Day 30

Well today is finally here, day 30 of the 30 Day  Challenge.  I got up very early this morning to go to Airlie’s 615am Moksha Music class. As tough as it was to get up that early after an evening class last night, I didn’t seem to notice as I jumped right up as soon as my alarm went off…wish I could do that every day ;)

It was an amazing class and Airlie read some inspirational quotes throughout. She talked about stability of our body and our mind through yoga, and with our practice we can weather through the “perfect storms” in our lives and remain connected and rooted with our strength and determination.

At the end of class she congratulated those that were doing the 30 day challenge as well as those who may have been there for the first time, (or many times) as every class is an accomplishment.  She said “This is just the beginning”.  I couldn’t agree with her more. I know this is just the beginning for me, I made it through my challenge but now the hard part will be to keep challenging myself to go often  and keep motivated every day.

I learned a lot from this challenge. I pushed myself, met lots of wonderful people, and reinforced that I can do anything I put my mind to…I also wrote 30 blog posts in 30 days…that was almost as much of a challenge as the yoga itself ;)  So happy I signed up for this, it by far exceeded my expectations from when I set out on this “physical, mental and spiritual journey”. Thanks to everyone @mokshachtown for being so encouraging and supportive to all of us challengers :)

My Manager surprised me today with this little poster she made and she gave me an “Island Salt Scrub and Soak” from my favourite store Moon Snail. What a sweetheart, so kind of her :)

Congrats to all of you who participated in the Challenge. Can’t wait for the big celebration party @mokshachtown on November 1^st!!

Day 30 complete! :)

Day 29

Tonight I went to Kenny’s 730pm Moksha Music class. I was so relaxed, I felt like I was at the spa Nordik in the steam room and was just going through the motions in my mind.  I can hardly believe that was my last evening class of the challenge, I really savoured every moment in the poses, especially final savasana.  My mind just let go tonight and went with it, no tension, no thoughts - just breath.

Favourite pose of the evening:

Thread the Needle / Sucirandhrasana:

Picked up this yoga book at the grocery store, great read so far...lots of useful tips.

I feel like a kid on Christmas Eve – very excited to finish the challenge, one more day to go. I am going to try to end the 30 day challenge with Airlie’s 615am class tomorrow morning...wish me luck getting up that early after an evening class :)

Ending my post tonight with a quote that I love:

"When a great moment knocks on the door of your life, it is often no louder than the beating of your heart, and it is very easy to miss it. Be mindful- don't miss those moments."

Day 28

Today I was on the waiting list for Airlie’s 10am Yin class. Unfortunately there were no "no shows" so they didn't get to fit anyone in from the waiting list. Luckily there was Kenny’s Moksha Lite class at 10am as well so I went to his class instead.

I have never been to a Moksha Lite class before, it is the same as Moksha class but it isn't quite as hot. So instead of 114 degrees it is 104. I couldn't really notice a difference, it still felt hot to me but I was dressed a bit “warmer” as I thought I would be at the Yin class. I also don’t think I sweated quite as much as usual but it was hard to tell. It was a great class, not too crowded and as always Kenny never disappoints, he is such a fabulous instructor.

I met a girl today that already finished two classes and was coming back at 2pm. She said in order to get the 30 days she had to also double up on Monday and Tuesday. Now that is dedication...7 hot yoga classes in 3 days!

Favourite pose of the day:

Pigeon pose / Eka Pada Rajakapotsana: (3 variations shown below)

I found a daily insight on “Laughter Yoga” - in which people meet regularly just to laugh—worldwide. Sounds fun, it would be great to try a class like that @mokshachtown someday :)

Today I am grateful for my incredible family - celebrating Christmas today while my brother is home from Regina and before my parents leave for Florida for the winter.  

Day 27

Today I went to Karma class at 4pm with Brendan. I didn’t have a lot to eat or drink today and had very little energy before the class. I had some Ultima Replenisher and it seemed to perk me up before the class and I was able to push through it. I instantly felt great after and was so glad I went.

I really like Brendan’s classes, he is a very sincere and genuine in his instruction and also does hands-on adjustments to make sure we are pushing to our edge in the poses and are in the proper form. He had a bit of music in the background today which made the class fly by.

Favourite pose of the day:

Standing backbend / Anyvittasana:

I really enjoyed the Karma class, and it is nice to be able to donate a bit of $ to charity (Karma classes are by donation only – no class fee).

"What you put out into the world comes back to you. 

How you live your life determines 

what kind of life you will have"

Day 26

Today I went to Guided Meditation at 1pm with Airlie. This is my second class as part of the challenge and I really love how it breaks up my day and the way I feel all afternoon when I return to work. I don’t know if it was because I was a bit tired or because I was able to get in such a deep state of relaxation from the Nidra class the other day but today I started to drift off sitting up, cross legged. I jolted a few times no matter how hard I tried to concentrate on Airlie’s voice.

