I am nothing if not wordy, so excuse my introductory rambling.
My yoga-goer goal: I'd love to do at least 60 minutes yoga per day. More, if I can. It seems like such an easy goal and I firmly believe it will be... But here's the complicated situation now.
I work long hours, all sedentary, somewhat stressful work. Yoga is my mind/body/spirit dream come true. I've been doing it on and off for the better part of a decade. When I lose track of time I lose focus and lose my practice. I've been back in the saddle for a while with the help of an online Yoga Learning Center where I have access to dozens of videos and expert yoga teachers. I am mostly self-taught with videos, books, mirror work & intuition.
60 minutes would be easy for my fitness level. I'm used to beating my body up very badly in exercise, yoga is a great alternative because I can listen to my own limits. I'm intermediate, about 3-4 on a scale of 1-5. I haven't pushed myself beyond this because I enjoy it at this level. Someday I'll inch my way up. It's not a competition.
But speaking of listening to limitations: The reason I've struggled to make 60 minutes daily lately isn't my schedule, which I can always change if I set my mind to it. It's because I've been ill and not sure why. I know my self-imposed crazy hours lead to some measure of sleep deprivation, but this is a bit beyond that. I've seen some specialists and I'll be seeing an infectious disease doctor. He can't see me until the 2nd week in September. This has been going on for so long! I'm on day 15 of a 15 day streak running a fever daily, and it could be longer except I wasn't taking my temperature prior to 2 weeks ago.
When I feel sick my instinct is to do more yoga because it makes me feel better for a while. My body is achy much of the time because of the fever etc. With wacky sleep my body is not healing its little tears and strains that happen every day to all of us, whether we're sitting in one place or jogging 10 miles a day. We all injure ourselves daily and sleep is the magic cure - when we let ourselves get into restorative sleep (Another goal: sleep better - I was born a severe insomniac and have had to be knocked out before sleep most of my life, and I have to take sleeping pills to do it, which I am totally fine with doing - but since I don't get sleepy, I don't force myself to stop doing whatever I'm doing and take the pills to go to sleep!)
Yoga is definitely helping with this cycle. But right now it's hard to find the energy or well-being to meet my yoga goal of at least 60 minutes. I'm coming up against a personal milestone - September 21st, International Peace Day. Many practitioners are practicing yoga for peace and a lot of them are doing as many Sun Salutations as they can fit into 2 hours. I know, it's sort of a competitive spirit that's against the whole sense of ego-less peace that yoga embodies. But it's also a spirit of generosity for a good cause; like a marathon, they're sponsored for charity. I want to participate. But if I'm not better in time, there's no way I'll be able to do my Sun Salutation routine (which I created myself, it's challenging and longer than some progressions but very very satisfying) for 2 hours straight.
I know I need to simultaneously rest up (and heal) and get ready for the milestone. I'm physically ready now if I set illness aside, but I need to get into the right frame of mind and be realistic about what my body can and cannot do right now. I do know that whatever I can accomplish will go to AMREF, the African Medical and Research Foundation. I'm excited, but a little scattered. I have work to do, but it's holistic, so I'm on a journey that'll go a long way beyond September 21st. (I am all revv'd up in the Olympic Spirit, though!) Journeys are exciting too.
I have to forgive myself if I don't make a full 60 minutes or beyond per day while I'm sick. I try to do at least 30 minutes at a firm 3 intermediate level, an intermediate flow that's cardio, stretching, and toning but not killer work. Some days I do just 30 minutes of beginner stretching and relaxation. When I'm inspired I do more, including complicated routines with blocks and belts and all the bells & whistles! I even do yoga dance routines mixing yoga with wild Brazilian dance, Egyptian bellydance, and Flamenco. But that's rare when I'm ill. My body tells me what I need, what I can and can't do.
I just need to listen and be patient. I'll be on the road to my 60 minutes + per day goal soon enough.
I am nothing if not wordy, so excuse my introductory rambling.
My yoga-goer goal: I'd love to do at least 60 minutes yoga per day. More, if I can. It seems like such an easy goal and I firmly believe it will be... But here's the complicated situation now.
I work long hours, all sedentary, somewhat stressful work. Yoga is my mind/body/spirit dream come true. I've been doing it on and off for the better part of a decade. When I lose track of time I lose focus and lose my practice. I've been back in the saddle for a while with the help of an online Yoga Learning Center where I have access to dozens of videos and expert yoga teachers. I am mostly self-taught with videos, books, mirror work & intuition.
60 minutes would be easy for my fitness level. I'm used to beating my body up very badly in exercise, yoga is a great alternative because I can listen to my own limits. I'm intermediate, about 3-4 on a scale of 1-5. I haven't pushed myself beyond this because I enjoy it at this level. Someday I'll inch my way up. It's not a competition.
But speaking of listening to limitations: The reason I've struggled to make 60 minutes daily lately isn't my schedule, which I can always change if I set my mind to it. It's because I've been ill and not sure why. I know my self-imposed crazy hours lead to some measure of sleep deprivation, but this is a bit beyond that. I've seen some specialists and I'll be seeing an infectious disease doctor. He can't see me until the 2nd week in September. This has been going on for so long! I'm on day 15 of a 15 day streak running a fever daily, and it could be longer except I wasn't taking my temperature prior to 2 weeks ago.
When I feel sick my instinct is to do more yoga because it makes me feel better for a while. My body is achy much of the time because of the fever etc. With wacky sleep my body is not healing its little tears and strains that happen every day to all of us, whether we're sitting in one place or jogging 10 miles a day. We all injure ourselves daily and sleep is the magic cure - when we let ourselves get into restorative sleep (Another goal: sleep better - I was born a severe insomniac and have had to be knocked out before sleep most of my life, and I have to take sleeping pills to do it, which I am totally fine with doing - but since I don't get sleepy, I don't force myself to stop doing whatever I'm doing and take the pills to go to sleep!)
Yoga is definitely helping with this cycle. But right now it's hard to find the energy or well-being to meet my yoga goal of at least 60 minutes. I'm coming up against a personal milestone - September 21st, International Peace Day. Many practitioners are practicing yoga for peace and a lot of them are doing as many Sun Salutations as they can fit into 2 hours. I know, it's sort of a competitive spirit that's against the whole sense of ego-less peace that yoga embodies. But it's also a spirit of generosity for a good cause; like a marathon, they're sponsored for charity. I want to participate. But if I'm not better in time, there's no way I'll be able to do my Sun Salutation routine (which I created myself, it's challenging and longer than some progressions but very very satisfying) for 2 hours straight.
I know I need to simultaneously rest up (and heal) and get ready for the milestone. I'm physically ready now if I set illness aside, but I need to get into the right frame of mind and be realistic about what my body can and cannot do right now. I do know that whatever I can accomplish will go to AMREF, the African Medical and Research Foundation. I'm excited, but a little scattered. I have work to do, but it's holistic, so I'm on a journey that'll go a long way beyond September 21st. (I am all revv'd up in the Olympic Spirit, though!) Journeys are exciting too.
I have to forgive myself if I don't make a full 60 minutes or beyond per day while I'm sick. I try to do at least 30 minutes at a firm 3 intermediate level, an intermediate flow that's cardio, stretching, and toning but not killer work. Some days I do just 30 minutes of beginner stretching and relaxation. When I'm inspired I do more, including complicated routines with blocks and belts and all the bells & whistles! I even do yoga dance routines mixing yoga with wild Brazilian dance, Egyptian bellydance, and Flamenco. But that's rare when I'm ill. My body tells me what I need, what I can and can't do.
I just need to listen and be patient. I'll be on the road to my 60 minutes + per day goal soon enough.