Day 15: A quarter of the way through!

Again feeling a little gray in the series, at the beginning. Then in Standing Separate Leg Stretching, of all places, where I usually resist, I received another boost of joy. I rested out second set of Standing Bow Pulling, did well in Triangle, and came out and back in second set of Floor Bow.

Good News: the protein snacks did the trick today. Here’s what I ate:

7:45: Oatmeal* w/walnuts and cranberries, made with about half a cup of milk
Small mango
10:30: yogurt,** walnuts
12:30: Bobotie (almond butter/bread/soy crumble/apricot stew)
vegan potato salad
apple
3:00: walnuts
3 slices cheddar cheese

Perhaps I should expand my nut repertoire. So I was not hungry today! But in class someone had on watermelon lotion or something; I caught a whiff and started CRAVING watermelon, just for the crisp, juicy taste…when does watermelon season start?

One of the many great things about practicing hot yoga each day is the structure it gives to my life. Five to six days a week I'm practicing in the late afternoon or evening, so I take a shower every evening, wash my face with the exfoliating scrub every time, then I pack my yoga bag for the next day, write in my journal, and often blog at that time, too. It bleeds over into the mornings, as well. I always wash my face and put on the SPF moisturizer and I always put in my contacts. (In the past i'm in a hurry, stick them in my pocket to put in at work and I almost never do.) I've always wanted to be in this kind of routine but I always get lazy at some point and slack off. This structure pleases me!

For your reference, I have tried to put a link to a page with the Bikram series in the menu at right. (Some of these illustrations show the advanced pose, ie, what you would be in after many years practicing, so don't be discouraged if you have been thinking of trying it!) Here's a key:

1. Pranayama deep breathing
2. Half Moon with hands-to-feet pose
3. Awkward (has three parts)
4. Eagle pose
5. Standing Head to Knee Pose
6. Standing Bow Pulling
7. Balancing Stick
8. Standing Separate Leg Stretching
9. Triangle
10. Standing Separate Leg Forehead to Knee
11. Tree
12. Toe Stand
13. Savasana (resting--you do this between each pose from now on)
14. Wind-removing pose
15. Double-exhalation sit-up (you do this to get out of savasana between several poses on the floor.)
16. Cobra
17. Half Locust
18. Full Locust
19. Floor bow
20. Fixed Firm (may be Fixed Fern, I can never tell.)
21. Half Tortoise
22. Camel Pose
23. Rabbit Pose
24. Separate Leg Stretching Forehead to Knee
25. Spinal Twist
26. Coplabati (sp?) deep breathing


*Packet of “natural” flax & oats instant
** Wallaby Lemon low-fat