Yoga Nidra

I have been quite interested in yoga during the last two or three years. My favorite classes have always been those that were vigorous and strength-building. It’s amazing how you can work up a good sweat even though you don’t look like you are doing much. Lately, I have been exploring classes of a more therapeutic nature. The deep, long-held stretches of yin yoga have really helped my hip/sciatic problem. This week, I attended my first yoga nidra class which translates into “yogic sleep.” Seems like I can never get enough sleep so that sounded like the perfect class to try.

I arrived at class with an open mind, unfurled my mat, and gathered a couple of blankets and a bolster. The room filled with more people than I’ve seen in the other classes. We lined up in two rows with our mats about 18” apart. I fought back the feeling of claustrophobia; I’m not used to sleeping so close to complete strangers. Everyone settled and the instructor explained the class format.

She made it clear that while some people may fall asleep during the class, traditional sleep was not the goal. She would guide us in meditation which would help us fall into a conscious sleep-like state. We lay down in the corpse pose position, covered with blankets and listened as she began the meditation. Within probably the first 5 minutes I had fallen asleep but awoke when I heard her saying, “Do not fall asleep.” Oops! I believe I stayed awake for the remainder of the hour in a dreamy relaxed state of consciousness.

A couple of nearby people snored softly and I started to wish I had a pillow because the folded up blanket beneath the back of my head was feeling rather cement-like. I had no idea how much time had passed and my ability to lay so utterly and completely still without fidgeting surprised me. Without giving away all the secrets, when the instructor brought us out of our nidra I was astonished an hour had already passed. I found the experience to be a good one and will definitely attend another yoga nidra.

Snow angels

Winter landed early and I couldn't wait to get outside and play. At 7 a.m. I started bugging my husband to get the skis out of the rafters in the garage so I could ski around the neighborhood while the snow was still fresh and nice. I glided for about 90 minutes in car tracks and then took a jaunt into the field. But the knee-deep snow made gliding too hard. Afterwards, I had more fun knocking the snow out of our trees and those of our neighbors to help keep the limbs from breaking and also did a little shoveling. I think we've seen the worst of this storm but to be honest, I'd love to get snowed in for a few days! :)

Weatherman Draw

We joined some running club friends on a hike to view American Indian pictographs in south-central Montana near the Wyoming border. The weather turned out to be perfect and while our group was small, we were big in enthusiasm.

The area was typical of the high plains of Montana: dusty and rocky with lots of scrub vegetation. The panoramic views provided a nice backdrop to imagine the Indians of yesteryear riding across the prairie on horseback. An occasional wispy white cloud drifted lazily overhead but the sky was mostly unmarred and the most spectacular shade of blue. Looking out for miles and miles in any direction gives one the feeling they can almost see into both the past and the future. The innumerable sage and short evergreen shrubs provided an aromatic sensory experience. Small purple and yellow wildflowers dotted our way as we walked along. Despite our diligent avoidance, the prickly pear cactus and cheat grass annoyingly invaded our footware and socks as we tromped our way up the trail.

We headed towards the little valley that supposedly has the largest collection of Native American rock art on the continent with some dating back to over 1,000 years. The area is also known as the "Valley of the Shields or the "Valley of the Chiefs." Several years ago, a controversy erupted when Phil Anschutz, a billionaire businessman, wanted to drill for oil on the land. Through the coordinated efforts of several tribes and non-profit organizations, this sacred area has been spared that fate.

We did not find all of the pictographs but did find several. While they are still quite visible, they will eventually erode through the effects of time and elements. We wondered why they chose the canvases they did. Each sandstone surface appeared to be carefully prepared before the paint was applied. The sandstone texture was different beneath the art; it was if the surface had been sanded and smoothed.

The art we saw depicted shields with heads and sometimes tails and the photos do not do justice.

We took our time searching the area for more art. We crawled over bolders and squeezed between massive sheets of rock while always being alert for rattlesnakes. The wildlife actually seemed rather sparse; a bunny here, a hawk there, and a few snake skins. There was lots of scat so we knew larger animals were in the area. Skeletal remains in various conditions were common. One small scull appeared to be completely intact and we guessed it to be of a rabbit. This was a day of wonder and awe and gave us all an appreciation of all things great and small. With childlike curiosity we took turns examining the little scull and opened and closed its jaw trying to align the tiny teeth. What happened to the poor little thing?

No one in our party was in any hurry to leave this special place and we looked for every excuse to delay our departure. We found massive bolders to sit on while we dined on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and plums freshly picked from someone's garden. Together we marvelled at the natural beauty of the area and grew closer as friends through this shared experience.

