Not too long ago I cited Eleanor Roosevelt’s quote, “Do one thing each day that scares you.” Today I revamped that quote: do one thing everyday that is hard for you.
Tonight I went to night yoga, which for me, is quite unusual because I don’t go to yoga on the weekends. I’ve been doing so well alternating yoga and fit club and it worked with my day today, I just decided to go. Pranayama breathing is always tedious. Tonight was no different. The teacher always encourages us to give our all “to set up our practice”. My goal for the breathing exercise is to simply get it over with. I’m no fool. I don’t want to tire myself out before I even begin the “real” poses by sucking in my stomach and pulling my elbows up past my ears and tilting my head back with my elbows up off of my chest, etc. Since I’ve been going to Koko Fit Club the amazing muscle strength I’ve gained (38%) since October, has been, unbeknownst to me, laying a great foundation for my yoga practice. It is a good, no…it’s a GREAT marriage of the two.
During the breathing exercise, for the first time tonight, I followed each and every bit of dialogue and didn’t even feel the least bit fatigued. Halfway through the first set I just told myself you really should do something hard for once, that’s good for you, and let it help you. This breathing exercise, if done right, WILL set up the rest of your practice and make it even more effective. Taking my own advice I dove into the second set full force. Half moon came next and I found myself trying to adjust and perfect the pose instead of praying it would be over soon. And so it went for the REST of the class. I’m not sure if it was doing the breathing exactly right or my change of attitude that made tonight’s class so awesome, but I didn’t care because I left feeling amazing.
Going tonight freed me from having to do both things in one day tomorrow to get each one in three times this week. Yoga every other day instead of everyday gives my body the time it needs to hydrate and collect those lost electrolytes. Koko in between builds the muscle I need in the hot room so I’m not straining to hold poses. They love each other. I love them both.
I value the lesson the yoga taught me tonight – do one hard thing everyday. Nothing teaches and inspires like stretching to go to a place in something each day you’ve never been before – even if it’s hard. Tomorrow I have another fit test at Koko. That will be my hard thing. I will concentrate, pay attention and try to do each exercise to the best of my ability – until I really can’t do another rep to get a real reading of my progress instead of quitting because I’m afraid it’ll make my next set of exercises too hard.
And so, as another day goes by, pranayama breathing sets up my practice, doing something that is hard sets up my life, and…I have written.
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