Jan 17, 2012 |
I love it when I go to a yoga class where something the teacher says really speaks to me. A few weeks ago, I attended a class taught by Jennifer Bishop and experienced quite the yoga epiphany.
While reaching our arms up and overhead in utthita parsvakonasana (extended side angle pose), Jennifer talked about the fact that we spend so much time during our days stressed out and hunched over our computers and steering wheels that our bodies get closed up. She went on to explain that the postures in yoga help us to open up the body, letting go of stress and creating space to counteract all those hours tied to our i-[you fill in the blank]s.
In a nutshell, Jennifer had described a typical day for me. Yeah, I get away from my desk and spend a lot of time doing yoga. But, I spend a lot of time sitting at my desk not always with the best posture, and I know that my neck, shoulders, and back pay the price for me doing so.
This message was reaffirmed when I recently attended a yoga anatomy workshop. The teacher, Gina Schatz, explained that we have fascia* that connects all of our muscles together, and this fascia runs from the crown of our head to our toes. Gina explained that fascia – and our body in general – does not like to sit for long periods of time. There are studies that show that if you sit for 45-49 minutes, you should counterbalance that time sitting with hip openers for 20 minutes to undo the kinks and tightness that was created. Here’s the really wild thing: If you sit for 50 minutes or more (hello, this is me!), you need to move and stretch for 3 to 4 hours to erase the effect of the sitting. Our bodies are not designed for a sedentary life.
Yowza! As if I needed another reason to practice yoga, there it is.
I always knew I loved yoga, but now I know that one of the reasons why I was called so deeply to the practice is because my body has the wisest mind of all and was telling me, “Yo Maria, what up with all this computer time? Go find your yoga mat again, stretch, breathe, relax, and give us a break.”
Thanks to Gina and Jennifer, I’ve set a little alarm on my iPhone that I turn on daily. It goes off every 45 minutes to remind me to get up, stretch, move, go for a walkasana, break out a few downward dogs, hug my husband (also know as hugasana), or do anything that lets me decompress and keep my body and my fascia happy.
*Stay tuned for a full report on my yoga geek-out weekend of anatomy!
Jan 12, 2012 |
The theme in my yoga classes this week came from the book The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch. I guess you could say I’m a little late in getting to this material since the book was published in 2008, but what the heck. I use The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali as class themes all of the time, and those were first recorded around 300 A.D., so I think I’m not quite past the expiration date on The Last Lecture.
I had always wanted to read Randy’s book, but I hesitated because I knew it would be a tear-jerker and would most likely stir up some feelings about my own father’s death. When it was selected as one of the book picks by the yoga book club at Yoga Bliss Akron, it gave me not only the courage but the impetus to finally give the book a go.
For those of you not familiar with The Last Lecture, I’ll provide a quick reader’s digest of the premise. Randy was a successful professor of computer science at Carnegie Mellon University. He won awards for teaching and researching, and he worked with Adobe, Google, and Walt Disney, to name a few. More important to me than his academic and career achievements, Randy was also married and a father of three young children. For someone who seemingly had it all, you never know when your life is going to be taken from you, and Randy was faced with an incredible challenge at the age of 47 when he was diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer and told he had only a few months to live.
It’s not an uncommon practice to ask a professor to give a “last lecture,” where they consider their demise and ruminate on what matters to them and what wisdom they would impart to the world. The irony of this book is that Randy didn’t have to imagine; this truly was his last lecture.
Here’s a quote from Randy about the lecture: “Under the ruse of giving an academic lecture, I was trying to put myself in a bottle that would one day wash up on the beach for my children. I lectured about the joy of life, about how much I appreciated life, even with so little of my own left. I talked about honesty, integrity, gratitude, and other things I hold dear. And I tried very hard not to be boring.”
As I was reading the book, I couldn’t help but notice all of the parallels between the wisdom Randy was imparting and the teachings in Patanjali’s yoga sutras and the eight limbs of yoga.
One of my favorite stories from the book is one about a woman who pulls up behind a man in a convertible on one of those warm, gorgeous, early spring evenings. The woman notices the man with his arm hanging over the driver’s side door, fingers tapping along to the music, head bobbing, hair flowing through the wind, and she thinks to herself, “Wow, this is the epitome of a person appreciating this day and this moment.” When the car turns the corner, she sees the man’s face and realizes it’s Randy. The woman witnessing the scene was one of his co-workers and later wrote to Randy to tell him how she was incredibly struck by the sight of him and how contented he seemed, despite his current situation. She tells Randy, “You can never know how much that glimpse of you made my day, reminding me of what life is all about.”
