Crossfit Open 16.2 Scaled - Moving Weight

Well what can I say. This Open has been a weird one for me....yep we are only 2 down...but for some reason in my mind I get worked up so much about the workouts and I have a slight anxiety attack. I thought Crossfit was meant to be fun. I know I will never make it to regionals and I know I will always be at the bottom of the leader board, I don't know why I'm taking it so seriously.

I sat there waiting for my turn and cheering on others...but I really wanted to grab my shit and walk the hell out of there and come back again when it was quieter so maybe do it on Monday morning with only 2 other people in the box. Coach Ellz was like "Right show me your knee raises..." I showed her she was like "do your single unders" I done em and she was like "lets see your squat"...I done them. She was then like "ok cool this is what you'll do and if you need to redo it then you can do it on Monday." I was like "err if I do do it tonight I'm only getting 1 round" Well wasn't I the pessimistic one...I only went and got past the first round and into my second round and finished at 9 squat cleans...Only 3 more to reach the 3rd round....so close so freaking close!!!

What does that mean? That means I'm going to try it again on Monday morning. Oh yes I am and I'm going to try and smash it!! All I want to do is get to the third round and attempt the 43kg squat clean...heck knows I may get it. This means this weekend it's all about buckling down clean eating and getting some fitness in. In terms of pacing I need to stop holding on to the bar saying "omg it's so heavy" plus I need to stop muscling the bar up and power cleaning it...but try and get under it just a smidgen. When I do the knee raises I always hesitate before starting them off...why only God knows.

I was happy with my finish today but Naz...who proper smashed it came up to me and said she was disappointed in her performance. It's funny because from where I standing huffing and puffing she was going for it...I'm not sure of her score but she did have a tear in her eye. I said to her I was in the same place last week and not to be too hard on herself. She said "I can't believe I could pick up 43kgs" In my mind it got me thinking...bloody hellfire 43kgs is a lot some people will go most their lives not being able to pick that shit up and we are moving the weight so quickly like it is nothing. We put way too much pressure on ourselves...why do we do this? If someone can answer that for me then that would be grand.

sidebar: I am a broken woman and my mobility is shot to pieces but tonight I PB'd all over myself and popped it on the PB white board...I finally got my squats to be below Parallel. Going back to 14. 5 those thursters were a killer and I got no repped a million times that wod took me 1:31:38 (Dave Castro said the clock will not save you and it did not) So I am making progress. Coach Ellz looked like she was going to cry cos she has been working with me and my mobility. I told her it's the knee pads I bought last week...she says no but I now the truth it's the knee pads :) #oldladybeastintraining

Crossfit Open 16.1 Scaled redo

So a little update. This morning I woke dreaming about the release of 16.2...when I realised it was only Monday I cursed and then my thoughts went back to 16.1...yep I defo could not have done it any better....but just maybe I could have done the RX walking lunges and the over the bar burpees and leave the jumping pullups as it would take me the 20mins to do the lunges at 29kgs.
I went to the box. And Coach Ellz sat me down and had a word...she said if the only reason I want to try and do the RX score is to negate my scaled score as I wasn't happy with it then not to try it. But if I was happy with my scaled score and was just curious to see how far I could go then to go for it.
Me and my stubborn ways was still unhappy with the scaled score...and attempted to Over Head Lunge a PVC pipe, the 8kgs bar, then 15kg and I got stuck at 20kgs...29kgs was going to hurt and I was just being foolish. In the end. I ended up re-doing 16.1 but used the 8kg bar and over head squatted that sh*!t!!!

I powered on through and at the end of it all I got a total of 117 reps...my twisted little mind was happier with this score as I had over head lunged. It was tough but I got it done.

Now the question is will I be able to walk tomorrow :)

Crossfit Open 16.1 Scaled

I don't think I have ever been so disappointed in myself when it comes to a wod. The funny thing is in my head I was aiming for 5 rounds but when I got to the box and saw that most everyone who had done the scaled version of the wod were at 8 rounds and above I said to myself "ok you'll get 6 and a little something something."

