Yoga for the Brain

It has been a couple of months since my last post. I have started taking classes to prepare for Physical Therapy school and my schedule gives me very little time for blogging. I promise to blog soon about Yoga for the Brain, which is the focus of my classes over the next few weeks. I hope to see you all in class!

SR

Almost there!!!

Just 4 more days of Yoga yoga's 40 Day Challenge and I am feeling good. I did have slight set back with an injury, but I am feeling much better. Here is my journal entry for the week:

This past, week my practice took a turn after an injury on Tuesday evening. Usually, I have a challenging asana practice and a short pranayama session for my daily practice. However, Tuesday evening, after a great practice, I was getting up off of the floor and heard a distinct pop. My pubic symphysis had moved out of alignment. I have had problems in the past with this area of my body and after my chiropractor corrected the misalignment, I felt much better but my hips were very sore. The next morning, I began my practice again with gentle hip and leg stretches and continued to slowly open my hips by modifying postures: Downward Dog with bent knees, short stance Warrior I with hands on hips. I found that by softening my asana practice over the next few days, ease came back into my hips and the joint re-stabilized. I am gradually working more challenging postures back into my practice, using my breath and intuition as a guide to safely return to my usual asana practice.

SR

Weekly update...this week's challenge

Day 27 of the 40 Day Yoga Challenge, and I have realized how self-critical I can be. I have always held myself to high standards and this motivation has served me well. However, lately I have noticed that my tendency toward perfection can cause unnecessary stress and self-judgment. I have even scorned myself for this self-judgment; clearly the habit runs deep. The origin of yoga is love for the self. Finding yourself and then loving all the components. My current challenge is trying to love even the over-critical part of myself, knowing that this love will soften it.

SR

The Halfway Point

Here is my weekly update for the 40 Day Challenge at Yoga Yoga. I am 20 days into the challenge and my daily yoga practice is becoming more of a routine. I am using this challenge to re-establish my daily yoga practice and plan to continue even after the 40 days are over.

Weekly Entry:

My favorite part of the 40 Day Challenge, and really the best part of my day, is just after I finish my daily yoga practice and step back into the current of everyday living. For the first hour I feel like I am floating, and my work, chores, and errands seem effortless. I am reborn, everything seems new and fresh. As the day progresses, the newness starts to wear off but there remains an undertone of clarity and calm. My least favorite part of this challenge is simply trying to find the time everyday to quietly practice for 30 minutes. On some days, it can almost be stressful trying to fit it in. Sometimes the day will just fly by and I will remember just before sleep that I need to practice. On these nights, restorative yoga carries me into sleep.

SR