Day 101 (Thursday, 05/05/2011) – Cherry on Top

Studio: YogaWorks / David / Vinyasa Flow 2-3

“Understand that the right to choose your own path is a sacred privilege. Use it. Dwell in possibility” – Oprah Winfrey

100 days of yoga plus 1 = 101 days of yoga….just to say I went over and beyond. So what’s next? It would be a shame to break my 101 day streak. Yoga everyday has become a part of my life. I will continue practicing yoga and blogging….could be daily, could be every other day. Whatever it is, I know yoga is here to stay. I love the effects that yoga has on me, and the effects that I have on yoga. Maybe what’s next is planning a yoga retreat. Who knows what my future in yoga holds. I am not going to worry so much about that. What I am going to enjoy is now and revel in the strength, joy, and love that I have received from my practice.

– Warrior Woman

Day 100 (Wednesday, 05/04/2011) – I Made It!

Studio: YogaWorks / Marla / Vinyasa Flow

“In the long run, we shape our lives, and we shape ourselves. The process never ends until we die. And the choices we make are ultimately our own responsibility.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

My Yoga Adventure has been an unbelievable trip. I happened to open my photo album tonight on my iPad, and up came all the pictures I used for my blog. There were so many photos….hundreds of photos. This whole thing is overwhelming. It almost doesn’t seem real, or even possible. However, I made it. I knew I would make it. There was never a doubt in my mind that I would depart from my adventure. I lived for 100 days trying something new, and I blogged about it. I started my journey to take hold of my menopause. Somewhere along the way, it became something so much more.

When I started my yoga adventure, I was struggling with menopause. I just wanted to accept being in menopause, and go with it, and maybe even enjoy it. The truth of the matter is, my life was awesome before my yoga adventure. It’s just so much better now. I’ve gained an awareness I never knew was possible. And I am able to accept things without judgement, and I’ve learned to surrender to things and be happy about it.

And I have a new-found appreciation for organic restaurants, being present, acceptance, surrender, inversions, wine-free evenings and silence. In the same breath, I also discovered that I love getting great deals: Groupon, Social Living, Travelzoo, Yelp, and Trip Advisor – how did I ever live without these things?

As much as I have grown over the past 100 days, my life is still the same, and also so different. And it’s just so much better.

– The Warrior

Day 99 (Tuesday, 05/03/2011) – I don’t want this feeling to go away

Studio: YogaWorks / David / Vinyasa Flow 2-3

“I want to turn the whole thing upside down” – Jack Johnson

I didn’t realize how much I missed practicing with David until I returned to his class tonight. The month of April was difficult for me to make any of his classes. I was either working late, or I had something planned for the evening. Tonight I was not going to let anything get in my way of getting to his class. David’s class did not disappoint. In fact, it was the best flow class I have had in weeks. I love his style of teaching, and he is hilarious. Hilarious in a way that is low-key; meaning you aren’t expecting anything from him, then he goes and says something so funny…..definitely makes for a lighter practice.

My body is completely healed now, so I was feeling fresh and ready for everything. The last part of my practice was the best for me. Inversions feel so good now. I remember there was a time (during my 100 day practice) that I dreaded the inversion. Now, I anticipate it, and I love it. I invert almost daily now. I feel like my day is not complete until I am upside down.

– Upside down Warrior

Day 97 and 98 (Sunday and Monday, 05/01 and 05/02/2011) – Close My Eyes and Breathe

Home Practice

“Everything you can imagine is real”   – Pablo Picasso

Driving home to Los Angeles after my Yosemite weekend experience was a huge let down.  The traffic, the smog, the tall buildings, and the lack of nature that surrounded me was almost depressing.  I should have felt grateful coming home, however I wanted my Yosemite experience and my Yosemite state of mind to stay with me.  Honestly, the only reason I wanted to be home was to see my son.

As I practiced yoga tonight and last night,  I imagined I was in Yosemite, and that I was surrounded by huge walls of granite, beautiful towering waterfalls, wildlife, and fresh air.  As I sat in silence,  I imagined the sound of the waterfalls and the wildlife.  As my mind was ready, my body joined in and together we were flowing.   It’s true, I can bring myself back to Yosemite whenever I want.  Just close my eyes and breathe.

 – Imagining Warrior

 

Day 95 and 96 (Friday and Saturday, 04/29 and 4/30/2011) – Awakened

Yosemite Practice
     
“When words become unclear, I shall focus with photographs. When images become inadequate, I shall be content with silence.” – Ansel Adams

Yoga in Yosemite. I laid my yoga mat in the open meadow on the Yosemite Valley floor encapsulated by beautiful jagged granite walls and waterfalls hundred and hundreds of feet tall. As I stood in mountain pose and looked ahead, the sun was setting on Half Dome. When I twisted left, Yosemite Falls was in perfect view. I was surrounded by pure beauty. As I moved with my breath, the sound of the birds and the echoing sounds of the wind gently swaying the trees moved with me. A thousand pictures cannot capture the beauty and the majesty of Yosemite. As I did my sun salutes in silence, I breathed in the fresh air and soaked up the natural wonder surrounding me and my mat. I have never experienced yoga to be so magical. I found myself in absolute peace. This is how I imagine heaven.

I have experienced Yosemite in the summer and the winter. This is the first time I have experienced Yosemite in the spring. There are few things more beautiful than Yosemite in the spring time. The winter snow is melting, and the river and waterfalls are at full bloom. All of the animals in the park are active and there is still snow on the ground. There are countless rainbows. All of these things combined make every vantage point and every overlook breathtakingly spectacular. As I hiked up to Vernal Falls and Nevada Falls via the Mist trail, I gasped at the beauty that I saw at every turn. The powerful waterfalls were so awesome. As many times as I have visited Yosemite, I will always be taken aback at the scope of its significance. Being in Yosemite is a spiritual awakening. The impact is eternal.

