Our 6-week yoga class is halfway over and I find myself thinking ‘wow, that was fast!’  As we left last Sunday, I was a little bummed in knowing that there are no regular Sunday evening classes (it just works with our schedule and is a really nice way to get ready for the week).  Rather than discussing the flow of the class this week (it followed a similar flow as the previous two, with a focus on forward bends and the niyamas –Google them), I am going to give you an update on my overall thoughts, how I’m feeling, and the challenges that I face at the halfway mark.

Thoughts Overall

There is a certain sense of routine imbued within this practice that I find comforting.  Even in the short amount of time that has passed since we started this Yoga practice, I can notice that my body just feels better.  Seriously, it has only been three weeks!  I have not ‘gone all Yogi’ or anything, but I do notice a certain sense of peace that comes with a regular practice.

I can’t say whether I have gotten any stronger from Yoga, but I can’t say that I haven’t either.  I have been doing a little lifting over the last few weeks so it’s hard to determine what strength came from where.  As a side note though, I have already seen improvement in my overall posture, which is helpful because I tend to slouch a bit (years of dealing with people who are usually shorter than I am).

I have definitely seen an increase in my flexibility, hands down, which I completely attribute to these three classes (only 3 classes!).  My level of flexibility is still pretty crappy but even with a simple forward bend (standing and trying to touch my toes), I can see a 4 to 5-inch increase!  My breathing remains the same, which is not necessarily a problem area.  Normally, I would supplement my training with some running but my knee and ankle are still pretty busted up so that makes it difficult.

My biggest area of concern is my balance.  From the very first class I was able to identify a gap in my balance, which had never been an issue growing up.  I have not seen any improvement but I suppose this is where the ‘it’s only been three classes’ comes back to me.  I can’t wait to see how I will feel after the next three!

How I am Feeling

In general, I am feeling good.  My body seems less fatigued and, despite the fact I injured myself in Jiu Jitsu, I have been able to manage through the pain while I practice Yoga, but also throughout the day as well.  There is also this overall feeling of contentment with my progress physically, even though I have only seen small overall improvements to date.

I think we made the right choice with YogaLife NH.  We are going to try and figure out a way to continue to go once per week even after the class ends.  It might be a little tricky (kids, work, etc.) but I think it is worth it, even if Ali and I have to go to two separate classes. 

Existing Challenges

My biggest overall challenge has been to create an at-home practice.  I had tried to do an at-home practice BEFORE we started taking this class but ended up hurting my back.  I believe the issue was improper warmup when I tried before so I am trying to pay attention to how we start each of the classes so that I can warm up my spine before really getting into the meat of the practice. 

It is surprisingly difficult to remember all of the postures, the details, and the order that we did them.  I think I am going to have to bring a notebook to the next class but, I will probably feel funny about it…oh well.  Sometimes, writing things down immediately afterwards (or during if I can do so quickly) helps me to remember many of the details of the position.

As always, I am looking forward to the next class!  One, because I always feel great the next day.  Two, it kind of feels like date night, even if we are sharing our time with 10 other people (very nice people mind you).  Join me next week as I review class number four!