Bikram class 5

I've noticed that the right front corner seems to attract the most limber practitioners. 



Today there was a tall, well long woman in that spot today.  Come to think of it the other classes that space has been occupied by long women.  I had gotten there early so I sat for about 20 minutes getting acclimated and unwinding.  This woman did the most amazing upward bow!  then added the variation where the leg goes straight up.   I watched her do some pushups earlier, and I thought after class I'll mention the 100 pushup challenge, well then she went to the wall, and did inverted pushups.


I figured she didn't need any pushup challenge.  At least in the 100 range.

Another new instructor, four classes four different instructors.  Instructor #3 was on the mat next to me today and didn't seem particularly advanced.  This instructor, while talking about how difficult the poses can sometimes be, and how it's hot and all, said I've taken a few classes.  So three and four both intimated that they hadn't practiced much or long,



and I've noticed that there is a certain repetition to the instructions throughout class.  So I wonder if I memorized the lines, could I instruct?  Dawn any thoughts on that? From the way you described your training it sounded intensive, much the opposite of what I'm sensing from the last two instructors.

I've noticed my balance poses have gotten better.  I can do, at least the basic pose without getting all wobbly and having to catch my balance.  It would be great to move into the more advanced part of the pose, maybe next week :)

AND NOW MY FAVORITE SUBJECT, sweat!  I noticed a dark spot around the center of my space today, where the tidal surge of sweat overwhelmed the ninth ward of my towel and darkened the carpet.


Just out of curiosity I wrung my towel out in the sink afterwards...next class, I am going to bring a measuring bowl with me, and see just how much comes out of my towel.  It was impressive! 

As long as we, ok me, is on bodily fluids, let me talk about urine.  Being a runner, I know that the color of your urine is an indication of your hydration level.  The clearer the better.  Now I have had some long training runs prior to a marathon where I have had urine the color of coke-a-cola. 


If  it had lumps in it I wouldn't have been surprised.  This past week, it hasn't been that bad, but it's been a very dark yellow.  Somewhere near a black & tan beer.



 No, that's too dark, more like a J W Dundee Honey Brown ale.



To combat that I have been drinking a lot of water, and yet I can't seem to keep up.

I also figure that the cramping I've been getting in my feet



 has to do with my hydration level and perhaps a potassium deficiency.   So I've been working on those two.

Bikram #4


I've noticed that I've been eating better food and less of it too as of late.  Last Monday we had a office party, they served fried everything.  I took a plate and was looking forward to digging in, but after a few bites, it just felt gross.  So I dumped it and got a salad.  I've dropped 6 pounds in a week and my body fat pct is down around 11.  I have been tired on my runs and played the two worst games of hockey this week that I've played in awhile.

OK I'll get right to it, no one farted!  Brings the average down to 50% of classes someone rips a few.

When I took my first class at this studio, they said to grab a dry mat off of the rack to use.  Afterwards I asked where should I put it, and they said "on the rack".  I had assumed that they were drying off after being cleaned (the first studio cleaned them) not drying off from being soaked in sweat.  It seems like I should be grossed out by that but I'm not really. 

The teacher last night was the friendliest of the three I've had there, but I had overheard her talking to someone and saying that she hadn't practiced much.  Would have thought that was a prerequisite.

This was by far the toughest class...it wasn't just me as afterwards several people asked if it was hotter than normal.  No was the answer, the highest the temperature got was 102 but the humidity was higher than normal.  So it's true, it's not the heat it's the humidity. 

I know I am belaboring this, but geez it's amazing the amount of sweat I'm coming up with!  At pose eight the river starts to flood off the hem of my shorts, last night it started at five. 

AND WHATS WRONG WITH MY ARMS?  Why is it so hard to hold them up?  My shoulders are killing me.

I had more trouble than usual  doing one legged poses last night, I'm guessing that my muscles are tired and are having a tougher time handling balancing poses.




By  the time we got to camel, pose 22,  I was feeling dizzy and stayed down for them both. 




Wonder what it is about that pose that gets me every time.  Moving from laying down to being up on my knees?

The guy in front of me had white scabby looking things on his feet, really made cobra more challenging then it needed to be. 



Then doing the situps, put your hands over your head, fingers clasped, my hands kept hitting his feet!  EEEEEEYYYYYYEEEEEEEWWWWW!  I kept scooching down my mat till finally my feet were on the wall! 


But then I'm sure it's no picnic standing next to the human sprinkler either!



Ok, I'm going to have to dip into the testosterone for a moment,
 "WHAT??? MORE!  YOU'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT FARTS AND BODILY FLUIDS FOR THREE DAYS"
 Yup one totally male observation coming up, there is an added dimension of beauty and grace brought to yoga by a woman wearing only a sport bra and boy shorts, IMHO.

