Progress

I just completed day 21 of the 30 day yoga challenge and it's going great!  I still hate downward facing dog and can't lift my legs or pretzel up like Adriene can but I'm getting so much stronger.  I actually surprised myself today when I was able to get up from a crouch using just my legs.  I cannot remember the last time I was able to do that!!  In some ways it seems silly and sad that something like that would excite me but I'm choosing to let that go and embrace how proud of myself I am.  I am praying that once this 30 day challenge is over I don't let laziness take over.  I want to continue to do a daily practice.  It's hard while I'm doing it but I feel so good after.  I'm noticing that even the shorter practices (15-20) minutes leave me feeling energized and strong.

We also got an exercise bike and some VR games that link up with it.  I've tried a few and they are fun and challenging.  I'm having a problem with the seat though.  The hubby ordered another seat to try from Amazon and it should be here on Sunday.  I've tried pushing through the pain but I just can't.  He's also had some saddle sores so maybe this new seat will fix both our problems.  He found some neat apps on the iPad that allow you to bike through different areas of the world.  Some of them even link up with the bike and you control the speed with your pedaling.  Technology is amazing!!

I'm feeling better every day although I still have quite a bit of hip and back pain especially in the morning.  I've started taking some Tylenol at night when I go to bed and that seems to help me get a better nights sleep.  My hips will tend to wake me up and the Tylenol is curbing that pain.  I don't really like taking it but if it gets me past this point to where I am strong and fit enough that the pain subsides on it's own, I'm willing to do that.

I'm also doing very well on eating within my macros and while this week wasn't as successful on the scale as I'd hoped, I'm still down 6# since January 1st and almost 12# since I started counting macros in November.  But more than that I just feel better and stronger.  I know that everything else will follow.  I just need to be consistent.

YWA - Day 1

I have a love-hate relationship with yoga - I hate the actual doing of it but I love the flexibility and strength I gain.  For several years I've heard about the Yoga with Adriene 30 Day Journey that she does every January on her YouTube channel.  I decided that this year will be the year I will take part.  In the intro yesterday she said the hardest part will be showing up and that is so true!  It's 9pm and I just finished the first day's practice!!  I thought about it this morning and then forgot all about it until an hour ago - sheesh!!  But...A for the day for me because I got up and did it!

In the beginning it actually hurt my hips (especially my left one) to sit cross legged on my mat.  I have to admit that got me worried a little bit that I'd be able to make it through.  As usual I had trouble with my hands and wrists while trying to hold the poses like tabletop and downward dog - that part is nothing new at all and I'm hopeful that as I keep with it over this next 30 days things will get better.  I had to drop down to child's pose several times to rest but I'm pleased with what I was able to do tonight.  When we were sitting crossed legged at the end to take our final breaths I noticed that my hip didn't hurt quite as much - yay progress!!!

One thing I really liked about the practice today is that I was able to just do what I could do and not feel pressured because I felt like someone was watching me.  That was always an issue at the gym even though my logical brain knows that everyone else is busy paying attention to their own stuff and not my stuff.  That old self-conscious monster lurks ever present in my head regardless of my beating it with the logical stick.  LOL!  Overall I'm very happy with my practice today and look forward to what tomorrow brings.