old friend!

Friday I was up so early, that by 9:30, I was ready for a break from exam writing. I went to a yin class ready to sweat, and then found out its not the hot kind. I go into the studio, and there is Sandra! I broke my own rule of not talking in the studio, even though other people do, especially in this one, even the instructors! Loudly! It was so nice to see her and catch up a little, though. The class was good. I did shake, while holding some loong stretches and pushing myself, but I did not break a sweat, just gentle hip and hammy stretching.
Since that one was so easy, I went back for the later one. It was pretty good, but more weird, backward triangles and things I didn't get. My hamstrings and quads were worked and weak from the morning class. I could barely kneel at all. I poured sweat all over the place, in puddles around the mat. But it wasn't so hot, really. I enjoyed it very much. Finally, the pain is gone. Not limping, not aching in the joints. Five classes and I'm back to myself.

sweaty shaky

I was spewing out sweat tonight! I liked the less downward dogs, interesting super low eagle, and new way to practice camel that is easier to get into. Plank and side plank were harder than yesterday and I feel it in the sides of my ribs in front, it feels like someones chewed on the bones and they're bruised, but its nice, I know its a good hurt. We did some postures from warrior that were frustrating kneeling on one foot and keeping hips low and square that just huurt my kneecaps. I got the stretch, but meanwhile my kneecaps were shouting! Floor was too short, my knee did something weird in insect, and the twisted knee stack over to one side one is painful when it used to be such a release. Need to do those more often, I guess...so glad I went, good stretches, just hard to follow some of them.

stretching out the aches

Im back at yoga. I found another place in town where they use a warm room. My body is happy already. I've been to two classes. I am sore in the little muscles again, sore in the right places, not so sore in the big ones. My hip and back pain is backing off quick. Its taking me back to 2000 in my mind when I took yoga across the street from the coffee shop I worked at on Main and Broadway in a little tiny upstairs studio. I swear it was called the smiling buddha. I dont trust my memory from that era of skateboard head cracks to the pavement and hitting all the other wrong things hard, but I remember doing dragonflies and feeling pretty damn good about that.

Its back to the classics: downward dogs, ujjayi breathing, childs poses, planks and proper triangles. I'm working hard, but my shoulder is killing me, tonight it was my wrist. It isn't hot, but it is warm. It's a 'hot flow class', and its nice to sweat but not struggle. I challenge myself to my limit, and sometimes that turns to shaking muscle struggle, but not in the same ultra super lucky happy eights special extreme way as the Bikrams.