Tonight in practice ...

Hermione*

I thought it'd be fun to have a log-style thread, to note new developments and changes in our practice (be it yoga or pilates).

Tonight in practice, I learned that I really like the challenge of fast-paced class!

ivy tilsley

What a nice idea!

Last night in class during a difficult pose I remembered being little, running around outside and climbing trees for hours. I'd be exhausted and my arms would hurt, but I'd keep going because it was great fun. I'm going to try bring that mindset to challenging poses in future.

Hermione*

ivy tilsley wrote: »

What a nice idea!

Last night in class during a difficult pose I remembered being little, running around outside and climbing trees for hours. I'd be exhausted and my arms would hurt, but I'd keep going because it was great fun. I'm going to try bring that mindset to challenging poses in future.

That's really lovely!

Last night in practice I realised I always do better on the second side in balance poses. I think it's because my concentration has warmed up slightly during my first, shaky side! And I think I'm falling in love with twisty poses

ivy tilsley

Yay for twists, especially desk twists

On the good/bad side thing, I was doing tree pose last night and when switching sides I thought 'now for my bad leg' but then realised I'd mixed up my left and right sides and had been balancing perfectly happily on my bad leg. Goes to show how much the mind can do.

Hermione*

Yesterday, in Pilates, I was re-acquainted with my great and unending hatred of side plank. I can't even balance right in it, let alone hold it for 5 breaths! :rolleyes:

Hermione*

Hermione* wrote: »

Yesterday, in Pilates, I was re-acquainted with my great and unending hatred of side plank. I can't even balance right in it, let alone hold it for 5 breaths! :rolleyes:

Scratch that. Tonight my balance rocked and balance has always been my downfall in side plank. Definitely the high point of the class!

ivy tilsley

Yay! Well done! That must have felt awesome

Hermione*

ivy tilsley wrote: »

Yay! Well done! That must have felt awesome

It really did! Sadly, last night, side plank and I resumed our mutual dislike. i think I was too tored after work

High point of last night's class:

So lovely after a day at a desk!

Hermione*

Tonight: yoga nidra.

ivy tilsley

This week I am really hankering after inversions. I wonder what that says about the headspace I'm in? I'll know after this evening's practice, maybe.

ivy tilsley

Last night in practice I noticed my abs are a little weaker from neglect/eating all the pies.

I'm off on a yoga retreat for the weekend! I hope to improve my concentration and get some ideas for home practice.

By the way, Hermione, how is/was yoga nidra?

Hermione*

Yoga retreat sounds fab! How lovely

I loved yoga nidra! It's like yogic sleep: it's a deep relaxation/ guided meditation, which usually lasts about 30 minutes. Some yoga workshops I've done have ended with a yoga nidra: it's really nice. It's very rejuvenating ime.

ivy tilsley

The yoga nidra sounds like a great way to recharge the batteries.

I had a fantastic weekend of lots and lots of yoga.

So, this weekend in practice I noticed that I push up to hard in cobra and need to redistribute my weight more efficiently into my legs. I also pull too hard on my feet in forward bends (the ego loves a really flat seated forward bend, but the shoulders don't). And I finally got the hang of upward bow. It's a wonderful posture when you're not freaking out that you're going to fall on your head and die in it.

And I did improve a little in meditation and got some home practice ideas as I'd hoped.

SaraYoga

Last night in practice I realized how much my physical awareness has improved because of yoga! So grateful!
And I held handstand without the wall for a couple seconds!!

Namaste, Sara

ivy tilsley

Bravo holding headstand without the wall!

Inspector Coptoor

I got the crown of my head to touch the ground with feet spread and knees locked out.
not bad for a ~98kg guy!

Hermione*

Liam Henners257 wrote: »

I got the crown of my head to touch the ground with feet spread and knees locked out.
not bad for a ~98kg guy!

Wowsa! Fair play!

Been very busy this week: have three practices to list!

