Fitness Junkie-- And PROUD!

So I'm anxious to get this semester over with because my classes have been fairly stressful. Only three projects, three exams, and three papers to go and I'm complete with my senior year and ready for graduation!
Oddly enough my finals week only has two exams so much of the week will be free until the day of graduation when my family and soul-mate join me here in Tally. What should I do all week? Oh, I don't know... GYM TIME!!
I'm happy to see that the Leach's schedule includes a wide range of classes, including my favorite Power Yoga class that Sunday and I can finally attend the Tuesday one. Now the tough part is deciding which classes to go to... I've been super curious about the Barre Lean class, and Tabata Boxing and QiForce sound awesome too. So many choices!
I better get back to being a good student now.

Hope everyone has a great day!

Yoga Transcends

As my Sunday Power Yoga class approached its end, my instructor brought up how yoga isn't a goal-oriented practice, it's about proper form. At the time I was in my state of post-yoga peace so I definitely agreed.

A few days later, what she had said came up in my thoughts again and I quickly analyzed the different ways I have looked at yoga.

When we make yoga a goal-oriented practice, we lose something-- not in the attempts to reach that goal, but during the success of reaching it. The 'now what?' feeling-- the forever presence of desire and dissatisfaction. No matter what goal we make we can achieve it but if it is made a desire, then we will always be left wanting something more.

If we give in--surrender-- to the universe through our practice, we accept that which we cannot control and embrace what we can: discipline. We can discipline our minds and bodies and release the negative energies so many of us harbor deep within. When we release them, we open ourselves to the simplicity of happiness. 

We can obtain this happiness within little other than our bodies and minds through practice.

We may begin doing it for fitness, health, or to show that we can, but what comes with it you cannot ignore. Releasing the negative energies we harbor within ourselves, opens space within ourselves. With this space, we can invite peace and relaxation. 

Yoga can be used for fitness or health. I've probably mentioned before but I started yoga because of my asthma. I wanted freedom. The second time I got into it was for fitness. I wanted to feel strong. I believe I have succeeded, for the most part, with both but I had not idea that I could get something even better.

There is a feeling, an energy that radiates through you, when you practice and it lingers in your life for as long as you practice and apply mindfulness to your thoughts and actions. This energy is unlike anything else and, although I could try to explain and describe it, it would not be the same. It's something that must be experienced. You will know when you feel it.

Side Effects of Yoga

When I first began practicing yoga, I did it to improve my airflow. As an asthmatic, breathing is always a concern. Now that I am moving up and beyond mindful breathing, I'm happy to say that my determination is acting as a suggestion to others, provoking thought. I had told my best friend back home that I'm waking up at 7 am every day to do yoga. A couple days after I started-- and opened up this blog-- she set down her mat and is doing it now, too. She had been sick with the flu all last week and two days into her morning yoga routines, she's breathing and feeling better.

Beyond the obvious benefits of sculpting and balance, yoga provides benefits even beyond that of mindful breathing; it provides benefits of the mind. Yoga can bring a sense of peace and a centering. It physically helps rid of the stress that your mind or workload has burdened upon your body.

The more challenging the pose, the more I want to succeed. It's important to know how far to push, however. Take each progression in your practice at your own pace to avoid injuries. Whenever I'm in a pose and I know I can do a little more, I do. My muscles may quiver and my mind may scream for the next pose but I keep on. With every exhale, I push out the doubt and allow strength in. These are moments when I am so focused on the pose, all my troubles and conflicts slip away. The space that is left is filled with determination to hold that pose-- to be in complete control of my body in that very moment.
Then there are other moments when I'm getting into corpse pose and I feel it all come back. It's not an attack of stress, just a mere gentle confrontation. They are put before me once more and then with an exhale, they are gone. All that is left is me as I let them go, just as I release my limbs to submit to this pose of rest.

Sunday's workout was morning yoga, then Power Yoga in the afternoon (90 minutes of Vinyasa Yoga: movement paired with breath).