Day 1
Does this body look like it was made for Yoga? Are you worried your "downward facing dog" is going to be a downward facing DILEMMA? Worried that your weeble is going to wobble and you might fall down?I WAS! I feel I resemble this body a bit, and have embraced it, but would like a change. I was an active youth, I have always been VOLUPTUOUS and that is no crime, but I was toned in my legs, had a nice hourglass figure and didn't feel huge, just bigger than others. After 3 kids(all c-sections), my lifestyle and eating have changed multiple times over the years, some muscles are toned, but mostly I feel flabby and I know I could look and feel better about what I see in the mirror. I am not asking or looking to drop 100lbs and be some diet success story. I just want to love my curves and tone up the little bothersome areas : )
I was worried and excited to start yoga! I took my first Yoga class, Hot Power Fusion, at Yoga-Versity in Brookings, SD. (Yoga-Versity) Tuesday Nov. 22 at 5:30am, I gave it may all! I had already completed two nites of Pole Fitness and was sore and LOVING it ; ) I had read another blog, and had prepared to be a duck among flamingos ! I felt the Hot Power Fusion was a little fast and intense for my skill level, but I made it through....with only one arch nemisis...the RABBIT pose, which I have re-named the "TRY to kiss your ass goodbye" pose : )
In this pose, I realized I would sufficate in my own cleavage before my head ever hit the ground and due to my "top heaviness", I fear grabbing my feet and flying forward to the floor in a *break neck* experience.
But hey...I kept it up. 1 more night of Pole fitness, then break for Thanksgiving and Black Friday. I read a few more blogs, specifically talking about BIG GIRL issues.
Fat Girls Guide To Living
Losing it without losing me
JessnotJazz
These blogs were insightful, funny and helped to motivate me. So I chose to go to Traditional Hot Yoga (1.5 hours at 105 degrees....26 Bakrim yoga poses done x2) both Saturday and Sunday (Nov.26 & 27). And this is what I wrote on Facebook when I was done: (some of it is a repeat of the above)
******My week of yoga and pole fitness @ Yoga-Versity.*****
by ME on Sunday, November 27, 2011 at 9:53pm
I have been really excited for Yoga-versity to open, and when it did, I got online and signed up for Pole Fitness with a co-worker. A week ago, I decided to go even though my co-worker could no longer make it. Luckily, I have some wonderful girlfriends who joined me for the night, as great minds think alike and they had already signed up! We laughed, encouraged eachother and learned a few pole tricks : ) I had a blast, but I was not prepared for the sore upper body I had the next day....WOW!
But hey, we had a great time.....so Monday night, I grabbed a few more friends for Pole Fitness. And once again, success! I had a great time! And the next day....OMG, sore! But to combat the soreness I knew was coming, I signed up for Hot Fusion Yoga. I was pumped!
Before going, I read this article:
http://thelipstickchronicles.typepad.com/the_lipstick_chronicles/2011/11/an-open-letter-to-the-fat-girl-i-saw-at-hot-yoga-in-new-york-city.html
I laughed so hard, I sent it to my friend who would be attending with me. I was prepared to be the "duck among flamingos". I haven't done yoga in almost a decade and my curves I saw as an issue. So I went to yoga, and though I wasn't perfect, I felt good : ) I then attend Pole Fitness again that evening. YAY!
I took THursday (Thanksgiving) and Black Friday off, as the studio was closed and contemplated whether or not to go to yoga Saturday and Sunday.
I read a few articles:
http://www.fatgirlsguidetoliving.com/2009/07/28/the-fat-girls-guide-to-yoga/
and
http://www.losingitwithoutlosingme.com/2010/08/bikram-yoga-what-was-i-thinking/
and
http://jessnotjazz.com/?p=1318
(these are the same 3 links listed above)
Now I will admit, I really enjoyed my Wednesday morning (5:30am) yoga, but I felt I couldn't quite keep up. I felt anxious and encouraged after the articles I read. I was also going to a longer class and that worried me. Could I take the heat that long (105 degrees), would I feel okay? Nothing could prepare me for how I truly would feel!
Our instructor, Deena, made us aware that there is "NO ego in yoga"....I needed to hear that. I was a short, round duck among tall, thin, balanced on one leg in "tree" pose flamingos. I quit thinking about it and focused on ME...holy crap, all my attention was on ME! That never happens! I am always trying to be a step ahead, have a plan, take care of the house, kids, job, finances, meal plans...planning events for friends, etc, etc, etc. I never just stop. But that is what I did. For an hour and a half, I listened to the instuctions and focused on my poses and breathing...and I even had a good laugh...as when you are to touch your forehead to your knee, I realized my large breasts will suffocate me first : ) Huzzah to my curves! I left Saturday yoga feeling great, but still coming into my feelings.
TOday, I couldn't wait for Yoga! I was pumped, went for a walk with Chris and Avyn after lunch and then headed to yoga! And today, I felt even better. I already could feel that my balance was improved, my poses were more accurate and my mind....was thinking of only me : ) And because of the ME time, I feel happier and more attentive when I am home.
I would like to do yoga everyday and am working out my finances and time to possibly do so. I want to do a 30 day blog, to see how my body, mind and spirit changes with 30 days of ME time yoga. I question how my core muscles will change, as after 3 c-sections, my abs are shot and I know my back muscles have made up for the lack. I feel it now during yoga, but I hope to learn how to engage my core more. I question if I will shed inches. I question if I will be more focused in my everyday life. I hope to find these things out.
Now with my Positive Body Image party around the corner, I feel that having real experience will only give my findings more creditability and I can't wait to share more!
***********************************************************************************
AND, HENCE THE BLOG IDEA WAS BORN!!!!