I was terrified of the walking lunges cos my mobility is so shot that when I lunge with a weight it starts of with 5kgs and then drops down to 2.5kgs. So 15kgs is a jump that I thought would never be doable. After Olympic Lifting class in the morning I attempted the 15kgs...not bad not bad at all...I was a little winded when I walked the 25feet but yeah that was defo doable, I felt semi good about it. So the plan was to just keep moving and rest for 5 sec max if I needed it. but take it slow. Dave told me to look at it as chunks and focus on each movement and put it behind me once done.

I'm not going to go into the nitty gritty, but when all was said and done and I was told what I got I burst in to tears...simply because I felt like I had let myself down even though I felt like I had worked my butt off...I was a tad bit confused to say the least.

Coach Ellz  no repped me 4 times on the jumping pullups, once on the walking lunges, and once on the burpees. I simply walked over the bar instead of jumping (proper brain fart). The Burpee no rep was the only one I was mad at cos that defo could have been prevented.

Now 5 hours later I'm still gutted with my 5 rounds 11reps score but looking back I couldn't have done it any quicker...I only rested for a few secs to catch my breathe on the pullups but other than that I was constently moving.

If tomorrow I wake up and feel the need to do it again I will and honestly I may take my pullups a tad bit slower so I don't get no repped and maybe that will bump me up a little bit.

But at the same time I'm thinking if I hadn't seen any of the scaled scores on the whitebord then maybe just maybe I would be ecstatic with my 141reps. After all that's 5 rounds and 11 bonus points.

Bring on 16.2

101 Down: Why??? Because you have to show up for one extra class

# of yoga classes taken since Sept: 101
# of doubles: approx 15
# of triples: 1
# of times I did my laundry: countless


So last night I finally did my 101 class. According to the definition of the 101 day yoga challenge you do   

101-Days because you just have to show up for one extra day.

and basically in my mind it's because you can...what is one extra day after all is said and done?

I loved every minute of it and even though the last two weeks have been grueling practicing yoga every day and having some doubles thrown in...it has been so worth it. My body is so sore and I LOVE IT!!!

Last night in class Kate said I was an inspiration...which in my mind is laughable cos I'm far from inspiring. I started to think of what inspired me to get this done...Firstly my cousin Sue who is just an all round inspiration. She got me into this Bikram yoga malarkey and I truly love her for it. We live parallel lives on opposite sides of the earth and we often find that we have been doing and discovering things at the same time...Bikram was one thing that she gently nudged me towards and her gentle persistence finally worked.

When I first attended the studio the lovely Steve was just finishing his 101 challenege. Dude he made it real for me...he is so serene and always has a smile on his face...we got to talking and he told me he finished his challenge early!!! Lets just say when he told me what day he finished on my jaw dropped and my mind started working over time wondering if I could do the same... This dude is my hero nuff respect to him.

The lovely Claire and Joe the cutest couple on earth finished their 100 day challenge last week Friday in Paris...totally romantic. In my mind they held hands during the final savasana....err what can I say I'm a hopeless romantic.


Now I'm sitting here wondering what is next...I've been lovingly banned from the studio for a few days in order to rest up and will be back next week Thursday. This is a good thing because I know that my body needs to rest up and process the changes that are taking place from within. Unfortunately with the Christmas season I'm scared I may do more damage than good...I will show restraint....I will continue to blog but not as often. And I may even do another challenge God willing...but I think that once you have done 101 you stop counting and just keep going.

sidebar: I never got my forehead to my knee in standing separate leg head to knee pose..but I know I will one day.

100 Down: I'm Blessed and I'm Prettier

This morning was my 100th day!!!! I can't believe it y'all I can't believe I actually did 100 yoga sessions in the hot room...in 99 days!!! CAN I GET AN AMEN THANK YOU JESUS!!!! CAN I GET A WHOOP WHOOP. AH SHOOT LET'S JUST THROW A PARTY!

Class this morning was, simply put, AMAZING!!