I shared this story with my classes because it really speaks to santosha, of being content with wherever you are in life, living in the moment, with no fear about the future and no regrets of what has passed. Randy obviously was not letting drama overcome his life, nor was he feeling sorry for himself; he knew life was good, and he was going to enjoy each and every moment he had left to live. Wouldn’t it be awesome if we could always live with such peace, with such a sense of contentment, no matter what cards we are dealt? Randy’s attitude was that today, right now – well, this is a kick-ass day, and I am going to enjoy it.
Another sutra/lecture parallel I found came in the form of truth or satya, which is one of the yamas or moral codes that are part of the eight limbs of yoga. Randy talked about telling the truth, and if he could add three more words to that phrase, he would add – “all the time!” As we stood firm and tall in mountain pose, I asked my students to consider if they were standing in their truth. Are you being completely true to yourself and to others?
In another chapter, Randy hit on truth when he talked about not obsessing over what people think about you and how much time each day is wasted worrying about this. I love his mathematical formulation that we would all be 33% more effective in our lives if we never worried about what is in other people’s heads. Just imagine how much your yoga practice could flourish if you stopped worrying about what other people think you look like in a pose. Just think how much more fun your practice could be if you kept your practice on your mat, not letting your mind wander off with self-doubt or comparison, just truly focusing on how beautiful your body and breath are right here in the moment.
Team Tigger or Team Eeyore?
Another favorite chapter was the one about making a decision about being either Tigger or Eeyore – you know, the characters in Winnie-the-Pooh. Well, Randy challenged his readers to pick a camp, either embracing the fun-loving attitude of Tigger or the sad-sack Eeyore. Randy was pretty clear on where he was pitching his tent; he was a full on Tigger! Even when faced with death, he could not let go of the Tigger inside of him. He just couldn’t see the upside of becoming Eeyore. Even though he had just a few months to live, he decided to pack as much fun as he could into that time. We all get to make this same choice every day, and the Team Tigger concept is going to be my reminder to choose happiness and living life to the fullest each and every day.
Dream, Baby, Dream
If you know me and have been reading this blog, you know that I am a big fan of going after your dreams. The major theme of Randy’s lecture was about fulfilling your childhood dreams and, more importantly, helping to enable others to achieve their dreams. Fortuitously reading this book at the beginning of 2012, when I just so happen to be setting out new dreams and intentions, was incredibly timely and advantageous.
I’m not really sure if I remember all of my childhood dreams, but I know at one point early on I wanted to be Cinderella, marry David Cassidy, and be a star of the Broadway stage (I think there was a fantasy about winning an Oscar in there too). There have been many times in my life where I felt like Cinderella. In fact, I was definitely channeling Cindy on my wedding day, and even though I didn’t get to marry David, I somehow managed to find my soul mate. I also landed a major role in my high school musical, so I’d say I did pretty well in the childhood dream department. Take some time out today and think about your childhood dreams and what has become of them. My motto is: It’s never too late to go after something that is important to you or that makes you happy. I started yoga teacher training when I was 47 years young, so I’m just saying…you can start working on those dreams at any age.
Do you need a little nudge to get you going this year? Pick up Randy’s book. It is a super quick read and is chock full of motivational nuggets to get you moving towards your dreams. Better yet, hopefully it will inspire you like it did me to really focus on helping others to go for their dreams as well.
Even though Randy spent a good deal of time talking about living out your dreams, he clued the audience in at the end that it’s not about achieving your dreams, but rather it’s about how to lead your life. If you lead your life the right way, the karma will take care of itself. The dreams will come to you!
I’m going to do my best to carry out the messages of this book throughout this year, staying fully present, full of gratitude and contentment no matter where the year takes me, being truthful, full of integrity, and letting go of vanity and pride and worry about what others think. I’ll also be signing up for Tigger Camp – who wants to come with?!
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BODHsU3hDo4[/youtube]
Don’t have time to read the book or listen to the lecture – this is the 10 minute reprised video version from Randy’s visit to Oprah!
