Finally getting back to DAILY YOGA

Bikram Mira Mesa
9:00 AM w/ Amy
Friday 7/23/10

Home Practice - Shiva Rea (41 min)
Saturday 7/24/10

Well after several stops and starts I am *finally* back to daily yoga practice. Guess that the move has been a bigger adjustment than I anticipated. I was so spoiled having a Bikram Studio that was a 5 min drive and a 15 min walk from my house in Hawaii. Now the closest one takes me 20-30 to get to. But regardless, that's not an excuse not to go.

I signed up for the 2 weeks unlimited for $50 at the Mira Mesa studio and I am going to try to make it to at least 8 classes. My goal is to do Bikram 4 days per week and then mix it up with different yoga dvd's at home on the other alternating days. I like the Mira Mesa studio but Kearney Mesa is closer and offers more classes - so that's where I'll probably be going long term. I also really liked the La Jolla studio but it's kind of a pain getting there. Oh well. We shall see how things go over the next 12 days or so.

I am very glad to be getting back into the swing of things.

Day #98

Home Practice - Rainbeau Mars (37 min) #184
Tuesday 9/1/09

Home Practice - Bikram #185
Wednesday 9/2/09

Home Practice - Baptiste (70 min) #186
Thursday 9/3/09

Home Practice - Shiva Rea(73 min) #187
Friday 9/4/09

Home Practice - Seane Corn (40 min) #188
Saturday 9/5/09

Home Practice - Shiva Rea (42 min) #189
Sunday 9/6/09

Day #92

Home Practice - Bikram #177
Tuesday 8/25/09

Home Practice - Shiva Rea (42 min) #178
Wednesday 8/26/09

Home Practice - Bikram #179
Thursday 8/27/09

Home Practice - Seane Corn (60 min) #160
Friday 8/28/09

Home Practice - Chakra Balancing (55 min) #181
Saturday 8/29/09

Home Practice - Bikram #182
Sunday 8/30/09

Bikram Kaimuki - class #183
8:15 pm w/ Kevo
Monday 8/31/09


Monthly Stats for August:

Bikram - 9x (810 minutes)
Baron Baptiste - 6x (325 minutes)
Shiva Rea - 5x (315 minutes)
Seane Corn - 5x (290 minutes)
Chakra Balancing - 4x (220 minutes)
Jivamukti - 2x (113 minutes)

31 daily yoga practices

TOTAL: 2073 minutes of yoga
Average of 67 minutes a day!!!


That's down a bit from the last 2 months. But I plan to get my average back up to over 70 minutes per day in September with more regular Bikram practices - at least 12 for the month.

Day #85

Home Practice - Shiva Rea (73 min) #173
Friday 8/21/09

Home Practice - Seane Corn (40 min) #174
Saturday 8/22/09

Home Practice - Baptiste (60 min) #175
Sunday 8/23/09

Home Practice - Chakra Yoga (55 min) #176
Monday 8/24/09

Started back to school today. I am taking the second semester of Anatomy & Physiology, both the lecture and lab together this time around. It's going to be a challenge, but I am determined to keep on top of it and get even better grades than I did in the previous semester. I really want an A in the lecture and a B in the lab, although I'd still be pretty happy with 2 B's.

I am really enjoying another new DVD I got a couple weeks ago - Chakra Balancing Yoga w/ Sharon Gannon. It's not as rigorous a workout as the other Jivamukti videos, but I feel pretty amazing after. Like my whole body is buzzing from the inside out. I highly recommend it for anyone who'd like to get in tune with their energy centers and work through any karmic issues they might have.

Day #77

Home Practice - Jivamukti (60 min) #165
Thursday 8/13/09

Home Practice - Baptiste (45 min) #166
Friday 8/14/09

Home Practice - Seane Corn (40 min) #167
Saturday 8/15/09

Home Practice - Shiva Rea (73 min) #168
Sunday 8/16/09

Had a huge event this weekend that my company's been gearing up for over the last several months. I am so relieved that it is OVER.

Several good home practices, regardless how tired and crabby I've been in the evenings. Yoga is my constant. And no matter how bad I may feel - physically, emotionally, etc... - my daily yoga helps to release the day and make everything a little bit better.

Tomorrow night it's back to the studio for me. I need to sweat out all the built up stress along with all the junk food I had over my long working weekend.

Day #73

Home Practice - Seane Corn (40 min) #159
Friday 8/7/09

Home Practice - Baptiste (45 min) #160
Saturday 8/8/09

Home Practice - Shiva Rea (85 min) #161
Sunday 8/9/09

Bikram Kaimuki - class #162
Monday 8/10/09
8:15 pm w/ Gail

Bikram Kaimuki - class #163
Tuesday 8/11/09
8:15 pm w/ Kevo

Home Practice - Shiva Rea (42 min) #164
Wednesday 8/12/09

Day #61

Home Practice - Jivamukti (60 min) #149
Tuesday

Bikram Kaimuki - class #150
Wednesday 8:15 pm w/ Jeremy

Bikram Kaimuki - class #151
Thursday 8:15 pm w/ Jeremy

Bikram Kaimuki - class #152
Friday 6:30 pm w/ Barbara

I've had several good studio practices in a row. But I especially enjoyed Barbara's class. She taught the first Bikram class I ever took way back on March 1st, 2007. I loved it from the very start. Even tough it took me more than a year and a half to develop a regular practice that lasted more than a month or two.