Airlie asked us to clear our mind of any thoughts we had. She then said for us to let the thoughts in and focus on one, a negative thought in particular. She asked us to think of how we felt when we focused on this feeling, how are facial expressions were, what our body was feeling inside, maybe even a colour that came to mind. She then asked us to think if we felt any different from when the thought came into our mind, and then after we did the sensory exercise. We then did the same thing with a positive thought and then compared the differences we felt from when we did the exercise with the negative thought. She said if only everyone would do this exercise before responding to a negative situation, and take the time to think about it before reacting.

I really enjoyed the meditation but when I unraveled my legs at the end of class both of my feet were asleep. It was such a pins and needle sensation that I had not experienced with doing meditation on my own before. 

I went back to work with a clear mind and felt so great the rest of the day. I wish this class was offered more than once a week, I would love to go more often.:)

 Found this article called “How to do Mindfulness Meditation”. I have really been making an effort to be mindful everyday.

Day 25

Tonight I went to Kenny’s Moksha Music class at 530. I am really enjoying the 530 classes, so it is worth getting to work early so I can leave a bit earlier at the end of the day and not be rushed to arrive on time. I loved tonight how the sun rays were beaming in the studio during the class and it got gradually darker in the room as the class went on – without Kenny having to adjust the lighting. It is nice to leave class without it being pitch dark out like it has been lately (before and) after the 730pm classes.

Calming but challenging class tonight, I love Kenny’s classes, especially the moksha music ones. I felt good tonight, pushed hard, sweated lots, felt a bit dizzy in rag doll pose but I pushed through. The music makes the class fly by, recently I find I push myself further in the poses during the music classes in comparison to the regular moksha classes. I guess it is like running on a treadmill, you always run a bit faster when you have music playing…at least I do anyways.

An uneventful class, nothing out of the ordinary/interesting happened tonight to blog about. Hmmm...well, I did find a loonie on the shelf in the girl’s locker room and donated it to the Karma fund. Everyone can always use lots of good Karma :)

Favourite pose of the evening:

Triangle Pose / Trikonasana

After this 30 day challenge I will be travelling for a week so I am sure I will go through yoga withdrawal. I have my iphone loaded up with some yoga apps. I also found this little infographic from Greatist called: “Yoga on the Road”  including "bathroom break" yoga stretches that you can apparently do in a miniature bathroom even on a plane. Quite funny but great tips..not sure if I will attempt to try it, I can only imagine getting stuck in a pose during turbulence...can’t be very safe.

Friday tomorrow already! I’m really looking forward to Airlie’s afternoon guided meditation class...I will have to work magic to arrange my schedule to get there but it will be worth it :)

.

Day 24

Today I arranged my work day so I could go to Airlie’s Hot Hatha at 415pm. I am so glad I did, it was more than I could have imagined. I tried Hot Hatha about 8 months ago, it was actually my very first class I ever attended at Moksha Charlottetown, but I don’t remember it being like tonight. Apparently there is a theme for each month, last month was heart openers, this month is Savasana. Today the class was ½ hour Hatha and ½ hour Nidra.

Hatha Yoga aims to achieve balance between body and mind, as well as attempts to free the more subtle spiritual elements of the mind through physical poses or Asanas, Breathing Techniques or Pranayama, and Meditation. The first half of class was the Asana portion and we did lots of different poses including cow belly and angry cat (the names are adorable).

The second part of class was my favourite. I have never tried Yoga Nidra before but it was incredible. Airlie talked about Richard Miller one of the most prominent Nidra yoga teachers in the United States. His technique is based on moving through the five koshas, or sheaths, which are layered within the body, in order to reach the innermost layer, a place of innate joy and peacefulness.

Yoga Nidra is translated as "yogic sleep," however it is not meant for sleep in the traditional sense. The intent is to identify sensations throughout your body and focus on your breath, while (ideally) remaining in a state of relaxed awareness so that you may release deeply held tensions, some of which you may not even be aware you have.

Despite my intention to remain awake and really listen to every word Airlie said, I felt myself begin to drift off almost instantly. I heard her say a few times,” I am in Yoga Nidra and I am not asleep” …at least that is what I thought she said. Others seemed to be in a really deep sleep as I could hear snoring across the room at one point ;)

At the end of class Airlie answered some questions from the class. She asked if anyone was fully “present” throughout the Nidra and remembered every word she said.  She said even if we felt we didn't hear her, we actually did but were in such a state of relaxation that we felt like we were asleep.  Some could have been asleep but others may have had the sensation that they were asleep but they were actually in a state of relaxed awareness.

