Training Yoga

Living with a competitive athlete for 20 years, unbeknownest to me, had given me an education about training that few non-athletic people get. And I didn't live with just any competitive athlete, I lived with, and have been married to, a man with such and incredible athletic resume, it's no wonder he's a Master RKC Instuctor.

Because of the example I've had the luxury of witnessing first hand, I tend to look at any physical activity I chose to do as an opportunity to train it like an athelete...approaching it as a "sport" and training it with depth, and thoughtfulness in a manner to continually progress, instead of simply going out and doing things I feel like doing that day "willy nilly". If that were the case I would probably start skipping workouts, eventually dropping them completely, as many of us do when it becomes uncomfortable, or "not fun" anymore.

That's the place I almost got to with my yoga practice. Yes, I showed up for class, semi consistently, some weeks more than others, letting my practice fall, at times last year, to only twice a week, and it wasn't until after my surgery, last Dec. when I was finished with my recovery period, that I recommitted to my Bikram yoga practice. And I have to say that getting back the strength and flexibility from yoga after taking 6 weeks off was much harder than regaining the strength and endurance that my kettlebell training required. But my Bikram yoga practice still didn't reach a new level until I started "training" it with Mark.

Although I was attending class much more regulary, perhaps 4-5 times a week, I hadn't realized that I was just "showing up", putting my time in, "checking off" the minimum requirement of a regular pratice, until I had my "Master Instructor" standing next to me in a 104 degree heated room, bringing the same intensity he always brings to his training. "Wow, you mean I can train yoga with the same intensity I train kettlebells?" ......cool!

Without getting into a long involved blogpost right now, I'll end it by saying that my practice has improved 200%, and my commitment to it the same. Everything we do in life is a metaphor for all of the things we do in life. The approach we take to the activities we choose many times run parallel to the attitudes and resposibilities we have to ourselves to grow and evolve and become better people, to become our best. And for me, as always, to live to my phyical potential, means to also to live to my spiritual potential....isn't life good?

Above photos shows that I can almost get my forehead to knee....I'm close to getting this on my right side, but my left side....now that will be great! It'll happen! And just for fun, I thought I would include one of my "before" picures to remind us that miracles do happen....sometimes we make them happen.