(No) Yoga Update

Last week, I broke my perfect April yoga attendance streak.  I skipped yoga in favor of preparing for our dinner party on Friday.  I'd gone for 10 straight days of classes, so the break was nice.

And even better -- we were fairly prepared when the first guests arrived!  All they had to do was fold napkins for us, open wine, get out one more platter from the china cabinet, and help us start the signature cocktail.  That was while we were hurriedly finishing up the final touches on the appetizers.  But by the time the third or fourth couple arrived, we were totally set! 

The menu:

Signature cocktail
The Frenchy (pear vodka, pineapple juice, cranberry juice)

Appetizers
Zucchini bites
Spinach-artichoke dip
Chips and salsa
Grilled garlic toasts topped with basil, tomato, olive oil, salt/pepper
Crostini topped with taleggio cheese, apple, and a special thyme honey drizzle

Dinner
Build your own pizzas, with homemade crusts
Sweet potato fries
Salad

Dessert
Wedding cake
Limoncello
Espresso

The night was so much fun.  I love the people who were there to celebrate with us so much.  The night went very late and I drank way more than usual.  Given my Mardi Gras shenanigans this year, I have now been intoxicated twice in 2014!  I'm going for a post-30 record I think! 

But Saturday, no yoga.  I was way too hung over.  My total number of steps for the day was less than 1500, and that counted a lot of steps from before I went to bed but long after midnight for the end of our party, saying goodbye, cleaning up the kitchen, going to bed.  I barely moved from the couch all day.

This now means that to complete 30 classes in 30 days, I need to do TWO double class days.  Yikes.  The only options really are weekends, and one of those four weekend days is Easter, which means limited class schedule and I have plans with my godson's family, so there's no chance for a double that day.   

Sunday, 4-13-14, class no. 11, at noon (having run about 8 miles in the morning).  Class was with Julie again and I warned her I was going to be sweating alcohol.  The class was actually pretty good.  I used my new yoga towel (equa hot yoga towel, in "magic" (which is their way of saying purple)).  The room felt excessively hot and humid, and maybe because I was dying, she stood with the doors open for a couple minutes during the standing series.  She called me out by name to commend me on my eagle posture (1st half of second set) -- which was funny because I couldn't find my balance to save my life in the 2nd half of second set.  I'm sure she assumed she'd jinxed me if she noticed. Class overall was good, especially since I still felt pretty crappy.

I was a rockstar on Sunday in general -- group run, 90 minute yoga class, grocery store briefly, two loads of laundry done, finished 2 pages of our wedding scrapbook (trying to be done by Friday, our 5th anniversary!!!), made a lovely dinner (eggplant parm) for my husband, made a quiche for my weeknight post-yoga meals, and was dressed and ready for church at 6:00 so we could go right after we finished dinner.  I was pretty impressed with myself. 

The scrapbook was one of my resolutions.  I have five two-page spreads left to do I think.  Ugh.  And no time to do them!  Working, running and yoga leave zero free time before Friday night. 

Monday, 4-14-14, class no. 12, at 6:30.  Julie again!  Twice in two days.  Good class.  Seemed extra warm and humid, probably because it was cold outside.  She actually held open the doors to the room for the entire second set of triangle.  She gave me a correction that I attempted to follow on balancing stick.  I asked her after class about how to improve my tree stand -- I can get my foot up, but dear god, my shoulders aren't even close to level.  She suggested raising my leg in front of me (like in standing head to knee) before bending to pick it up.  Seemed to work when I tried it the next day.  I noticed in seated head to knee that I've basically got it down on the separate leg stretches.  I can lock my knee and get my head on my knee and pull down.  Of course, I'm not even close to being able to do that while standing (heck, I still can't really lock my standing leg, so I'm not even trying to kick a leg out). 

Tuesday, 4-15-14, class no. 13, at 6:30.  I was very worried it would be Rene again since I thought I heard Julie say that on Monday to someone after class, but it wasn't -- the instructor was Mandy, who I think I had for my second class?  Young with very long pretty curly hair.  I liked the class a lot.  One, it didn't seem as warm.  Two, it seemed like she did fewer opening and closing breathing exercises.  Three, it seemed like she counted fast when she counted and in general didn't make us hold things as long.  I am starting to get close to getting my forehead on the floor, which is so exciting for me. 

Wednesday, 4-16-14, class no. 14, at 6:30.  Yeah, Rene again.  I wish I could record her voice so everyone could hear how irritating and patronizing it is.  It was funny because she tried to make us hold something way too long and pretty much everyone gave up.  I again noted remarkable progress in the distance between my forehead and the floor. 

Least favorite postures (in order starting with most hated):

1. Triangle -- my leg's not low enough, my spine's not straight, there's pressure on my fingers against my toes and my elbow against my knee, I just totally suck at this one and it feels like it goes on forever.
2. Lotus -- it hurts so much to have my arms under me like that, and I can barely lift my legs at all.
3.  Rabbit -- I'm not sure I do this right.  I never feel a stretch in my lower spine, just around my shoulders.  I hate feeling like too much blood is rushing to my head. 

I would put wind-removing pose on this list as well if it were a list about postures I think I'm doing wrong as I feel little apparent benefit or stretch, but the list is the ones I hate, and I don't hate wind-removing at all.  It's just suspiciously easy for me.  Maybe that will be my next list -- suspiciously easy.