I instantly felt energized and happy after class. It was like having a power nap x 1000. No grogginess but a sensation that I had just done something wonderful. I was so relaxed when I left that I forgot my two yoga towels and my water cup. I didn't have a care in the world when I left, obviously :)

Favourite pose of the day: Corpse pose / Savasana 

I found a great article online called “Yoga Nidra: A Meditative Practice for Deep Relaxation and Healing” by Richard Miller, PhD. Here are a few points I particularly loved about the article. The first time Richard tried Yoga Nidra back in the 1970’s he said:

“I drove home that evening feeling totally relaxed and expansively present. For the first time in years, I felt free of all conflict, radiantly joyful, and attuned with the entire universe. I experienced life as being perfect just as it was and felt myself to be a spacious, non-localized presence. Instead of my usual experience of being in the world, I was having a non-mental experience of the world being in me; similar to experiences I had known as a child.”  He also went on to say:

“Yoga Nidra revealed to me the peace of Presence, Being, and Equanimity that remain steadfast and true during even the most intense and difficult times of physical pain, interpersonal conflict, and current events. It helps us investigate and dispel the roots of our conditioning that underlie our misperceptions of reality. It dissolves the obstacles that stand in the way of our leading an authentic life of purpose and meaning, and it can awaken us into living an enlightened life of self-realization.”

Tonight was a special night, and I am so glad I got to experience it, as Airlie does not offer Yoga Nidra as part of the regular Hot Hatha classes. I looked up Nidra on the appstore and there are lots of iphone apps, just need to experiment and find a good one. I can’t wait to try this again, it was very enlightening :)

Day 23

Tonight I went to Kenny’s Moksha Music class at 530pm. It felt like it did before the challenge, just the right size, not too packed. I felt weightless tonight, the strongest I have been in a while through the balancing poses and no stiffness in my muscles. I am a little shocked as I thought by day 23 I wouldn't be able to move from not having a day of rest; I really surprised myself that I seem to be recovering quickly between classes and getting stronger each day. I did go a lot this summer but only 3- 4 times a week so going the extra has really pushed me. I plan to go 5 times a week after the challenge is over. 

I thought about doing the 7 day cleanse with Brittanie for the remaining 7 days of the challenge but I am  almost vegan already (minus the tiny bit of milk I put in my coffee), that I am not sure what else I could remove from my diet. I also didn't want to give up my 2 cups of coffee habit a day either; I love it too much :)  It would have been great to do the cleanse to find out all the recipes as Brittanie is vegan too. I want to celebrate this challenge completion first, and maybe do a Brittanie cleanse in the future when I am ready for another challenge :)

Favourite pose tonight:

Rabbit / Sasangasana  (we did the modified version but I could not find a photo of it)

And for a little inspiration to get us through the last 7 days of this challenge (and any life challenges for that matter) check out this video. This woman is brilliant and right on the mark, her name is Danielle LaPorte, author of “The Fire Starter sessions”.  She created a video called “A Credo for Making it Happen (for best results watch daily).

Just last week she launched a poster, it is a nice visual to summarize her video's key messages :)

 Tomorrow I am going to Hot Hatha, I have only been to it once before…can’t wait to try it again :)

Day 22

Wow tonight was the hottest class I have ever been at, at least it felt like it was. All the mirrors were fogged up and my finger tips were all wrinkly like I had been in the bath for two hours...that has never happened to me at yoga before.  It was hard to breath and I couldn’t stay for even 30 seconds in final savasana… many people felt the same I think as lots left before me, someone even left before the class was over, I have never seen that happen before. The thermo reading said 112 degrees but it must have been the humidity as today was a beautiful warm day.

That was my first class with Steve. He said it was the first class he taught in the evening and he asked the class if they minded the lights off. I really liked it dark, I think if the lights had have been on it would have made it even hotter.  It was the best feeling to walk outside after class to the fresh air after it had rained.

Challenging  pose of the evening:

Big toe pose / Padangusthasana

My little meditation room is finally complete. It is so cozy, I love it. Looking forward to trying out my new meditation app tonight that @katewmak & @ColleenMcFall recommended.

Here is the cute little room :) The artwork looks odd from this angle but the room has 9 foot ceilings so the frame height looks really good when you are in the room as opposed to the picture I took of it. It has french doors, that is what you are seeing on either side of the photo with the hinges showing.

This is the meditation app, it is called Yoga with Janet Stone but it has 13 meditation sessions included. They all have different themes and are 5 minutes each.

 I also like the Mindfulness meditation app as well as some other iphone apps I downloaded in the last few months. I find I have so much more mental clarity when I do the meditation regularly and I can also find my focus more easily.

Day 22 complete! 

Day 21

Today I went to Airlie’s Yin class at 10am. I was a bit nervous about going as my legs still felt like rubber bands that lost their elasticity after Wednesday’s Yin class. Today the focus was on heart openers and not as much leg action so I was happy. We did some challenging poses including one that she created called dragon fly, it was very pretzel like :)

Airlie read some inspirational quotes from the I Ching by Brian Browne Walker. She read them slowly and a couple of times so they really sank in while we were in the 5 minute poses. I found a great I Ching iphone app, looking forward to reading more about it.

