Yoga Lesson: Let go of Resistance

Due to this being at home these past few weeks to study I haven’t been able to take a yoga class in a studio for a while, but I have been hitting the mat frequently myself in order to ease the tension in my back, working up some sweat and staying sane mentally.

So I was very excited to have scheduled a ‘real’ class at a studio for last night. It was a class at a studio I’ve never been to but taught by my favourite teacher from Leuven, so everything was sunny in Mixxedtape land.

That was until I consulted the site of the studio a couple of hours before the class and found out that the schedule had changed. I was planning to attend an ashtanga short form which had suddenly changed into a mysore class.

And my reaction to that was mentally changing into a nagging 6-year-old.
You see, I have followed mysore classes, but only the preparation ones, that were actually still led classes. I’ve never ever done the primary series on my own with no one talking me through it. Trust me, I’ve tried it at home and it didn’t work out that great: the standing poses are just fine but when I’ve gotten to the sitting poses I’m always sick of it and out of focus and NO, I do not want to do another vinyasa in between those two postures.

How mature of me 😉

Yet, I decided to just suck it up and go for it anyway, I was full of resistance, feeling really awkward and uncomfortable (especially when I was the only one there to start and other people came walking in after a few minutes while I was busy doing sun salutations).
I was struggling and out of focus, looking at other people, not really knowing what I was doing and things just felt all wrong, but I gradually let go of it, relaxed a bit more, gained some focus and then it got wonderful.

I’ve learned quite a bit about myself yesterday and the adjustments were spot on so I think this will really help me overcome these mental barriers that are holding me back when I’m doing the ashtanga series on my own.

You see, yoga is not just about the asanas, it’s about this too: overcoming mental barriers and letting go of resistance, not just on the mat but in every day life situations as well.

Namaste, M.

Yoga Marathon

So as announced before, I participated in a yoga marathon to raise money for enbloc4cancer yesterday and it was an amazing experience.

We had four classes and a 15 minute break between each class to get something to drink or go to the bathroom. I don’t think I’ve ever mentioned this before here, but I have a really small bladder (people who know me and are reading this will definitely snort now and say that that’s an understatement)  and I think I took 5 bathrooms breaks during that marathon, blame it on the yummy tea that got served!

First class was an easy flow class and we did take it very easy so it was a nice and relaxing way to get into it and warm up those muscles.
The easy flow class was followed by a vinyasa power class which was followed by an ashtanga short form class, and those were very challenging. I did enjoy them very much though, the temperature was just right (25°C, it was not a hot yoga class, I would die if I had to do 4 of those!).
Last class was a yin yoga class, I have to say I thought that class was the most challenging. Yin yoga is always a huge mental challenge for me, but I’ve never  experienced real discomfort in yin yoga before. Let me tell you, if you take 3 other yoga classes before taking a yin yoga class and you are having a full bladder you will feel discomfort.. and a lot of it!

I learned a lot about fuel before and during yoga as well.
For breakfast I had a bowl of oatmeal with cottage cheese and peanut butter about 2 hours before the first class. I had a carton of rice milk after my second class and a some strawberries and a handful of nuts after my third class and those did not bother me at all. I’ve heard from other people that a banana is a great way to refuel in between classes as well, the cake on the other hand (it was actually there for after the classes, but who can resist cake?) was not such a great idea.

Post yoga meal: Bulgur, cherry tomatoes, lentils, baby carrots, avocado and falafel (x3). Plus a dessert with cottage cheese and peanut butter, I had to eat that for some extra protein to restore my muscles not because I am in love with it or anything ;).

Namasta, M.

What’s Cooking

I’ve been super busy and super stressed this week, all this work: papers, classes I neglected, an Old English translation exam… and trying to keep practising yoga, to run from time to time and not to neglect my social life too much.

I spent most of my time in class rooms or the library and ate lots of strawberries and soup.

Some highlights this week:

1. Lunch at Le Pain Quotidien.

2. Visiting Ghent, falling in love with it and seeing the musical our class mates organized, Socrates Superstar was amazing, especially if you’re into ‘Classical’ jokes!

3.  Being able to justify reading the Hunger Games again as I’m doing my human animal paper on the series

4. My first real Ashtanga class, including the chanting (never did that before) 

5. Eating pizza, drinking port and singing nostalgic songs

6. Food:

Okra!! Why aren’t you available in my local shop??
I had to drive to the Netherlands to get some okra, and it was all worth it.

I tried bulghur for the first time in my life.

The new love of my life: whole grain granola with no added sugar!

Soy milk with macchiato flavour

Pumpkin bread with cottage cheese and cinnamon.

That’s about as random as it can get!

Love,M.

Let the Games Begin

I finally got my hands on a Hunger Games edition!

I’ve been looking for these series for over a year, but they could not be found anywhere in Belgium. Thank god for the people who decided to make a movie out of it, otherwise I might have never found the book at all.
I finished this book in two days. It where busy days filled with classes and social ‘events’ but I just had to read every spare moment I had!

I can’t wait to see the movie but most of all I can’t wait to read the rest of the series. Locating them will be another problem I guess ;).

Now I’m off to study for a while,work on a paper and prepare dinner.
I’m taking another yoga class tonight as yesterday’s noon class was really invigorating and I’ve finally come to the point that I can walk down the stairs and not feel every muscle in my body aching the days after that type of yoga class. I am keeping it low key with an easy flow class though, one ashtanga class a week is plenty for now.

Love, M.