(sorry no pictures)

Ok..so it seems farting is pretty common. Or I am on a streak. There are times besides when I have my hockey equipment on that not having a sense of smell is a blessing. Someone near me, not the same person from yesterday, had a flatulence issue! Nearly every time she bent at the waist....


Better teacher today, very upbeat, kept the tempo going by talking throughout the poses even serenaded us at the end with a song, he has a very good voice.

One of my concerns (there are many) is the amount that I sweat, I don't think it's normal.



When I mentioned that before signing up they just laughed and said everyone sweats, don't worry about it. But I don't see anyone else with sweat running in a stream off of them, I don't see anyone else with a towel leaving a trail of water as they walk out of class. Which begs the question what is the proper procedure for exiting so as to leave as little a sweat trail as possible?


What do you do when you're in stick pose and you realize you are dripping on the water bottle of the person in front of you? Do you discretely mention it? Do you offer to buy them another? Not that either will do them any good during class, do you do as I did, hope no one else noticed and move slightly?

They don't cover any of that in the FAQ's.

Most likely class 4 tomorrow!

Bikram two

Session 2 at 10 am this morning 
Studio one (the gas chamber) had an intro offer for $20 you get your first two classes if used within three days.  I went on a Tuesday and planned on going again Thursday.  An unfortunate run in with jello shots on Wednesday night left me a little to wobbly to attempt class on Thursday.  Friday an incredible thunder storm rolled through with hail and torrential rain, I rushed home to rescue my ponies.  They of course were perfectly fine, I think that the worst of it bypassed them.

Found Studio 2 near my home, they have an intro offer, $30 one week unlimited use.  So I signed up for that because Dawn says I really should go 6 days in a row, what she didn't say was and then you die.

Got to say, did not get the same warm and fuzzy feeling from this studio two as I did from the gas chamber.  The instructor was working the front desk just as at the gas chamber, but seemed far to distracted to explain the procedures, me with one whole class under my belt is still not sure of the etiquette nor did he seem able to focus on my questions. 

Once class was underway he offered no corrections, now it could be that I'm a bikram savant and got everything right, but considering he did often say that first timers should just concentrate on getting a taste for it, perhaps thinking that the attrition rate is so high among first timers that he needn't spend to much time with them untill they commit?



I have to say one of my biggest fears or concerns was actualized, not by me luckily, and I no longer have that to worry about.  Coming out of Standing separate leg stretching pose, this large gentleman nearby farted, two, loud wet, blubbery farts in quick succession.  Imagine sweat soaked cheeks flapping in a rippling duck call.  AND NO ONE LAUGHED!  I have to admit that I have been afraid that while concentrating hard to maintain a pose that I might inadvertently squeeze one out, so I now know that I don't need to be embarrassed.  However given the way I sweat, it is not going to be pretty.  Then I had to hold back a giggle...because what I pictured was his shorts ballooning out with the trapped air!  Like mens bathing suits will do when you dive into the water.  I had to cough to hide it.


I did get light headed again, in the camel pose.  I couldn't do them today, and stayed with my hands on my hips but that was the only time that happened.  I remembered Dawn's tips, to smile when it got tough to trick my mind into thinking it was having fun, and to chant, didn't remember her chant exactly but came up with something close enough breathing in "Eeeeevvvvveeeeeerrrrrryyyy cccccccccceeeeeeeeeeellllllllllllllllll" breathing out iiiiiiiiissssssssss aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaallllllllllliiiiiiivvvvvvvveeeeeeeeee".  That worked, and I kept my eyes open, when it was tough I tended to close my eyes, which I think contributed to feeling light headed.

Once again the sweat flowed out of me like the tap was left on, my towel was sopping, I don't know what they do with those floors but I can't imagine it's very clean under that carpet.

Finished up and with the exception of camel pose, did everything and hung in there.  Class 3 is tomorrow, I'm trying for the 8 am because it should be a bit less crowded. 

I have never wanted something to end so much!  Well maybe that time during basic training where we went into the gas chamber, filled with tear gas and had to remove our gas masks and then stand there till the drill sergeants thought we were ready to leave, but other than that nothing else has ever been so hard, it's a million degrees and the heat weighs on you, assaults you!.



They give you a mat, a big towel, a little towel, and a bottle of water.  The big towel goes over the mat, the little towel is to wipe the sweat off your whatevers or use as a strap in some of the poses, the water bottle is your manna from heaven.  After about 15 minutes, it's of course warm water.  My towel was sopping wet.  If I were a wrestler trying to make weight, 90 minutes of this would move me down two weight classes.  I was doing this pose, feet about 4 feet apart, hands gripping my ankles (kissing my a$$ goodbye!) head on the floor, ok head near the floor, and I look back and sweat is pouring off my shorts between my legs, not dripping pouring.



