MEDITATION #18

Bikram Kaimuki - class #50
6:30 pm w/ Tom

WOW. I made it to 50 already. And another really good class w/ Tom this evening. I haven't had Tom as a teacher for a while and I was pretty much on cruise control tonight. I think that of all the teachers at my studio, I trust Tom the most. He doesn't keep us in the poses super long so I try to go to the full expression sooner and end up holding a lot of them for the whole time. That is a big confidence booster for me. Makes me feel like an old pro at this yoga stuff. Also my knee wasn't bugging me nearly as much as last night, which was a big relief. Hopefully whatever problem I was having is working itself out.

Today's meditation introduces the concept of ahimsa or non-harming. Gates says that this yama asks us to embrace non-violence at the level of speech, thought, and action. I strive to do this, but I am so not there yet. I like to think that I've got non-violence in action - especially respecting the lives of animals and not contributing to the culture of pain - pretty much down these days. That's one of the big motivators for me to adhere to my vegetarian and now mostly vegan diet. But non-violence in my speech and thoughts is more nuanced. Hmmm. This is something that I want to contemplate a little more deeply. I think that I will repeat this meditation tomorrow and see what other thoughts come up.


Today's Weight: 214.0

TOTAL OF 22 POUNDS LOST

Today's Food Choices:
20 oz cafe mocha w/ soy milk
fruit salad - pineapple, grapes, cantaloupe & honey dew
old fashioned glazed doughnut
(10 am - The Patisserie)
big green salad w/ toasted sesame dressing
honey roasted peanuts & raisins
vegetarian samosa
Itoen green tea
(2 pm - Govindaji's)
8 oz Kombucha
(5 pm - work)