I did make it to the vinyasa class with Jessica Apo at Thrive Yoga this evening. It really hit the spot. A gradual warm-up before starting the sun salutations, with enough pace that I had to resort to child’s pose to honor my intention (“Don’t work so hard, Michael”). I was not expecting to have a lot of aerobic stamina. I got to push back my range of motion to what it was before the beach trip. Towards the end of the class, Jessica had us stand in Mountain pose (tadasana) and had us soak up the sensations: I felt my shoulders warm, loose, released of tension, and the openness of my breathing as it expanded my rib cage.
I don’t think I would have been capable of tackling this class if I had not taken a gradual path back — a yin yoga class on Friday, rest on Saturday because I was listening to my body, a hatha class on Sunday. It’s always rewarding when the parts of yoga practice seem to fit together.
My dad’s birthday is tomorrow so I don’t think I’ll be able to make it to a class that day.
Hi Michael! I really enjoy reading about your yoga journey. Keep it up! I wish there was a yin class around these parts. It sounds like a really wonderful way to treat yourself.
Hi, Babs,
Thanks for frequenting the blog. I enjoy your blog as well. I’ve found that yin yoga really opens up a whole dimension in my practice. I need to release muscular tension, ingrained habits, breathing, and yin yoga allows me the space and time to explore those possibilities. You probably already have the components for a yin practice in your own repertoire of yoga tools. I’ve found that an evening practice before bed is a great window of opportunity for this exploration.