Meh.

Yeah, so about that 30 Day Challenge... it didn't happen. It turned into a 7 Day Challenge instead.

Benefits from only seven consecutive days of Bikram Yoga:
- more strength (Yay, finally progress in Balancing Stick!)
- back bends are getting... back bendier (Hurray, Half Moon and Camel!)
- forward folds are getting... forward foldier (Wow, whole new perspective on Stretching Pose!)
- ...?

I'm sure there was more, but I cannot remember right now. After my vacation I quickly gave up the romantic idea of making yoga a major priority right now. A stressful work project had (still has) me traveling through metro Detroit and working 10 hour days, day after day. after day. after day. after day... I realized, putting the additional pressure of a challenge on myself was stressing me out and making me anxious.

Alas, this was not the time for a 30 Day Challenge. My challenge is making it to yoga 2-4 a week and that is OK for now.

Namaste.

Bodies.

I finally got to see an exhibit of plasticized bodies. It was fascinating and interesting. I learned quite a bit about bones and body tissue. More importantly, I gained a deeper understanding of the things that I knew already.

I recommend visiting one of these exhibits to anyone with an interest in anatomy. I've always loved anatomy (I'm a mechanical engineer after all and our bodies are mechanical masterpieces) and my yoga practice has fueled this interest even more.

No photographing allowed within the exhibit, so you will have to make due with me tickling the poster-body :)

My Bikram Birthday (and a new Challenge)

The end of August marked the "One-Year Anniversary" of my Bikram yoga practice. In this one year, I've done a 30 Day Challenge (but mostly had a 3-4 times per week schedule), I have taken a couple of brakes, I have practiced at three different studios (on two different continents), I have practiced at home a couple of times... all in all I have practiced 150 times.

I am happy with my practice: my postures are decent enough and always evolving, but more importantly, I see tons of benefits from my practice both physically and emotionally. Life sure has been interesting in the past 12 months... what with moving across the Atlantic ocean and stuff... a lot of things have happened underneath the surface, too: I have found new direction and purpose in my life, I have found a deeper awareness and kindness and happiness and ♥ and lots of other big words, and I'm sure 90% percent of that has come directly or indirectly from my yoga practice. It is safe to say, this yoga has transformed my life... or maybe I should say: I have transformed my life with this yoga.

In the last couple of months, especially during the summer months, it has been hard to keep up a regular practice. It is still a struggle to make it to the studio some days. What do you expect? This yoga is freaking HARD and it's freaking 105 degF in the room (that would be 40.5 degC)! In some weird way, it was easier to get my butt to the studio during my 30 day challenge in March than it is now. Reason being that now I have a choice... do I go and challenge myself in class or do I sit on my butt, eat a pizza, and cuddle on the sofa? Take a wild guess what I often picked... if you need another clue: I currently only fit into 2 pairs of the 8 jeans that I own.

So it's time for another challenge! I'm doing my own little 30 Day Challenge in September. It's going to be very different from my first challenge in March... the weather is still nice and summer-y now... I have more of a social life now than when I had just moved here... I'll be the only person (that I know of) doing a challenge at my studio (in March there were about 40 of us)... I'm actually practicing at two different studios right now, so at times I'm out of my normal environment, without my usual yoga friends... but yeah, my body really needs this now and my practice always improves so much when I practice on consecutive days.

Either way, I have started a 30 Day Challenge on September 1st... let's see what happens :)

Take me out to the Ball Game! --- No, really!

Yay, I made it to a baseball game! My first ever! If you remember, I've attempted to go before, but the game was cancelled due to bad weather.

I've come to appreciate baseball in the last couple of weeks, so I was pretty stoked :) It helps that the Detroit Tigers are a pretty good team too!

Detroit Tigers vs. Kansas City Royals

Scoreboard at Comerica Park (Believe it or not, but I even know what all the numbers mean!)

Me with the hot dog... hey, it's a tradition :)