I loved the music in class today, one of the songs was the Wake up the Sun mantra reminding us that when we wake up on one side of the world, others are in darkness on another side of the world.  

The heart opener poses were difficult to hold for the 5 minutes but it was an excellent deep stretch. Airlie said that it is important to do these stretches as the heart is the first place we tend to hold adversity and the heart openers allow us space to accept both blessings and challenges that we face.

As always, I loved the cozy Savasana at the end of class to rest my body after the challenging deep tissue postures. It was such an awesome start to my day, I feel so good.

Challenging pose of the day:

Spinal Twist - Supta Matsyendrasana

Today I am grateful for my incredible Mom. She supports and encourages me through everything and is my biggest cheerleader in life. She reads my 30 day challenge blog every day even though she has never even tried yoga; she takes an intense interest in everything I am involved in no matter how boring it may be. I could not imagine my life without her in it; I don’t know how I got so lucky to have her as my Mom and best friend. Thanks Mom, for being you, love you to bits xo

Day 20

This morning I went to the 8am Moksha class with Karen. Excellent class – I was sore but the poses really helped to stretch out my muscles. We focused a lot on core and spine strengthening today. Can hardly believe we are 2/3 of the way through the challenge...

Challenging pose of the day:

Powerful Pose / Utkatasana

As part of the 30 Day Challenge we get to attend two workshops with Heather MacMillan Owner of HM Life Coaching and Training. Today’s workshop was called “Finding Balance off the Mat - an Examination of Life Balance".  Here is a summary of what we learned at the workshop:

-Work-Life Challenge – never get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life.

-Finding a balance between “paid work” and a personal life has become a significant issue for 50% of the labour force, both women and men.

-Feeling overloaded with both work and family responsibilities is a big stressor for many.

-Life balance is an ever changing dynamic process that requires continuous adjustment.

-Life balance is doing an asana like tree pose or dancer’s pose or like riding a bike, sailing a boat – you are continuously making shifts to stay in balance.

-Although continuous balance is impossible you can tell when your life is out of balance and take steps to correct it. Life balance is all about the choices you make and the good news is the little choices can make a big impact.

-There are five balls of life we juggle everyday – work, health, family, friends, spirit. The work ball is made of rubber so if it drops it will bounce back. The other four balls are made of glass so if you drop one it will become damaged - it will never be the same as it was before.

- “Things which matter most must never be at the mercy of things that matter least” – Johann Goethe

-Remember that the life work balance will shift every day, and it is okay to have times that are busy and there is no balance as long as you can communicate this with your family and then make sure you get back on track when the busy period is over.

-The other thing is to do what you can do to reach a balance and then be happy with the situation.

-Observe the mind – if there is that little negative voice – let it go – do not attach yourself to it (Metaphor – sticky fly tape) otherwise self sabotage takes hold – old subconscious patterns to run the show.

-Clarify your values, your priorities. Take steps towards a more balanced life, and then be content with what is going on and what you are doing.

-Learn to say no without feeling guilty.

-Then there will be contentment, peace, and life will be a lot less stressful.

-Choose to find balance – reclaim your time and lead a more fulfilling life.

 Looking forward to the next workshop "Keeping the Momentum, Goals for Success" on November 3^rd :)

Day 19

I decided to go to the Guided Meditation class at 1pm today. I thought my body deserved a bit of a break from the last 18 days and decided to take some time out for my mind instead. It was a very busy day so I was quite anxious when I arrived from my whirlwind work day rushing through my mind. I decided to leave it at the door and really dive into the meditation and not think of anything else. There were 30 people there; Airlie said it was her biggest class yet as there is usually only 7-15. There were some crew members there from the Holland America Eurodam Cruise ship which was really neat.

Airlie began by talking about her teacher Sally that said not to focus so much on sitting a certain way and being uncomfortable in one pose. If you need to stretch or move about the room, move with breath. That was encouraging as sometimes your body can fall asleep/get numb by staying in one pose for too long.

Airlie talked about Prana the life force, the essential energy underlying all of existence.  She asked us to put our left hand on our chest and our right hand on top of our left ,  really feeling our heart beat. I pushed everything out of my mind except for the sound of Airlie’s voice. She told us to share our aura with those in the room, and it felt like at one point I was looking at everyone in the room even though my eyes were closed. It felt warm, almost a glow to the room (or at least in my mind that is how it felt) when she talked about sharing our energy and blending our aura with those around us.

At the end of class we brought our prana back to our body and really noticed every moment -- every breath.  “From my heart to yours, Namaste”.

The rest of my afternoon was so peaceful, I am really going to make an effort to go to that class every Friday regardless how busy I am. What a difference it made for my day.