On my 82nd class, the day I went back after the man flu,  the lovely Claire said "tell me when you get to 100 so I can come and practice with you". I almost cried when she said that. And true to her word she was there at 630 this morning along with her hubby Dennis. It was such a beautiful gesture and it meant so much to me. They got me a card and some spa magik dead sea bath salt...They so did not have to do that because it was more than enough being in class with me at that ungodly hour...I will never forget this until the day I die. I will be using the bath salt to soak in with my favourite glass of red wine tomorrow night. Claire has been a real inspiration from my first entering the Bikram studio she has always had a word of encouragement and her muscles are to die for...she says she only does bikram so there is hope for my arms yet.

I'm so grateful to everyone at Bikram Yoga Chiswick everyone there feels like family and I have so much love for them. Thank you for encouraging me and for helping me finish the challenge as you know how important it is for me not to fail this. It is true what they say: "how you deal with the situation in the room is how you deal with life." Many a time it was a struggle and I felt like giving up. But I saw it through with my own persistence and with the help of everyone there who cheered me on. What you put in to life and in yoga is what you get out of it. So here's hoping for that major positive shift in my life that I have been longing for for the longest time.

I definitely am feeling the effects of the last 100 sessions and all I can say is BOO YA!!!!!

Physically I am starting to get muscle in my arms. I've always hated my arms and always wear long sleeves even in the hottest summer. Come next summer I will be able to show them off next year.

People have said I look smaller...I don't really see it. I am going by the scale, which is bad I know. I'm not too happy with the numbers.  I hadn't seen a friend of mine since the beginning of the challenge and she said I do look smaller and my arms are getting defined (ever so slightly but the definition is there).

People also say my skin is glowing which makes me smile. I don't really wear makeup so this is good cos I really can't be arsed dealing with foundation and crap...Bring on the natural glow.

I have also noticed people smile at me when I'm walking down the street. The lovely Laura said it is because there is an internal light in  me that is shining through...so imma let this little light of mine shine

Mentally I am STRONGER...granted I get Bikram brain every now and again but I don't feel as depressed as I did before I started.

I used to have little panic attacks and dwell on stuff making my situation feel worse then it was...now I deal with it or let it go. Once in a while I do dwell on stuff but definitely not as much as before.

I have a voice now. Before I really didn't have the confidence to say what I felt...I now know that my opinion counts and I know that I am important if I wasn't I wouldn't be on this earth. End of story.


Spiritually there has been movement and I feel more in tune with the Creator. I haven't stepped foot into church since way before July to the disappointment of some people and I don't feel bad about that. The yoga has been my meditation with God as He made me and dwells within me showing me what I am capable of. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

95 Down: It's all about savasana baby

The last week I've been taking full advantage of the final savasana and all I have to say today is this:
If I could bottle up the final savasana and sell it I'd be rich and there would be no war. 

Taking the extra minutes I have realised that the healing truly comes from that stillness...Not only does your body cool down but it has given my body a chance to really recognise what the last 90mins were about and do it's cellular level work. Plus I kind of feel all high and go of into a litte dream world. LOVE IT!!!!

 

 

http://drawadriandraw.blogspot.com/

91 92 93 94 Down: The best weekend

I have had the most amazing weekend and it was all Bikram related surrounded by genuine people I love with all my heart.

91 Down
Friday for my 91st class I went to Brighton and practiced at Bikram in the Lanes, alongside Caroline a dear friend of mine. I was scared I wasn't going to do well and had a minor panic attack on the way up but it was fine...I did enjoy it but there is no place like home. The rest of the day was spent eating the most delicious raw food...life could not have been any better thanks Caroline.

92 Down
I had a revelation in class. This year I HATE CHRISTMAS!!!  Towards the end of class the lovely Andy made a comment about Christmas, in my mind I said "fuck christmas!" and burst into tears. Yesterday was the first time I acknowledged to myself that I'm not happy about not going home (Zimbabwe) for the holidays. It's about family not loneliness.
 Saturday night was Bikram Yoga Chiswick's christmas party and it was lush. Yes I got drunk as I have no control when it comes to alcohol. But it was gooooooddddd!!!!! There was ZUMBA it was amazing and every single person who attends BYC is lush  I LOVE EACH AND EVERYONE!!!! Nope I'm not still drunk.

