Got My Drishti on Again

Hadn't been to Hot Yoga in 10 days and I had to wrap my mind around the HY rituals. I had to make sure that I had bath and hand towels along with water and I had to wrap my mind around the fact that I was going to do yoga for 90 minutes.

I got to the studio about 10 minutes early (as required), took off my shoes and set up shop. People stay in the room 10 minutes before the teacher steps in but I don't. I can't lay down in that heat prior to class. I read, watch the clock and keep my eye on the teacher until about a minute before class. Mind you, when I got to class, there was one spot left and at least two people arrived after me so I guess people rearranged themselves to make room.

Valerie guided us through Dante's Inferno:

We will sip not gulp water in between poses. Put your water bottle about a foot to the right. No leaving the class...

I felt okay until we got to the standing poses. I backed off of eagle and let my mind write stories: My back is too big. My shoulders are too tight and, in general, I'm just not graceful.

I did some of the first steps of standing head to knee pose. I was completely off balance and couldn't even manage a little baby standing bow pose. I did like the way that I looked in mountain though.

I felt blah about my half tortoise pose and bemoaned the fact that my abs, while strong, were not strong enough to get my forehead to the floor before my hands and I could barely elevate my legs during bow pose.

Valerie cracked me up as we did some version of a head to knee pose:

We want to feel achy and uncomfortable but we don't want to feel pain or electricity.

I hoped that she would elaborate but...

During savasana, I put my hand towel over my eyes and stayed there for a few minutes. I rolled over then rolled my mat up and made eye contact with Patti and Crystal. We headed to the little coatroom where one of my classmates told me that I'm doing good. I was flabbergasted by her comment and I would have looked around the room but she was looking directly in my face so I knew that she was talking to me.