I was pretty distracted today. My mind was full of chatter and thoughts were swirling through my head as I moved through my practice, causing me to shake and fall out of postures. At one point even my lips were shaking! It was definitely one of my harder days. It didn’t help that I chose a spot in the room that during Savasana, or Corpse Pose I would stare up at the fan, which was very distracting in its movements. And to top it all off, I think pulled a muscle in my neck by either doing something in class or by sleeping in a contorted position last night. It’s probably a combination of both and the result is a very stiff neck. Despite all of this I finally moved towards the front today – what a difference it makes to look at yourself more clearly. I’ll have to try different areas of the room to see the differences. I need to keep reminding myself that it’s never going to be comfortable!
I’m still working on Pranayama, or Standing Deep Breathing. During the exhale, it seems my neck is in an unnatural position and today the instructor kept telling me to open my chest. And when I did, I jacked my head further back beyond my comfort zone. Not sure if this is causing my current neck pain – it does seem like a likely result of today’s class. I am amazed at how mood really affects the day’s practice. However I must say it relaxed me well enough for my interviews. It’s a way better feeling than going in all jacked up on coffee, because you know you will crash at some point. I like the feeling of being energized and relaxed at the same time. There’s no crashing either, just a relaxed state before falling asleep. How wonderful this is!
