Making it through this week of the 30-Day Yoga Challenge was nothing short of a small feat for me. Every day I jammed plans between work and yoga with yesterday being the exception. Yesterday I had no time to get anything done in between.
Day 12: Hatha 1
I’m Puerto Rican and if you know anything about Puerto Rican time, you know that it’s usually at least 15 minutes after the rest of the world. And that’s on a good day. However, since the challenge started I’ve been pretty impressed with myself for showing up to class at least five minutes early. If you’re new to yoga, I suggest you arrive 15 minutes early… that’s what I strive for. “Strive” is the key word here.
Wednesday was not one of those days that I arrived early. Since I ran errands in between work and yoga, I skirted in just on time. To be honest, I didn’t want to go. I was kind of hoping I was late and the door would be locked. If only I had been caught at one extra stop light! Ha.
One of my favorite instructors (the one that hands out hugs) taught the class, so that helped work me out of my exhausted funk. Like the day before, I had trouble focusing on the practice itself. My body was moving slowly, but my mind was racing at 100 miles per hour. I found myself repeating the word “focus” in my head over and over again, but even then my mind would wander. On my way out I collected my belongings and my hug and thanked my lucky stars that a rest day was just around the corner.
Day 13: Ashtanga 1
Last night was the opposite of Wednesday night: I arrived to class 45 minutes early. Of course, this was not on purpose. Silly me thought class started at 5:30 and I was 15 minutes early. Nope. Class started at 6 PM.
I picked my favorite spot: not all the way to the back of the class, but not in the front, and near a wall so I can save me from my falls.
The no judgement yoga zone.
And then I laid down and tried to daydream …
Day dreaming until yoga starts
Alas my mind wandered to my crazy to-do list and everything I could’ve done with these extra 30 minutes I had. So instead of day dreaming, I took to Facebook to distract my mind and posted this pic of my sweet, sweet reward from earlier that day:
A peanut butter cup chocolate cupcake from Sweet Traditions. Call it my little reward for making it through the week.
Yes, it was delicious. Yes, it was heavenly. And yes, it was worth the calories. It was a peanut butter cup chocolate cupcake from Sweet Traditions on Park Ave in Winter Park, FL. Me and my two friends snuck away during lunch to pick up an afternoon pick me up. 🙂
Class started to fill up so I moved closer to the wall. I had to ensure that handicap. 🙂
When I saw the early teenage girls shuffled into class by one of their mothers, I knew we were in for a treat. As a former teenage giggler myself, I can recognize one immediately.
For the next hour and a half these young, young ladies giggled their way through sun salutations and downward dogs and bridges. Our instructor was really great and started to issue separate instructions to his “new” friends (the gigglers) and his “old” friends (the rest of the class that could move at a faster pace). I think some of the more serious yogis were getting annoyed, but I loved them. They reminded me of my besties at that age and kept my mind occupied with visions of how we too would’ve giggled our way through a yoga class, rather than that crazy to-do list in my head.
I almost started laughing along with them when they almost died stifling their giggles during shavasana. I definitely had a smile creep across my face. The gigglers took me to a happy place. As for those that were annoyed, sometimes we just have to remember to not take everything so seriously. Yes, yoga can be quiet and hard and zen. But it can also be fun. And God knows how many times I giggle in my head when someone in class farts or my instructor adjusts my position in a way that a 14-year old girl would find hilarious and boyfriends would find highly inappropriate. Ha!
Class ended and off I went to start my 24 hours of rest. Dare I say my rest day tastes sweeter than that cupcake?
Do you ever giggle in yoga class?
I Sweat Pretty 
I love reading about your 30-day challenge! It makes me want to do another one!
Thanks! It’s been interesting to say the least! 🙂