the journey begins

stillWONDERING

week18ashtanga

4.23.12 - 4.29.12

Week in Review:
Monday (uh…ok), Thursday (ok, I guess), Friday (X subbed a Pilates class instead), Saturday (good) - Ashtanga
Tuesday - Pilates reformer (started teaching (sort of)/taking a reformer class with one of the yoga instructors from the club - it’s the only way that I’m sure to not talk myself out of going:/)

still wondering: Should I continue? I have experienced a lot of benefits like:

• I AM improving
• Better posture - I just may be a half inch taller???
• Better body shape (longer/taller)
• I enjoy the challenge
• Better general outlook on things

On the down side:

• Takes a LOT of energy (wears me out - utterly)
• Protein deficiency - can’t figure this out yet
• Painful connective tissue between hamstrings and gluts (almost constant discomfort)
• Ongoing knee issues (torn meniscus restricts flexibility)
• It’s really hard
• Still can’t do a lot of the postures well

I can’t help but feel I’d be better off doing the practice as you’re supposed to: 6X per week. But that would mean doing it twice on my own. I don’t have a good place in my apartment for this (all my floors are brick = too hard). Also, I am very good at talking myself out of practicing at home (I’ve proven this time and again with pilates, for example).

Now I’m kind of worried about the fall. Yesterday I started working on my summer and fall school schedules and it’s not looking good for taking the four classes/week I have been taking. 

Other stuff: Still can’t do chataranga dandasana - I think it’s because my shoulders are too flexible so I can’t control the muscles of the shoulder girdle - I can’t stabilize the right muscles to get my sternum anywhere near the floor. It’s pitiful really.

I posted the video of this with Kino a few posts down (I’ll add it again, above). Maybe if I watch it enough, imagine doing it, and keep working at it, it might happen one day. Seems like everyone else gets this with no problem…