Post hot yoga......

It has been a few days since my first hot yoga class.  I did melt.  I also did not learn a thing....of that I was very disappointed.

When I walked in the door, I was very specific to say I had NEVER done yoga....and I needed guidance.  I was assured that (insert Yogi's name) was a great instructor and easy to follow.  Before I go much further, let me describe the room.

IT WAS DARK.  Yep, the floor was lined with battery operated candles and 1 maybe 3ft lamp that had a paper shade.  The room was long and mirrors on 2 walls.  Did I mention it was dark??  Just making sure.....

The center did let me borrow a yoga mat.  Why invest in one if I was not sure of a commitment?!  I did bring a towel and a bottle of water.  For those who don't remember, I am blind in my left eye.  My girlfriend was sitting on my right side and we were trying not to giggle.  There was one gal stretching.....this girl would pick up one butt muscle and realign herself and then do the other side.  She even did a pose where she did almost a handstand with her knees on her elbows (or at least that is what it looked like.....(repeat with me) IN THE DARK!)

I saw this gal walk in and put her iPod in the station and she wandered down towards the front of the room.  She stood in a corner. She was our Yogi.  I wanted to raise my hand to let her know I NEED HELP, but I did not.  Class started and she told us to sit on the brick....OK,  that part was easy!  I was excited that I got the first move down!!  woot woot!  That was the last of my excitement....

This yogi had a very thick accent.  I could barely understand her.  I did know the child's pose and the downward dog before I walked in so I was sure I could do something positive in class.  Yeah, blew my knowledge in the next 3 minutes.  I kept trying to see what the others were doing but checking out the person on my right was hard not to be overly obvious.  I tried checking in the mirror what others were doing to no avail.  I could not see in the dark.  I started to wait to see what people were doing and then try to get into the move.  Oh, and one instruction was if you don't or can't do the move, transition back to the child's pose.  My knees still hurt!!  I spent a great deal of time on my knees!

The class went on for an hour.......oh, and did I mention that it was 85*?  My ice water cooled off quickly!  Totally drenched, no idea what I was doing, and on my knees.

There was a favorite part........yes, before walking out too!  There was a point where we all lie on the mat and the yogi comes around and puts a cool washcloth on your forehead and it is scented with lavender and eucalyptus.  I could have stayed there forever for that wash cloth!!

I am not totally turned off to yoga.  I am going to find a center that has lights and can guide me from one pose to another....and maybe I will try it again hot someday.

Outside my comfort zone.......

Making this summer bucket list has started to pull me out of my comfort zone.  I am guessing this is a good thing?!  At least I am hoping it is a good thing!!

Tonight I am trying HOT yoga!  I have never done yoga and I don't like anything HOT unless it is a boyfriend!  Sometimes I can be shallow......my true colors are coming out!  HA!

I can guarantee that I will NOT be in this position!  I am so out of shape......well, I have lost some of my flexibility since my foot surgery.  I have not been back to my first love, jazzercise, and the stretching I do at home is not enough.  I get that doing yoga warm (80*) is keeping the muscles warm and maybe I won't get hurt.  My girlfriend is coming with me so we may be laughing at each other and disrupting the class.  We will TRY to behave ourselves!!

Some of the next things that are on my list are getting drunk and painting...well, it is really called Vino van Gogh.  You get 2 drinks and an appetizer as part of the package and are taught how to paint this picture (the martini).  I have several friends going with me and we are excited about going.  What better time can be had with your besties, wine, and a blank canvas?

I have purchased vouchers for a winery tour and wine tasting....my friends and I just need to pick the date and go.  It is super exciting!  I have some friends (online friends) coming in for a few days for a mini reunion.  We have 3.5 days full of fun scheduled.  I got a package to make some fresh mozzarella from scratch; I am pulling out my old quilt that has been in a box for 3 years and finishing it......the list goes on.

I will post and update about the hot yoga tomorrow......if I don't melt and die....but I am sure we will have fun and if we pee our pants laughing, who will know?  We will be sweaty!

The Summer Bucket List.......oh my!

Once upon a time I created a bucket list........a life bucket list.  There are all kinds of things on it......some crazy, some rather private but all things that I would really like to do before my time on this earth is done.  Well, most of them I need to do while I am spry (um, dancing on the bar at Coyote Ugly....can't picture me as a 75 year old chick doing that!)

A friend of mine commented that she has put together a summer bucket list.  That intrigued me.  I have lots of things I wish to do, places to go this summer.  Some of them have happened! 
 

I spent a lovely weekend with sone friends in Lake Geneva celebrating birthdays.  One of our most fun trips was the tour on the Lady of the Lake boat.  We were on the water for over an hour learning the history of the homes (ok MANSIONS) and how they came to be.  It was perfect weather, the different stores were lots of fun...we even found a place called the Green Eyed Lady where they make scents for you with essential oils while you wait.  It was super cool!

Next was a quick trip to Minneapolis to visit with a friend and celebrate her birthday with tickets to the Kenney Chesney No Shoes Nation Tour at Target Field.  We saw Kacey Musgraves, Eli Young Band, Zac Brown AND the man himself.  OMG, it was 6 hours of music and did not feel long at all.  We had great people sitting around us and we laughed  the whole time......well, except when we got beer baths (as drunk people forgot which end was up on the bottle as they were getting amourous with their mate .....or I hope it was their mate/date!)

So far the summer has been grand.  Today I purchased a package deal for a winery tour of a vineyard and a wine tasting.  I have an old deal for a paint while you drink.......there are many choices in paintings....not sure this particular one is me but I will peruse their site to see what I like that I want to paint.  By the end of the evening who knows what it will look like......2 glasses of wine (or so) later!!

 

There is lots of time left of this summer, things to see and do.  No time to let grass grow under my feet.......and who knows, maybe this is the summer of dancing on the bar....... *wink wink*

I'M.......(fill in the blank)

I have been doing a lot of soul and self searching lately.  I am working on doing things MY way for ME.  I know I will not always be right...and might even make people shake their heads.  In any case it is right for me at that moment.  It is my normal!  

I look at words and things people share on Facebook.  Impossible.....vs I'm possible; imperfect vs I'm perfect....the list can go on.

What I do realize is I AM POSSIBLE.  The impossible is the fear in your head.  It might not be right or reasonable.  I sometimes feel like yoga is impossible for me to do.  I lack the flexibility.  That is that inner devil talking.  If I make no changes the voices in my head win.  My answer to that is I am going Tuesday night to my first hot yoga class....now of that I am afraid!  I don't do heat well!!  I am, however, walking in and plan to do the best I can.......and someday it will be good as I will limber up and stretch the muscles I have.  I might even feel like the limber ballerina I once was!!   

I am also PERFECT for me!  I don't need to measure myself up to anyone else because we are all different.  I may, on occasion, be jealous of something someone is doing but that gives me the chance to make a dream of it myself!  We are human, we are flawed and I am embracing all my flaws.......each and every one of them!  I might even make new flaws every day as I retire others.  How lucky am I to be able to do all of this?!    

I have my whole life ahead of me and I plan to keep myself on my toes.....pushing the limits and having fun.  I might have to do something like a friend is doing......a summer bucket list.  Maybe mine will be a fall one but in anycase it will happen and at the end of the day, I will reflect on a beautiful sunset like this one started out to be and know how lucky I am and how juicy my life can be!  It is just waiting for me!