedicated to my dear grandfather who went in for open heart surgery at 7 a.m. that morning.  My thoughts were with him all morning and I was anxiously awaiting news that he had come through surgery well.  About 15 minutes into class I had the most intense and thorough heart-opener ever, my sternum literally popped all the way up, I smiled and got the deep sense that he was fine.   I came home to a message that, yes indeed, he had come through just fine and the surgery went as straightforward as possible.  I am hugely relieved and look forward to speaking with him once he is able.

I’ve decided that my next MISSION is all about the yoga

MISSION: 5 yoga sessions a week for 5 weeks

Most of these sessions will be completed at home but I also would love to find some more classes.  A “session” must be at least 15 minutes but that is the only stipulation.

Anyone else up for the MISSION?  There are some good yoga dvd’s on exercisetv.tv if you don’t have a home practice, or maybe now’s the time to start a home practice!

Yoga on!

 

5 Comments

    • Yes! Do it! I know it’s hard to get started sometimes but, honestly, we can always squeeze in 15 minutes! I traveled from February thru July of this year and did yoga in many a hotel room, a few hotel roofs, some parks, and a mountaintop or two (you can see some of these spots in my posts from May and June). My Gaiam travel mat was my best friend on this trip and I highly recommend getting one, it’s thin but provides a bit of stick and a barrier between you and whatever random floor you are on.
      Keep me posted!

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