Found this article that talks about “Mind and Prana in Meditation Practice”. I have been meditating a lot lately with a few great iphone apps and it has made a huge difference in clearing my mind especially before I go to bed; it makes me sleep so deeply.

Airlie read from the book “The Secret Power of Yoga”. I definitely want to pick up this book, it says that the authour Nischala Joy Devi interprets Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, the principles at the basis of Yoga practice, from a heart-centered, intuitive perspective.

Looking forward to the "Finding Balance off the Mat - an Examination of Life Balance" workshop tomorrow :)

Day 18

I can hardly believe today was day 18 of the challenge. I was a bit unmotivated to go tonight, I usually look forward to going every night but I was pretty sore today and just felt like curling up on the couch and watching a movie. At 7pm I pushed myself to get going and went to the 730 Moksha Flow class. I am really glad I went, it was an amazing class. I think I was also a bit sluggish because I wasn’t on top of my water intake today as I was in and out of meetings all day.

Karen is an incredible teacher, she has such a calming, relaxing voice and she also is very encouraging to have us push to our edge and hold a little longer even when we are dying to let go. Down dog after down dog, flow after flow, she keeps us motivated every class :)

I really needed tonight’s class to let go mentally and really take time for me – without any thoughts of my to-do-list or anything at all. I feel energized but yet numb, no cares in the world... I can tell that I am going to sleep well tonight. 

Favourite pose of the night:

Peaceful  Warrior / shanti (peace) warrior

I wanted to share this beautiful photo of my friend’s daughter and her stress-free technique. So adorable and wise beyond her years :)

Vous êtes stressés aujourd'hui? Mettons en pratique la super technique de ma petite fille de 7 ans sur "Comment Gérer le Stress et la Colère"! "Maman, on fait comme si on a une fleur dans la main, on respire la fleur doucement et on souffle sur la fleur comme on souffle une chandelle! Cute vous trouvez pas! :) 

Day 17

Last night when I said I was looking forward to Yin today and what a nice treat it would be from the moksha…boy was I ever wrong about that ;) That was only my third Yin class but definitely 10 times harder than the other two classes I went to. I still enjoyed it but found it harder to relax and focus as my body was screaming in some of the poses. Not pain, just strong sensations and very uncomfortable. Yin yoga uses long, passive holds to work on the deep, dense connective tissues of the body--the tendons, ligaments and cartilage--which are difficult to energize and open.

Tonight we did lots of leg poses – ½ butterfly, saddle, dragon, swan etc and held them for 5 minutes on each side. It was very challenging but I did my best and I am happy about that. My legs are on fire tonight, so an Epsom salt bath may be a great solution. I don’t want to be sore tomorrow. 

Airlie read some inspirational quotes tonight from her teachers Matthew and Elena. The theme of the quotes were on “pausing”, listening to your body, taking time to notice, mindfulness, feeling your bodies sensations, and feeling alive. I found it tough to focus during the quotes tonight as my body was fighting for my attention in the poses. Airlie mentioned when we close our eyes it is easier for our bodies to accept and melt into the poses.  I wanted to know more about Yin so I found out that "a long-held passive pose practiced while the muscles are not yet warm allows the energy to reach the deeper connective tissues of the joints and the corresponding pathways of the meridian system. The prana (or life force) stimulates and tones the joints' deep connective tissues, increasing the supply of fluids to them, making them less dense and enabling them to stretch deeply."   No wonder it is so uncomfortable... :)

Airlie read a beautiful poem near the end of class called “Mindful” by Mary Oliver, (I am pretty sure this is the one but like I said I was not able to pay attention with my body nagging me tonight in the poses).

“Every day I see or hear something that more or less kills me with delight, that leaves me like a needle in the haystack of light. It was what I was born for-- to look, to listen, to lose myself inside this soft world-- to instruct myself over and over in joy, and acclamation. Nor am I talking about the exceptional, the fearful, the dreadful, the very extravagant--but of the ordinary, the common, the very drab, the daily presentations. Oh, good scholar, I say to myself, how can you help but grow wise with such teachings as these-- the untrimmable light of the world, the ocean's shine, the prayers that are made out of grass?” – Mary Oliver  

If you like her poetry here is more of her work :)

Most challenging pose of the night:

Dragon pose / Yin variation of Ashwa Sanchalasana:

At the end of the class Airlie said for those that were plotting her demise during the poses, we will thank her later for the challenging class. I guess it is like a deep tissue massage, it hurts at the time but afterwards feels amazing. :) Even though tonight was so tough I am really looking forward to the Sunday Yin class.

