Day 17 - Power Cut

I got an unplanned night off last night due to a power cut. Being self employed it was an unpaid night off as well. Sigh...

The class started fine, I settled everyone into savasana, scanning their bodies for areas of tension, listening to the sound of their breath and then....poof....the lights went out. Although it is still light at 7.30pm here the yoga studio at the health centre is in a kind of semi-basement, so we were rather plunged into darkness. I had no choice but to refund money and send everybody home.

What with that and one of my private clients cancelling this week due to a child care mix up, I don't really feel I've got into the swing of work again this week at all! Maybe the universe is trying to tell me something....

Project Fitness continues well. I did my second gym session today after two days of power walking. Pretty much the same routine as I did on Tuesday, but with some extra machine work for legs and arms.

Linking back to yesterday's post about music - there is one place where I really need my music, and that is on the treadmill or cross trainer. Today's choice was Black Stone Cherry, very loud! I've always found it gives you that extra boost when it comes to cardio work. Then I toned it down to some Wah! for my mat work.

Not much else planned for the rest of the day. I have the day off today. Like I said, I haven't really got back into the swing after holidays yet. Still I'm sure that'll change next week!

Day 15 - British Weather

We had storms in the night last night so we awoke to a rather misty grey morning.

As part of Project Fitness I do a 2 mile walk on the days I don't go to the gym. I walk to work with Andy and then take the long route home. It's a nice walk along the river and then through the back streets - generally peaceful and there are always cats that want a stroke!

It wasn't the most pleasant of weather this morning though. It was quite cold and the air was really damp. Oddly that is the sort of weather I love the most. When I lived in Australia I missed those grey damp British days more than anything. Island weather. Call me insane, but that is just the way it is.

It's fresh and invigorating and the damp haziness changes the sights and smells around you. I find walking a very meditative experience and different weather always leads to different walking meditations.
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I have a new Yoga Therapy client this afternoon. I am looking again at working on pawanmuktasana with her.

Namaste yogis - have a great Wednesday!

Day 14 - Project Fitness

Back in the days when I did full Primary Series three or four times a week I used to think of yoga as exercise as well as a moving meditation. These days as a Viniyoga teacher and practitioner, my practice has become much slower, more meditation, more healing. It stretches and tones, it calms and heals, it makes me breathe more evenly, but it doesn't really make me sweat!

So, as my health begins to take an upturn I have begun Project Fitness. I've written myself a programme to allow myself to gently and slowly raise my fitness levels (one of the best things about being a trained fitness instructor is one doesn't have to pay a personal trainer - I just shout at myself whilst I'm on the cross-trainer instead!), because I am determined to get better. My health has become too much a part of me and I know longer want to be defined by my health. Fibromyalgia is not who I am, it is merely a word.

So this morning I did:-

20 minutes on the x-trainer (3km, heart rate of 160)
10 minutes of weights
15 minutes of stretching
Short swim
Lounging in the jacuzzi (this is the best bit).

I'm hoping to do this twice a week, and then take a two mile power walk outside the other three days.

I'd forgotten how much I enjoyed a good workout. I've missed it. I've missed feeling like this. I'm so happy to be rediscovering my fitness levels (which really aren't as bad as I thought). A good workout is meditative and healing in it's own way -- and I think the balance between a yoga practice and a cardio programme works well.

Plus as yogis we know so much more about the importance of stretching and releasing the muscles, so hopefully the muscle aches will be at a minimum!

Namaste

Day 12 - Beginning Again

Whatever your religious/spiritual beliefs, this time of year is perfect for new beginnings. As the birds lay eggs, the trees sprout blossoms and flowers come into bloom it's a great time to change, from giving up an old habit or taking up a new hobby to turning over a whole new leaf of your life.

Over the last few weeks things have been coming together healthwise for me so my new beginning for after the Easter break is to get back on the cross trainer and work on my aerobic fitness. Slowly but surely I hope to be able to get back into running relatively short distances over the next year. I'm really excited and have been working on a new fitness plan that allows me to work in stages whilst pacing myself and making sure I'm not doing too much. Combining this with my yoga practice and enough rest and I'm hoping to get myself better :)

Sometimes something bad has to happen to us for us to make a change for the good. Sometimes we have to see even those bad things as a blessing, because without a Good Friday there can be no Easter Sunday.

Have a wonderful day yogis and yoginis!

Namaste