4th Entry

I just got out of yoga class a couple hours ago and I feel great!  As I've discussed in my previous entries, yoga really gives me a sensation like a yoga "high".  I feel so accomplished and at peace with myself, that my entire being feels alive.  One of the many great things about yoga, are all the different instructors and their different styles and characters.  Tonight, we had a guy named Russ teach our class and he emphasized getting the most strength and endurance out of the practice.  He almost had a "drill sergeant" way about him in that he was very active in making sure no one rested, or cheated themselves by doing the poses lazily.  He was kind in his nature, but he also was very serious about his teachings.  I appreciated this because I like to get the most physical benefits out of it that I can.  I also enjoy the mental aspects and being able to let all the problems of the day melt away, but I do love to push myself to upper limits physically.  Some instructors are definitely a little more gentle in their approach, which I do enjoy sometimes, but today I felt like I needed a good butt kicking.  As I've said before, many aspects of yoga practice represent facets of the way I want to live my life.  Tonight I really tried to reach new edges in my practice and push to the extreme, which is definitely how I've lived my life and how I want things going forward.  Whether it has to do with my job, my family, my relationships, I want to push them to the extreme and get the absolute most out of them.

As I promised I always want to leave everyone with some word or phrase or concept I learn in class.  Well this word isn't new to me, but I really enjoyed this pose the most tonight.  Savasana, translates to corpse pose, which is usually done at the end of class where your lie flat on your back and let go of everything and enjoy a final rest.  It's really a great time to feel the gratitude of your practice and to clear your mind of any negative thoughts.  Today was very powerful, because I felt so physically drained and felt so much accomplishment in my day.  Savasana is a great way to meditate and really come back to what is really important in life.