Disconnect the brakes

After a recent 2 hour bike ride that proved to be rather difficult, I realized my front brake was pressing against the rim of the bike tire. Not knowing how to properly fix this, I decided to disconnect the brake and oh, what a difference that made.

Today, I rode with wild abandon. It was as if the wind were constantly at my back and the out-and-back course downhill in both directions. The day was a beaut -- one of those last minute summer surges before fall really sets in. The sky was cloudless, the blue endless, and the temp deliciously warm and inviting. The Sunshine Store was open for business and I was determined to make the best of an afternoon off.

I left my house without a plan or a purpose other than to enjoy the feel of the sun on my bare back and shoulders. With child-like delight, I pedaled my bike down the concrete bike trail to the river about as fast as my strong legs would allow. Giant grasshoppers -- dead and alive --littered the concrete trail. While riding through Coulson Park, one locust took flight and flew along next to me for what seemed like an amazingly long time.

Simple things make me happy like the sun warming my skin and the wind blowing in my hair as I propel my body through space. Funny how much difference an overly tight brake can make. I couldn't help but wonder what other "brakes" in my life are creating problems. What else can I disconnect to make the pedaling easier and the ride more care-free?

I look forward to exploring new areas in my life in which I can disconnect the brakes in the hopes of moving forward more easily and unencumbered.

Patience

So the running isn't going too well thanks to this sciatic/S.I. issue plus my left leg/knee bone is still sore 5 weeks after my fall during my Bighorn trail run. Hubby thinks I need an xray and I'm wondering if he may be correct. There is some improvement but overall a significant amount of tenderness remains. I'm trying to view this period of downtime as an opportunity to explore other interests and to catch up on some things I've been meaning to do.

You may wonder how that's working out for me. Well, honestly, not too well. I've been doing a fair amount of biking but it's just not the same. I miss going on long runs with friends and the satisified and exhilarted feeling you get afterwards.

I keep reminding myself to be patient; this is a good time to back off for a while. Patience... patience...


PATIENCE

If thou speakest not I will fill my heart with thy silence and endure it.
I will keep still and wait like the night with starry vigil
and its head bent low with patience.
The morning will surely come, the darkness will vanish,
and thy voice pour down in golden streams breaking through the sky.

~RABINDRANATH TAGORE

Let it snow!

I had an interesting yoga class last night. After a month or so off, I'm trying to get back into shape and regain the strength I lost. I arrived at the 7:00 class and the room was already warm. I changed clothes and swiped on a little deodorant - a free sample of some untested brand that I'd tossed in my gym bag. I unfurled my mat between 2 people: Valentina from Russia who is so flexible she could be her own circus act and a new guy who has a shaved head and a very fit looking body AND the longest mat I have ever seen. I commented on the size of his mat in my best imitation of Little Red Riding Hood, "Myyyyyy, what a long, black mat you have!"

Shaved Head Guy is doing a little warm up. Actually, what he is doing strikes me as showing off because he is doing all kinds of tricky yoga stuff that is great for impressing friends at parties and that I cannot do . So the teacher arrives and asks the new guy what kind of yoga experience he has. "OH, I used to do a lot of ashtanga but it's been a few years." Great, that means Jeff is going to ratchet the class up a bit to accommodate this guy and I'm really not up to that.

We start our practice and our body temps quickly rise with our exertion. The new guy's shaved head is covered in beads of sweat and his shirt is soaked. I'm having my own struggles trying to keep up with all the sun salutations. Plus the smell of this new deodorant is really starting to gag me. The more I sweat, the more it seems to engage and I begin to fear that everyone is smelling it. I glance at Shaved Head's mat and notice it is covered with mini sweat puddles. I look at my own yoga mat and notice there are tiny white deodorant balls all over it. I'm snowing deodorant balls from my arm pits. I think I'd rather have sweat puddles than deodorant snow.

I quivered and wobbled my way through the class and I have to say it feels DAMN good to be back in yoga again -- deodorant snow balls and all.

Decisions....decisions....

For the last few months I have agonized over whether or not I should sign up for the Portland Marathon. Initially, it seemed like a good idea because a good running friend was going to make that her first marathon and we could've trained together. Plus, I love Portland and would enjoy another trip there. Initially, I wasn't sure I could get through an entire marathon but after finishing the Bighorn, I decided I could do it. There were lots of good reasons to make Portland my first yet I still struggled.

Finally, I decided that if the decision is this hard then maybe it isn't the right thing for me to do. My heart simply isn't into training for a marathon. There are too many other ways I want to spend my time other than running. Maybe I will feel differently in the future but for right now this is the right decision. Besides, the half marathon really is the perfect distance.