Wow, another new face leading practise today—that makes twice this week! Not used to so much switching up, but I like variety. That’s why I always try and practise in a different spot everyday. Today I picked the spot right next to the teacher’s box at the front of the room. Oh boy, my ears got blown out today! She never left the box, i don’t think! But seriously, I had a weird moment during dandayamana-bibhaktapada-janushirasana (standing separate leg head to knee pose) and I had to literally abandon the pose and head straight for the ground. It wasn’t pretty, but I had to—from the inside of my hip, it felt like my whole right leg was about to collapse any moment. That used to happen a lot to me, where I would get this weird feeling inside my hip and a leg would give out on me. It hasn’t happened in a long time, but today, it seemed like it was about to happen. But once I got on the ground, I felt normal again and joined the class on the turn to do the other leg. That’s one of my favorite poses, not just because i like the way the indian name sounds, but it requires a lot of abdominal strength to curl down, and it feels so good when you do it. At least I think so anyway. Well, other than that, it was another hot and crowded class. A super way to start super sunday! Oh the asana championships were yesteday! I hope they end up on youtube. I checked kcal 9 for coverage, but din’t see any. I was hoping for Stacey Butler to be down there covering the competition! Maybe next year, right? ~m

p.s. 21 straight!

Happy groundhog’s day fellow yogis & yoginis! Could you see your shadow as you were doing tuladandasana today? You know how your body sags when you’re not holding balancing stick correctly? Umbrella territory. Tall A caught me sagging a little into umbrella territory today. Tuladandasana has been one of my favorite poses ever since she had it demonstrated back in december. I love the way you sweat in that pose! When you breathe in through your nose and you slowly inhale small drops of sweat that are trying to fall down to your mat. It’s so hard to concentrate because of the sweat. Sometimes it feels like my eyeballs and contacts are soaking in puddles of sweat, but I never wipe it away. Too much energy wasted and you’re gonna sweat anyway, right? Besides, I love to sweat! Don’t you? Today was hot and humid, with lots of unfamiliar faces again. A little too hot for me, as I went for the cold bottle to the face pose again. And even with all the new haircuts, it wasn’t really that bad, I think it was just a matter of not being ready for practise today. But that’s what tomorrow is for and even though it’s sunday (and super bowl sunday, no less), I’ll see you at 10! ~m

Happy February everyone! I hope your month starts out as well as mine has. I took an early practise this morning. It was a weird feeling, being in my comfort zone, but feeling like a stranger, practising with so many new faces. Well, T was there and B was leading, so at least there were 2 people that I’m used to practising with. Not that I was nervous practising around new faces, like when I first started practising, but still, I think you know what I mean. Anyway, it was a great practise! Nice and warm, but still breathable since there were only about 15 people in the room. B always pushes his class and even though it was early, today was no exception. I like the extra push and with such a breathable room, the challenge was more on the fun side than the exhausting side. Still no progress with my dandayamana-bibhaktapada-paschimottanasana, but what else is new. An early practise, new faces, not a bad way to start the month off! ~m

How does such a nice, quiet girl turn into such a loud, demanding woman? I'm used to *practising* with Lisa, not having her lead a class! We got to see a different side of her today, which was very cool. The class was hot, sweaty and she led us so well. Like i said, she was loud! She's always such an inspiration to practise near, she radiates so much positive energy, having her guide our practise was a genuine treat! I found myself pushing just a little more than I usually do. Or maybe it just feels like it because these poses are so hard and there is so much to them! I don't know. I guess it seems like everyday I find myself going a little further than the day before or, if not further, i get a better idea of where i can improve. But then there's other poses where it seems like nothing has changed since I first walked into the studio. Even khapalbhati, blowing in firm, gives me fits still! But I blame that on years of smoking, which may or may not have anything to do with my problems doing what should be a simple breathing exercise. But then again, I guess no pose is simple, right? The thing to do is smile it away, let it go, it's over until tomorrow! words can't describe how much i love this practise! namaste, m

Whoa nelly, did I just have a great class or what? With such a small group of practicers, Small A had us turn our mats to face the mirror for the 4 poses in the standing series when we would normally be staring at the wall. What a difference seeing yourself in the mirror makes! First off, my arms need to be higher when I stretch them out! I always thought they were up high enough and straight out, but there’s room for improvement. During trikanasana (triangle), I’m never sure if my hips are staying in the right place, but I think they are. I felt really good in my first set and A even gave me a “good, m” which made me smile even though I was trying to stay in the meditation of the pose. Oh! and she said something so heavy today—“the posture doesn’t begin until you want it to end.” Doesn’t that put your practise in a whole new light? It did for me and that’s why I wanted to share it with you. namaste, m