She is a bit older than most of the teachers, maybe in her 50's (or 60's even?), really hard to tell for sure. She has a wonderfully calm, wise energy about her. I remember thinking on that first fateful day that I would love to be in that great of shape when I'm her age. Hell, I'd love to be in that great of shape NOW. And I am well on my way to making that a reality. ;))

I am pretty blown away that it's already the end of July. And since another month is finished I have more exciting stats to report:

31 total yoga practice sessions:
9 Bikram - 4x home, 5x studio (90 min each)
9 Baptiste - 4x 45 min, 2x 60 min, 2x 70 min, 1x 85 min
9 Jivamukti - 4x 60 min, 5x 53 min
2 Shiva Rea (85 min each)
2 Sean Corne (85 min each)

That's 2180 total minutes of yoga this month!!

Which is an average of 70 minutes of yoga per day!!!

I am now over 60% of the way to 101 consecutive practice days!!!!

Day #56

Home Practice - Sean Corne (85 min) #143
Wednesday 7/22

Bikram Kaimuki - class #144
8:15 pm w/ Gail
Thursday 7/23

Home Practice - Baptiste (45 min) #145
Friday 7/24

Home Practice - Jivamukti (60 min) #146
Saturday 7/25

Home Practice - Shiva Rea (85 min) #147
Sunday 7/26

So not too many studio practices over the last several weeks. Moving forward I really need to do 3 every week. Home practice has been great but I need to make it in for a hot sweaty studio class much more regulary to completely flush everything and get out of my head.

I feel a little bit more comfortable with the Shiva Rea routine. It's still very unorthodox but good variety for my body and mind.

The teacher who I think I like best so far, though, is Sean Corne. She is just delightful. A slightly different take on the Jivamukti style of Sharon Gannon and David Life. She really spends a lot of time on the foundational stuff that I need the most right now.

I have ordered another Sean Corne and another Shiva Rea dvd and am very excited to those into my rotation when they get here.

My weekly goal is 3 Bikram studio days and then one home workout each: Sean Corne, Shiva Rea, Baron Baptiste, and Jivamukti. I am getting stronger, leaner, and more supple every single day. ;))

Day #42

Home Practice - Baptiste (45 min) #130
Thursday

Home Practice - Baptiste (45 min) #131
Friday

Home Practice - Jivamukti (53 min) #132
Saturday

Home Practice - Bikram #133
Sunday

Home Practice - Shiva Rea (85 min) #134
Monday

Haven't missed a day even though I have not made it to the studio in almost 2 weeks. Tomorrow I plan to go to Jeremy's class in Kaimuki.

Tonight I got my first actual taste of what a Shiva Rea class is like. Her style is very different than what I am used to, but the workout will certainly add variety to my practice. I can see how the free form can be very liberating but I also see how some more traditional yogi's would think it's just weird. Personally, I need to do the routine a few times to get the moves down so that I feel a little more comfortable with the flow of the practice.

I have to get up extra early and make it to a 7 AM meeting tomorrow morning. So I am going to sign off. Goodnight & Namaste.

Day #19

Home Practice - Baptiste (60 min) #109
Thursday

Bikram Kaimuki - class #110
Friday 6:30 pm w/ Kevo

Back to the Kaimuki studio and an ass-kicking Kevo class. I really missed his teaching style. Such a great class. Definitely hard, but not quite as hard as I remember. I was able to hold his long count for both sets of the second part of awkward. I was also able to hold the entire count in the second set of standing bow pulling pose for probably the first time ever. And I was able to get down all the way on both sides of toe stand - which is another first for me - but then couldn't navigate myself back up to standing without falling out. I wasn't able to hold his extra extended version of both sets of camel, either, because by that point in the class I was running on empty. Still, I didn't sit out any postures even though I wanted to. I made it through strong to the end.

The Baptiste DVD, "Soul of Strength - Power Vinyasa LIVE!", that I did on Thursday is another excellent workout that I highly recommend. In fact, I would recommend all of the Baptiste DVD's that I have done so far. He has a very calm manner and relaxing style. Which is not to say that the workouts are easy - he definitely pushes you to your limits and makes you sweat a lot.

I am getting ready to order a 3 DVD Yoga Journal "master teachers" set that features 3 live 85 min classes - one each with Baron Baptiste, Seane Corn, and Shiva Rea. I am very excited to try these teacher's styles and expand my yoga repertoire. I'm also going to try taking Bikram studio classes from at least 3 different teachers per week going forward if at all possible. I really feel like the variety is helping my practice. I will also allow one of my weekly Bikram classes to be done at home w/ his cd a couple times per month just because I like it so much. ; ))

Still feeling strong and like I am constantly improving.