So last night was another session with Elle, who managed to remember my name without asking me first (Ya, I’m a regular- they know me now). It was a good session overall but definitely a challenge, but it was a challenge that I really appreciated. The past few weeks have been easier for me than when I first started (And rightfully so. If it didn’t get easier, I probably would have quit after a few days), but last night I really had to work for my results.
First off, I started the class and as soon as I started the Pranayama breathing all I could smell was the B.O. from the guy in front of me. Seriously, it was rank. It smelled like the guy hadn’t showered in days. Every breathe I inhaled was god awful. Then, when we were doing the forward bending part of the half moon pose, I realized it wasn’t the guy in front of me. It was me. Dear god, I didn’t think I was capable of smelling that bad. I mean, I wore deodorant yesterday and I haven’t had any garlic or onions in a while. I’d like to take this moment right now to issue a sincere apology to everyone who sat next to me yesterday. Next time, TELL ME!
I did well in the back bends and my half moon pose is looking mighty fine. My awkward pose is always looking better and It’s becoming easier, but it’s still pretty hard. I couldn’t kick out in standing head to knee pose, but that’s okay, I’m still a ways away from successfully completing that one. I did well in standing bow pose but sucked in the toe stand. In fact I’ve never been able to do the toe stand because it requires completion of tree pose, which I can’t do too well. Also, I fell out of triangle pose a few times, mainly because my arches sucked so bad. I actually sat down during the first set of one of the postures to give my arches a little massage, which actually helped a lot. My arches didn’t hurt at all during the last few standing poses. Perhaps I need to give my arches more massages and TLC between classes.
Another reason that class was difficult last night was because I ate an avocado at 5:30, a solid hour before class began. I had lunch around 1:00 and my tummy was getting mighty hungry around 5:30. Not wanting to be completely devoid of energy during class, I chose a ripe avocado to munch on. Horrible, horrible idea. Every single sit up made me feel like I was going to puke my guts out. I couldn’t even do the second set of rabbit pose because I thought I might hurl all over my knees. So I took it easy and laid in Savasana while everyone else finished the pose.
I also found it really hard to maintain my energy and momentum during the spine strengthening part of the floor series. For some reason I just lost my enthusiasm and the rest of the class was significantly harder than the first half. I’m pretty sure the term for this is “hitting the wall,” and that’s exactly what it felt like.
Overall though I’d consider last night’s class a success primarily because it wasn’t easy. I had to work through my arch issues, I had to listen to my body and know when and when not to do a pose for fear of covering the class in avocado colored vomit, and I had learn how to get over the wall after I’d smacked right into it.
One thing about yoga that I’ve learned and am still adjusting to is how deeply your practice is affected by those around you. It’s incredibly difficult to stay in a pose when the person in front of you falls out of it, and it’s harder to stay in the pose when the person next to you falls out and looks like they’re about to crash into you. I’ve lost my concentration and balance more times than I care to admit because of the people around me. And while this really sucks, it’s also really nice to have people around you because they’re really good about bringing you up when you’re struggling. It’s like a yogi sixth sense or something. I’d been making small talk with the middle-aged woman next to me before class began and we discussed our practice, how long we’d been coming to Sacramento Bikram Yoga and whether or not we were doing the challenge. We also chit-chatted with the newbie in the row behind us (Ya, I’ve permanently moved to the second row) and offered her advice. Later, in airplane pose (That’s what I’m calling it because I can’t remember it’s real name. But it’s the one where you’re on your stomach and stretch your arms out like an airplane), it was pretty evident that I was struggling. So when we reached out our arms, Elle told us not to worry if we hit our neighbors hands, and that we can just help each other out. And then all of a sudden, the woman next to me tickled my fingers with hers and gave me a reassuring pat on the hand. And that was really nice because it was exactly what I needed to make it through the floor series; just a tiny little bit of encouragement.
What I love most about Bikram yoga is the network of support that rises up and the helpful nature of all the practitioners. Teachers helping students, students helping each other, students helping themselves, and those with experience helping newbies. It’s a great atmosphere to be a part of and the friendly nature of sweaty yogis is half the appeal of yoga. The other half is the smell.
Namaste!
The Life Chats 