Yoga Surprises

I came to yoga, three months ago as an injured runner.  That description alone, likely tells you where my head was and what kind of stereotype I might be.  And so I came to yoga, willingly but reluctantly; embarking on something that might help me “return to my running”.  Fortunately, it wasn’t a huge leap because I’d tried a few classes in the past and liked it, but Yoga just never seemed important enough to prioritize and so I never committed.  But as an injured runner, yoga became more important than anything and became “the” thing, that carried me through the first few “non-running” months of injury.  


I signed up for the 21-day challenge because I was feeling the physical benefits of yoga so far and the runner in me needed a new challenge. I also liked the slogan and the possibility it presented.  While I can’t say I’ve gained anything permanent in the way of a changed outlook on life, Yoga has stretched me and relieved pain, it is teaching me to be aware of my body and to be patient, and is giving me the strength and courage to be patient, and somewhere over these 21 days, yoga has become my place to feel good, instead of my “push to recover”.  It reminds me daily to accept where I am (which is still challenging) and I think one big revelation I’ve had is that I have realized that I’ve been trying too hard; every day.  


While doing yoga, I can sometimes get to a place where I don’t have to try.  If I just breathe, that’s good enough and my body will find what it needs.  Finally, yoga has surprised me.  I am surprised at the satisfaction I take from it.  I am surprised that I can still do yoga when I’m physically exhausted.  I am surprised that I can start tired and finish feeling awake & strong.  I am surprised at the emotions that have come from a standing split or deep forward bend.  Finally, yoga has presented my new challenge.  Not as a challenge that I need to “conquer” but a challenge to simply be open.  


The slogan for the current yoga challenge is “Do more yoga. See what happens.”  And that’s basically now, what I’m trying to do every day.  I am seeing what happens.  On the run.  Without the run.  During yoga.  After yoga.  And in between.  I am able to run small amounts now and have the best runs when I go with no expectation.  Signs that something is changing for me?  Multiple times now, I haven’t even wanted to run.  And that may not be a bad thing…we’ll see?! For now, I am happy doing more yoga. :)


Kelly B.

Acceptance With Effort

I will be honest,I did not get to yoga every day, but I really tried and did asanas almost every day which is more than usual.  I practiced breathing when driving so I wouldn't flip the bird at the idiot in front of me, I tried using the mantra "acceptance with effort"  with my 16 year-old twins.  My twins, (one boy, one girl) both lovely, but for so many reasons that I won't go into here, fill me up with a love and anxiety that is overwhelming.  The idea that I need to try when effort will make a difference and accept when there is nothing within my control has been huge. 

I listened to music that calmed me instead of pumping me up.  I thought about the practice of yoga and what it has taught me over the last few years.  I know I came up short because I am still impatient and annoyed and worried at times, but I am glad I made yoga more of a daily presence in my life and not just something I do when I volunteer at the studio.

~ Patty

Thoughts About The Challenge

My fellow yoginis.

On my mat.

With my eyes closed....
My eyes are open

I'm sad that it's ending
So glad that I started

Completely grounded
Yet my heart has wings

I love the way I feel today
I miss the person I was yesterday

Tomorrow isn't here
A gift waiting to be unwrapped

Moving forward
Yet still looking back

Sukha, Sthira
Finding the balance

Embracing the challenge
And letting it go

Words are not enough
To express how I feel

But I think you know.....


~S

Yoga Outside The Studio

Last weekend I traveled to the Quad Cities (you get a prize if you know where that is) for my Uncle's funeral. Though the circumstances were sad, it was nice to see my extended family and travel to my father's home town. I was worried, when I left because I very much wanted to continue the challenge by taking yoga classes in a studio and wasn't sure how my practice would be, especially if it was self-led!

The first day I was gone, I looked and looked for studios with a good class time but nothing worked out. It was Sunday (fewer classes on the schedule), and I was at the funeral home while over 400 people came to pay their respects to my Uncle's family. Although it turned out to be 5 hours of watching these people file by, it was also an amazing experience -- one that was bursting with yoga, for me.

When the first 100 visitors & my family sat down to pray the rosary (my Uncle's family is Catholic), I heard a rhythm and practice that cleared the mind and calmed the body. I had the desire to go to the back and practice some flow for the half an hour it took them to recite the 5 mysteries (forgive me if that's not the right title, I'm not Catholic!). I did not give in to that desire but shut my eyes and pictured my yoga practice, taking deep breaths and making my intention relate to my Uncle's peace and his family's comfort. Religion, Christ and God are a touchy subject for me but yoga provided an outlet for my prayer and process.

After an extremely long and emotional day, we didn't get home until after 10pm. I had asked my parents for help in fulfilling my yoga challenge and my mom asked to do some yoga with me. She does pilates at her home (Denver) but isn't a yogi. I provided a disclaimer that I had never led anyone (not even myself) through a yoga practice but it turns out I had nothing to worry about. Yoga just came out of me and my teachers at Sol have provided me with the language to share that with my mother (which reminded me of the language that everyone in the funeral home was using during the recitation of the rosary). She was ready for bed after about 10 minutes, so I took my practice into the room where I was staying. From 11:30pm-midnight, I had a great practice. It was easy! I just did what came to mind and it worked perfectly. I was surprised by how inherent yoga had become.

