My Achilles Heel

Friday's class was awesome. Hard, but good -- and I love Gabe's instruction and general class vibe. It was a high note to end the week in the hot room, but I noticed the definitive start of a teeny tiny put sharp, zingy ouch pull on my left outer calf especially in hands to feet postures, or at the end of sit ups.

And then suddenly over the weekend it was as though my achilles tendon exploded!
It is tight and achy all the way up into my calf, the side of my thigh and into my hips and my bum where it attaches to my sacrum.
Blast!

It's funny how the body puts up a fight when you start trying to move it again.
I rested it all weekend

The start of this week I have been practicing at the brand-new (like mere months old) Bikram Sea to Sky studio which has yet another kind of flooring that's kind of like carpet but way more space aged and the smell of newly installed carpet and paint.

The room doesn't feel quite as hot and I can't tell yet if that's because I am hydrating and getting used to the heat, or because at 7-9 bodies a class (I told you it's brand new!) there just aren't as many people making heat waves for 1.5 of every 1.75 hours.

A gal named Jenna runs the studio, and her mom works behind the counter (and sneaks into class midway through Pranayama in order to get her own practice in -- way to go!). Jenna tells me she has one other teacher, and is looking for more -- she got her start at the Kits Bikram and speaks fondly of it. Also, she has a 3.5 year old daughter who is adorable and toddles around the studio (not the hot-room though!)

Other than my blasted left leg, which I have done my best to honour, while keeping the truest expression of the posture that I can, I have had a wonderful strong start to the week.

I think KNOWING that you WILL go to 5 classes a week come hell or high water takes some stress and anxiety about guilting yourself into going or feeling that guilt if you're not. Also, you can tune into your body better -- you have days and days to work those little millimetres, if I don't get it today I get to try again tomorrow already. It's surprisingly liberating, and makes yoga a lot more enjoyable when you don't have to destroy your whole self in an over-done kind of way because you're only coming once or twice a week.

The flexibility is coming and both my Bows (Beaus!) are starting to please me.
It has also been nice to be able to practice next to my sweetheart, who is the reason I got into Bikram's in the first place.
I have noticed, too, that keeping my breath slow, long, and deep is getting easier and easier, and that I am less red, less sweaty and far less desperate feeling at the end of class.

I think I am just now starting to get into "Gas Station" mode, where I feel mostly energized and only slightly exhausted at the end -- so much so that I considered doing a double tomorrow for the first time until my fellow convinced me not to until my left leg is feeling better.

Ice it is then!

Dosage

I just got in from Danny's 9:30pm class,and had an amazing practice.
Who knows if it was the two days rest, the abundance of water and electrolytes over the weekend, or the hour and a half walk I took to get to yoga tonight -- I felt strong and grounded. Balanced. Bengal tiger.

In Prana Yama I decided to try and find a way to be nice to my neck and shoulder which is still bugging me, and keeping me up at night, and Danny took some extra time to explain the exercise to the two newbies right behind me, so I got started off with a great example and some wonderful focus. Was that the difference? I seemed connected to my breath all class -- like i could breathe through anything. Even both sets of balancing stick. Even both sets of Triangle!! I worked hard but never felt the kind of nauseated desperation that normally is the fight to get through class.

Danny suggested to the class who felt fat and tired to start coming 4,5,6,7 times a week. You can do it once a week but it's gonna take five lifetimes to get the body you want. Danny said up the dosage and it will happen for you. I smiled to myself.
Maybe next month I'll start doing double classes, I felt today like that could have been a possibility.

I wonder how I'll feel when I wake up, and how I can recreate the feeling of success in this class. I drank water, took my electrolytes, MSM, and arnica and made my little snacks for tomorrow (I was very tempted to eat the orange I cut up!). I have a chiropractic appointment, then 11am yoga, lunch with my homeopath friend (who I'm gonna ask about these arnica balls I've been taking), and then hit up a library I hope to do a bit of prep for a gig I have coming up in Kamloops at the end of the month.

I thought this might keep me up all night, or put me right to sleep. I feel totally energized and zen, while still feeling like the second I close my eyes I'll be in dream land.

Here goes.

First Rites-- a prayer to Lord Ganesha

Lord of New Beginnings!
Today I begin to journey on a new path, where I actively worship the goddess within me.
Guide me to buddhi, you who are Om!
-s



A new adventure begins
A promise to myself, to my past, to my future, and to now
Sixty-Five ninety-minute Bikram Yoga classes in the next ninety days
5,850 minutes I devote entirely to growing into myself in the next three months

Sitting in front of a seated Ganesh hanging on the wall, beautiful eyes looking out, I inhale

Today, I can handle my feelings of inadequacy
Today, I can overcome fear, and strive for enlightenment
Today, I am all that I need
I am enough.