Hey Mr. Postman...

Taking a break from work and packing for 5 weeks for a yoga school in Asia, is a process that requires quite a lot of preparation - as well as some intense online shopping :)

I don't mind what kind of clothing people wear when they practice yoga, but personally I need to feel comfortable and have clothes that look and feel good and also keep their shape. In Finland we have many great things but hot yoga clothing isn't one of them. My friends from US recommended Shakti's outfits so a few weeks back I placed my order and after some delaying geological greetings from Iceland (ash cloud that grounded Europe's flights for about a week) I finally got my clothes yesterday. Very pleased and will try them out today.

I also needed a digital watch (its purpose still unrevealed), good anatomy books and being a keen reader, also some inspirational added reading (Holy Science from Sri Yukteswar, some Kriya yoga books, a couple of Paramahansa Yogananda books and a Dharma Mittra showing 600 yoga poses book - might have bought something else as well, but can't remember - it feels like Christmas when I open my Amazon packages ;))). (BTW I don't think that ascetism is a necessity for spiritual growth, learning to deal with attachment is. Hence, can enjoy my new and beautiful yoga clothes with a clear conscious.)

I was a bit worried if my orders would arrive in time and was very pleasantly surprised when Mr. Postman rang my doorbell this morning and delivered my anatomy books. They are A W E S O M E!!! These books were recommended reading from our teachers and they are so beautifully illustrated that I felt my heart leap. Well, skeletons aren't maybe that pretty, but the way these books are designed is just great.
The books are called "The Key Muscles of Hatha Yoga" and "The Key Poses of Hatha Yoga". You can check out them here http://www.bandhayoga.com/

Anyway, my inspirational reading is still on its way but now I have most of my essentials. The Mercury Retrograde took pity on me and delivered the digital watch in amazingly swift two days. (Astro humour for those who get the joke.) Next week I need to renew my passport and then get my visa for Thailand.

On Tuesday I did two yoga's back to back. And no, it's not that heroic of a performance as you might think. I don't think I'd be able to do two sets in a row in a warmer climate but for one reason or another our studio isn't that warm and I can do it here. The first class went by really fast - I was mainly thinking about this blog and kind of woke up when we were in the last Asana. So, I decided that why not try to be a little more present in the room and did the second class. It was a silent class which always goes by quite a bit faster than the normal one.

For those of you who are new to this form of practice, we do 26 poses + 2 breathing exercises, twice each, in a hot(40 C) and humid room and the class lasts 90 minutes. First part is the standing series and warm up and the second part is seated series. The teacher speaks a dialog that explains each pose but doesn't participate in the practice. In the silent class the teacher trains with us but only indicates when the next asana is in turn. It'll be really interesting to learn the Absolute Yoga series since it has 50 poses and the class still is the same 90 minutes. Makes me a bit nervous....

So my second class was quite demanding for my body and my dizzy head made me think about my lovely Bikram retreat in France last summer. That was the first time when I practised in conditions where the room was REALLY hot and I felt like puking and fainting most of the time. But I still loved it and it showed me how much improvement can happen in one week with the right teaching and right conditions. But back to our little bit cooler studio here in Finland. I felt dizzy in the standing series and after the Separate Leg Intense Stretch I could hardly stand not to mention try the Tree Pose.

(The Separate Leg Intense Stretch is a great pose that hits the thyroid gland really effectively. But for somebody who has really low blood pressure and some metabolism issues this pose can be well, pure hell. I used to dread this pose and every time when I reached down my stomach would cramp and my only wish was that it would be over. Now, one year later I really like this pose and it's a great example that this practice really does heal.)

Somehow I managed to get throught the second class but in the changing room I almost gave myself a heart attack when I looked in the mirror. I was a perfect replica of a panda in reverse! I had huge white circles around my eyes when the rest of my face was screamingly lobster red. (Always proud carrier of my Mom's red haired genes. I didn't however inherit her beautiful thick hair.)

The training was intense and I think I got a climpse of what it will be like in Thailand. I know that Asia's hot and humid climate will be one of my biggest hurdles, I love being in a warm climate but it'll take me while to get used to it.
So when I got home I couldn't get sleep until 3 am and when I woke up I had flulike symptoms. This is something I used to have after taking intense spinning classes in the gym and was one of the reason's I looked for other exercise options. I don't know if it is my body clearing or if it's something else. So I took a day off yesterday and will go back today.

We seem to have a traditional First of May weather coming up - it's raining cats and dogs and I could use some winter overalls, it's that cold. I'm heading off to my friend's summer place for the weekend and was planning on doing yoga at the terrace. Now it seems I may need to revert to practice in her sauna...
Til next time.