Time Well Spent or Month-End Review, September

Birthday yoga. Yoga at the Confluence under the Arch. Hot yoga. It was a month to remember. Plus, mission accomplished. I wanted to roll out my mat much more than I did last month. I chalked up fifteen hours of yoga and it was definitely time well spent. Really enjoyed swimming as well.

Hadn't been to hot yoga in over a year and as soon as I sat down on my mat, I knew that I didn't need hot yoga anymore. All of that heat made savasana super sweet. Also dug the aromatherapy "wand" that the teacher waved at the beginning of savasana. The breeze from the wand was pretty nice too... Hope you found plenty to enjoy during your September endeavors.

10 Minute Solution: High Intensity Interval Training

Ab HITT, 1 x

HITT 101, 1 x

HITT Explosion, 2 x's

Rock Bottom HITT, 1 x

Upper Body HITT, 1 x

Bicycling, 3 x's

Climbing, 3 x's

Just Walk

Mile 1: Classic Low Impact, 4 x's

Mile 2: Walk & Tone, 1 x

Mile 3: Speed Intervals, 1 x

Mile 4: Strength Intervals, 1 x

Mile 5: Ab Walk,  1 x

Kettlebell, 3 x's


Personal Training with Jackie

Upper Body Circuit, 1 x

Stretch Max (No Equipment), 1 x

Swimming, 10 x's

Walking, 8 x's

Yoga, 15 x's

Double Dose

Superb day for bicycling (or swimming) but I could barely lift my head this morning let alone my leg over a bicycle bar.

Pressed on and went to Gloria's class. Squaring my hips in Warrior I was even more difficult. Balance -- what balance? At one point, I was brought to my knees. One of these days, I'm going to stay in savasana when the feeling hits.

Alison was feeling off as well and, as Gloria said, could be the change of season. Of course, Alison still had energy to serenade and amuse us with her throat singing skills...

Later on, I went to meet Jeremy at a coffee shop and read from The Complete Idiots Guide: Chakras as I waited:

People who overeat, sleep too much, or are addicted to exercise sometimes have first-chakra issues, although those problems can also be related to other chakras...

Thought the sun might help energize me so I went for a stroll then decided to go to restorative* yoga which was a very good decision. Elle was talking that talk as we embraced bolsters, rolled blankets under our shoulders and attempted to use as little energy as possible. One of the things that Elle said: Each time you let go, it's an invitation for something new to enter your life...


 *Fullest class that I've been in so far at the studio that I'm trying out.

Enter The Zone

Often when I'm bicycling I think about Diane, a former blogger and avid bicyclist. I asked her what kind of bicycle lock she had and she responded that she didn't have one. I'm bicycling when I have my bike out, she responded. Sometimes Diane would stop to have coffee but she'd drink her coffee outside...

I also think about how I might have never gotten back on a bike had a sprint triathlon not crossed my mind.

Had a very nice ride today. Felt like I was in the zone and just like I marvel at my rotator cuffs when I do the backstroke, I also marvel at my legs when I'm on my bike.

 Also stopped to notice the "roses."

The Eye Artist Strikes Again

New Bridge Hardware

Eight Turkeys

Fresh Paint

On My List

Took a warm, deep space stretch yoga class at the studio that I'm trying out. At one point, we had a leg extended -- foot flexed stretching the quad then we moved that leg over, rested on the edge of the foot while holding onto blocks placed at the side of the body; mmmm, the mother of all stretches for the IT Band. It was an intense class but yummy. I enjoyed the heat. Plus, some maneuver helped to ease my ongoing knee tweak. And, oh yeah, gotta get me one of those green balls to roll out muscle knots.

Probably should have saved the deep stretch class for today. Went to kettlebell after taking off last week for birthday festivities. Marisa didn't name the workout but it should have been called The Filthy Fifty.

50 Two-Hand Swings
50 Push-Ups
50 Snatches
50 Triceps Dips
50 Mountain Climbers
50 Clean and Presses
50 Hand-to-Hand Swings
40 "V" Sit-Ups
40 Around the Body with a Catch
40 Alternating Lunges etc. etc. etc.

I think triceps dips are on my list, right behind burpees, of things that make me wince. After the dips, I was dragging and didn't feel like I had it in me but when I saw Princess Tiffany, Julia and Jessica Rabbit gutting it out, I didn't dream of stopping which is why I keep going to kettlebell class. I need instructor and peer pressure at least once a week.

Take Care of Your Body

We have a 97-year-old friend of the family, Mrs. D., who's been living by herself for 45 years -- for the most part. She recently moved away to be with her family but was back after a week to finish up some "business" and is now staying, temporarily, with my aunt Girt.

Mrs. D. told me that it was good to see me, gave me a strong hug, leaned back a bit then called me big and fat and, to think, I was just starting to feel toned again. I laughed loudly because she totally caught me off guard. My aunt said That's the privilege of being 97 -- you say what you want. And I have put on weight since she last saw me.

Mrs. D. once, in her words, took care of me and she told me to take care of my body.

She talked about divine love versus human love.

Told me that she could feel the presence of her mother -- couldn't see her but could feel her.

She told me about her 13 siblings and how she learned to obey from her parents. Had it not been for the lessons that her parents taught her, she said that she would have never been able to live by herself for 45 years chopping wood and whatnot.

No one can tell you how those shoes feel on your feet but you, she said.

Take care of your body...

She was sitting in the chair talking to me because she had just eaten and didn't want to go lie down immediately after her meal.

I'm going to hush now...

I love talking to young people...

She likes to eat oatmeal and chicken for breakfast plus peaches, toast and prunes with a side order of two bottles of water.

Some days my legs cooperate and some days they don't...

I'm gonna hush now...She rose out of the chair, unassisted, and headed back to her designated room.

Sweat, Wobble and Fold

As sweat pooled under my chin and rolled from side to side, I realized why Neal Pollack named his book Downward Facing Death.

Okay, he didn't really give his mystery that name because of the amount of downward facing dogs done in a yoga session but that's the way I felt this morning as Gloria showed us DFD, plank and forward fold love. Whatever the reason for soreness and sluggishness I regretted my decision, based on the temperature, to wear full-length pants...

Alison told me that one of her fave teachers, Kate, would substitute for the Yoga Under the Arch series staffed by YMCA teachers so I rolled out of bed yesterday and hit the practice area at 8:58 a.m. The weather was perfect and it is stunning to lift one's arms, look up and catch sight of the Arch. Equally cool is doing downward facing dog, and getting a close-up view of blades of grass and the Mississippi River behind you.

The sun on my face during savasana was worth the trip. Did you feel that breeze? Alison asked after we finished practicing. Yeah, the breeze was just as nice as the sun.

Couldn't Resist

Jones Fulfilled

Had a low-grade jones for hot yoga so I went to check out this new-ish studio in town.

I decided to take Slow Flow (Warm) and I was told that it would be 85 degrees which felt about right. The heat smell was completely familiar...

It's a gorgeous studio with showers and towel service. I got there early to sign a waiver then chilled out in the lounge area. Loved the chakra art in the main office.

And let me tell you -- nothing says relax from the top of your head to the tips of your toes like your teacher anointing your head with essential oil then unfurling your eyebrows then upping the ante with No need to rush after savasana.