A Good Yoga Night

Today wasn't a super-great day, but it wasn't that bad either. I was tired and not wanting to work and the day stretched on forever.

On the way home, I stopped to get my hair cleaned up (a free in-between little trim that they call a "crisping") and started to feel a bit better. After eating dinner and waiting for an hour, I did some yoga.

Lately, I've been feeling like I've hit a yoga plateau, but tonight felt like a bit of a breakthrough. First, my forward bend was a lot deeper than usual. Maybe it's because I now unintentionally practice a type of hot yoga! Yeah, I've got my own 85+ degree yoga studio! Awesome!

Beside forward bend, I'm now nearly able to do a bind while in prayer twist (the lunging version). I really wanted to find a picture, but can't. So, here's prayer twist. Now imagine this guy reaches his left arm behind his torso, hooks his right arm under his upper leg, and grasps his left wrist with his right hand. I am almost there while twisting to the left (as usual, my body is more flexible on one side).

In other news, revolved triangle still gives me problems, and I still have to use my head during crow. Someday, I really want to achieve the scorpion pose...that will be a LONG time from now.

Tonight, I was able to go even deeper in my seated half lotus with a bind and was able to stay in wheel for a bit longer. I try to hold the wheel for a tiny fraction more each time.

Okay, after searching for photos of these poses online, I see that there are TONS more people so much more flexible than I am. But, that is okay. As Bryan Kest says (yes, these are the DVD programs that I use), flexible people just have to go farther to get to the same place.

Sometimes I still chortle during some of Bryan's programs, but his spiel has actually become a bit relaxing. On Saturday, I was more than a bit wound up and stressed about the apartment (it was hot, still not unpacked, the floors needed to be swept, etc.) while doing yoga, and when Bryan said "don't get caught up in the ebb and flow of life," I realized that the apartment will still be here next week and there's no need to get stressed out about some half-unpacked boxes. And about the heat, the landlady was going to fix or replace the A/C this week (the new unit is sitting in the dining room as we speak).

Anyway, sometimes Bryan Kest's self-helpy talk is nice. But some things on his website are still a bit whacked.

Speaking of whacked, I caught the end of a really odd program on channel 64 (TBN??) tonight. At first I thought it was just an organic cooking show (good!), but then I realized it was a religious program (not so good!!). After making grilled halibut and tabbouleh, the show cut to the host talking about the benefits of sunlight and how none of us have enough vitamin D and that's why we're all depressed. I didn't think this was so crazy until he said that the sun doesn't cause skin cancer....hmmmm, really? Because I think there's some sound evidence counter to that. Anyway, then the show ended with a "one-minute snack" to introduce raw food into our diets. It looked pretty good - blended up avocadoes and agave juice and something else topped with bananas, kiwi, and strawberries. During the credits, there were ads for a book called something like "The Maker's Diet," written by the host who doesn't believe that too much sun can cause skin cancer. So, the show was some strange blend of organic cooking and religion and sunshine. Is this a new trend? Can someone research that, please? Anyway, THAT was strange. Bryan Kest, I can handle.