Oh honey, am i a wimp or what? I had such a strong practise today! I felt super great and just had fun. couldn't stay in some poses, but tried to smile it off. You wanna know why it was fun today? Not as many people, not as humid. Maybe 20 practisers today? And even though there were 2 first timers, there were no heavy breathers! So with simultaneous breath and plenty of air to breathe, the room was alive with energy! I hadn't had a Sally-led practise in over a month. Her voice is so reassuring, it's like she's holding your hand as you're holding your pose. And I swear her voice lifted me up just a little higher in my dhanurasana today! Like I say, it was the best class—until tomorrow's! ~m

I got the worst hunger belches during the floor series today! Gross. I was trying so hard to control them too. At least they weren't really loud or anything. I get belchy when I'm really hungry, it's a problem, but not usually during practise. I couldn't go into my second set of ustrasana, my sasangasana was all protruding belly and I had to sit out the second set of janushirasana with paschimottanasana. It was a drag for me because I was surrounded by such experienced practisers and the standing series had been so much fun. It's so cool when so many people are all moving as one. I love the oneness of the breathing and the moving! How lucky are we that the best thing for exercising our bodies is also so much fun? Until tomorrow! ~m

Last nite, I was going over some photographs of Bhujangasana (cobra) and I realized that I was lifting my body too high! I need to push down from my belly button, into my mat. So that was my focus for today's practise. What a difference proper form can make! I din't exert as much energy in bending my body so much and when we got to ustrasana (camel), i wasn't as winded as I normally am. So, correcting that posture not only made it easier to do, but it also helped with the rest of practise too. Rad. And before practise, there was a woman warming up with a few postures, one of which was an amazing dandayamana-bibhaktapada-paschimottanasana (standing seperate leg stretching). It's not like I'm good at any of the poses, but that one makes me feel like a first-timer everytime. With such a great example in my mind, as we went into it, bending forward, I could kinda feel my lower back get a little longer. It was weird, and made me think, hey i'm gonna do it, but that made me fall out of my concentration and i was back to being so tense. my head is nowhere near the ground, i have to grab the sides of my feet and i can't bend forward correctly, so there's a lot i need to work on in that pose. But that's what tomorrow is for! namaste, m

Really nice class today, crowded with many skilled yoginis (& yogis). There's a palpable energy in the room when so many people are all doing beautiful dandayamana-dhanurasanas at the same time! Isn't standing bow pulling pose one of the most beautiful? It doesn't matter how far you go into it, once you just hold it steady, it looks so graceful and elegant. Bikram says, "proper form is essential and depth is relative," so I stopped trying to go so deep. Instead, I've just been concentrating on my form and I've noticed that as my form improves (lock the knee!), I'm able to go deeper.

With so many people in the room, during the floor series I started to fade away. There was just so much humidity in the air, it felt like I couldn't breathe. Water bottle against the face again, maybe even a couple of times. I'm such a wimp, but I did all the postures and when it was all over, I felt super great! Like that fade away thing never even happened. namaste, m

I was so cold before practise today! Luckily C was teaching, so the room was super hot! She said in teacher training the studio is 130—yikeroni! It wasn't nearly that hot, but it was hot. It even started to get to me. Towards the end of the floor series I started getting that suffocating feeling. I think it was because of the facial growth I have going on, but I felt like I couldn't get a good breath in through my nose. I toughed it out though, we weren't in that hot of a room and Bikram wasn't yelling at me, so today seemed easy in comparison. at least that's what I told myself during practise. And for the third straight day, I've abstained from water during practise! I think it is too much of a distraction. I have to admit that I did hold my klean kanteen against my head after the standing series. The cold steel of the container sure felt good! Like I said earlier, towards the end of the floor series, even though I started to have a little trouble, I don't think water would have helped the situation.