93 and 94 Down
0640 woke up hungover
0725 dragged my carcass out of bed
0800 left  home
0845 walked into the building saw the lovely Shvorne at reception and just shook my head.
0900 I was in class!
I honestly thought it was going to be like my red wine saturday where I felt it was pointless being in class but it wasn't. It felt like the best hangover cure in the world. I was so transformed I did a back to back double and I LOVED IT!!!!!

I discovered a way to love on my tummy... I am holding a grudge against my belly for not being smaller. Caroline suggested that I love on my tummy. And today it happened. I was meant to be standing with my hands down by my side but for some reason they were on my belly and the next thing I knew I had formed the heart symbol... just over my belly button...tiny steps to acknowledging my belly.

90 Down:Rituals

Last night was my 90th class I can't believe I've come this far. This week I've been doing doubles (not back to back) early mornings (0630) and late nights (2015) it's crazy I know...I get home just after 2300 and wake up at 0500 to get to my morning class. And I'm here thinking if it was for anything else there is no way I'd be sacrificing my sleep. But I'm not knackered once I'm up I'm up. Benefit of Bikram.

Last night I got to talking to little Alex before class. And I totally forgot to do my loo run 5mins before the start of class. I was screwing cos I hate having to leave class to use the loo plus I fear that I'll be the cause of groupthink and people start leaving class to use the loo. Thankfully I didn't need to go the use of the loo 5mins before class is one of my yoga rituals...even if it's a little piss I went so I'm good to go.(tmi I know sorry)

This got me thinking of my other rituals in the hot room.
1) when performing half moon pose I always do a little shimmy to try make myself taller...plus I love the way my waist and hips look in the set up of the pose it's the way my body is meant to look.

2) Standing bow is no longer a friend of mine. No matter how much I've tried to find common ground with the beautiful posture it hasnt happened. At one point I thought we had an understanding but now not no more. So whenever I fall out of the posture I try to become invisible by standing still looking down to the floor for fear of catching the teacher's eye and them telling us if you fall out get back in....nah it ain't happening.

3) When on the floor if i realise my mat is crooked I get crazy brain. So I place my towel straight over the top of my mat. Who knew I had a little OCD when it comes to straight lines.

4) When doing the sit up, just before putting my arms above my head, I always without fail touch my boobs!!! Weird I know. I'm trying to stop that bad habit.

85 and 86 down: Anxiety

Peeps I'm not sure this can be done...I handed in my schedule to the folks at BYC trying to slip in triples alongside back to back doubles and needless to say I got rumbled hehehe....which I deserved plus I really don't think they would want to be carrying this lump of lard out on a stretcher. After speaking to the lovely Kat and Charlie I walked into class with an overwhelming sense of gratitude. And an 'I can do this' frame of mind. As soon as we started the pranayama breathing I got anxious and I couldn't catch my breath my heart started beating fast....and I was like "well damn looka here it's gonna be like this is it??!!??!!" I had to stop take stock and breathe in gratitude and breathe out anxiety....that didn't work...I started having a conversation with myself...

me 1: I'm gonna leave the room and sit outside for a bit
me 2: if you leave the room they'll say your body is giving up
me 1: no they wont shut up!!
me 2: yep they will...look at you the yoga truck is dragging your carcass across the road
me 1: ok imma sit on the mat for a bit
me 2: go for it but you won't get up again
me 1: sod you i'm sitting down

Just before standing bow I collapsed onto the mat and sat there until standing separate leg stretching pose...attempted that then sat down again until standing separate head to knee (my fav posture even though I still can't get my blooming head to my knee yet) and from then on I was semi alright I didn't leave the room owing to stubborness.

http://girlwiththeredhair.com/

This morning my carcass was back in the studio with bells on at 630 in the morning. OMG it was amazing so different from last night one of the best classes yet...I was so close to finally getting my hands on the floor with the second part of tree stand on the way to toe standing...YEAH!!!!! I fell out and couldn't get back to it but my tippy fingers touched the ground for a millisecond (incremental changes y'all). I even talked myself into partaking of bow pose and I got into it quicker than usual and held it longer than usual.

