Yoga Challenge, Day 22 (Part 2): Yoga with a Three-Year-Old

These are some of the questions my daughter has about yoga:

• What's his name? (meaning, the person on the video)


• Why isn't he talking?


• What's the music for?


• What's a strap? Why do you have a strap and he doesn't?


• Why does he keep saying "good" all the time?


• Is this my left leg, or my right leg?

Doing yoga with her has been a whole new experience for me. First, I have had to re-evaluate my definition of my own yoga practice, and assume that it will be a shared practice at least some of the time. And also, in this case, that the exercise is not necessarily the point - the quality time with my daughter is at least as important as my own practice.

I spend so much time actively parenting her - getting her to and from day care, making sure she brushes her teeth, talking her down from tantrums, and so on. So it's really lovely to be able to just hang out with her, and to do something we both enjoy. I know she won't always want to do yoga with me, and I also know that there will be a time that she will be actively embarrassed by the fact that I do yoga in the livingroom. So I am making the most of this time that we do have, every single minute of it.

And besides. She has invented a new pose. When I lie on my back in Savasana at the end of the practice, she lies on top of me and we put our arms around each other. She calls it the "hug pose."

Why would I not want to do yoga, when this is what happens at the end of it?

Yoga Challenge, Day 22 (Part 1): Three Classes Today!

Yes, three. I am going to be Gumby by the end of the day.

This time yesterday, I had only one class planned - my regular Tuesday lunch class. Then Monday kind of got away from me, as it often does, and I decided to skip my 30-30 class and make it up this morning.

Then, when I went to sign up for my usual Tuesday evening spinning class, it was already full. And I decided that because I had the time scheduled already, it would be easier to substitute something else, rather than showing up at home, messing with DH's Tuesday routine, and re-negotiating the time for another day. And my studio conveniently has a yoga class scheduled for the same time as my spin class, so that's what I decided to do. One, two, three, yoga!

And do I ever need it. This morning, I was not feeling very yoga-y. I had planned on doing a more challenging vinyasa flow, but decided I wasn't up for it, so I did a gentler back bend series instead. And I wasn't really up for that either - there were a lot of modifications and child's poses in my practice this morning. I was definitely feeling better (and stronger) by lunchtime today, so we'll see what happens this evening - either way, I expect to be sleeping very well tonight!

Yoga Challenge, Day 20: Now it's a challenge

You can tell it's more of a challenge at the moment, because I've stopped chirping on about how great it is! :) It's been five days since my last post, which is the longest I've gone since I started.

I'm in the middle part now - far enough in that it's no longer a novelty, but not so close to the end that I feel like I'm in the home stretch. Also, I feel like I've had all my great revelations already, and I don't have nearly as much to say any more.

But like I said the other day, if it were easy, it wouldn't be a challenge, would it? That's why it's a 30-day challenge, rather than a 15-day. So, I'm still moving along. I've planned out which sessions I'm going to do on which days, to make sure I meet my goal of doing each session at least twice and no more than three times. And I've even taken a couple of options that I enjoy less, rather than the ones I really love, on the principle that the ones that are harder for me will probably do me more good in the long run.

And I do have another couple of blog posts percolating, but it's much harder to write when I'm not feeling passionate about it. Everything is coming along as planned, it's just all in a bit of a lull right now. Stay tuned for more shiny happy optimism later...

What Would I Focus on, if Not my Weight?

Someone posted this question to the Weight Watchers boards today, and it prompted an interesting discussion. Some of the answers were:

If your weight is your biggest concern, maybe that's not so bad - you could be worrying about where you're going to sleep tonight, or how to get clean drinking water for your family.

The human brain has so much capacity for worry, if you weren't worried about your weight you would find something else to worry about.

I'd be lost. :)

These responses, while all generally true, also seemed to me to be on the pessimistic side. And because I have a favourite soap box on the topic, I hauled it out and posted this:

I don't focus on my weight.

I don't worry about portion sizes, calories, fat content, or what it says on the scale. I'm not trying to lose anything - my only weight-related goal is to maintain, and I use my clothes as my measuring tool. As long as my pants still fit, I'm good.

I wouldn't *mind* losing weight, and I do still get excited when my pants are looser. :) But honestly, if I can stay at the size I am, I'll be okay with that.

Instead, I focus on my health. I eat good food, and I make sure I get enough exercise, sleep, alone time, and quality time with my family. There are still problems in my life, and I do still worry about them, but those problems wouldn't go away even if I were to lose weight.

I know I'm lucky that not-focusing on my weight generally means maintaining for me, and I know that there are lots of people who have to focus all the time in order to avoid gaining. But since I *am* that lucky, I figure I should take advantage of it, and free up some space in my brain for other things. :)

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I'm well aware of the irony of posting things like this to the Weight Watchers message boards, of all places. And I don't expect anyone to change their minds based on what I've written. But I do keep posting them, hoping to at least plant the seed that it's really okay to not worry about your weight. It goes counter to almost all the messages we receive about ourselves and our bodies, and it's not an easy concept for some people.

