As most of you know during this weight loss marathon, I found myself in yoga and I really mean that I found myself. Yoga has become part of my life, not something that I just do for exercise but something that I can not see my life without. I love the accomplishment I feel when I can finally get into that pose that I could imagine doing a couple of months ago. I relish the inner peace that I find in those last few minutes of a session when is Shavasana and my mind is quiet. So I was excited when my studio offered a one time class called Deep Relaxation through Yoga Nidra. I am such a Type A personality that there are very few times that I feel like I can truly relax. I usually have my mind racing a mile a minute.
I went to the class last night not knowing what to expect and had an experience that is hard to put into words but I am going to try and I hope that I can do it justice. First let me say that the class was taught by one of my favorite instructors Brooke. I have missed going to a Brooke class but her classes ore on the same nights as C's soccer practice and the time just does not work. We started class with her explaining that Yoga Nidra is about achieving a level of relaxation deeper that REM sleep, but while awake and that it is used in conjunction with creating intentions and goals in your life and using this state to achieve those goals. The class then moved into some gentle, restorative yoga which was all about lightly stretching and preparing your body for this guided deep relaxation. Once we got the the Yoga Nidra part, you are laying on your back with your neck supported and then we were guided in to focusing on different parts of our bodies and allowing them to relax. As I was focusing on each area, I began to feel a tingling sensation, almost like a small electrical current in that part of my body and when I moved to the next area that tingling feeling remained behind but also traveled to the next area. In the end my entire body felt totally relaxed but was tingling and alive and at that moment I felt like anything was possble. When she led us out and we began to "awaken" again, the tingling feeling lessened but it did not go away. Even when the lights turned on and put away my blocks, blanket, and bolster, my body still had that tingling feeling. It continued throughout the rest of the evening and when I finally went to sleep I was able to just lay down a sleep. That is not something that ever happens for me, I am usually the person that for an hour fights sleep as my mind races thinking about the long list in my head. I would seriously take this course every month if I could, sadly right now it is just a one time class. There is another class in a couple of weeks that is about Achieving Goals that incorporates Yoga Nidra, but as much as I want to take the course it is at the same time as C's Soccer game.
My food intake this week has been good. Today C had a half day at school, so we made cookies when she came home. It was a fun experience for both of us and I was amazed that I was not even tempted to have one.
Tomorrow I weigh in and I am feel like I am still fighting that plateau but I know that even if the scale does not move this week, that I am still doing the right things and eventually I will come out of the plateau and I will be stronger on the other side.
Take care and talk to you tomorrow....
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