Stuffed Animals Photo: Robert Linder
Jan 6, 2012 |
This past year, I’ve done my best to try out lots of different flavors of yoga. If you read my post yesterday, you know that a week ago I got to have my very first Bikram yoga experience at Bikram Yoga Cleveland, and trying Bikram was more than just trying out a new flavor; it felt like I had traveled to a whole new country to try out the local cuisine.
I had my advice from fellow yogi friends and the Twitter and Facebook yoga communities (see Confessions of a Bikram Virgin Part 1) and I was ready to take on this hot new world of Bikram. For those of you not familiar with Bikram yoga, it is a 90-minute class that consists of 26 yoga postures conducted in a room heated to 105 degrees! So without further delay, here are my major takeaways from my virgin Bikram trip:
Free Your Mind and The Rest of the Clothes Will Follow. The tips about wearing as little clothing as possible were right on the mark. I wore a pair of clingy shorts and a yoga tank top, which I thought was plenty good. About twenty minutes into class, I wished I was wearing a bikini. When you look around the room, people have on short-shorts, the ladies’ midriffs are exposed, and the men are pretty much shirtless (or will be before the class is over). I believe Bikram yoga goes miles in bringing out a person’s ability to lose their inhibitions. I did a review on K.Deere Haute Yoga Wear (see pic below) a while back and went on the record to say there was no way in hell I would wear those short-shorts and expose my pasty white cottage cheese thighs to the yoga world. Now, I’ll eat my words and say that I would proudly sport my thighs in those pants in any Bikram class. Bye bye, inhibitions. Hello, love of the body!
Bum Bums from K. Deer Haute Yoga Wear
Kristine, the designer of K. Deer Haute Yoga Wear got a good laugh when I told her I was finally ready for her Bum Bums. She is offering a special discount on her yoga wear to Daily Downward Dog readers. Just enter the discount code DDD15 when you place you order and you’ll receive a 15% discount.
The Man in the Mirror. If Bikram yoga had a theme song – hell, if Bikram yoga even had music playing – I’m thinking it should be “Man in the Mirror” by Michael Jackson. Unlike most yoga studios I attend, in Bikram yoga there are mirrors on the wall, and you are asked to gaze at yourself and look inside. I was in the second row in class and was partially blocked by the person in front of me, so I wasn’t always able to see myself in the mirror. I’m not sure if I’m really digging the whole mirror thing. I like the message of looking into your eyes and smiling, but I’d rather close my eyes and look inside my mind and my body.
We’re going hot, hot, hot! (On second thought, maybe the David Johansen cover version of this song would be a better yoga theme song for Bikram.) I like hot yoga and try to go to a few classes a week at Yoga Bliss Akron in a studio that is set to 85-90 degrees. Each time I walk into the hot room at Yoga Bliss, it feels downright tropical, almost like going to Florida after being in the frigid Ohio winter weather. Ninety degrees is plenty hot; 105 degrees just seems a bit gratuitous. It wasn’t a pleasant hot vacation experience; instead it felt almost oppressing as my lungs started to tighten toward the beginning of class.
I don’t think I’ll ever get over the sight of the sweat I saw pouring off the man in front of me. It was literally flowing off of him like a river forming a huge puddle on his mat, even with a towel. I have to admit, my dream did come a little true in that I didn’t sweat as much as I thought I would. I’m just not a big sweater, probably because I don’t drink enough water, but it was so damn hot in there that the humidity may have been evaporating my sweat before I even started to drip. If I were to take up Bikram, the whole hydrating thing would be one major benefit as it would force me to drink more H20.
Beginners Welcome. Bikram yogis are extremely nice and very welcoming to newbies. When I first walked into the studio, the room was dark, and I went to place my mat in the first open spot I saw. There were two rows of mats forming and mirrors on both walls, and I didn’t know how the class was set up. The woman on the mat next to me asked if I was new, and when she found out I was, I thought it was very cool that she suggested that I move to the back row so I could watch the other students. Then someone else moved so I could put my mat next to Cherie. I got settled in and looked next to me where there was a very serious looking young girl (sans mother) who could not have been more than 10. Wow, I thought, Bikram is really recruiting them young.
The instructor of the class, Danielle Hoffman, had the names of all the new students and called them out so she (and the rest of the class) knew where we were located. I was impressed by the way she remembered our names, kept an eye on us, and gave just the right amount of direction and encouragement to each of us. There are little to no hands on adjustments in Bikram (which I liked), and Danielle was able to provide spot on verbal instructions to get each student in the right alignment.
