Day 22: Are You NUTS?!

My thought exactly, when I began contimplating making my 30 challenge into a 45 day challenge.

It's day 22 already, and I can see the finish line. When i'm not in the yoga room, and I think about making this a 45 day challenge, I think "what a great idea! Let's do it!" But when I think about it while i'm in the yoga room, I think "you have to be the stupidest person on the planet, even Kyle Williams fumble in overtime doesn't compare to my level of stupidity for thinking such a thing! (sorry 49ers fans, i'm a die hard Giants fan!)

I consider myself a competitive person, and this challenge has been great in that sense. Having said that, I feel like I want to push even farther.

So i'm saying right now, (and once I type it, theres no going back)

................................. I am making this a 45 day challenge.

Day 14: Everything > Morning Class

I am not a morning person...

Before this challenge, I never even thought about taking a morning class. But there have been some days where the morning class was my only option for that day, so I had no choice. For me, morning and night classes are completely different practices.

This morning I took 8am music, and I really struggled.

When class started, I felt off; I was tight, I wasn't focused, I just wanted to go back to sleep. After class, in Savasana, I was so happy class was over. I didn't want to move, I just wanted to sleep... and that's exactly what I did.

I remember dreaming and thinking, "you're in the yoga studio. Just be aware of the fact that you have to wake up soon and teach 10:30 class." Everytime I began to feel like I was getting in too deep into my dream, I would remember that. After a while of dreaming, I figured I was going to wake up with a full class in the room waiting for me to stop slacking off, so I jolted myself awake, only to find 10 minutes had passed, and I was the only one left in the room.

Moral of the story: I don't like yoga in the morning, I like sleeping.

Day 13: ... Already??

As I check my calendar before writing this blog, I figured I was on day 11 or even 12. It was a great surprise to see I completed day 13 today! It feels like I was given a free day!

It feels like I've gotten over the hard part of my challenge (Days 7 - 9) and now I feel like I'm in a rhythm. I feel fine when I come to class now and after this challenge, I will have absolutely no excuse for not practicing at least three times a week.

Day 8: A Bounce Back Class

Tonights class was a fantastic class for me to get back into feeling great about my challenge!

I was in my usual hot spot (right next to the floor propane heater) and I pushed myself to attemped every pose, both sets, atleast once. It felt great in final savasana, that feeling of accomplishment; It's going to feel even better in 22 days.

Also...

If you have to pee in class, you can just hold it in and eventually your body will sweat it out. But when you have to fart in class, and you're at Wind Removing pose, and the teacher is telling you to push harder... Now THAT takes concentration

Day 7: A Shot of Adrenaline!

I'm finally beginning my blog! and what a day to start it on too!

This morning was my seventh class, and it was a BAD one for me, to say the least. I'm not a morning person, but this mornings 8am music class was the only class I could take today, so I had no choice but to take it.

It was just one of those "off" classes everyone has had in their practice. My muscles were very tight; I felt very nervous attempting some poses I usually have no problem with, and I ended up laying in Savasana for the entire floor series. The entire time I was really beating myself up, thinking, "this is your worst class ever... why aren't you even attemping some poses... this doesn't count for your 30 day challenge, you're not even doing anything."

When class was over, I resembled nothing less than a zombie (just ask Rhonda or Jamie, they'll tell you just that). I was exhausted, half awake, half asleep really, and I had to teach the 10:30 class 40 minutes later!

So here's where my day got interesting...

Rhonda told me that I would feel better if I went and got something quick to eat, so I went to my favorite breakfast joint to get my favorite breakfast food: Pancakes at Freds in New Hope!

But as I was driving on Bridge St. in Lambertville... BAM! I got rear-ended! After I saw there was no damage to my car, and everyone was alright, I drove off... feeling awake! I had just been given an extreme adrenaline rush, so I called Rhonda right away and told her, "I'm good to teach yoga now."

She replied with, "Holy crap! Those pancakes must be magic pancakes!"

When I arrived back at the studio, I felt like I had just been given five injections of pure espresso! Rhonda and Jamie couldn't believe how awake, alive, and... not zombie like, I looked after just being gone for 20 minutes. I taught the class, and I couldn't have been happier that I did. 16 students is never a dull class, but It was the perfect class to help me get over my own bad experience.

When I really thought about the whole morning, I'm actually grateful that I was rear-ended. I know it sounds crazy, but it really gave me a rush of adrenaline that I needed, and if that haden't happened, I was ready to just take Rhonda up on her offer to fill in for me.

If I haden't taught that class, I would have left the studio feeling horrible about myself, about my practice, and about my challenge. I can only imagine how much harder that would have made it to take my next class.

In a way, that girl who hit me was like an angel, keeping me on track with my commitment to the 30 day challenge. Lets hope tomorrow is even more eventful!