Wheel Pose = WHOA pose

Wheel pose (and the accompanying preparation) just kicked my ass.  Yes, I said 'ass' on a Sunday. It's appropriate here.

Holy smacks. That was HARD for me today.  I'm not certain whether the sequence itself was challenging or whether my lack of strength and endurance training as of the last couple months contributed most to the near-torture just endured; regardless - WHOA. Wheel pose. 

Let's just clear the air and note I was already slightly fearful of how my body (and mind) would accept the preparatory movements after seeing the image associated with Day 23: Peak Pose Sequence, Urdhva Dhanurasana (Wheel Pose) in my email inbox:

Day 23 Challenge = accepted.  

(Am I a Pitta or what?!!)

Of note to self:

• wrists have been uncomfortable/painful for a few weeks in various poses
• noticing that planks and chaturangas have been harder lately
• thighs were tight - unable to grasp left foot and barely could touch right during the monkey/pina colada prep thing (no, I was not drinking alcohol at a zoo today...)
• I modified some of the preparatory work (example: straightened legs multiple times during a few poses, moved into child's pose, or released arms because they were tingling)
• I'm trying not to be judgmental of myself yet am very aware of what seems like a decrease in strength, flexibility, and endurance
• I MADE IT INTO A FULL WHEEL POSE!
• I came out of wheel pose after about 2.6 seconds because I thought if I didn't, I was going to land on my head and thereby crunch my neck/and or rip my shoulders out of socket and/or my stomach was going to burst into flames, since my solar plexus was NOT happy and threatening to explode...

FYI Solar Plexus highlighted in YELLOW here - mine has been acting up for a few months - point just below my sternum/seems to be right on my xyphoid process.

• Moving into wheel pose = wrist discomfort, acutely aware of my bottom-heavy body minor neck discomfort (likely error on my part due to my PITTA trying to do/be/accomplish everything), and vulnerable chakras. 

My stomach is not settled right now, even 15 minutes after the practice. Whew.  Time to chug some aloe.

Day 23 Challenge = completed. 

@CoachBurow #30for30 #yogachallenge #yogaeveryday  #dynamicwellness #mindbodyhealth #chakra #wheelpose

Yoga Before Work - best idea all day!

Well, and really, it isn't a new idea - to anyone and certainly not to me.  However, today I woke with juuuuust enough energy to roll out of bed and complete another day of the 30 for 30 challenge prior to heading in to work.  It definitely helps that I didn't begin my shift until 10am - although, sometimes strangely, that seems to give me license to either sleep later or do other tasks rather than exercise.  (And hold your tongue about sleeping later! I practice a fairly consistent sleep-wake schedule for my own sanity and well-being, but sometimes laying in bed or snoozing a little extra makes a difference for everyone's benefit!)

Class today was Day 21: Yoga for the Elements (Fire).  "The fire element governs our digestion on all levels: physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual." Alrighty then. (Actually, I have a minute knowledge of this from reading about chakras and practicing Healing Touch, as well as from tuning in to my own body and how it acts/reacts to various stimuli.)

ANYway! In going through this 30 for 30 yoga challenge, a validation or refocus on how vital the breath is to every movement, every thought process, every aspect of living. 

(Well DUH, right? Breathing is vital to living. Don't have to do yoga to know that.) 

Right, yoga isn't necessary. But practicing purposeful movement along with mindful breathing has reminded me of how our breathing (or lack of, or imbalanced, or compromised breathing) can have an immediate and lasting impact on what is happening physiologically and  mentally. I'm not explaining this very expertly right now - point is, I'm literally feeling physical and mental and emotional benefit from this daily practice.  I am not 'healed' or 'all better' or 'without pain' or any of the like; I am calming my central nervous system, giving myself opportunity to practice self-compassion and maybe modify poses or let go of feelings of guilt or self-disgust.  I am tuning in with my body and what is going on within that I can articulate (or at least feel/feel the effects of) and recognizing that further ability to heal could be occurring at a cellular level (and likely is, according to research, which I would have to find if someone asked me about it).

Enough blah-blah-blah.  Yoga in the morning (+ 9 hours of sleep + hydration + taking my nutritional support + eating mostly well + decent weather) has contributed to an overall more relaxed/peaceful and 'happy' day.  I understand this will not always be the case; however, how much could I benefit from practicing yoga most mornings, whether for 5 minutes or 25 minutes? Likely mucho benefit - not only for me - for those around me! ;)


@CoachBurow #30for30 #yogachallenge  #dynamicwellness #mindbodyhealth #breath