I have always thought it was kind of weird and a bit showy that Bikram teachers stand on a platform at the front of the class. Now I know that it is absolutely essential that they do so because they have to keep an eye out for anyone that might be ready to pass out!
Danielle was there to greet me upon my arrival!
Danielle did a great job of explaining how to get into the poses and the benefits of each, and we were told to sit down at any time if we got hot or tired. In fact, we were encouraged to stay in the hot room the entire class and just sit if we needed to (not forced to stay, like a few stories I had heard).
The young girl next to me was one of the main reasons I stuck it out through class. I figured that if she could do it, then I better well be able to keep going. Her name was Alex, and it turns out that she was 11 and this was only her third Bikram class. I’m probably going to burn in Bikram hell, but when we talked after class, I made sure to let her know that there were other types of yoga and that she might want to give a few of them a try before she puts all her eggs in the Bikram basket (she assured me she would).
You need to bring a towel, but not just any towel; I’d recommend a NamaSTAY yoga towel. I’m a big fan of having a towel on my yoga mat during hot yoga classes, but I never truly appreciated the importance of it until I practiced in 105 degree heat! NamaSTAY yoga towels have a flap at each end that wraps around the mat to keep it from slipping, and it absorbs the sweat to keep you grounded and stable throughout class. Cherie Greenwald is the inventor of the NamaSTAY yoga towel, and I predict that she will someday become famous in the Bikram/hot yoga community for developing the best hot yoga towel ever! [If you would like more info about NamaSTAY towels and would love a special discount offer, please check out my review.]
You can do this! If you have been practicing Hatha yoga, in my opinion, you can handle the 26 postures that comprise a Bikram class. I had this notion in my mind that it was going to be extremely challenging and that I would collapse in a big sweaty ball on my mat, unable to do half of the postures. Granted, I didn’t get fully into all of the poses, but I was able to do them. Bikram created this practice from Hatha yoga, but there are no inversions, no really intense arm balances, and in my opinion not too much core work. The real genius in this practice is that Bikram put together the 26 poses to work every part of the body and to give all of the internal organs, veins, ligaments, and muscles everything they need to maintain optimum health and maximum function (yeah, I picked that up pretty much verbatim from the brochure). The extreme heat and the twisting and stretching flushes away the toxins, or waste products, of all the glands and organs of the body.
Of course, it takes a great instructor to guide and motivate people through the heat, and Danielle had just the right mix of encouragement and perky enthusiasm to keep the class of over twenty happily sweating and twisting away. My only regret is that I wish I didn’t hold back at the beginning of class. Not knowing what to expect, I did not push myself as hard as I could have because I was concerned about conserving energy. But being a virgin, the class was exploratory for me, and next time I’ll know how far I can take myself.
Savasanaaaaahhhhh!
I’m Only Here for the Savasana! Savasana rocks, and Bikram yogis get that! Towards the second half of class, there is a break for savasana in between almost every pose. It is not only awesome but is a real life-saver towards the end of class when you need that break to catch your breath, let your heart rate slow down, and of course, let the benefits of the previous posture literally bake in!
Every Breath You Take. Breathing is the one thing that I don’t think I was doing properly. I’m a fan of ujjayi breathing where you inhale and exhale out through the nose. This form of breathing keeps the heat inside the body. However, when I put that logic to use, I figured the last thing I wanted to do in a Bikram class was stoke the fires even more. Hell, I was afraid I might combust. So, I was breathing in and out through my mouth, and I have to admit at times it was forced. I must have missed the breathing instruction portion of the class, and like a dork I didn’t ask. It’s pretty quiet in the Bikram room, and I wasn’t sure if questions were welcome. In any case, before I go to another class, I’ll be sure to get the breathing correct. Please leave a comment if you have any tips for me!
Variety is the spice of life. Well, for Bikram, consistency is the way of life. Twenty-six poses, each one repeated twice. Every class, every time. Twenty-six poses, rinse, pause, and repeat. I get the concept, but this yogini needs a little variety to spice up my yoga practice.
The Hills are [not] Alive With the Sound of Music. In case you didn’t pick this up already, there is no music in a Bikram class. No music! I have to admit, I needed the silence so I could concentrate on the instructions, but I would definitely miss the music if I did this practice on a regular basis.