But I think it's an important concept, and I'm going to keep chipping away at it.



Related reading:

Health at Every Size
Spynga and Body Love

Yoga Challenge, Day 15: Halfway there!

At the time of this writing, I have fourteen sessions down, sixteen to go. Lunchtime yoga today will make it an even half.

And I think I've found my reward - more yoga! :) I've been thinking about this a lot, how to thank myself and reward myself for sticking with it. And I've come to the conclusion that there's nothing I really want right now. I know my husband is getting me jewellery of some sort for Christmas, and it's not like I need more bling in any case. I still love my orange yoga mat, and haven't found another one that I like as much, even if mine did need replacing at the moment (which it doesn't.) I'm not ready for another tattoo yet. And as much as I love massages, pedicures, and the whole spa experience, it doesn't really feel like a reward to me - maybe because they're over too fast, I don't know.

So I was just beginning to think that maybe I would defer the reward to another time. And then all of a sudden this popped up in my Twitter feed. It looks perfect - because one thing I know for sure I'll need, is more options for my home practice. The ones I have are great, but I have a feeling I'll be a bit bored of them by the end of the month. Also, I'm going to need a new challenge physically. I don't expect to have mastered these ones (for example, I don't think I'll ever be able to bend my body into this position...), but they're definitely getting easier. Which is great, but I need to keep challenging myself as well!

There's also a "curvy" option for this practice, which contains modified poses for people who are less bendy for whatever reason. I think I'll probably stick with the standard version, but I do like the fact that the option is available. And my good friend P. says she'll do it with me, so I think I'm sold!

Yoga, yoga, and more yoga. Love it.

Yoga Challenge, Day 13

I'm really starting to notice the physical changes in my body now. Besides the "I want to do yoga ALL THE TIME" feeling, I notice that the whole practice is getting easier. I can focus less on the poses, and more on the breath. I still don't always *remember* to focus on the breath, but it's definitely easier when I do. Baby steps.

My flexibility is really coming along as well. For the first time ever, I can touch the ground in a standing forward bend. And with a little more effort and a little more time in the pose, I can hold on to the soles of my feet in a seated forward bend. And I can also touch the ground with my bottom hand in triangle pose - another new reach for me.

Of course, this is the first time I've ever practiced so consistently, and so often - it's not surprising that I'm seeing results. I'm just pleased to be able to answer the question of how long it takes to see the changes - I've never actually known that before.

The biggest thing that I'm still working on, is getting my hips up enough to go directly from downward dog to a lunge without standing up and readjusting. I've never been able to do that either, and I would be thrilled if I could get a measurable amount closer by the time I finish this challenge.

I've also discovered that some poses are easier at different times of the day. I can't do a downward dog first thing in the morning. It's uncomfortable, I'm not strong enough, it makes me angry - it just doesn't work. But the few times I've done an evening practice, I notice that I have a wicked down dog - the stretch, the strength, the stability, are all just there. Twists are also a lot easier in the evening, but they feel so good in the morning - they're my new favourite way to start the day.

I don't know why this happens, either on the purely physical level, or on the mind-body-connection level. But I find it fascinating to observe. More observations to come, no doubt...one thing I know for sure, is that I'm really enjoying this!

Yoga Challenge, Day 10: Back on Track

The DVD remote is fixed. Or to be more precise, it started working again, just as mysteriously as it had stopped. I still have no idea what happened, all I did was push the same buttons over and over again until it worked. Doesn't matter - the important thing is that it's back!

And here's something else I didn't expect - how much I would love this, once I got into it. I've said that before, only half-joking: ha ha, who knew I would actually learn to like exercising! But this time it's different - it's like I really have become addicted to yoga. I think about it ALL the time. When I'm bored or stressed or I have five minutes to spare, I wonder if I could do some yoga. Between sessions, I'm always thinking ahead to the next one. And there have been several occasions where I've wondered if it would be unreasonable to do a second session in a day.

I have enjoyed doing yoga for as long as I've known about it, and I did expect to get more "into" it as the challenge progressed. But I really didn't anticipate the depth of my feelings for my practice, or to have it take up so much mental energy even when I wasn't doing it.

I wonder what will happen after the challenge. I assume I won't make such an effort to continue with a daily practice - but at the same time, this really hasn't been much of an effort so far anyway. Will I continue with a regular practice, if not a daily one? Will I miss it, if I don't?

And now, if you'll excuse me, it's been half an hour since I finished my last session. About time I got started on my next one!