– Awakened Warrior

Day 93 (Wednesday, 04/27/2011) – Loving My Snacks

Studio: YogaWorks / Marla / Vinyasa Flow 2-3

“If you knew better, you’ll do better.”— Unknown

Tonight I was very sleepy driving over to the studio….so sleepy that before class I laid on my mat and I believe I dozed off before Marla walked in. I think my sleepiness had a lot to do with not eating enough during the day. I usually have a few snacks throughout the day to keep me going. This week at work, I have been in systems training, and I haven’t had access to my snacks. Not an excuse, but I do believe it is why I was so sleepy this afternoon.

I was wondering how I was going to have the energy for my yoga practice tonight. Lately Marla’s Vinyasa Flow class has been more holding positions rather than flowing so I figured I wouldn’t be using the only energy I had left for tonight’s practice. Wrong….holding poses is a lot more challenging than flowing….at least it was tonight. I did my best to focus on my breath, and not think about my low energy and how I wanted the class to end. Well, it worked. Before I knew it, I was in Savasana.
Tomorrow, I will load up on my snacks. Lesson learned.

– The Learned Warrior

Day 92 (Tuesday, 04/26/2011) – Sweet like Ice Cream

Evening Practice

“You scream, I scream, we all scream for ice cream”

I just finished my run and my yoga practice at the beach. My hamstrings have been so tight lately; and I think its because I’ve been running again. I concentrated more on downward facing dog and planks at the beginning of my practice in hopes of stretching out my hamstrings. As I moved into my sun salutes, it was like ice cream…..sweet and delicious and wanting more……and like nothing else existed around me…just me and my ice cream

– Sweet Warrior

Day 91 (Monday, 04/25/2011) – Going to my Edge

Studio: YogaWorks / Marla / Vinyasa Flow 2-3

“I just believe that the feeling of wonder is amazing. I am pushing myself as far as I can humanly push myself… I can only hope for the best and expect the worse.
 David Blaine quotes” 

Ahhhhh, finally…..SWEAT! Tonight’s practice is exactly what my body needed. I love going to my edge; always have loved challenges; the bigger the challenge the better. Yesterday was Easter, and after my eating binge I needed this type of yoga practice tonight badly. I feel whole again.

I should have known that all the great food, and the delicious desserts would affect my sleep last night. I woke up every hour on the hour, and I was hot. I could not get comfortable, and my body was fatigued. I finally got up to take an Advil. I was sleepy at work all day, and I just wanted to go home and crawl into bed. I made myself go to yoga practice instead. As sleepy as I was, I wanted the post feeling of my yoga practice more. I wanted to go to my edge.

– Wholesome Warrior

Day 88, 89 & 90 (Friday, Saturday & Sunday, 04/22, 04/23 & 04/24) – Getting Balanced

Home Practice

“To lose balance sometimes for love is part of living a balanced life” – Eat, Pray, Love

I am starting to panic a bit. My yoga practice has been good to me. On the physical aspect, I have been very pleased. I’ve lost inches, and most importantly I am able to fit into most of my clothes again. What a relief! I am panicked because I have been doing too many home yoga practices. The home practices are good, and I’m happy with myself that I am staying committed, however, on the physical side of it, it hasn’t been great. The home practice is more about holding poses, twisting, and meditating. I am missing the sweating aspect of it. I mean, the dripping sweating, can’t hold this pose any longer sweating….where I am challenged beyond what is comfortable and where I push myself to my edge. It’s not that I am judging myself or my practice, it’s the best I can do given my circumstances the past 2 weeks. I am craving sweat, and a hardcore challenge. Also, I have to admit, I do not want to put the inches back on. I’m feeling good right now, and happy about my body. I don’t want to go back to how it was. Maybe panicked is a bit over dramatic. I know how my body is, and I know what it responds to. The mental aspect of yoga is working for me and I love it. What I want is the balance with the mental and the physical. It’s exactly how I like my life, balanced.

-Balancing Warrior

Day 87 (Thursday, 04/21/2011) – Getting back out

Sunset Practice

“When one experiences truth, the madness of finding fault in others disappears” – Goenka

Finally……I am able to run again. And, it felt sooooo good tonight. It has been almost 3 weeks since I last ran. This is the longest I have gone without running in the past ten years. My sprained chest has finally healed. I can feel it slightly when I do chaturangas, however not that excruciating pain I was feeling days ago. Being physical outside is extremely calming, and feeling the rhythm of my running cadence instantly brings me to a meditative mode. It’s the exactly the same as the breathe and movement in yoga. I just lose myself to a different world.

An update on my menopause systems….I haven’t had any symptoms for the past 3 days…..not even a slight hot flash. I honestly believe the lack of my red wine intake has eliminated most of my hot flashes. Plus, I have been inverting daily; just for about 2 minutes or 10 -12 breathes. I don’t know if it is from limiting my wine intake, or my daily inversions or the combination of both. Whatever I am doing, it is working. My rice belly has shrunk too, and I’ve also been able to maintain it. I am watching what I eat, and rarely eat the empty calories that I once indulged in almost daily. Do I miss it? Not really. I thought I would miss it. I feel healthy now, so the thought of daily empty calories and glasses and glasses of red wine is not as appealing. I have reserved these indulgences for special occasions now. And, even on these special occasions, I limit them; not because I know I should; mostly because I’ve lost my craving.

– Evolving Warrior