The first four days have been incredible. Being that I am still within the first week of my personal challenge, the adrenaline of doing something new is wonderful. I am sure that there will be days when I will ask myself, Why the hell did I decide to do this?
Getting to yoga everyday has been pretty easy. The anticipation of learning something new about my body and the connection between it and my state of mind is an incredible source of motivation. For example, one of the most difficult poses for me to complete properly is Triangle Pose. This pose is an intense mix of a lateral lunge and spine twist, all done while keeping your arms straight, abdominal muscles engaged, and head turned straight up to the ceiling. Yesterday, I was unable to stay in the pose for the full amount of time. I was holding back because I was very sore. Today, however, I stayed in the pose for the entire time during both sets. I was more willing to commit to each step of the posture and not let my physical pain get in the way of completing a posture to the best of my ability. I was also willing to come back and try again today and not let one posture affect me to the point of giving up. The lesson of being able to maintain focus while remaining compassionate with myself is something I try to apply to situations outside of the yoga room. This lesson is one that I need to be frequently reminded of and practice often.
Maintaining the food part of the challenge has been interesting. As long as I get my meals in on time I am ok. It has been weird to worry about having a big enough salad or enough yogurt in my cooler or refrigerator. I do have to fight the urge to indulge in all the post-Holiday treats that friends, family, and clients leave us. It is pretty brutal but I’ll survive. I really miss cookies. I love cookies. And fudge. And fruit-cake. I am sure it will pass though and as long as I am diligent it will all pay off.
A Cobweb for Every Corner 