Afterglow. Well, I don’t think I really had one. I will tell you that it took 45 minutes for my face to go from full-on lobster to my normal pasty white freckled glow. I didn’t feel the extreme yoga high, which really bummed me out. Instead, I felt very lethargic and experienced some pain in my lower left back. The brochure for the studio states that this is absolutely normal and is a good sign that your body is cleansing. Being that I attended this class two days after Christmas and had been gorging on big holiday meals, cookies, and wine (which explain the lethargy) – my body needed some well deserved rest after purging the enormous amounts of sugar and toxins I took in over the holidays. The next day I did feel awesome and had a little high, so maybe the Bikram afterglow just took a day to settle in.
I’m not going to go into any of the crazy stuff that Bikram has done recently, primarily because I don’t want to get sued for writing about him! B.C., please take mercy on The Daily Downward Dog – I am just here speaking my truth.
I totally understand why people love Bikram so much. It does feel good to sweat out those toxins, and the practice seems more like an “experience” or better yet, a mash-up of a mental and physical challenge. You go in with a fighting spirit, ready to beat the heat and to let go of the negative chatter in your mind so that you can do some amazing things for your body and your health. When you make it through an entire class, it is a major feeling of accomplishment. Cue: Rocky theme song!
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJmr5CKY73M[/youtube]
So the big burning question that the Twitter community had for me the next day is whether or not I would attend another Bikram class, and the answer to that is yes.
But, will I fully embrace Bikram and attend regularly? The answer to that question is no. I need the variety, I need the music, and I need to drink a hell of a lot more water! I’ve put another notch on my yoga belt, and I’ve got lots more flavors to try. And, isn’t it cool that we have so many flavors of yoga to try?
Like I mentioned in my previous post, if you have always wanted to try Bikram, I would highly recommend that you give it a try, and if you live in northern Ohio, please make a visit and support Bikram Yoga Cleveland.
Hot Bikram Yoga and Cleveland Snow – the perfect combo! Woo Hoo Cleveland finally has their first Bikram yoga studio!
Thanks again to Danielle and Bikram Yoga Cleveland for such a great virgin experience and to Cherie and Alex, whose presence helped encourage and lift me through the entire class. The newbies didn’t get any applause at the end of class, but I know we all felt a major sense of accomplishment.
So, how was your first Bikram experience? I would love to hear from you, so please join in the conversation.
Want some more confessions? This wasn’t my first trip to the confession booth, check out The Daily Downward Dog’s Confessions of a Kirtan Virgin and Neti Pot Confessions.
Dec 28, 2011 |
It’s that time of year again, when the dreaded “R” word threads its way into our vernacular. A new year is about to commence, bringing with it a rapidly spreading fever and overwhelming desire to declare our resolutions. And, yes, I’ve caught the fever too, as I’ve already posted my dream poses for 2012.
For the record, I don’t like to set resolutions, and worse yet, I really don’t like posting them up on The Daily Downward Dog (just a little public accountability issue I have). Last year, I set a goal for myself to embrace my meditation practice. I was on fire with my love of meditation and still am. I can’t say that I meditated each and every day, but I did deepen my practice, and that will continue to be a goal I set for myself each and every year.
Rather than getting hung up on setting long-range resolutions, I thought this might be a good time to focus on setting intentions. Intentions to me are bite-sized resolutions, and one of the reasons I dig them is that I can set a new one each and every time I come to the yoga mat.
I always love it when a yoga instructor asks the class to set an intention for their practice. The good yogini in me knows that these intentions should be focused on things like staying present while on the yoga mat or stopping myself from being so judgmental about how far my heels are from the floor in downward facing dog. But, the aggressive Type-A yogini in me occasionally likes to throw in a few intentions about the things that I want to manifest in my life.
Now that I’m a yoga teacher, I get to share that practice by including a few quiet moments at the beginning of class where I ask my students to close their eyes and focus on their intentions. I explain the importance of setting an intention, and I caution them to be careful and to aim high because, according to yogi and author Max Strom, our minds really do want to do their best to give us what we ask for.
To provide a little guidance on the practice of setting intentions, I offer my students a few examples to gently nudge them in the right direction. I shared this list back in October on Intent.com, and now I want to share my top ten yoga intentions with you here.
Intentions should always be stated in a positive way, so here goes…
Top 10 Yoga Intentions
- Let go of baggage and move on. (You know, those grudges you hold, the people you need to forgive, relationships that need to end, etc.)
