*Sigh*

I heart yoga brain. I heart meditation brain too. =)

Lynn's 7-day Yoga Challenge wraps up today. It's been a wonderful way to keep myself accountable (the stickers on the calendar, a la Shirls, also help). And I like that no two practices were the same.

Did you check out my guest post?


Tonight I chose a guided meditation followed by some gentle twisting, forward bends and garland pose (squat, aka malasana). It was just what I needed after a long day at work!

Now, to run a bath in my claw foot tub and read a bit before bed. Tomorrow's marathon training has me doing a long, slow distance of 8K.

Namaste.
The divine in me sees and acknowledges the divine in you.

TGIF!

Except I have to work tomorrow. Boo. But that's how I got last weekend off to go to Folk Fest. C'est la vie.

After I post this and shut off the computer, I'm winding down for the night! My yoga practice tonight will consist of:

Supta Baddha Konasana (Reclined cobbler's pose) with the Gayatri Mantra playing in the background.

Have you ever heard the Gayatri Mantra? It is one of the most auspicious mantras. Translated, it is:

Earth, Atmosphere, Heavens.
We meditate on the sacred light of the radiant source.
Let that inspire our thoughts.

My favourite version is by Deva Premal. It's absolutely beautiful.

And now, since my oh, so healthy snack (ripple chips and onion chip dip washed down with Rock Creek Cider) is complete, I need to roll out my mat!

Yoga Challenge Day 5

Today I did some yoga after my run before I left for work. I did the Summer Seasonal Vinyasa Flow by Melina Meza on myyogaonline.com.

It was meh. I didn't really like how she cued the class, I found it hard to follow along and the sequencing didn't really flow for me.

But I felt pretty good when it was done, so it did it's job. =) And I was almost late for work because I was luxuriating in my yoga brain.

I guess I'd better go write the guest post that I promised Lynn!

Doors Are Opening!

	Tuesday July 27	Thursday July 29
Lap 1 Run	6:04	6:35
Lap 1 Walk	9:19	8:55
Lap 2 Run	6:33	6:06
Lap 2 Walk	9:13	11:11 (WTF?!)
Lap 3 Run	6:20	6:45
Lap 3 Walk	9:50	10:18
Lap 4 Run	6:49	6:22
Lap 4 Walk	9:15	10:23
Lap 5 Run	6:51	6:24
Lap 5 Walk	9:22	9:37
Lap 6 Run	6:45	6:45
Lap 6 Walk	9:20	9:16
Lap 7 Run	6:44	6:40
Lap 7 Walk	9:00	9:52

Good morning! I got up with all intentions of running early, before the sun got too hot. Yeaaaaah….well, I got out there, and that’s all that matters. But it was hot! Here’s a breakdown of Tuesday and today’s runs. I’m happy with my running speed, so it’s just a matter of continuing to build on my base and slowly decrease the amount of time I walk!

 

So I think I may have found a place for me to have yoga classes in my neighbourhood! The price is right so all I have to do is go check out the space and sign a lease. Oh, and get my first aid, my company name registered, insurance, have signs and a website made….but the doors are opening, so who am I to argue?

Yoga Challenge Day 4

After work tonight, I booted up the ol' computer (literally, she's on her last legs and why, oh why, didn't I buy a Mac?!) and logged in to myyogaonline.com

This is my favourite place online for yoga! Why, you ask? Well, lemme tell ya.

1. It's Canadian! That's right, it's based out of and run by folks in Vancouver.

2. Variety. You can choose by yoga style, length of practice, or teacher. If you only have 5 minutes and need a guided meditation, you can get it here. Or, if you've got an hour and want to really push yourself with a vigorous practice, well, that's here too. Whichever way you slice it, it's win-win.

3. Affordable! For less than one drop in class at a local studio, I can have a month of yoga, when I want and what I want! Even better, when they turned one last month, I won the Facebook contest for a year of free yoga! =P

So what did I do tonight? A yin practice for summer by Melina Meza. I love that she designed the practice from an Ayurvedic (yoga medicine, basically) perspective. Yin is a slower practice that focuses on getting into the connective tissue by holding the pose for a longer period of time (the poses usually aren't referred to by their Sanskrit name to prevent you from comparing your practice to your yang practice). Breath is really important in yin yoga--as the connective tissue starts to loosen, the feelings can be incredibly intense. Using your breath to breathe into those spots and release the tension is the key. Have you tried yin yoga before? You should!

It was a great way to wind down at the end of the day.

And with that, I'm going to call it one. 'Night!

Marathon Training Begins!

Today was day number 1!

I'm following John Bingham's Marathoning for Mortals run/walk program. Today's run was 35 minutes of 3:2.

4.70 km
372 cal
35:00

Whoo hoo!

Chandra Namaskar

I don't enjoy working evening shift. Unfortunately, this is my week. I came home and did a few rounds of chandra namaskar (moon salutations):



followed by headstand, camel, simple twist, and savasana.

It wasn't a very long practice, but a practice nonetheless. Chandra namaskar is a beautiful evening practice. Surya namaskar (sun salutations) are very yang or masculine. Chandra namaskar honours the feminine. It cools the nervous system and is an excellent practice for menstruation, pregnancy and menopause. The sequence emulates the moon--dropping into darkness before rising up again and radiating with brilliance. And I've never been a big fan of surya namaskar, but while practicing chandra namaskar I'm filled with peace and gracefulness.

Oh, and mom dropped me when I asked her to spot me in headstand. Note to self: get a better spotter! ;-)