Hopefully tonight's class will be as good as this mornings. I hope I didn't jinx it.

84 Down: I'm BAAAACCCKKKKK Y'ALL!!!!!!!

http://tracysfoodandthought.blogspot.com

I stepped into the room after 4 days of being at deaths door (ok I exaggerate). Being back in the heat and doing the 26 postures felt so good. I plonked myself at the back of the class right near the window just in case I passed out or had a coughing fit but none of that happened. On Saturday I did one class and the lovely Fed came up to me during standing forehead to knee...there I was comfortable doing my modified version and he was like "Come on  Nikki you can do it" and I did I finally stood there in the first part of the posture...CAN I GET A WHOOOP WHOOP GRRRR!!!!! Granted I didn't get the full Bikram grip but hey if it takes another 81 days to do this then so be it. But do you know what this incremental step means? It means I'm finally losing inches on my tummy and it also means I'm getting stronger!!!! COME ON!!!!  I decided that in the first set I will do my modified pose then come the second set I will do the first part with strength.

Yesterday I did another back to back double. Why do I keep doing this to myself...honestly I hate back to back doubles my mind sabotages every single posture...I need at least an hours break before the second class.

I'm trying to catch up on the missed days and I still aim to have 101 classes in 101 days so the 10th of December is my cutoff day. The lovely Charlie has banned me from doing triples....but i may end up sneaking some past him....*shrugs shoulders*

I'm so glad to be back bikraming.

81 Down: Man Flu

http://www.mdnews.com/news/hd/2011_32/hd_655464

I woke up with a sore throat and thought it'll pass soon as I get a hot honey and lemon down my neck...nah it stuck around. So I decided Bikram would sweat it out and get me feeling all healthy again. I pushed myself and got through the class way better than I did on Sunday and I thought yep I've kicked this effing cold in the butt.
I got home gargled with salt and water and even considered doing some urine therapy but I'm not there yet...nuff respect to all the urine therapists out there.

I woke up feeling rough as old boots...throat as if razors were setting up for a residencey. I have decided to not go and practice my 82nd class which means I won't reach my goal of reaching 90 classes by the 29th unless I don a triple or am able to get out of work early on some days. I'm cool with that as I need to listen to my body and rest up. Besides I don't really want to get any of the lovely people at BYC sick so it's best to stay away while I'm at the contagious stage.

So tonight it's off to bed with some baileys as I feel it soothes the throat hot lemon honey and ginger....boooooo

80 Down: Red Red Wine

Last night I met up with a friend who I hadn't seen in ages and the red wine started to flow (only one bottlle) while we nattered on. I really do not think that I had a lot to drink. This was the first time alcohol passed my lips since starting the challenge. I didn't get drunk but I was aware that I might be dehydrated in the morning so whenever I woke up last night I would gulp down some water. I also drank 2 litres before class...but none of this prep helped. Today was the very first time I wished I had not step foot in the studio. I was stiffer than a mofo...I felt heavy and sluggish and stiff. A headache took hold about a half hour before class ended. I wasn't hungover...well I didn't think I was hungover but man oh man...yeah with Christmas coming up I don't think I'll be partaking in the red juice anytime soon if I'm going to feel like this.

78 and 79: All I Want for Christmas is a YOGA BUM

So I managed to get to the Saturday class and banged out a back to back double. I have decided I don't like back to backs I'd rather have a break in the middle then come back for more a few hours later.

The lovely Andy was telling us how we have to be patient when it comes to doing the postures cos yoga is about patience and letting the body do what it do. I thought to myself as I stared down my body "yep patience is what I need and what I most definitely don't have because I don't see my yoga bum emerging!!!! Isn't it meant to be here yet?" After reading up on the process your body goes through the last 90 days of class is when your body finally starts to take shape. Ya well I'm not seeing no shape changing and I'm starting to get a tad bit distressed and irritated. I know I know I shouldn't just be doing yoga to see changes in my body and I know that a lot of people don't see yoga as a means to weight loss but I do and I have seen results on the scale. Now I just want to see results in my shape. So if patience is the key to seeing the changes all I want for Christmas is the beginning of a yoga bum!