- Make a transition in my life. (Are you thinking about a move or a transition in your life in 2012? Set an intention to get you on the right track or to ask for guidance to get you where you want to go.)
- Unleash my fears. (This is especially good for new yoga students who may have some trepidation on their yoga mats.)
- Be more patient. (You can apply this to just about any area of your life. ‘Nuf said!)
- Open my heart (and mind) and send this love out into the world.
- Practice being non-judgmental of myself and others.
- Find my purpose in life. (Personal intentions are fine; just don’t put out intentions to win the lottery. Instead, ask for ways to make a difference and to help others.)
- Choose to be happy. (We have so many choices we can make in life. Choosing to be happy is pretty damn simple and always provides an excellent return on investment.)
- Let go of stress – not only for the next 60 minutes on my yoga mat, but also as I go through my week off the yoga mat.
- Free my monkey mind and let go of the incessant chatter – to let my mind be free and immersed in the union of the body and the breath.
In reality, this list can never be limited to just ten, and really, the most important thing is to listen to your heart and to use your yoga mat to begin your very own spiritual journey.
Whatever your intention is, repeat it to yourself three times, and as you breathe in a deep inhale, imagine it sealing into your heart. Just remember to practice caution because when you direct your mind and heart in a new direction, it can be very powerful!
So, if you’re beating yourself up over unrealized 2011 resolutions or are having trouble settling into the new year, forget about those lofty resolutions and set some economy-sized intentions on a daily basis – both on and off the yoga mat. Live in the present and stay mindful, attaining peace and serenity one day at a time!
Would love to hear about your intentions for the coming year, so please share your thoughts below.
If you’re hankering for more New Year’s inspiration check out my 2010 New Year’s Eve monologue and yoga class playlist!
Dec 21, 2011 |
Do you have a yoga asana (pose) that you dream of doing? Maybe it’s adho mukha vrksasana (the elusive handstand) or a challenging arm balancing asana like bakasana (crow or sometimes called crane) or astavakrasana (eight-angle) pose.
It’s the time of year where I do a lot of dreaming and goal setting, so I thought it was a good idea to start putting some dreams out into the universe for the poses that I want to master in the coming year.
In a Kathryn Budig Aim True workshop I recently attended, she referred to dream poses as challenge poses. She talked about the fact that we often set goals to accomplish many poses at one time, when in actuality we should pick only one or two poses per year to really apply ourselves to; we should dedicate the time needed to build up the strength and flexibility to achieve one goal, one asana at a time.
Good thinking, Kathryn! I’m a habitual overachiever, so I took Kathryn’s advice to heart when I selected my top two DREAM POSES for 2012. (I prefer the word “dream” over “challenge.”)
2012 Dream Poses
My #1 dream asana is crow. I can do it now…but just barely. I don’t have the confidence that I should have; I wobble and hold it for about 5 seconds tops. By the end of 2012, I want to ROCK crow pose. I want to be able to jump into it from downward dog and hold it steady for at least a minute. I may even post some videos on The DDD next year to track my progress and the celebration when I finally get there!
My #2 dream asana will be to take crow pose one step further and move into parsava bakha (side crow pose).
The long-term plan is to eventually – someday or some year – move into mayurasana (peacock pose). I figure if Bette Calman can do this pose at age 83, I need to get there sometime before I hit 70. And, can I just say that it is going to take a ton of core and arm strengthening to get me where I want to go in each one of these asanas.
I have to add one more pose that I’m going to work really hard on this coming year (like I said – overachiever). Savasana is one of the easiest poses to get into, but in actuality, it is probably one of the most unbelievably challenging poses I know. I think every yogi should set a goal to master savasana in 2012, to strive during each yoga practice to fully relax, let go, and receive the full benefits.
So what’s your dream pose for 2012? Have some fun with me and set a goal for yourself. Leave me a comment, and I’ll check in throughout the year to follow everyone’s progress. I hope you will keep me in check and motivated as well!
You don’t have to pick something super challenging; it could be an asana that you’ve struggled with getting into proper alignment, or you could set a goal to simply move your foot higher up your leg in tree pose. Make it something that is attainable based on your abilities, but don’t compromise – dream BIG!
Thanks to @SuddenlySus for inspiring this post a while back on Twitter. Her dream pose is to do a handstand unassisted, so go for it in 2012, Sus! I’ll be checking in with you.
Handstand Image: Jakub Sopicki
