Happy Mat Tales

I had a few beers last night and a damn good belly laugh so today, I was ready for the mat. The class was really positive and calming and I was able to do headstand again with the help of my gorgeous teacher Sarah. I can't really explain how this pose makes me feel other than it is the king of asanas. Amazing.

We also did a lot more meditation and a new chant (for me) with the sound of mmmm. Since I started joining in with the chanting, I'm totally devouring the way the sound moves through me and joins everyone else's sound to become one. Pretty powerful stuff.

Things I am loving right now:

• health nuts and the wonderful people that have joined, supporting each other and just having fun
  
• my relationship, we are getting stronger and stronger each year and we decided to celebrate 5 years in May by getting something designed and made from Love & Hatred
  
• my friends, they know how to make me laugh way down deep in da belly man
• Dax getting better, we've taken him to the vet again and he is now on a special diet plus antibiotics
• our new rug, blue/green plushness and no piss!
• chamomile and spearmint tea, yum
  

Things I am not loving right now:

• construction work outside the yoga studio
• cat piss
• caffeine hangovers
  

I'm off to catch up on some blogs today and then I'll plan my meals and exercise for the week. I'm not going to have a repeat of last week. It's going to be a great day chilling with a solid start to a new week...

Filthy Mat Tales

It's been a tough week. I haven't done my yoga practice for at least a week now and I'm really feeling it. I've been eating like crap too. I went to class this morning filthy and even my teacher noticed I wasn't quite getting into it but she did say that at I at least kept using my Ujjayi breathing which is good. She always has a knack of putting a positive spin on something to not bring you down but it was still hard. To top it off, there was construction work going on right outside.

Now I've gotta vote, then go buy a new rug from IKEA. Little Dax has got the dreaded "crystal" wee problem so he's been pissing all over the place, including the rug which we had to throw out.

One step at a time today.

I'll update more later...

Just how busy are you really?

If you can watch a couple hours of TV in the evening, you might not be as busy as you say. Check out Playing the Edge's latest post - click here.

Crimespace

Dan's blogging world has evolved. If you're into reading and/or writing crime, go check out what's brewing at the bar.

Crimespace ... "A place for crime fiction readers, writers and lovers to schmooze, booze and draw up plans for the heist to end all heists. Find new authors to delve into and discuss the latest in crime fiction. Join up and enter the forums. Share photos, videos and make some friends.Pull up a chair at the bar and share your poison."

Now we just need a dieting, yoga, fitness caper! Make it your next short story challenge?

Yoga, Cycling & Sun

I'm at home today. Sick day. Why? Sunstroke and general feeling of the wobbles.

Missy here thought she was wonder woman. I had just completed two rejuvenating yoga classes with Sarah at Samadhi Yoga over the weekend and was ready for more. Only problem is that more was after a yoga class and the hottest part of the day!

Cath, myself and the boys headed off on our bikes a little after 11am. Last weekend we rode around the local park but this week it was time for an adventure. We were on a mission to find a cycle path. We headed down the Princes Highway and finally found where a cycle path began.

The ride was so much fun! It also ended up being a 28km bike ride (2 hours) where we made it all the way to Brighton Le Sands and the beach looked so enticing. Shame we didn't have our swimming gear. We could have kept cycling but our senses told us otherwise so we headed back to the City. It was a gorgeous day but very VERY hot and stupid me had only put on one application of 15+ sunscreen.

After the ride, we all went home to have showers. We could have collapsed and gone to sleep quite easily but instead met up at The Rose of Australia in Erskineville (local pub) for a feed and some beer. That beer went down well but we were all barely sitting upright. We could only manage one beer before we had to waddle back home for more rest.

It was a fantastic weekend and it's great that we found something that the guys love to do also because there is no way I'm ever going to be able to get Dan to try a yoga class. But yeah, now I'm paying for it with the burn. My arse is fine, thanks for asking LOL ;-) When you're riding for so long, you learn to ride while standing a lot.

Other than that, I am so impressed with my fitness. I also realised just how much yoga helps with other aspects of my life like cycling too. I felt strong.

Off again now to try and cool down. I also want this headache gone!

No camera, no photos. We saw some great areas of Sydney along the way though. Next time.

International Women's Day

"International Women's Day (Thursday 8 March) is an occasion marked by women's groups around the world. This date is also commemorated at the United Nations and is designated in many countries as a national holiday. When women on all continents, often divided by national boundaries and by ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic and political differences, come together to celebrate their Day, they can look back to a tradition that represents at least nine decades of struggle for equality, justice, peace and development."

Do something positive for women and celebrate each other!

Some ideas:

• donate to Oxfam Unwrapped - Safe Refuge for Women
  
• donate to your nearest women's shelter, home, hospital
• dedicate your yoga and meditation practice to the wellbeing of women all over the world
• send flowers to your mother, sister, friend, teacher
• send an card/email/sms to your mother, sister, friend, teacher and let them know how wonderful they are

Cheers to all the wonderful women I have crossed paths with in blogger world over the past few years!

Winning Isn't Everything

Scoot on over to Cupcakes & Yoga....this has got to be my favourite post of the day!