As much as I struggle to hang in there, at the same time, it's also super fun and today was no exception! Super great class, the best one ever, until tomorrow! ~m

While waiting patiently in the rain for the doors to open, I started talking to an actual first timer today. I can't imagine deciding to go out in this storm for my first bikram class, but there she was. She asked me if the teachers were good and I laughed because I tend to think every teacher there is really great and whoever is teaching class right then and there is the very best, until the next class. Even though the dialogue is the same, each teacher is so different in the way they lead the class. It's just their personality coming through, you know, and everyone is so unique and spectacular and that's what makes each class really, really great. Like Julian says, it's hard to explain. Anyway, the new girl got lucky because we had class with T today, who hadn't led one of my practises in awhile and I always enjoy her classes! Oh! and I am making such good progress with my padangustasana (toe stand)! It's so exciting, I feel so confident as I reach down and then bend my knee. And then it's all I can do to balance with my hands at my side, I'm struggling for balance, struggling, looking at the floor, not in the mirror, i wanna reach my hands up, balance, balance! Use your abdominal muscles, concentrate all your energy on your abs, find your balance in your center! All that is running through my head in how many seconds? Well, I'm getting closer to finding balance. Still not there, so I can't wait til tomorrow to try it again! ~m

Great class with Jeremey today! I always think he leads the class more like Bikram would lead it or maybe it's more accurate to say more in the "Bikram spirit?" Quite a workout today, prolly holding the poses a little longer, but not too much. Well, for some it was prolly a lot longer since it seems like a lot of people come out of the poses starting on the 3 count. I always try and hold it til what I feel is the end. I din't take water at all during practise, but only because me friend Andrea din't even bring water in with her and I told myself that if she could do it, so could I. and i did! J even commented that our bodies use energy processing water and even more energy if that water is cold. Which is something I've noticed too, cold water takes forever to go down, but if I buy a bottle of water (boo) that's been stored against the studio wall, the warm water goes down so smooth! Doing Bikram's method requires so much energy, why waste it on water or even wiping the sweat from your face? Enjoy the sweat, I always say! ~m

A really strong practise today! Even though it wasn't that crowded, there was a lot of energy in the room. Hard to not have a good practise when everyone is breathing and moving as one. It is such an amazing feeling and today was no exception, it felt really great. I am slowly making progress with locking my standing knee during dandayamana-janushirasana (standing head to knee pose). This is so hard for me to do, to have it truly locked. Even when it feels completely locked, I find I still have to lift up on my kneecap to lock that muscle on my front thigh! Argh! I have such a long way to go towards mastering this first part of the posture. The good thing is that this is a practise, if you can't do it today, maybe tomorrow, maybe in 5 days? Or 5 weeks? You wanna know what? There's no rush, no hurry. It's just practise and we're gonna be back tomorrow to try it again. So don't get frustrated! Getting frustrated only takes energy away from locking the knee! That's what I tell myself anyway. namaste, m

Eight straight! Yes, eight straight days of Bikram yoga for me! I'm not gonna keep a running count, but you'll know when I miss a day since this is asana daily, my yoga blog, after all. In writing about my practise, sometimes i get so caught up in a pose or how my practise was, that i forget to mention there's more to it than just that. Your body benefits in so many ways from doing these poses. They're all good for one thing or another inside us, not just outside us. Some of them are good for digestion and I'll testify to that! Just between you and me, I've always had a problem with tomatoes, in any form. But last week, when it was burrito mania week, I basically ate a tomato a day for 4 days straight and did not experience any of the allergic reactions that I used to! It's the yoga, I have no doubt. Improved digestion, just another reason to do yoga. ~m

First time I've ever practised on sunday! On page 5 of Bikram's first book he says "only crazy people do yoga on sunday." But I'd just been feeling so good after practises, that I figured I could get an early one in today. It's so nice to be able to take care of me for a change. As I was going into the first set of dandayamana-dhanurasana (standing bow pulling), some of my upper abdominals kind of started to cramp up a little bit. I got real nervous because i kinda couldn't move. so i just stayed where i was in the pose. Came out of it with the rest of class, and then I thought I was gonna have to lie down, but I told myself to just relax and i focused all my thoughts to my upper abs and barely moved for the left side of the pose. And by the time we went into second set, I had calmed the cramps away. That was nice, but so was being able to practise on a sunday.
~m

I thought I was all set-up for a rough practise. Not enough sleep, not enough food, too much late night junk food. But I told myself to just go and have whatever kind of practise you're gonna have, don't think about it being good or bad, it's just a practise. And you wanna know what? I had my strongest practise of the week! By the time we got to ustrasana, I still had plenty of energy. Well, maybe not plenty, but I wasn't weary, exhausted, ohmigod i need a break or anything like that, because that had pretty much been my limit right there. Well, maybe i din't have plenty of energy, but I was, you know, just ready to be in each posture. And before I knew it, we were doing the last breathing exercise and it was over! I made it! It was such a feeling, I was so thankful. Just to feel so good, it's unbelievable.
~m