Day 17 complete! :)

Day 16

What a chilly, rainy evening, I was tempted to skip moksha tonight. Some friends were going out for an Oktoberfest dinner and I would have loved to have joined them. Through the week I don’t have many options to go to class especially if I have to work late, it is either 615am or 730pm (sometimes 530pm). I guess that is what challenges are all about, they are tough and test your dedication. I could have skipped and doubled up a class another day, but then my blog would no longer make sense since it is 30 day challenge. I really want to stay true to the challenge and aim to go every day for 30 days. Anyways in retrospect I am glad I pushed myself and went tonight as I feel amazing. Next time I will make myself get up early for the 615am class so that I can do both; go out and go to class ;)

I went to Amy’s 730pm Moksha Music Flow class, it was tough but I really enjoyed it. I felt very relaxed tonight and in tune with my breath.  My body feels stronger with every day that goes by.

Challenging pose of the night: 
Side plank leg raise / Vasisthasana

I finally framed this artwork that my friend Jennifer painted. I am going to put them in my yoga / meditation room, they are so beautiful. Jennifer is very talented, and she loves yoga. Check out her website of yoga adventures and amazing “Art is My Yoga” paintings.

The seven individual framed prints are of the 7 chakras. On her website it says, "The chakra system is a ladder that takes us from the physical realm up through the workings of the higher mind into the realm of Divine Consciousness.  Each chakra has a specific color, deity images attached to it and a geometric archetype representing one of the elements (earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind).  Each chakra lies within a lotus flower with a specific number of petals associated with an equivalent number of sounds, representing unfolding spiritual energies.” 

The two frames that have 6 prints each are of Ganesha (or Ganapati). On her website Ganesha is described as “the son of Siva and Parvati, one of the most revered deities.  He is so important, that no important activity is started without paying homage to Him.  He is known as the Lord of Wisdom and Remover of Obstacles.  In other words he is the obstacle to obstacles.  There are many names that accompany his many forms.” They are very colourful and detailed, I just love her artwork. 

Looking forward to a mid-week Yin class with Airlie tomorrow - such a wonderful treat, can't wait! 

Day 15

Tonight was jam packed, I had thought full capacity was 50 but Karen was able to comfortably fit 55 in the practice studio for Moksha at 730pm. Tracy and I were lucky we got a spot in the back window area.  I am so glad because it felt darker back there without the shining lights reflecting off all the mirrors and it didn't feel quite as claustrophobic. It was an excellent class, my body felt strong and I was able to keep up with the pace and didn't have any soreness or stiffness.

At the end of the class we did Kapalabhati breathing. It is a breathing technique used specifically for cleansing. The Breath is short, rapid, and strong. Using the lungs as a pump, creating pressure as air is expelled through the air passages.

Challenging pose of the night:

Tree Pose / Vrksasana

This is an alternative form of the pose (and also a beautiful pic):

Very excited Day 15 is complete, the half way mark! Tonight Moksha gave those with 12-15 stars on the board a free sample of “No Sweat” activewear detergent.  It has bio blast that eliminates the mysterious musty smell; leaving yoga gear sweat, oil and bacteria free.  I currently use PC Max Sport with eucalyptus oil so my clothes don’t have that musty smell. However, I did try the “No Sweat” tonight and my clothes smell so good from the “Citrus Rush” scent. Love it!

Tonight I signed up for the two workshops with Certified Life Coach Heather MacMillan that are part of the 30 Day challenge package. The first is October 20^th "Finding Balance off the Mat - an Examination of Life Balance". The second one is November 3rd "Keeping the Momentum, Goals for Success".  Looking forward to both, they sound awesome :)

Day 14

Today I went to Airlie’s 10am Yin class. I have been looking forward to this class all week after my first experience to Yin last Sunday. Airlie started the class with having us set an intention by asking ourselves a deep question, and today’s class was to act as a container of insight to the answer of our question. By setting an intention it really opened us up to our emotional, spiritual and vulnerable self. 

She said most times the answer is inside of us and we just need to peel back the layers. Throughout the 5 minute poses Airlie talked about not trying to find the answers to our deepest questions, that if we just live, the answers will appear. What we feel inside of our bodies we should love and we should not necessarily waste time trying to explain to others how this feels. We don’t need to feel pressure to always have it together, we need to give ourselves permission to just be.

Airlie talked about two of the five koshas. Annamaya kosha is the physical body. It can be sattwic, rajasic or tamasic. The word sattwa means harmony, balance and tranquility  where you create a balance between activity and peace. Rajas means dynamic, active, violent.  Pranamaya kosha is composed of prana, or life force.  Prana is the force or energy for all kinds of motion. Prana is a Sanskrit word meaning movement, motion or vibration. I love learning all about this. 

Airlie read us some quotes which touched on patience and gratitude. She shared an emotional story about her experience at a meditation retreat and how the physical pain she was feeling was released emotionally, and how she was able to heal. It was very inspirational. I learned so much about myself today and really listened to my body and my heart. 

We ended the class in a receiving Savasana instead of a resting pose. All covered up with a blanket, a bolster under my knees and a pillow under my head; I was one of the last to leave the moon room as I didn't want the class to end. It was truly an emotional and freeing class. 