Dosha Trip

Ayurveda is an ancient system of disease prevention, health care, and healing. Conservative estimates place the origins of Ayurveda in the Himalayan mountains 5000 years ago. In fact, 3000 year old Ayurvedic texts which comprehensively include everything from advanced surgical techniques to herbalism, and from obstetrics to geriatrics are readily available. This makes Ayurveda the most enduring time-tested and proven healing modality available in the world today.

In Ayurveda the diagnosis of disease and individual constitutions is in terms of three psycho-physical doshas, or humors, called Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. The literal meaning of dosha is 'fault' because these three humors are the three ways in which the body tends to move out of balance. Each persons psycho-physical constitution can be described in terms of one or a combination of these doshas. The following is a short description of the doshas to help you determine which dosha your constitution or an imbalance is so you can decide exactly which remedy is right for you.

I went to my first "Introduction to Ayurveda" class tonight and to be absolutely honest, my bullshit bells were going off. When I have my periods, they ring even louder. But this is my first introduction to Ayurveda and I look forward to learning more about it.

I don't like rules and I don't like to be put in a box and categorised so when we were being introduced to the doshas, it was a little trying for me because I felt like I was in another work group seminar and deciding whether I fit into the blue group, the green group or like always, I seem to fit into every group.

Tonight was no different. I have qualities from every group fairly equally, which would then mean that I'm enlightened and of course, that could not be right. Dosha literally means imbalance so if you are balanced, you don't need to be fixed.

What is an enlightened state anyway and how would you really know? I have a tendency to think that people who claim to be enlightened are simply egoists on a trip and people who claim that they can tell what dosha you are by simply looking at you well, I wasn't open to it tonight.

I'm probably sounding a little too cynical (and may have even missed the point) but this is my honest first impression and it's interesting for me to note how I react to new ideas initially. I think it all depends on the way it's being presented to me also so I need to make sure I go off and do some more self study. Open my mind and really give this a fair go. I have another 2 hour class next Monday.

Update
I never made it to the second class. I'm not that interested in learning more about it at this stage but might in the future.

Good Vibes

Firstly, Happy Birthday Mum. My yoga practice this morning was dedicated to you.

Doing yoga everyday really sets my mood and makes me feel like I can do and deal with anything. It's been a relatively good week but we've had to deal with some serious issues on a personal front. We had to do whatever it took to make the situation better and not be selfish. I had to stop trying to make sense of everything also because sometimes there just is no answer. Pretty vague huh!

In other news, I met the lovely Crankybee for brekky after yoga this morning. Gorgeous girl and I love blogging for the pure fact that I have now met some of the most amazing women.

After brekky, it was time to buy a bike. I've been buzzing since we came back from Dubbo and the bike I bought before was too big for me. It's a cheapy but good for someone like me who isn't going to ride everyday. I'm looking forward to some hardcore rides on the weekends. It's a 20" Norco Mountaineer 2007 model. Mucho happy and my man bought it as a gift for me. Now that messes with my independence but thank you big time!

Alrighty, I'm off again to enjoy the weekend.

HAPPY MARDI GRAS wonderful boys and girls in Sydney! Not only is it a gorgeous day but it looks to stay that way for the parade too. Cheers to sexual freedom, tolerance and being kind to each other no matter who you fuck, what you do, what you believe or where you come from. Humanity, it's a beautiful thing when we're not judging each other and killing each other because of our differences.

March Yoga Challenge

Yoga everyday for a month - the original challenge.

• get up from 5-5.30am Monday - Friday before work
• go to two Samadhi classes a week
• reserve at least one day for yoga meditation
• study Patanjali's Eight Limb Path
  

Thu 1 - 10 min yoga meditation
Fri 2 - 45 min yoga shakti
Sat 3 - 75 min samadhi yoga (plus 5km bike ride)
Sun 4 - 10 min yoga meditation (plus 10km bike ride)
Mon 5 - 45 min yoga shakti (plus Ayurveda Course - Part 1)
Tue 6 - 15 min yoga meditation
Wed 7 - 45 min yoga shakti
Thu 8 - 45 min yoga shakti
Fri 9 - 15 min yoga meditation
Sat 10 - 75 min samadhi yoga
Sun 11 - 75 min samadhi yoga (plus 28km bike ride)
Mon 12 - 15 min yoga meditation
Tue 13 - 20 min yoga
Wed 14 - 10 min yoga meditation
Thu 15 - 45 min yoga shakti
Fri 16 - 10 min yoga meditation
Sat 17 - 75 min samadhi yoga
Sun 18 - 75 min samadhi yoga
Mon 19 - none
Tue 20 - none
Wed 21 - none
Thu 22 - none
Fri 23 - none
Sat 24 - 75 min samadhi yoga
Sun 25 - 75 min samadhi yoga
Mon 26 - 45 min shakti yoga (plus 30 min walk)
Tues 27 - 45 min shakti yoga (plus 60 min walk)
Wed 28 - 20 min shakti yoga
Thu 29 - 45 min shakti yoga (plus 60 min walk)
Fri 30 - 45 min shakti yoga
Sat 31 - 75 min samadhi yoga