Yoga Challenge, Day 9: We Are Experiencings Some Technical Difficulties, Please Stand By

Now this was something I didn't anticipate - my DVD player crapped out on me this morning. Or rather, the remote control did - I can't scroll through menu options any more. The Play button works, as do Stop and Eject. But the arrow buttons don't work at all, which means I can only do the first option from any given menu.

I tried turning the power off and on, ejecting and re-inserting the DVD, changing the batteries in the remote, and every other thing I can think of. And nothing.

It worked just fine on Monday, so I have no idea what happened in the meantime. All I know is that I hope it sorts itself out very soon, as it effectively reduces my practice options from 11 to 4 if I can't use the menus. I'll still do the challenge, but I may have to revisit the rules for how many times I do each session. Boo. BOO, I say!

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Related Reading: Just by chance, I have come across a couple of interesting posts about gender and body norms when it comes to yoga.

In What's the Deal with Guys and Yoga?, Fit and Feminist wonders why so few men do yoga, and so few women are willing to lift weights. She comments:

There is nothing inherently masculine or feminine about yoga, or weight lifting, or running, or pink or blue or cooking or household tools or really much of anything, for that matter.

And over at The Lipstick Chronicles, we find An Open Letter to the Fat Girl I Saw at Hot Yoga in New York City, which is so beautifully written it makes me cry, and so true that I want to repost it every day.

Yoga Challenge, Day 6

Just finished the "Hip Openers" sequence from Rodney Yee's AM Yoga for Your Week. This is my absolute favourite of all the sessions I have, so I'm very glad that I made the rule about doing each one at least twice, and no more than three times. Otherwise, I might find myself doing it every day! :)

I did NOT want to do yoga last night. It was the end of a very long day - I had spinning class, then DD had ballet and a play date with some kids from the neighbourhood. The toilet was blocked, and DH and I got into a big argument about ten minutes before I had planned to start my yoga. All I wanted to do was go to bed and hide.

Then I realized that it was then that I needed the yoga the most. After all that busy-ness, and stress of one kind and another, I really needed the discipline and routine. And I didn't want to bail on the challenge so early, especially for a stupid reason like being in a bad mood. So, I got out of bed, put on the video, and did it.

Obviously, that's where the challenge comes in. Doing it every day when I want to do it, is easy. I can't give myself a whole lot of credit for that one. But pushing myself a little bit, and talking myself back into it after I have already talked myself out of it - that is the important part. And the whole point of the challenge, really - after all, 25 minutes of gentle stretching is not much of a physical challenge for me. It's the mental challenge that I need, so I'm very glad I gave myself the push and stuck with it.

Yoga Challenge, Day 4

Today I did the "Daily Connection" (60 mins) session from Hemalaya Behl's Yoga for Urban Living. Loved it. It's very slow - much slower than my brain was going, and I was kind of racing through it. Kept going "Oh, I know what's coming next!", and then going there, and having to wait for her to catch up. :) It's not quite yin yoga, but it's very meditative. Which is clearly going to be part of the challenge for me, slowing my brain down enough to enjoy the meditation!

I really did like this session, though. It was just the right level for me - I could do most of the poses fairly easily, and a couple of them were just a bit too challenging. Especially the pigeon-downward dog series - this is one of my favourites, but I always have trouble lifting my hips up enough to get my leg forward. I think I'm going to save my second try at this session to near the end of the challenge, as a bit of a benchmark to see how much I have improved physically.

And I was thinking, as my mind was racing through my yoga practice. I love the Warrior II pose. I love doing it, and I love how beautiful and strong it always looks. And I think it would make a gorgeous tattoo. I don't know if it's necessarily the right reward for this challenge, but something to think about for the future, at any rate.

Namaste.

30/30 Yoga Challenge

I'm always looking around for a new challenge, something to occupy me outside of work. And parenting. (You'd think those two things would be enough, no? Apparently not.)

Traditionally, my challenges have been mental. I'm a big education-addict, and there was a period where I was registered in one continuing education course after another, pretty much year round. That ended when I decided to go back to school "for real" and get another Masters degree - not because I needed it, but because I thought it would be fun. (It was. I didn't end up getting the degree, but I did enjoy the work I put in!)

Lately, my challenges have been more physical. I did a couple of Learn to Run courses, where the only thing I learned is that I really hate running. Spinning, spinning, more spinning. Getting up early in the morning to do yoga before work. And as I've written before, I'm really enjoying it. I'm feeling a lot of benefits - my posture has improved, my lungs feel bigger, and my emotional state is a lot more balanced. It's working.

Then yesterday, I got talking with some friends about a 30/30 yoga challenge - 30 classes in 30 days. And you know, I think I can do it. I don't know of any local studios that are offering it right now, but I think the time and money commitment would be hard to manage at this point anyway. But I do have a bunch of yoga DVDs at home, and I have been doing reasonably well about getting out of bed early in the mornings, so why not push it a bit from there?