Challenging pose of the day: 

Seal pose / Bhujangasana

  Ending today’s blog post with “A Love Letter” – with deep gratitude of yoga. Namaste. 

Day 13

Today I went to Moksha Music at noon. The class was packed, 45 people were there, the largest class I have ever been at. The class was so hot, I realized today that when I say I sweat buckets at Moksha, that is a huge understatement and an exaggeration.  There was a man beside me who was in excellent shape but he really met my definition of sweating buckets. The whole class I could hear the sound of heavy rain drops hitting the mat, so much that I had to move my mat farther away as the puddles kept moving towards me.  I guess it is a good thing to sweat that much as it shows he is very healthy…but I had no idea that was even possible to do…he must have lost 10 lbs of fluid in one class…very impressive.

I woke up with a stiff collar bone and shoulder. Not sure if I slept wrong or it is just wear and tear from 13 days straight of yoga. Some of the shoulder poses were taking its toll today so I am looking forward to going to Yin tomorrow morning to stretch my muscles deeply.

Challenging pose today:

Warrior II / Virabhadrasana II:

This afternoon was the Dune’s Gallery Sale and I got some great stuff for my meditation room. Two more meditation mats, a shell bowl for my gem stones and a gorgeous hibiscus wood carving Buddha. It is so beautiful!

Check out this life size Buddha, it was gorgeous but it was also $4000!

Today I am grateful for beach days. My most favourite place in the world where time just stops…I am grateful for the sound of the waves crashing, the sunshine on my face, the smell of the fresh air and salt water - everything about it. Beach days all year round are incredible, I can’t seem to get enough.

This afternoon at Shaw's Beach in Brackley

Day 12

Tonight was my first Karma Class, it is a regular Moksha class however there is no fee to attend. A minimum donation of $5 goes to the charity of Moksha Charlottetown’s choice. Tonight Karma funds went to Speak your Peace Campaign  & the David Suzuki Foundation.  Karma classes are held Friday night at 730pm and Saturday at 4pm. Not only is it great to be able to give back with your donation, it is also perfect for those who don’t have a monthly membership or want to give hot yoga a try as they pay by donation instead of the $16 drop-in fee.

Felt amazing again tonight, the extra water and ultima replenisher I have had the last two days has really done wonders, I also felt even more productive and alert today due to the increased hydration. Tonight’s class was quite full but I didn't find it as hot as usual.  The lights were fairly bright tonight and when I was in Shavasana at the beginning of class it was so relaxing. I felt like I was laying on the beach taking in the sunshine and warmth. For some reason I didn't feel very hot until the middle of class, it was almost as if my body had adjusted to the heat. I didn't sweat as much as usual or at least it didn't feel like I did. 

Great class with Brendan, even some laughs! During Happy Baby pose, some guy cried in a baby voice “ma ma”. Brendan immediately said “Grow up!” and everyone burst out laughing. He must have been friends with the person as he said, “I will never do that pose with you guys in class again”. Another burst of laughter.   It was really cute :)

Challenging pose of the night:

Eagle pose / Garudasana :

I found an article on pinterest this morning called “Eat According to your Blood Type” . It happens to be from Men’s Health magazine but it applies to women as well.  I am blood type A and I was amazed at what it said about my personality, character traits, what to eat, what to avoid and my work out – it suggested yoga... lol.  The neatest part is, I have been both vegan and vegetarian over the past 4 years and had the odd chicken or fish growing up but I never ever liked meat.  The website says that being vegetarian is ideal for blood type A as we produce fewer meat-digesting enzymes... who knew ?!  I guess my restrictive diet isn't that bad for me after all :)  Neat little article, it is like the MBTI  but for blood type :)

Excited to go to the Dunes' Studio Gallery end of season sale tomorrow to pick up some items for my meditation/yoga room, it is really coming together.

Day 11

Tonight I went to the Moksha Flow class at 730. I didn’t know if I could handle a Flow class after last night as it is more advanced and faster paced than Moksha.  I had to work late and that was the only class I was free so I decided to go for it. I drank lots of water all day today and had some ultima replenisher before class. Whatever I did differently it worked because tonight was awesome!  I felt amazing, had high energy, didn’t have to rest, and I kept up with the fast paced flows. I felt like I was in a meditative state of mind and  I was so relaxed I didn’t focus on anything going on around me, just on my breath, the soft music and Karen’s voice. It was a very mindful class and I really listened to my body. I didn’t feel tight at all tonight or sore in any way, my favourite class yet this challenge!

Challenging pose of the night:

Extended Hand to Big Toe Pose I / Hasta Padangusthasana

Stumbled across this interesting blog called, “Strike a Pose: Yoga Meets Fashion” . It is written by a man with an “eye for fashion and a passion for yoga”, and showcases images from recent fashion spreads that happen to capture yoga poses. The photos are beautiful! Check this one out, in the same pose as above :)

Day 11 complete, so happy!

