Yoga Yesterday

I was a mess yesterday. I forgot my towels, and I don't think I was well hydrated. I fell over during tripod headstand, and I was unable to hold my regular headstand for very long. I think I was really tired, and the balance and core necessary for headstands was just too much.

What's cool about having the month long yoga pass is that I'm going to different teachers, so I get to do different things. I'd taken a classes with Will before, but it was a very long time ago. He says the names of the poses in sanskrit, and I appreciate that. I also find his voice very soothing. The odd part was his music mix. There would be some Indian music, then some classic rock--like Jimi or The Talking Heads, then maybe some classical piano, then some music with Om Shanti Shanti chanting, then back to classic rock. It was a musical roller coaster. I enjoyed it.

It was a slow class. We held poses for a long time. I was amazed at how long I could hold Warrior I and Warrior II. I guess my legs are getting stronger. My arms were what started to really burn. My deltoids. I guess I'm building up my shoulders too. Even though I was tired yesterday I tried my best not not to do lazy yoga. I tried to keep all my muscles engaged and strong.

By the Numbers

5 -- number of times I've been to yoga in the last 5 days. I'm taking tomorrow off. I'm beat.

150.5 -- my current weight.

525 -- number of minutes I've exercised in the last 5 days.

4 -- liters of water I've had today.

26.7 -- miles per gallon I got on my last tank of gas. That's more than usual.

3.649 -- price I paid per gallon of gas today.

23 -- bottles of colored nail polish I have.

24 -- number of open blooms that Patty (my violet) has.

60 -- number of workout DVD I have.

421 -- page I'm on in the last Dark Tower book. I have 424 pages left.

1220 -- approximate number of calories I ate today.

Longwood Gardens in Summer

Yesterday Amy and I went to Longwood Gardens to see it in the Summer. It was beautiful of course. The conservatory main hall was better in the Spring. The best part was that I finally got to see the water lily display. I also saw lots of bees hard at work amongst the flowers.

Power Tool

My dentist (the tech actually) recommended that I get an electric toothbrush. I got the Oral-B Triumph. It comes with a wireless display unit. It normally shows the time, but when you brush your teeth it turns into a stopwatch telling you how long you've been brushing. The toothbrush kind of buzzes every thirty seconds to signal that you should move to a different quadrant of your mouth. After two minutes a smiley face appears.

When I first started using the toothbrush it was so funny. I was drooling and splattering toothpaste everywhere. I think over the last month I've finally got the hang of it. I'm now brushing my teeth for two minutes twice a day, and hopefully minimizing plaque build up--and drool.

New Month

Today is the start of a new month. I am now officially unemployed. I'm committing to be super-productive this month. I bought a month long pass to yoga, and I plan on going at least four times a week. I'm going to get in shape and lose some weight. I'm going to work on projects I've been ignoring for a long time. Things I want to do, but I just haven't. I'm going to cook more (and eat less). I'm not going to stress about finding a new job. I'm going to put this month to good use.

My Freak Anatomy: Peroneus Brevis

Yoga has made me very aware of my freakish anatomy. I'm pretty sure I have a short peroneus brevis muscle or tendon. Way before I discovered yoga, I discovered the pain this short muscle can cause. Two words: Ski Boots. I hate ski boots. Ski boots lock your lower leg into a forward leaning position--and for me that hurts. It is one of the reasons I will never ski again.

I rediscovered the pain when I started doing yoga. Trikonasana (Triangle Pose) is one of the most basic poses, but it isn't really easy to do. I really didn't like it at first because that same part of my leg would just burn. I guess the more I have done it over the years, the more I have stretched/strengthened the muscle, and it doesn't bother me as much anymore. Recently in class Nancy mentioned that another yogi says that you have to try something for ten years before you can say you don't like it! Ten years! He says you really have to know something before you can say you don't like it. I'm not so sure about that, but I can say that I like triangle a lot more now than I did ten years ago.
In yoga last Sunday we did a vinyasa that included both trikonasana and pavirtta trikonasana (revolved triangle.) The revolved pose really hit that spot and I could feel it burn. I need to do a lot more trikonasana and pavirtta trikonasa before snowboarding season arrives. The snowboard boots are a gajillion times more comfortable than ski boots, but sometimes I still feel the burn on my right leg.

Nuh-Uh!

Ross and I both have the same magnet on our cars. Today he told me that a coworker came in and asked him what flag it is. Puerto Rican? Oh, no he didn't!!! Apparently Ross's other coworkers were just as flabbergasted as he was. Then the guy showed just how awesome he is by saying "But it has one star!" Duh. Texas is the Lonestar State. I don't know why I'm ever surprised at how clueless educated people can be.