Session 12: Stop Thinking About it!

It seems silly, but I would say that my hardest pose to date, the one I have the most trouble focusing and growing in, is shavasana (corpse pose). We end each practice with several minutes in a calm, dark room, that is nearly silent. The goal of this pose is to be still, clear your head, and earnestly rest before you move on to whatever comes next in your day. This was not always difficult for me, but lately it's been very challenging. So
today when my instructor totally caught us in the act, I thought I would share some of his wisdom because most of us suffer from distracted thinking and even when it's welcome, it's not always what is best for us.

Since the beginning of this adventure I have noticed that my approach to class has shifted. In my former life, I would - like most other people - attend class when I wanted to, mostly for the physical practice, but also to sort of check out of life for a while. I didn't think in class very much, sort of just accepted what was there and did what I could. But now I'm on a path towards.. something. And rather than just attending each class, I consider every hour to be one piece of a larger, overarching experience. I keep unintentionally making marks for myself - assuming class will get easier tomorrow, or the next day. A common phrase is: "by the end of this I will be ..... " because, of course, I can't be the same person afterwards, I have to be different - that's the point, right?

Ah, well, no - not really.

The thing is that I have spent a lot of time thinking about what I'm doing (each pose, what's next, are my hips pointing in the right direction? can I go deeper?) and not enough time experiencing the practice, as I mentioned in the Session 9 post. Sidenote: Jenna Marbles has a funny video about this. Today the narration had quieted for the most part. But I couldn't help laughing when the instructor brought it up.

The thing is, and I know a lot of us do this, we LOVE to think about stuff. Here are two common forms of distracted thinking:

1. You don't want to do what you're doing and you seek out distraction. This can either be internal (picture you, staring off into space, in protest of doing whatever you 'should be' doing): where you think about what you did last night, plan for weekend, consider something you read recently, think about your pets; or external: check facebook, check your email, text your friend, check facebook again, read an article that's sort of work-related, write on your blog, do your time sheet, watch that video someone mentioned, check facebook again... When you are successful, you'll find that you can sometimes pass a lot of time while appearing to be busy and enjoying at least mildly enjoying yourself.

• In yoga class this kind of distraction comes from allowing your thoughts to wander. Maybe you think about your neighbor or a person near you and what they're doing. Maybe you think about someone's mat (that's a thin mat, I wonder if it's a rental.. no, not a rental, but really used.. maybe he's a writer, he kind of looks like a writer..), their water bottle (I miss my nalgene bottle.. maybe I'll get another one.. i brought it to kenya the first time.. that was a good trip..), or their sweet yoga gear (sweet yoga tights! I wonder if she bought it at Athleta... was that the summer issue or early fall?.. i wonder if they still sell them.. maybe they're on sale now..)

2. You're so emotionally connected to a recent event, you obsess about it for hours. This is the worst kind because it can be literally paralyzing. Maybe you got in a fight with your significant other or a good friend. Maybe you had a great date or a recent flirtation that you can't help but completely indulge in processing it over and over again. I have a lot of friends that admittedly do this, so I imagine that most of us are guilty

• In yoga this would basically be the same thing as when you're at your desk, pretending to work. The nice thing about thoughts is that they are so portable. I can take my thoughts from one asana to another. I can take them up and down my sun salutations and try to cast them out of strengthening poses. But when they're strong emotional thoughts they are really hard to shake. After a while, it feels like they're following you.

Sometimes distracted thinking can be an asset. Maybe you realize something that will help remedy an issue. Maybe you think of something nice to do for your friend. Maybe you obsess about it until it stops bothering (or exciting) you.

But if you really want to do what is best for you, most of the time that means STOP IT. Stop thinking about it. No more. Cut it out. Give up already. Here are three ways to clear your mind:

Source plus Article on "How to Meditate"

1. Breathe. Focus on your breath. Extend the length of each inhale and exhale. Consider rotating or moving with your breath.

2. Turn your thoughts upside down! If you're thinking negative thoughts, turn it around by thinking of something positive about the person, the event, or something that makes you happy. If it's positive, consider what you're missing out on when you spend your time thinking about other things - is this really the best thing for your work day?

3. Listen to music that focuses you. In Ally McBeal everyone had a theme song, something they could listen to that would aid whatever situation they faced. I choose 70s classic rock or Enya. It sounds out of touch, but you can get it loud enough to drown out distracting noises and it's still not coherent enough to occupy your attention.

Photo courtesy of AleighEdwards.com

Whatever you choose, do what's best for you at the time. And consider what you miss out on when you're distracted. Class is a thousand times easier when I don't narrate every pose, when I'm actually present at each moment, and when I choose to experience it as a whole. And I would argue that work goes by a lot faster (and I'm more productive) when I'm actually in it. Plus, I feel better afterwards. 

Breathing meditation is a great tool as well. I use it nearly every shavasana to help focus and calm my mind, or if I'm having trouble falling asleep, and it has helped me focus at work. Select the link to learn more. 

Session 4: Food = Fuel and Why Salt is OK

Session 4 kicked my butt. Ironically, it was a short basics class which focused mostly on positioning your body correctly in each movement and a lot less posture-intensive from the all levels version. Yet, still, I found myself in child's pose while our instructor narrated breathing through the discomfort in our first position. I "cheated" with knees whenever possible just to give my shoulders a rest. I "took a break" to get hydrated not because I was thirsty, but because I just couldn't hack it. And I celebrated, quietly and to myself, when we reached the end of class.