So, I'm in. Here are the rules:

~I'm cheating a bit, and back-dating it to Tuesday 8th, because that was the last consecutive day I did yoga. So the challenge will go from November 8th to December 7th, 2011.

~I have 8 short programs (20-25 minutes each), and 3 long programs (45-60 minutes) at home. I will do each program at least twice, and no more than three times. I will do one of the long ones at least once a week.

~If I miss a day, I can make it up either the day before or the day after. No more than one missed/made up class per week.

~And because this is a mental challenge as much as a physical one (especially when that alarm goes off at 5:45 am!), I will blog about it at least once a week as well.

Also, I'm going to need a reward of some sort. Something tangible, I think, because I can never find the time to go for massages or pedicures. Maybe a brand new yoga mat, or some other treat for the yoga retreat I plan to go on in January. Maybe a nice piece of jewellery. Maybe...???

And there we go. I'm not going to put out a call for anyone to join me, because I'm kind of a hermit that way, and I'd really rather do it alone. But anyone who wants to cheer me on from the sidelines is more than welcome! :) I'll keep you posted...

Why I Couldn't Do Yoga This Morning, and Why That's Totally Okay With Me

Yoga this morning was a bit of a non-starter. First, the program was way too advanced for me. Second, and more importantly, DD came downstairs part way through and wanted to do it too.

Picture a three year old doing downward dog in yellow footie sleepers. "This is easy, Mummy - look!"

She's just way too cute for me to focus on my own practice. Still, I think it's a pretty good tradeoff, and I wouldn't have it any other way. ♥

Surprise! It's Our Wedding!

Back in August, there was a quote-unquote so romantic! story in the news about a man who surprised his girlfriend by planning their entire wedding. They had talked about getting married in Las Vegas and announcing it after the fact, but in reality he was doing all the planning himself. He asked her questions about who they should invite to their "dream wedding", what the decor would be, what kind of songs she would like, and so on. Then he did everything, including lining up vendors, a venue, and all the guests, and surprised her as she walked into the room. Surprised her as in, "Will you marry me? Right now?" Then everybody applauded, her friends (who were in on the secret) whisked her backstage to get dressed, and they walked down the aisle.

Public response to this event was generally either "Oh, I love surprises! Isn't it so romantic and thoughtful of him!" or "Wow, she didn't get any say at all into her own wedding? That's kind of creepy and weird." I fall squarely in the "creepy and weird" category: I just wouldn't want to be put in a position like that, where the options are to say yes, or to face massive public humiliation (and to humiliate many of the people I love in the process.)  Most of what I read on the "not cool" side happened here.

Today's Globe and Mail has a related story, about a couple who surprised their guests, instead of each other. Invited them to a party, then said "Hey, guess what! We're getting married! Right now!" And as part of the whole theme of "surprise weddings," they interviewed Shawn and Colleen Lippert about his choice to plan the whole wedding as a surprise.

Turns out, planning a wedding wasn't as much fun as he first thought:

With the benefit of hindsight, Mr. Lippert said he wouldn’t recommend any man plan a wedding for his bride, let alone a surprise wedding.


“It’s a lot of work and stress. I took all that pressure away from her. She even slept that night – I didn’t.”

So I guess now we're supposed to think he's a hero, for taking all that pressure away from her? For losing a night of sleep for her? When she hadn't even asked him to, and had no idea what was going on?
 
Did it ever occur to him that maybe she would have enjoyed planning the wedding? That maybe she wanted that last night of staying awake all night with excitement?
 
Basically, that whole quote says to me "Wow, I am so fantastic. I took on a woman's job, and it's hard! Guys, don't do this, you might end up losing some sleep!" Not "don't do this, because your girlfriend might not want you to," but "don't do it because it's best left to the ladies, let them have all the pressure and stress." 
 
Terrific. Very romantic. Ugh. 

My Heart Grew Three Sizes Today

We have had a heck of a time with DD (now 3 1/2) these past couple of weeks - tantrum after tantrum after tantrum, refusing to get dressed in the morning, refusing to get undressed at night. Last night there was a 45 minute tantrum, and a 30 minute tantrum, and she was still up when we went to bed at 10:00.

Today, she has been lovely. Her usual cheerful, funny, engaging little self. She still tried to delay going to bed, but this time it was the fun stuff - drawing us pictures that she JUST HAD to show us, telling stories, making up silly words to songs, etc. (Which is actually harder in its way, because you don't want her to stop, but you still have to be the adult and get her to bed.)

She's been upstairs and quiet for about an hour now. Then just a minute ago, I heard her get out of bed and start coming down the stairs. I braced myself for the request for more milk, or just one more song, or whatever. She came into the kitchen, and said "Mummy? Thank you for my new pyjamas."

And then went back upstairs.

Damn, she's cute. I love her so much. ♥