I have continued to attend yoga:
Monday 11/28/11 *** I did 30 minutes of yoga (Candlelight Yoga by Crunch Fitness) at home before getting ready for work, I enjoyed it, but truly missed the "me" time I get when I am not at home hearing the bustle around me.
But hey, we had a great time.....so Monday night, I grabbed a few more friends for Pole Fitness. And once again, success! I had a great time! And the next day....OMG, sore! But to combat the soreness I knew was coming, I signed up for Hot Fusion Yoga. I was pumped!
Before going, I read this article:
http://thelipstickchronicles.typepad.com/the_lipstick_chronicles/2011/11/an-open-letter-to-the-fat-girl-i-saw-at-hot-yoga-in-new-york-city.html
I laughed so hard, I sent it to my friend who would be attending with me. I was prepared to be the "duck among flamingos". I haven't done yoga in almost a decade and my curves I saw as an issue. So I went to yoga, and though I wasn't perfect, I felt good : ) I then attend Pole Fitness again that evening. YAY!
I took THursday (Thanksgiving) and Black Friday off, as the studio was closed and contemplated whether or not to go to yoga Saturday and Sunday.
I read a few articles:
http://www.fatgirlsguidetoliving.com/2009/07/28/the-fat-girls-guide-to-yoga/
and
http://www.losingitwithoutlosingme.com/2010/08/bikram-yoga-what-was-i-thinking/
and
http://jessnotjazz.com/?p=1318
(these are the same 3 links listed above)
Now I will admit, I really enjoyed my Wednesday morning (5:30am) yoga, but I felt I couldn't quite keep up. I felt anxious and encouraged after the articles I read. I was also going to a longer class and that worried me. Could I take the heat that long (105 degrees), would I feel okay? Nothing could prepare me for how I truly would feel!
Our instructor, Deena, made us aware that there is "NO ego in yoga"....I needed to hear that. I was a short, round duck among tall, thin, balanced on one leg in "tree" pose flamingos. I quit thinking about it and focused on ME...holy crap, all my attention was on ME! That never happens! I am always trying to be a step ahead, have a plan, take care of the house, kids, job, finances, meal plans...planning events for friends, etc, etc, etc. I never just stop. But that is what I did. For an hour and a half, I listened to the instuctions and focused on my poses and breathing...and I even had a good laugh...as when you are to touch your forehead to your knee, I realized my large breasts will suffocate me first : ) Huzzah to my curves! I left Saturday yoga feeling great, but still coming into my feelings.
TOday, I couldn't wait for Yoga! I was pumped, went for a walk with Chris and Avyn after lunch and then headed to yoga! And today, I felt even better. I already could feel that my balance was improved, my poses were more accurate and my mind....was thinking of only me : ) And because of the ME time, I feel happier and more attentive when I am home.
I would like to do yoga everyday and am working out my finances and time to possibly do so. I want to do a 30 day blog, to see how my body, mind and spirit changes with 30 days of ME time yoga. I question how my core muscles will change, as after 3 c-sections, my abs are shot and I know my back muscles have made up for the lack. I feel it now during yoga, but I hope to learn how to engage my core more. I question if I will shed inches. I question if I will be more focused in my everyday life. I hope to find these things out.
Now with my Positive Body Image party around the corner, I feel that having real experience will only give my findings more creditability and I can't wait to share more!
***********************************************************************************
AND, HENCE THE BLOG IDEA WAS BORN!!!!
I have continued to attend yoga:
Monday 11/28/11 *** I did 30 minutes of yoga (Candlelight Yoga by Crunch Fitness) at home before getting ready for work, I enjoyed it, but truly missed the "me" time I get when I am not at home hearing the bustle around me.
Tuesday 11/29/11,***I got maybe 10 minutes of yoga in this morning before Avyn (my 9 month old daughter) wet thru her clothes already...oh well, I will try again tonight.
Tuesday 11/29/11*** Avyn went to sleep so I snuck off to 8:15pm Hot Power Fusion Yoga...and I was the only one who showed so I got an instructor all to myself, and she couldn't balance thru all the moves either, and she personally instructed ...ME on how to get a better pose! What more could one ask for, I am so happy I decided to go. Now I am showered, in my jammies and plan to sleep wonderfully! OH...and the hot power fusion is the first class I thought was too fast...it was still fast but I kept up : )
---JUST IN A FEW DAYS I FELT PROGRESS---
Last night:
Wednesday 11/30/11 ***Great day all around even though I am edgy due to PMS. Had a super nite at yoga, very gentle and relaxing.(Gentle Yoga) I can touch my hands to the mat in forward bends now, I can touch my toes, I can feel my breath, I can stay longer in poses....I feel like I am making progress and that is amazing! I am still the Big Girl at the studio, but maybe that matters more to me than anyone else. Everyone I have met is so nice and supportive. I feel so good about myself and I just love the time for ME : )...Tomorrow Pole Fitness!
*************************************************************************************
So yes, today is the first day of the blog, not the first day of this routine, and as I said last night....Tomorrow Pole Fitness!! I look forward to pole fitness tonight. I would love to do yoga everyday, but due to class schedules, my schedule and life...I know that won't happen, but I will be taking a few classes a week and doing other fitness activities and sharing those things with you here.
I am hoping to continue this through my wedding date, March 31,2012 (4 months from now) and then at that time also start a walk/run program from http://www.coolrunning.com/ to train for my first 5k in July 2012.
So this is the first blog entry...and here is to MANY more...with all my thoughts, good, bad and ugly : )
I will also try to share one pose a day and how I feel about it, but I feel progress and I love it!
Loving Yoga,
Charmaine
aka Puddles
I will also try to share one pose a day and how I feel about it, but I feel progress and I love it!
Loving Yoga,
Charmaine
aka Puddles
Excited to see my own progress after New Years Day. I will take measurements tonight so we have a running tally.
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