Despite how good my self-led practice was, I still wanted to visit a local studio. The next evening I took a class at Davenport School of Yoga. The studio felt similar to Sol, with wood floors, high ceilings and on the top floor of a historic building in downtown Davenport... but the class felt completely different. The teacher was kind and attempted to explain what the differences would be (after I told her how we normally practiced and the Challenge that I was in the midst of) but I didn't fully understand until class. There was no flow! We oriented our mats horizontally to the front of the room. Other things were different, too, including sun salutations. We did lunges and no chaturanga. We did Warrior One on the right and then just switch to the left. It felt disjointed but I tried to just experience it and let go of any awkwardness I felt. After a few minutes, I decided to add my own flow... And I didn't feel judged! I did end up facing a different direction than others and never got as warm as I would have liked but it ended up being a combination of their practice and my own.

Finally, on the third morning, just a couple hours before my flight home, I visited Red Root Hot Yoga. This experience was intense and fascinating. The studio was brand new and outfitted perfectly-- special floors, essential oil humidifiers, fancy locker rooms, etc. The practice was more similar to Sol's flow classes but was incredibly HOT and HUMID. The teacher said the room was around 100 degrees and I'm guessing 90% humidity. There were mirrors across the front of the room and only 2 other people in the class-- one of them ended up leaving because he thought he would throw up. Needless to say, I managed to make it all the way through but felt uncomfortable and exhausted most of the time. I found the teacher's adjustments distressing and he seemed to comment negatively on hearing my breath or modifying a pose. I was happy with the physical exhaustion that came from the class but he plugged his facebook page and email list at the beginning of savasana and left the room after that. It seems that the most expensive set up was not a replacement for some deeper sense of yoga and peace.

These experiences were valuable to me and I don't regret visiting other studios but each one reinforced my love of Sol Yoga and it's teachers and environments. Before I found Sol (thanks Beccah!), I tried other studios during college and in our area but could never take yoga seriously. Because of Sol, it is now a big part of my life. Going back to my first class on Wednesday felt like coming home. I'm beginning to think that I should continue to do yoga every single day, regardless of any sort of challenge, studio or teacher!

Namste,

Amanda Mizeur

Finding Spiritual Wellness Through Physical Health

For Christmas my husband, Jeff, bought me a mostly-just-for-fun gift of a natal chart and astrological transit reading. I spent two hours talking with a woman about how things were when I was born and how things are now and how all of that interacts, in terms of stars and planets and energies and stuff. It was a lot of fun. Apparently my chart is a little (or actually a lot) crazy right now and supposedly, in two years, I'll be an entirely different person.

One of the things she stressed to me the most was that I needed to find a daily spiritual practice that contains a physical element. She said that, and pretty much that alone, will get me through the transitions of the next couple years. A week later I conveniently started the Sol Yoga 21-Day Challenge. Pretty amazing how these things work themselves out.

On the first day of the challenge, a clear intention came to me for the purpose of the next 21 days -- to find spiritual wellness through physical health. To get my body in better shape than it has ever been and to find mental, emotional and spiritual stability along the way. And, based on class last night, it works! All I need is for Dorcas (Sol Yoga's owner) to provide a thorough ass-whooping (or quad-whooping) and I am good to go. Shaky, out-of-control leg muscles = calm, centered mind. I am a fire sign (Aries, through and through) and building that heat allows me to be clearheaded.

We were also offered the assistance of nutrition counselor, Samantha Neier, which rounds out the entire process for me. I lost quite a bit of weight before our wedding two years ago and have struggled to make healthy eating a habit and a lifestyle. I believe I have finally accomplished this (it only took two and a half years!) but it will be something I maintain for the rest of my life, every minute of every day. I love to eat and drink, so this struggle is a compromise and negotiation with myself. It will be interesting to journal about my feelings concerning food because I think I worked to detach most of my food feelings (at least when I'm not cheating!) and feel a bit scared to add those back in. But I'm interested in growing and working, so we'll see how it goes.

So, thank you Sol Yoga! If anyone wants to join me on this journey, I would welcome the company!

Namaste,

Amanda Mizeur,

Sol Yoga Volunteer

21 Day Challenge

All Sol Yoga Teachers and Volunteers have been invited to participate in a 21 Day Yoga Challenge that is slated to start this Monday, Jan 10th.

Since I teach and practice at Sol it's no surprise that I absolutely love it there. But frankly, it seems inappropriate and self-serving to gush about Sol Yoga at the Sol Yoga blog. That's like buying this button for yourself:

instead of waiting for your kids to give it to you on Mother's Day.

So just for today, I'm going to redirect you to my personal blog, Enter The Circle to read my latest post so cleverly entitled, 21 Day Challenge.

Namaste,
Linda