Really great practise today, although ustrasana (camel) still seems to be my kinda breaking point! Yesterday was let go of, no doubt. And again I just let myself go into the pose, rather than thinking about it and I felt like I was able to hold my poses steadier. Or at least the ones I can hold. Then there's other poses like dandayamana-bibhaktapada paschimottanasana (standing separate leg stretching), where my limit is so obvious that I can't fall into the pose, instead i struggle into it and my head seems so far from the ground and my legs are killing me. Whooo, friends, this isn't easy, is it? But tomorrow before that pose, i am going to remind myself to fall into it and where i am is where i will be and just feel the pose from there. ~m

Today I let go of yesterday. I also surrendered myself to each posture, instead of thinking about water and if i should have some or not. I still hit what seemed like my limit at Ustrasana (camel), but knew I could make it through. And I went into without even thinking and as I was looking at the back wall, just kind of being there, I broke meditation and marveled at how strong my body felt in the pose when just a few seconds ago, i was so weary, feeling like i wouldn't be able to do it. Then I just went back to being in the pose and again i could feel all that energy flowing through my body! It felt sooooo good!
namaste,
m

I guess the running theme of late has been my lagging performance. Today, even better than yesterday. Still not where I want to be energy wise, but getting there. There are so many variables in what can affect your practise. Today I woke up at 5 and cooked a breakfast burrito of eggs and beans. And had an apple about an hour before practise. And I was also a little piggie yesterday, food wise (don't know why i woke up so hungry). But also, there weren't so many people in class either. We got a great demonstration of Padangustasana (toe stand) that was so nice to see. What control A has of her body, it was awe-inspiring. I look at the pictures a lot and i repeat the dialogue in my head during practise, but it's still so much clearer when you see someone doing it. It's amazing how graceful Padangustasana can be!
~m

No doubt that was my best practise in awhile! I still dribbled some water on my face a couple of times, and I thought I was gonna savasana out Ustrasana (camel), but C said something, I wish I could remember what it was she said, but it was just at that moment where I felt I couldn't go on and then whatever she said, it made me tell myself that I could make it through and I *did*, I made it through. And I made it through the rest of the postures too, a little lagging, but I made it through. I don't know why I've been lagging so much. I thought it might have to do with not eating enough, but it could be that I'm such a baby with my bottle (of water). I really think I need to leave the klean kanteen outside the studio. That way the only thing I have to meditate on is my meditation and not worrying about whether I can make it without water. I'll let you know how it goes tomorrow.
~m

I know I'm supposed to forget yesterday, but the fact that I have been lagging so much in my last few practises has really been gnawing at me. I've been taking water towards the end too, which I hadn't been doing either. I think it's safe to say that the 98 Lb Weakling in me has really come out to play lately! Well, today wasn't that much different, but I did all the postures at least! I have to work on my alignment on the floor series, especially Dhanurasana (Bow Pose). During that one today, K told me to start looking at the ceiling before I even start. So i need to remember that, but I also need to figure out how to lie down straight, it seems my ass is always going off to the left or right and when I raise up, I'm all crooked. skinny and awkward, that's me, unfortunately.
~m

Another rough one for me today. I'm glad I din't try the 8! Not as bad as yesterday (which i had already let go of) though. There was a grunter in class today. It always amuses me, it's almost like we have to know that they're getting into position or something, whatever. I try and harness that wasted energy for myself. It din't work today, but sometimes it does. Don't forget, tomorrow's sunday, "only a fool does yoga on sundays."
~m

For the first time since I've been practising, I had to savasana out a set. And I was so close to finishing practise today, but I couldn't get up for the second set of Janushirasana with Paschimottanasana (Head to knee pose with stretching pose). I just did not have it in me today. And my knees had their best Garurasana today too (eagle). I thought about that one on my way to practise. Because that's where my knees start to fall apart and stay that way until we get to Trikanasana (triangle), where my knees kind of get back into it. After class, everyone seemed to be as spent as I was, so that made me feel better. Well, now that I've written about it, I can put it past me and look forward to tomorrow!

namaste,
m

Really good class with Brian today, twice in the same week! He yells a little more than the girls do. That's cool. I can't imagine Bikram yelling at me, that's for sure! I do try harder, I wonder how much more I could take if I was in a class with Bikram? But that also goes to show, that we prolly all have it in us to go a little further than we usually do, no matter how far that actually is.