77 Down: Bring it on!!!

Last night class was...well... it was...all I can do is shake my head at the thought of it. Soon after Eagle Pose my heart started to beat like a mofo and it didn't calm down for a second. I thought I was going to have a mini heart attack. I found myself unable to do triangle as much as I hate that posture I do always try to attempt it. On the belly down series I thought I was going to beat a hole in the floor with my heartbeat!...But somewhere in the back of my mind I heard Joe Swanson from family guy shouting "BRING IT ON!!!"... that didn't make my class stronger but I tried to do at least one of each posture with the exception of bow pose which I have now come to utterly detest.

Truth be told I'm scared of going to my next class which may be tonight as I can't do Saturday...we'll see if I can get off work early.

That being said I have decided to finally do the post about 5 things I love about Bikram Yoga. For I know my friend Cassandra is reading this saying why the hell di you love Bikram if you go through torture. So Cass this is for you.....

5.people outside of the yoga studio have told me my skin is glowing...gotta love a compliment.

4. I love that competitive spirit...it's not competing with anyone else except myself for I know I can do better. On days I consciously go into class and dig deep my postures are like BOOM...WHAT YOU CAN'T TELL ME NOTHING!!!! You see the improvements bit by bit and nothing can take that feeling of accomplishment away.

3. Sometimes I walk into the studio feeling depressed and worthless...I come out feeling like a million bucks!

2. Unconsciously practicing yoga when you are doing mindless tasks like brushing your teeth. While waiting for the kettle to boil I've found myself standing on my tippy toes doing awkward pose and wishing that I could do that one posture with my shoes on in class. Cos I can stand high on my tippy toes with my shoes on.  Why does it feel easier and deeper to do standing bow at work while waiting for the elevator to come when no one is around?

http://therunningyoginimom.blogspot.com/

1.The feeling I get after camel pose...granted I can't get into the full expression yet and can only get my fingertips on my heels in the second set. I love the whoosh head rush and the heart beating so fast but my breathing is calm...I LOVE it.

(This list is in no particular order except for number 1.)

76 Down: sweat sweat and more frigging sweat

http://indirectlines.blogspot.com

The last two classes I've noticed that I'm sweating like a frigging pig....granted Bikram is a sweat-athon but honestly this feels really really weird... I've noticed that by the end of class my towel is grossly squidgy with sweat and 10mins after class I'm still dripping as if I'm still doing the poses. It is really bugging me. I'm putting it down to changes on cellular level... and this must be some kind of deeper cellular transformation that I'm going through. Please Lord let it end soon cos it ain't cute. Not that you can look cute at bikram sweat all in your eyes and stuff but you get my drift.

73 down: To drink or not to drink

http://vitacoco.com/

This is the second time I have been shut up with shock at bikram. Each time it applies to coconut water. I LOVE LOVE LOVE ME SOME COCONUT WATER, especially after a hot humid class. After classes like that Cocofina is my drink of choice...owing to the sweetness. When I have double classes within a short space of each other or don't feel I have hydrated myself enough throughout the day I simply adore the taste of Vita Coco it's so so so gooooood.
The first time I was waiting to go into class and one of the girls at the desk was looking at the cartons of coconut water and said something to the effect of "I wonder how many calories are in this hmmmm let me see...." Yesterday in the changing rooms one girl looked at the back of the carton and said there is 20g of sugar in this...omg!!!
What the heck is wrong with these people?!?!?! It does make one wonder why people will reach for a can of coke and not question it's sugar content and its lack of health benefits. But when it comes to drinking something that is healthy for you the questions start flowing.