Last Wednesday: Lovely strong, core-focused class


Saturday morning Pilates: Deadly partner poses, including a variation on this


Last night, ashtanga:

Hermione*

Tonight I discovered that hot yoga and I do not like each other! The heat is very distracting, I find! Going back next week to see if I can do any better

Bridge pose was still as lovely as ever

g'em

Tonight in yoga I did a full crab - YAY \o/

SaraYoga

Yay! Full wheel, or crab, is an awesome pose!

Tonight I really felt that the more you commit your mind, the more you can get out of any pose.

Hermione*

SaraYoga wrote: »

Yay! Full wheel, or crab, is an awesome pose!

Tonight I really felt that the more you commit your mind, the more you can get out of any pose.

Totes agree with that. If my mind isn't clear and focused, I struggle to hold any pose!

Hermione*

Life's beena bit crazy of late so I haven't been to many classes Am practicing at home instead and really liking

Hermione*

I nearly fell asleep during relaxation at the end of tonight's class! I guess that means the relaxation was really working

Hermione*

/bumpity

Tonight: pigeon pose. SO good for stretching out post-running tight hips! This is my favourite way to do pigeon, just melting over your hips in a forward bend. Pleasure and pain, simultaneously :pac:

Pembily

Bump.

I had my first vinyassa class Monday, the day after my first 5k run and it was tough but good. I've totally got the yoga buzz

rainbow kirby

Hermione* wrote: »

I nearly fell asleep during relaxation at the end of tonight's class! I guess that means the relaxation was really working

This happens to me nearly every time I take a yoga class on a Friday evening, was seriously *this* close to falling asleep during savasana last night! Was surprised at that because my back was playing up during class a bit and usually I find it hard to relax if that's the case...

Got a lot out of class last night though, only 4 of us there for ashtanga so got quite a lot of individual attention and adjustments.

rainbow kirby

Ashtanga last night - every single correction that was made was to my neck position. Wasn't expecting that!

Also almost boobed myself in the face during bridge pose. :eek:

jrby

?

Pembily

I haven't done yoga in nearly a month Going next week as this week I am sick!

Boobed is a good adjective :P

Donelson

Heading back to class this week. My hamstrings and hips are delighted! This is a new class in town which is great because for ages we had no classes in town, and the class in the neighbouring town wasn't worth going to. <-this is the yoga forum, so i'm being gentle!

Favourite pose at the moment is half moon!

Pembily

Did a savage Vinyassa class tonight, was great to be back

Am getting much better at down dog and tree pose. Also was able to grab my left leg with right hand while in a low lunge (not sure what it's called).

Pembily

Thursday's practice made me realise I don't hate the plank, I hate the side plank and the plank really is grand! I can feel I'm getting better overall though.

rainbow kirby

Disadvantages to attending a city centre studio: police car with sirens on racing past during savasana! :eek:

Pembily

Amazing practice tonight. I'm positioning myself better but need more guidance so need to work on that.

rainbow kirby

I did all my balance poses without falling over once. That has actually never happened before, I have terrible balance.

*happy face*

dearg lady

balance poses are still by far my worst! my good days I lose my balance only a couple of times,my bad days I lose my balance constantly. and I don't even do the full balance poses, I do the easy version!

But anyway, my last few classes in my forward bends I've been able to touch my knees with my nose with just a little pressure from my instructor! considering I couldn't even reach my toes with my fingertips when I started yoga, I'm pretty delighted with that. Now to be able to grab my wrists past my feet in a forward bend...challenge accepted!

rainbow kirby

Went to a workshop about a week ago on a Saturday afternoon, then attended a different yoga class to my usual one on Wednesday evening. Realised that my brain has taken the standard Ashtanga sequencing as The Law, and that in classes with a different structure it kinda goes a bit WTF for a while!

Pembily

I held half moon for 5 breaths last night on both sides. I really felt a difference with my balance last night.

Hippo

Bikram yesterday was 80% male, something I have never seen before.

Guys are much noisier than girls.

bonzo_k

I held mayurasana for 5 breaths woo hoo !

flutegirl

Started back at Pilates class this week after about a 10 month break, couldn't find class to suit schedule. Was good to get back to it. Felt brilliant from it last time and core was very strong. Intend to practice twice a week when not in class. Looking forward to next week.:)