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May 23, 2013: The (yoga) day Progresses

Overcast. Went to the last scheduled 7:15 a.m. yoga class this morning. The instructor may resume teaching this class next fall. She’s decided to call it good because she has other things to do, and because attendance has generally been on the low side.

I began taking this class last October. I must say, it’s been ridiculously difficult, getting up at 5:30 a.m. two days a week. But I did it in the dead of winter. It was dark when I left here and dark when I got home. This morning it was light when I left here and light when I got home. It being light didn’t make it any easier though.




I’m just not a morning person. 8 a.m. seems to be a civilized time to get up, something to strive for. If I didn’t have animals, I most likely would easily sleep until 11 a.m. 11 p.m. is a civilized time to go to bed. Alas, I usually get a second wind at about 10:30 p.m. and then just keep on going.

So I’m giving myself a pat on the back (and I can now pat myself on the back) for having been such a good student. This, I have learned, is a big part of the yoga ethos. Instructors never, ever say “good job!” rather, you have to say it to yourself.

Oddly enough, there’s a part of me that’s going to miss being in class. I am now more limber, and I can do poses that I couldn’t do previously. For instance, today we had to put one back leg against the wall and then cross the other in front of us. This time, my quadriceps didn’t scream at me to do something else. Rather, it was business as usual. And I’m now calmer mentally. Evidence of this is the fact that I no longer get annoyed at Mr. Siggi when he refuses to do what I ask. In fact, most of the time he now does what I ask. (Maybe he’s taking horse classes incognito.)

I wish I could say that I’ll now take up doing yoga at home – and I really mean it. The problem is, I lack this specific kind of discipline. I also don’t believe that I’ll do as well on my own as I’d do in class. But I’m going to give it a try because there are many benefits, the most important being that I see a marked improvement in my riding on the day, and the day after, I go to class. My hips are more open and my seat is deeper.

I am also making the rider/horse connection. I hope, in the future, to somehow assist others in doing the same. My classes would begin at 11 a.m. I’d first have riders do yoga and stretches on the ground, and then have them do some like stretches on their horse. Then there would be more stretches on horseback. This would be in my covered arena.

We’ll see what happens. Life often takes twists and turns. The best thing is to follow suit.

Next: 144: 5/24/13: Great Expectations