71 Down: Water FAIL

http://prozacville.blogspot.com

Today I couldn't resist the call for water. I managed to hold out until we got down to the floor but the call was too strong. The sound of people opening their bottles just had me reaching for my water bottle. Since around my 15th class I have not been drinking water while on the mat. Through out the day I have been drinking approx 3 litres so I believe I'm proper hydrated before I go into the room...thus not having water be my distraction and I am a firm believer that it doesn't cool me down it just uses up energy if I sip and sip and sip away in class...so I only drink water once we have finished the final breathing exercise.
But today was a different story I was sooooooo thirsty soooo very thirsty. I did chastise myself once I took my first sip. At least I didn't collapse with thirst. Maybe I shouldn't take my water bottle into class...hmmmm

66 down: Namaste

About 2 weeks ago Helen put this up on the wall in the yoga studio. I simply love it.

Namaste is such a beautiful word. One meaning that resonates with me is "the light in me acknowledges the light in you".

Lately I have been surrounding myself with people who lift me up and I hopefully lift them up as well. This challenge has made me realise that no matter what negativity is going on in your life it is always better to put a positive spin on things...cos honestly there is no need to be down or bring people down with you.

I was talking to my lovely cousin Sue over the weekend...and I was going on about how I really don't know what I want to do in my life and how I thought this journey would somehow make clear to me my role in this world. She in turn told me not to say I don't know what I want, but to say I am rediscovering who I am and what I want out of life! I LOVE that I am on a journey of rediscovery and yes it is going to take more than 101 days. But so far on this journey I have discovered friendships and rediscovered a love for self. The adventure continues.

Namaste peeps x

60 Down: 41 to go

Oh my days I have been slacking on this here blog and I apologise.
So I've done 60 classes in 61 days. I tried to do 60 in 60 but I couldn't make my Sunday class due to moments of indecision... plus the bus not showing up for 20mins was not good and when it did it was too full the bus driver refused to open the doors to let passengers on and drove off. By that time I knew I wouldn't have made it to class on time. No worries.... my goal for the next 30 days is to complete my 90th class on the 90th day! So by the 29th of November I should be at that goal.

I can't believe 60 days has flown by so quickly. Have I noticed changes? Physically kind of sort of but not really. Mentally so so. My head feels clearer and my intentions are stronger. I must admit that last week one of the reasons for my silence was because I felt that my little world was falling apart. I wasn't emotional on the mat but outside my brain was ticking over and over. As most of you know I am not happy with where I am at in my life and have seen a regression, if not stagnation, instead of progress in all aspects of my life....health,relationships, and work. And this 60 day (now 101 day) challenge came about so I could get out of the stagnant state and get movement and change flowing in my life once again.

51 Down: Exhale on Three!!!

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Somewhere near the beginning of this journey I vowed that during this challenge I would do a triple and yesterday I did my triple!!!! I did the 0630, 1500, and 2015. I had the day off and instead of lounging around the house and basically seeing my day off work as a green light to pig out and veg I took to the "torture chamber" and loved every single frigging minute. For the first 2 classes I stood at the back near the window. But the final class I reckoned that if I stayed in the back row I wouldn't push myself so I went to the front near the window. And I did 23 out of 26 postures in the 3rd class.

This past week I have started the class with positive intentions during pranayama breathing. Before I used to count 1,2,3,4,5,6  2,2,3,4,5,6  3,2,3,4,5,6 and this used to drag on and to be honest I hated it cos my shoulders ached. My tummy relaxed and my breathing sometimes got shallow instead of getting stronger. This week I decided that when I breathe in I need to think positive with the intake of breath and with the out take exhale the negative.

inhale in self-love, exhale self-hate
inhale self-confidence, exhale low self-esteem, 
inhale can do, exhale can't do
inhale faith, exhale fear
inhale self-preservation, exhale self-destruction


I believe this helped with my triple because when my third and final class of the day was upon me and we were doing the breathing I realised I was breathing in deeper than ever before and at the end of the posture I felt I AM WOMAN HEAR ME ROAR STRONG!!!!  Able to move on for the next 90mins.

Also this week I decided that I am not doing a 60 day Bikram Yoga challenge. Nope I'm going the whole 101 days!

Will I triple it up again??? MOST DEFINITELY.