Day 10

If I learned one thing tonight, it is that I will never go to class semi-dehydrated again and without drinking at least 2L of water an hour before. No excuse for it but today was a whirlwind and I had a meeting tonight and rushed out to go to class for 9pm. At work all day I tried to drink water but I found it especially difficult today between meetings and tight deadlines.  Tonight’s  class was extremely humid, and when I looked at the thermostat when I arrived it was 114 degrees, and that was after the door had been opened for a while airing out from the class before.  It was so hot that when I was in Shavasana it felt like I had a weight on my chest, as if the air in the room was heavy and pushing on my lungs each breath.  

About 20 minutes into class I felt a bit panicky because I couldn't get my breathing rhythm and I started to feel light headed. I decided it was time to take child’s pose for a few minutes . It is really tough to do that when everyone else in the room is holding the pose, and feeling like I should push through too but I put my “ego” aside and did what I knew was best for my body.  It’s called the yoga ego, in the article “Yoga Dos and Don’ts” number  10 says:  “Do Check Your Ego at the Door. You can have a safer and more enjoyable class if you leave your ego behind. Listen to your body, relax and go at your own pace. Remember, that yoga is not a competition with other students or with yourself”.  So that is exactly what I did… :)

After a few minutes resting in child’s pose, I was able to calm my breath and mind but found it to be my most challenging class I have had yet.  Every minute I had to consciously keep my mind on Kenny’s voice and the sound of my breath. My mind wanted to drift but I forced myself to get it together.  Learned my lesson, dehydration is not something I want to experience ever again.

Challenging pose of the night: (my hips were very tight again tonight so I really noticed it during this pose):         

Happy Baby pose / Ananda Balasana

I know what you are thinking...weird but cute name for a yoga pose. I thought the same thing, but look...

The pose really does mimic a happy baby... :)

Today I am grateful that I am 1/3 through the 30 day challenge and haven’t missed a day (if you miss a day you need to double up to make up for a missed class). I am going to listen to my body and hope tomorrow’s class I will be stronger,more focused and fully hydrated :) Day 10 complete!

Day 9

Tonight I went to Moksha Flow Music at 730pm. I wasn’t sure what to expect after the last Flow class I went to with Brittanie. The room was dimly lit and when Karen came in she started the music. There was a malfunction so the music came on blaring loud for a moment, which made me think of Brittanie’s class with the super loud 60s music. The music tonight was so relaxing and with the dim lighting I almost felt like I was there by myself, even though the class was packed. I pushed myself to my edge tonight to try to overcome the muscle tightness I had last night and today. I think it worked because I feel much better already.

My mat was positioned close to the door and since it was beyond sweltering with all the people in the room Karen opened the door a couple of times for a minute to let in a bit of fresh air. It is an incredible feeling to be that hot and all of a sudden feel a cool breeze – both times she did it I felt like my energy levels spiked. I really enjoyed the flow class, I am thinking I may even like it a bit better than the regular Moksha classes, I am going to have to make an effort to go more often. I spent lots of time in Shavasana at the end of class to let my body rest. One of my friends hurt her knee tonight on a deep stretch so I have to be so careful not to injure myself, otherwise this challenge could become pure torture.

Most challenging pose tonight:

Crow Pose – Bakasana

Interesting article “Why Work Life Balance is a Fantasy and What You Can Do About It”  that was tweeted by @mokshaDanforth and @mokshachtown

My new favourite treat I tried for the first time tonight, Strawberry Fusion Tic Tacs. They have the Breast Cancer Awareness ribbon, and they are so delicious!

Day 9 complete, on to double digits tomorrow :)

Day 8

Happy Thanksgiving! Tracy and I went to the 4:15 Moksha class today.  I didn’t realize how sore I would be after Yin yesterday, but my hips were really tight from all the deep tissue poses. I pushed through it and felt great after class, but tonight even my legs feel like they are continuously flexed, I am thinking an epsom salt bath may do the trick to help with that.  Today Kenny focused on gratitude and setting our intention for something we are thankful for – given it was Thanksgiving.  It really felt good to reflect on this at the beginning and end of class.

I am grateful for so many things every day, I don’t need a holiday to be mindful of how lucky I am for all the great things in my life – especially being blessed with such an incredible family and amazing friends.  I am grateful everyday for the little things in my life that make me smile and warm my heart.  “Gratitude turns what we have into enough” – love that quote :)

Most challenging pose today:

Dancer Pose / Natarajasana:

Sticking with the theme of Thanksgiving, I found this great article on “Selfless Gratitude - through the mindfulness practice of gratitude, you are able to rejoice amidst all life's suffering”.

And to top it all off my beautiful friend sent me this quote along with a sweet email sharing with me how much she cares about our friendship.  She made my day! The quote is definitely words to live by:

"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow." 

I am also grateful that I completed Day 8 of this challenge! :)