Yoga

So, yesterday was my third yoga class at Sun and Moon. I was a little nervous. The first class i went to seemed pretty easy. A lot of back bends (which I overdid and then had a sore back and chest for a few days). The second class, our regular instructor was out and her sub did stuff focused on the heart chakra (so, chest openers, mostly) and it was another easy class. So I was nervous that this mixed level class was going to not be challenging enough for me. Granted, an easy class isn't such a bad thing. It teaches you how to slow down, enjoy each movement, etc. We did a lot of pranayam (focusing on breathing) in both classes. I know it's important... I just... I wanna DO stuff.

So, last night, we did planks. A lot of them. I never liked planks. Which means, they are probably really good for me. We did a lot of side planks. I disliked side planks even more because I was never able to get into them and feel balanced or strong. Until last night.

The way she instructed them was in baby steps. Our first side plank was one leg straight, and the other one bent in front (as shown in the first picture). The second, both legs were straight but the feet were one in front of the other. The third one was the traditional side plank, with the feet stacked. I was able to do all three. Then we did a fourth variation... Like in the second picture except we were up on our hand instead of on our elbow and our foot was on the ground in front of us, instead of in the air.

The instructor gave me two corrections. In Down Dog, I hyperextend my elbows (because i'm double jointed) so I have to conciously turn my arms in towards each other without also moving my hands to point towards each other. Also, aparently in Chaturanga Dadasana, another one of those poses that I find very challenging, I squeeze my shoulder blades together and collapse into my chest. The instructor told me I need to broaden my shoulders.

We did some more pranayam again, and then into savasana (corpse pose) and I just can not seem to relax. Something always hurts. Last night it was my chest, neck, and chin. Plus, I couldn't turn my brain off. Once it started going away... she started reading a poem and it was time to end class. The art of sitting still... gotta work on that.