Sunday, January 22, 2012

Aim True - Day 12

(Saturday, January 21, 2012)

Backbend Flow
Hatha
Level 1-2
Kathryn Budig


Learn to pull all your energy up into your heart to open the chest and prepare for deeper backbends. Camel pose is broken down into 5 different variations with a yummy boat pose to finish off. 

  • Posted on YogaGlo on July 9, 2011, and I first took the class that same day! That's a first so far. =)
  • 12/86 classes completed.
  • 7/12 I had taken at least once before.
  • Additional practices this year: Felicia Tomasko's Wipe The Slate Clean Yin class, Kripalu Restorative Yoga class, Public Hatha class at the YMCA with Beverly, Kripalu Moderate Flow Yoga audio practice.
  • Professionally: have taught 28 yoga classes and three meditation classes in 2012 as a certified RYT.
  • Favorite Aim True practices so far:  

I didn't like this practice very much. Admittedly, I chose it because I only had 30 minutes to practice and I'm falling behind on my goal of five KB classes a week so wanted to get one in with the time I did have. But this was much less like an actual practice and much more like a quick workshop - which is fine in and of itself - but it wasn't a complete practice by any means. It's nothing against Kathryn - she teaches backbends better than anyone I have taken yoga from - but I just didn't feel warmed up enough to try to go deep into backbends that quickly. For me, to really get the backbend experience and the yummy, buzzy reverberations, I have to be REALLY warmed up before I do them. Warmed up as in heart-rate up, sweat pouring, strong-flow complete warmed up. THEN I can start playing with backbends. But 30 minutes really isn't enough time to get there, no matter how you slice it.

All that said, this was a good 30 minutes to do right before going out for the evening! Kathryn mentioned that backbends are natural caffeine - they REALLY wake you up - and it's true. So doing this practice immediately before getting dolled up for a night out on the town (mmm, fancy Italian dinner complete with cocktails, wine, delicious food, dessert AND limoncello!) was really excellent timing. My night out was AMAZING, and I give the backbends all of the credit. (Okay, and the wine gets some credit, too.)

So I end my third week of aiming true three classes behind, which isn't so bad considering that I've been doing other practices - I went to Beverly's class at the YMCA on Tuesday and did a Kripalu moderate flow class on Friday, which means I've practiced a total of 16 times in three weeks, which is something to be proud of! With that said, I need to pick it up this week and stick with Kathryn every day.

After three weeks of so much practice, I'm starting to feel drawn back to the more spiritual side of my sadhana, which is both exciting and sometimes overwhelming. I'm excited that my book club is going to be reading The Wisdom of Yoga by Stephen Cope. It will be a great way to reconnect with that part of my practice. 

Happy three week anniversary of a new year!

Namaste. =)

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