I'm pretty flexible, can do a reasonable split, I'm familiar with all of the poses that we did and can do most of them, I have weak ankles (too many sprains over the years) so the one legged stances are a challenge but I was able to wobble through them.

Anyone who has ever taken my blood pressure has always commented on how low it was, I've always taken that to mean I can eat all the salt I want,  in the second half of class, when we were on the mat, we would rest in corpse pose, and then raise our arms over our heads and do a sit up, and then move into the next pose, each time I'd have this wave of light headed-ness wash over me that I would have to pause before moving into the pose.


When it was over, my throat was so constricted I couldn't talk much above a whisper.  I drained a juice box of coconut water, and 2 two liter water bottles.

Driving home, I realized I had never felt so incredible before! It felt like every cell, every muscle was charged up and alive!

I came across this yesterday and liked it so much I decided to post it .

From Miguel Ruiz at miguelruiz.com

The Four Agreements

1. Be impeccable with your words.
Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean, Avoid using words to speak against yourself or to gossip about others.  Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.

2. Don't take anything personally
Nothing others do is because of you.  What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream.  When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won't be the victim of needless suffering.

3. Don't make assumptions.
Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want.  Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama.  With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.

4. Always do your best
Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgement, self-abuse and regret.

What a great topic...Hours spend playing 'army' in the woods and yards in my neighborhood. I was an expert in urban warfare by the age of 11. Too bad paintball came along so much later. We would generally play in the woods behind my friends house, there was a pond rimmed by hills on all sides, and the brush was way overgrown, it was our own Vietnamese jungle, and in winter the arena for some fierce hockey games. It was also where all of our tree forts got built, including the three story one we built from doors and old 2x4's and bent nails.

Because all of the kids in the neighborhood had responsible parents who insured that they did things like homework, studying and the occasional bath, I spent a lot of time alone wandering the streets of my hometown. I would come home from school and head down to the river and play on the empty docks, hopping on and off the barges. Playing on the two story sand and gravel piles. I found a way onto the building and would launch myself into space only to fall into the sand pile.

The towns original jail was on the street to the dock, and being agile I learned how to break in the second floor window and explore the cells and dank basement..I also learned that a cigarette lighter and a can of paint makes an adequate torch to see by in dark abandoned buildings, not to mention a few other interesting uses.

My imagination soared in the countless hours I spend exploring both the town I actually lived in and the complex vivid one I built inside of my head. Where could fly, captain a barge on the Mississippi, crouch unmoving in the jungle waiting to ambush an enemy patrol.

We didn't live in the worst part of town, but you could see it from where we lived, looking back I would have been easy pickings for a pedophile...if he got close enough to catch me that is...I could always fly!

Proust Questionnaire :Susan tagged me. She asked for it, and now she's got it!

What is your idea of perfect happiness?
peaceful mind and a full heart.

What is your greatest fear?
That I will fail my family.

Which historical figure do you most identify with?
Valentine Michael Smith (do fictional historical characters count?)

Which living person do you most admire?
Bill Gates. Alpha geek makes good, starts giving millions to charity.

What is the trait you most deplore in yourself.
A.D.D whether it's real or imagined
What is the trait you most deplore in others?
Meanness.

What is your greatest extravagance?
Hockey Equipment

What is your favorite journey?
Those with no destination, only discovery.

What do you consider the most overrated virtue?
Honesty...as it can be used as a mantle to cover a mean streak.

On what occasion do you lie?
When I talk about my legs.

What do you dislike most about your appearance?
Anything above the waist. Having run my whole life I think I have great legs and tush.

Which living person do you most despise?
Dick Cheney... I guess

Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
apparently

What is your greatest regret?
Losing my father while I still thought I hated him.

What or who is the greatest love of your life?
My daughter.

Which talent would you most like to have?
Flying, no wait invisibility, no wait super strength. Ok really, the ability to play the guitar..

What is your current state of mind?

If you could change one thing about your family, what would it be?
Their addiction to cigarettes.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Going from .88 GPA in HS to graduating with honors from College.

If you could choose what to come back as, what would it be?
a Buddhist monk. Although Hugh Hefner is a close second on some days.

What is your most treasured possession?
I tried to think of what is the one thing if I walked away now I would absolutely have to take with me, my daughter comes first to mind...but she is not a possession. What is it I could not replace, I think it would be the pictures I inherited when mom passed away.

What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?
I would think being on death row for a crime you did not commit.

Where would you like to live?
Grindewald Switzerland.

