Release

I tried a new prenatal yoga video this morning.  A bit out of date--some of the women were wearing these funky full bodied leotards (sexy!).  A bit new agey--the instructor was wearing a turban (side note, I'm pretty sure we camped next to her at a music festival a number of years ago--they had parked their euro van over some ground nesting bees who didn't bother them the whole weekend).  It was a bit more active than other prenatal yoga videos I've tried or the class I attend now and then which isn't too bad except I was doing this in the morning before work and before breakfast.  In one part of the video while standing, you start moving your hips from side to side and then basically just let go and dance, swinging your arms or whatever feels good.  Not sure what was going on, but it was a huge release and I started crying.  Though I felt super weird just crying in my living room, it felt really good to let it all out.  A reminder to keep it loose and let go more often!

Unknown

2nd day in a row of waking up early.  3rd day in a row of yoga.  3rd day in a row of blogging.  And I've been yawning all day.  And I'm sad because one of my best friends is going through a really shitty time.  A time where chatting online isn't enough and I need to go visit and give her a big ol' hug.

How do you out there in the blogsphere take care of yourself when life dumps on you?  How do you take care of someone who's hurting?

Day 2...

of yoga and blogging.  Alarm went off at 6, rolled out of bed at 6:15, and proceeded to roll out the yoga mats.  Darren suggested we get up early for some yoga before work.  Yeah!  We rock.  I admit, that this likely isn't going to be the norm.  Or who knows, maybe I will surprise even myself.

To help me on my yoga 'journey', I purchased a new yoga mat yesterday after class (30% off at my local studio, I think it was meant to be).  My old one was more for show, it was technically a mat, but wafer thin.  Yay, to a big girl mat.

Really enjoyed yesterday morning's class.  Sheri, the instructor of the all levels class, is very welcoming.  One of my favorite parts of Sheri's class is how she has us congratulate ourselves for coming to class.  There's just something about a structured class, a knowledgeable instructor, and getting out of the house early on a Sunday morning which makes the effort worth it.

Can't say I was as enamored with the yoga lesson we practiced along with this AM:  Basics & Headaches via Netflix On Demand.  Was a bit choppy, I prefer a bit more flow.  I didn't always understand the instructor and I didn't feel comfortable during the inversion poses.  I, ahem, have lost a bit of core strength over time and I can sure feel it.  But, still got a lot of stretching and basic poses in and I was feeling much more awake for the first half of the day.

30 Days of Yoga

One of the items on my life list is practicing yoga for 30 days in a row.  I go to a yoga class now and then and I have everything I 'need' to practice at home, but I still don't make time for it on a regular basis.  I've heard that it can take 30 days to break or start a habit, so why not try this with yoga?

I might have found just the thing to help me out with this one!  30 Days of Yoga.  This is a really great idea, love that I have someone to help me on this journey to get me back to my seattleyogi self.  Ha, maybe I can combine this along with 30 days of blogging.  :)

Now, off to walk the dog in the rain, then a yoga class (in a studio where I have already paid money for classes yet it's been a couple of months since I have attended!), a possible stop by Gather, a lovely little consignment store in Columbia City, then back home to sign up for my month long yoga class!

Good feeling about this one.

3 Beautiful Things

I came across 3 Beautiful Things today and really liked the idea of blogging about beautiful things. It's easy to see the negative all around us (then bitch and moan to others which leads to getting more depressed about the state of things), but I know it's much healthier to focus on the positive (I'm now picturing Mr. Dudley, my counselor and cross country/track coach in high school singing...'Eliminate the negative... Accentuate the positive...').

1. Vacation! I'm leaving tomorrow for North Carolina to visit Helen for a few days. I look forward to catching up, shopping (Helen loves to shop and I'm allowing myself the luxury as I don't tend to buy new and haven't even gone thrifting in a while), movies, and rockin' out at a String Cheese concert.

2. Friendly old lady sat next to me on the bus this morning. She commented on my knitting project and we talked about her yoga class. She's been practicing yoga for 16 years and has been bussing around the city since February when she had to stop driving. I hope I'm as friendly and active when I'm her age!

3. Darren will be making dinner tonight. We usually cook together but he's such a sweetheart and has offered to take care of tonight's meal since I haven't packed for my trip yet. I know he'll take care of a load of chores while I'm out of town too--he gets so much accomplished when I'm not around.