I arrived to class hungry, which wasn't good because I ran out of steam towards the end. I was struggling so much! My poor knees couldn't make it through Garurasana (eagle), which is only the fourth pose in the series! So you know where I was by the time we got to Dhanurasana (bow pose). So many poses I have trouble with! B helped me with my alignment on Dandayamana-Bibhaktapada-Janushirasana which is one of my favorite poses (standing seperate leg head to knee). Not because I like to say it but mainly because the dialogue includes a little bit about the thyroid and whenever I think "thyroid" I always think of a very dear friend! So right off the bat, I'm in an even better place than I already am. In that pose I never feel my hips are in the right place and I can't touch my forehead to my knee with bending that ole knee just a little bit. Okay, a lot more than a little bit, but who's watching? Well, despite all the poses I can't do, I still had a great class!
~m

Did someone say sweat? Walking into the studio today and I just got slammed with an amazing intensity of heat & stifling humidity! Honestly, I think I was sweating before I even put my mat down, it was that hot! Mmmmmmmmmmm, it felt so good. And then Aimee led class today! It was the first time I'd had a practise with her in awhile. I don't know what it is, but she's great. Actually they're all great, right? She's just different, I don't know, in the way she gives insight? There's just something that clicks in my head when she's leading class. Not that it makes the postures any easier, okay? How many did I fall out of today? And how many can I still not do? No matter, afterwards it felt like a great practise! ~m

I think I was set-up for a good practise today. Plenty of sleep, I had a banana for breakfast. Well-hydrated. Still, my poor knees were dying during Garurasana (Eagle). That was a rough one today! And I couldn't stay in Dandayamana-Dhanurasana (Standing Bow Pulling Pose) either. Sometimes my knees are so weak, I don't know how I make it through. I don't know which is my weakest link, my knees or my lower back. It's a toss-up. But that's why I keep coming back.

Oh, and what I wanted to say was, some yoginis rock no matter what row they're in.
~m

How embarrassing! As Khalil was ending our first set of Sasangasana (Rabbit Pose), he said "and everyone but McKinley come out of it." Ack! For a split second, I was embarrassed, but then got back into the meditation of holding the pose for the rest of the class. After practise, my friend Julie said after seeing me do it, she had a better second set! That was exciting. Sasangasana is a hard pose to know if you're doing it right or not because you can't see yourself in the mirror and you can't look around. Only a few days ago, T told me after practise that I held that one well, so I guess I do. Well, I just hope that I can be an example for the other 25 someday!

~m

A great Amy class today! And it was nice and warm. The storm on the way was quickly forgotten in the heat of the studio. Such a crowded class too. It's nice to have so many people all working so hard. What it must have been like to practise with 6000!

~m

The power had gone out at the end of the previous class, but we practised anyway. During the standing series, it was still warm from the class before and some of us had a pretty good sweat going! But by floor series it was cold, well, not cold, but not as warm as it should have been. C still pushed us hard and it was a great class. Just went slower and more careful.

~m

Oh the power of the yogi! Or should I say the energy? I had a great practise today, but I had a lot of help. Before practise had a nice hello hug from someone who had just finished practising. Her energy was so strong, it was a great pick-me-up. Not that I needed it, today I was ready for practise. I had an apple two hours before, not a whole lot of water, but enough to feel hydrated.

It was the smallest class I'd been in in the last two weeks! No matter, there was still lots of positive energy in the room. And maybe it was after Dhanurasana (Bow Pose), Trish stood on my feet and gave them a nice little rub! After that, I felt like I could have done another whole practise! I'm telling you, the energy that flows through a yogini (or yogi), wow! It's so hard to put in words, if you've experienced it, you know what it's like. It is such a powerful thing. Practising Bikram's method is so amazing, I want to feel like this everyday of my life.

~m

Okay, if you wanna know one thing about me here it is: i always live up to mckinley's law (it's not murphy's anymore, trust me). So I was super careful about not eating before practise, I only had an apple. And in between the standing and the floor poses, I swear i only had a small amount of water, but I almost couldn't control my belching and my stomach got all big and bloated. It was awful, I thought I was gonna pass out. And I'd started out having such a good practise too. I was totally feeling really strong and confidant, still not able to do everything of course, but I still felt really good. All I know is that I hope you enjoy sweating as much as I do!
~m

First practise of the year! What a way to start too. I had a oneness blessing before practise, it was, um, wild? I want to say it was heavy, but in a positive way, if you feel me. So much energy flow, it felt great and it just continued into practise, especially during Garurasana (Eagle Pose).

Thing to remember: not so much food before practise. Today I had an apple and a banana and I really felt it during Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose) and Dhanurasana (Bow Pose). It's such a delicate balance between a little something and a little too much. So the search for balance begins a new in 2008, but I like where I am headed.

~m