What is your favorite occupation?
Hockey player

What is your most marked characteristic?
equanimity

What is the quality you most like in a man?
great defense. no wait that's most in a hockey player.

What is the quality you most like in a woman
red hair, green eyes, athletic...oops wrong list. I'm trying to find the word for down to earth, unpretentious, you're basic good soul.

What do you most value in your friends?
acceptance.

Who are your favorite writers?
Steinbeck, Heinlein, Hesse.

Who is your favorite hero of fiction?
Captain America

Who are your heroes in real life?
Thich Nhat Hanh

What are your favorite names?
Katherine, Patricia, Puppa ( I use that for my dog, horses and donkey)

What is it that you most dislike?

How would you like to die?
Asleep in my tent, somewhere along the AT.

What is your motto?
Live long and prosper.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE PROUST QUESTIONNAIRE TAG 1. If someone tags you, read their blog on The Proust Questionnaire 2. Copy the questions and these instructions, paste them to your blog, and then write your own answers. 3. Write the name of the person who tagged you, and link the name to their blog 4. Tag 4 other people; and let them know by a Shout Out or an email. Write their names on your blog, and link to their blogs as well. If you're not sure how to do it, ASK, but do play the game. It's a great community-building tool. TIP- Please don't tag people who've already been tagged. Play mindfully!

my life in five sentences
kicksave said Jan 21, 3:04 PM:
(I brought this from the diving deeper pod where I first posted it)

It wasn't what I'd hoped it would be, I did not grow up to be President, play for the Jets, Mets or Bruins.

I did not cure cancer, small pox or the common cold, or even manage to get my name to appear when you google me.

Never learned to play the guitar, piano, drums or ever ever ever sing in public.

I did finally learn that I am who I am for the things I did not do, as well as the things that I did.

I did bring into this world one terrific child who may do all of those things and more, or not and I love her for all that she is and for all that she is not.



Brightly, the ferryman's smile lit up; softly, he touched Siddhartha's
arm and said: "Ask the river about it, my friend! Hear it laugh about
it! Would you actually believe that you had committed your foolish acts
in order to spare your son from committing them too? And could you in
any way protect your son from Sansara? How could you? By means of
teachings, prayer, admonition? My dear, have you entirely forgotten
that story, that story containing so many lessons, that story about
Siddhartha, a Brahman's son, which you once told me here on this very
spot? Who has kept the Samana Siddhartha safe from Sansara, from sin,
from greed, from foolishness? Were his father's religious devotion, his
teachers warnings, his own knowledge, his own search able to keep him
safe? Which father, which teacher had been able to protect him from
living his life for himself, from soiling himself with life, from
burdening himself with guilt, from drinking the bitter drink for
himself, from finding his path for himself? Would you think, my dear,
anybody might perhaps be spared from taking this path? That perhaps
your little son would be spared, because you love him, because you would
like to keep him from suffering and pain and disappointment? But even
if you would die ten times for him, you would not be able to take the
slightest part of his destiny upon yourself."

Siddhartha, Herman Hesse Chapter 10

Perhaps the most influential paragraph I have ever read.  I try to remember the Vasudeva's comments when ever I grow impatient with my child.  When I find that I am clipping her wings, because I know that she must fly to high, crash into her own stone walls.  I can only guide her and pick her up and send her back out.  Love her for all that she is, and all that she is not.

Susan's fault  she tagged me

Da Rules:

1. Link to the person's blog who tagged you.

2. Post these rules on your blog.

3. List seven random and/or weird facts about yourself.

4. Tag seven random [?] people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs.

5. Let each person know that they have been tagged by posting a comment on their blog.


Now 7 random things:

1- I could never be a true buddhist because while I do believe all life is sacred, I believe that tics, flys mosquitos and japanese beetles are exempt from that rule.

2- I spent 6 months on an island on the Anawetok Atoll, called Lojwa.

3- I've run a 1/4 mile in a minute

4- I once drove cross country in 57 hours.

5- my most embarassing scar is on my right forearm, and was caused when I realized at the last minute that the toilet seat was up and I was about to sit on the bowl, I caught myself on the edge of the vanity, which was being tiled at the time, leaving a thin white scar.

6- my most impressive scar is the small one on my right elbow that I received after colliding with a deer at around 60 mph on my motorcyle..it's impressive because that was the only injury from the ensuing wreck.

7- the jacket I was wearing during the above still has deer hair embedded in it.

7-a I just realized I sent out all my tag emails with "your it" instead of "you're it"

My seven victims:
Lori -   Simply Being
Mel - Purest Love
Doug - Doug / PeaceWalker  
Tara   - Life Transformation Goddess :o)
Kenyon Cramer - Truthophile
Don - Light Generator
Loida Garcia - Healer