And since I had reached this point already (didn't I say just yesterday how I couldn't wait for the next class?? That's what I get..), it seemed like the perfect opportunity to ask the instructor for some tips on surviving and thriving (yoga word) in the next month. Here is her advice:

• First, congratulate yourself for making a commitment to furthering your practice and to your physical and (sometimes) spiritual well being. Yoga is a holistic practice which can inspire and change your life {and it has - I'll post more on life changing experiences of others later}.
• Second, don't try to do every move. Instead, only participate in postures that nourish and further your practice {I laughed when she said this - that's easy! I couldn't do them all if I wanted to!}
• Also, make sure to hydrate consistently {more about hydration later}
• When you drink, you want to replace electrolytes lost during the practice. {Full article on hot yoga and electrolytes here through Livestrong.com}
• Make sure to eat salt (especially if you're craving it) {and I was!}
• And if the heat is wearing you down, do a session at home (out of the heat) just to give your body a break or take a day off. This is a marathon, not a sprint.

Her advice was, if nothing else, spot on and I appreciated every bit of it. {You don't have to tell me twice to add more salt to my diet!} But there was one piece of advice which I totally threw out the window and I would highly recommend others considering an intense physical commitment like this one to do the same: add more heat!

After a class where my body was absolutely exhausted, sore, and all muddled up with lactic acid, I knew that the best thing for me was to get to a hot tub and work it out.. and that's just what I did. After an hour between the hot tub, the shower, and the steam room at my fru-fru gym (healthworks is one of the top rated women's gyms in the country) I felt like I had switched bodies. It was amazing.

To take this as a lesson, regardless of who you are getting advice from - whether it be a highly practiced yoga instructor or your boss - just keep in mind that sometimes you do know what's best for you. And I don't mean use that as an excuse to avoid doing something you don't want to do - I mean do exactly what is the best thing for your body, mind, or soul regardless of what others think your limitations are.

Session 2: How to Lose a Liter of Water in 75 Minutes

Want to know how to lose a liter of water in 75 minutes? I'll give you a hint. It involves Day 2 of hot yoga, a hangover, and a liter of water. Mix the three together and you get pools of sweat on your yoga mat significant enough to twist an ankle.

By 60 minutes into class today I was sneaking glances at the empty 24oz. water bottle, which was sitting there teasing me from the top corner of my mat, and just hoping that the next move wouldn't send me running for the faucets. It wasn't just that I was committed to maintaining my concentration, I was also pretty sure that I would vomit if I moved suddenly. So, trapped on my mat, I grinned and bared it- knowing that every motion, every breath, brought me that much closer to shavasana.

The remedy? A towel, any towel will do, and preferably a full liter of water. Lesson learned. (Article on 10 things to know about Bikram yoga)

Earlier today I woke up with a refreshing sense of determination to approach Hot Yoga - Day 2. The birds were singing, it was sunny outside, and I knew I could take a nap when I got home. I forgave myself for arriving home after 4am thanks to a long night in Providence. The night was a total blast, but ended when I gave my oldest friend Katie (we've been friends since we were 5) a concussion thanks to a failed spin move while shuffling to 50s music in a dive bar. The result? Her head was bleeding and I kinked my right ankle and wrist in a way that left us both in pain, doing the yoga warrior series at 3am while eating pizza, and keeping her awake long enough to know she wasn't going to slip into a coma. Man, my life is not normally this exciting, but I wonder how it bodes for the rest of the year!

Today this was by far my best pose.
Photo Courtesy of Benefits-Of-Hot-Yoga.org

The class itself was just as challenging as the day before, but with the aches of yoga past coupled with the mild wrist injury and intensive sun salutations pushed me to spend a lot of time catching my breath in child's pose. Actually, I was quite literally chasing breath.. which was strange since aerobic exercise is not something you typically associate with calming, meditative yoga, so I'll give you a little more on that.

One of the unique focuses of this particular practice (which initially turned me off of the studio) is that it is very physically demanding. It's kind of like taking a regular yoga class, placing it in the deep rainforest, and demanding sprints in between poses while balancing on a mountain face. If you're not consciously aware of what is going on, it's actually pretty easy to overextend and wind up in a protective ball (i.e. child's pose), grasping the ground, and crawling to your water bottle just for relief. It's certainly not something for everyone, but knowing what you're in for is a good place to start.

Child's Pose. Photo courtesy of YogaXTC.com

With all of that said, I was still surprised to find myself searching for breath in child's pose while the other "all levels yogis" in my class jumped between downward dog and mountain pose with excited jubilation. They weren't just saluting the sun, they were saluting the entire year while I lay in a ball on my mat try to stay alive. Shortly after the sun salutations, the instructor recommended we do an arm balance. I emerged from my ball and looked at my mat.. and that's about as far as it got.

So my lesson for today is all about the resources you need to get through class. It's one thing to show up, mat in hand, and be content with yourself.. it's another to be prepared for the task at hand. You're far less likely to reach your potential if you don't have the tools you need to get there, and having a hand towel and full liter of water is a good place to start.