#thezenproject

... for reasons I don't feel like discussing.

Zen check-in. I pretty much took most of November off because I developed a fantastic case of bronchitis. Nonetheless, I had to drag myself to Yoga Teacher Training and feel sick and miserable through most of it. Being sick and weak, and doing yoga is not a good thing. I think because of my illness, I didn't fully do the pose. Weak postures have led me to develop wrist pain - something that I never had even while doing yoga for 30 days straight.

Anyway, Zen class... I finally went yesterday and I wasn't fully there. My mind was distracted.

Taught my first yoga class on Saturday. It was supposed to be a vinyasa class, but the director of the studio said that it was a power class. I still can't tell the difference.

The apex pose of my class was Kurmasana (see above...and no that is not me, but I can do it too.) Lots of hamstring openers, diagonal flexion and shoulder openers. Threw in an arm balance that might seem hard (8-angle balance or 8 crooked limbs) but really isn't so bad once it's broken down. Tossed in birds of paradise.

Exhilarating. I wasn't planning on teaching much because I figured I would be a sucky teacher, but my feedback was very positive. I'm going to pat myself on the back because on student (who is already a teacher elsewhere) told me that he would pay for me class. Plus, I got someone into the arm balance even though he's struggled with it in the past.

The apex pose for the yoga class that I will be teaching Saturday is Kurmasana - the tortoise pose. (Google it yourself. I am too lazy to post photos.)

I think I relate well to the tortoise because I am making slow progress in many aspects of my life - and that's okay! It's a bit like dieting - you can't expect to lose 100 pounds in 1 month by staring yourself. Instead, you have to make small adjustments to your life.

Temper-wise... Well I think I've regressed lately because I have been under duress. Does the turtle walk backwards? Eh. Getting off topic here. ADD here. (Not the hyperactive type, the inattentive type. That's me. Surprise surprise.)

I've always been on the fence about how I feel about music during yoga. Sometimes it can be distracting when I'm trying to get into my ujjayi breath. Lately, though, a lot of my teachers have been playing music and now class seems dull without it (except for this one teacher who is so amazing that she doesn't need music to make her class better.)

The thing about me is that I am way more productive when I listen to music (e.g. now.) In a way, it makes me more meditative. I believe it's because there are so many other distracting noises. In my office, there are a few people who talk atrociously loud on the phone, the constant banter in the hallways, etc. etc. Music is my zen.

In yoga training we have to select our music playlist to cater to the mood.

My mish-mash of music would not flow well in a class so I've been trying to pick a theme. Pop music? Alt rock? Middle Eastern?

Lately I've been listening to a lot of tango and I blame Fernando (my boyfriend... not the guy mentioned in the Lady Gaga song.)

For those of you who are unaware, the tango originates in Argentina (where Fernando is from.)