Yoga log

730pm tuesday

The instructor did a thorough explanation of each posture, including variation, requesting students to watch before trying it for themselves:

Adho Mukha virasana
Adho Mukha svanasana
Adho mukha uthanasana
sun salutation
cobra/upward facing dog
Ashva sanchalasana
virabhadrasana 1
virabhadrasana 2
Padottanasana
Side Bend
high push up with elbow variation
side plank
uthita trikonsana
crow
vrksasana
dancer pose
salabasana
svanasana

for my own focus, I did viloma breathing while in svanasana and I found my breath slightly shallow

Yoga nidra

I attempted this twice and instead fell into deep sleep.

"I will remain awake, I will not sleep"

I think each time I lasted 3 minutes. I was in savasana with a blanket on me.

Bike ride at Iron Cove

I'd say its a lot more enjoyable than running here, or cyling around north ryde where its hilly. There is one long and steep hill here though. and I think its the last really short steep bit that's scary not because I ran out of puff but because its a long way down.

Yoga log

Yoga with Bernadette today

Yoga log

10.45 - 11.45 am

Yoga with J & J. Both have not had regular practice although they have done it before. They did not have any problems with their postures, except one did not get into Adho mukha svanasana properly until I told her to push her chest towards the thighs, which seems to be a clearer instruction than pusing the chest towards the floor.

I did not give left and right instructions properly, especially when I was facing them and did not mirror thme. So just a reminder to myself get used to it!!! I should also do some breathing exercises as they arrive to calm everyone down, instead of rushing through it, as a result even the warm up sequence broke a sweat!

Sequence was according to suggested practice except I did not do the Salamba sarvangasana because I did not think they were ready and anyway I could not do it.

Yoga log

Japa meditation 650 - 657

1-1 teaching session
Nadi Shodhana 840-845
Viloma 845-850
Mindful meditation 850-855

Bike ride 14 km 6pm
Bay run 7 km 46min 6pm

I did 1 on 1 pranayama this evening, I remember the name but i forgot to say the benefits. I dont think I gave the instruction clearly enough because my student asked. I think its hard to do it, 1 hour after the run because the heart was beating pretty fast and I was trying to concentrate on slowing it down.

I felt dizzy at the 3/4 point of the bike ride while I stopped for a break. So I slowed down until it passed. the run was good. there was a storm coming but it wasnt humid. At the 3km point I could keep my heart rate at 187.

Start of a yoga blog

This blog will probably shift its focus to yoga for now. Simply because I need ot discipline myself to log my yoga activities in my quest to be a teacher. Its assessed. So must do. I realised after last weekend's yoga instructors course that i have totally neglected this bit of my homework. So from now each day I will do at least 1 breathing exercise/meditation/asana practice.

So today:

Japa meditation 6.55- 7 pm
It was easy to focus simply because I am muttering mantras. I think however I forgot to sit up straight with a neutral spine.

Yoga with bernadette
815-915
The practice started with ujayi breathing in a cross legged position. There were many side bends today, and I cannot pinpoint a sequence. It was more like having many variations of each posture. Bernadette went around rubbing lavender oil above each students face as we did savasana. Her message today was honesty. To be honest with yourself that you are strong enough or not feeling well enough for each posture.

Food
Dinner was a fried rice variation. Instead of soya sauce I added butter (a bit too generous) and tumeric. Baby brocoli, baby carrot, eggs, onion, cashews.

Loop the Lake

So I drove 150km to Newcastle stayed the night and went to Spears Point for the 730 start. I met my colleagues took a picture and set off. They left me behind at the 10 km mark. I didnt mind, I mean I didnt expect to catch up with a road bike or a fit man.

So I went my own pace. Despite that I thought I tried reasonably hard. I pedalled on downhills mostly and I didnt stop to walk on the hills, as tempting as that can be.

Stopped at the morning tea point 35 km for a muffin. 50km where there was a bus stop on the highway and at the fruit stop 15 km from the finish.

At some point I started seeing the saddle with a bit of loathing.

I finished 85 km in 4 hr 45 min.

It was great and I look forward to the next one.

I love bike riding.

Loop the Lake week

Monday - 14 km Bike
Tuesday - 10 km Run
Wednesday - 14 km Bike
Thursday - 17 km Bike*
Friday - yoga
Saturday -
Sunday - 85 km * Bike : Lake Macquarie

* Thats the plan

I had to draw up a yoga sequence to teach my guinea pigs. I hope its easy enough for them. I got to revise it again.