Experience F.B.D. everyday.

On Sunday the yoga instructor said that you should experience F.B.D. on a daily basis.  It stands for something FUNNY that you can laugh at, notice something BEAUTIFUL and taste something DELICIOUS.  I have been thinking about that for the last couple of days.  I think those things are so important to experience on a daily basis.  And sometimes everyday activities can become mundane but I think that if everyone reminds themselves to experience FBD you will start noticing even the small things that are FBD.  For example, if I see someone holding the door for an elderly couple I would consider that kindness to be beautiful and sometimes rare. 
Okay...I digressed there a little but I wanted to share about "FBD" because we have so many acronyms that we use that are really meaningless but FBD actually makes sense. 
I accomplished day 3. My poor yoga mat and yogitoes took a beating during last nights storm and were laying in the grass soaked when I woke up today.  Luckily the sun was out all day and dried them up by the time I went to yoga. Today yoga really helped a lot with the stress and anxiety I have been feeling recently regarding career related things.  Tomorrow I have an interview and I feel focused and ready to go. Physically yoga was challenging today because my shoulders and biceps were sore because we do a lot of high planks and downward facing dogs (see pics below).

Downward facing dog

High Plank

It is so good for strengthing your arms and your back but my body isn't used to it yet.  

Most teachers at Corepower have you set an intention for your practice.  My idea of an intention is that you are sending out your energy for the good of someone or something, and it is usually not yourself.  I equate it to a prayer.  Today I set my intention for my mom.  She deserves some positiveness going her way.  She works extremely hard and gives herself to others constantly.  I want her to have all that she deserves.

I am finding that hot yoga makes me crave things that are healthy.  All I wanted was pineapple and water after class.  And for dinner I cooked up grilled chicken and vegetables. 

Enough about yoga for today. I need rest so I can be focused at my interview tomorrow.

I left you for myself, 365 days of yoga.

This is my first post and my second consecutive day of yoga in my personal quest to do 365 consecutive days of hot yoga.  I have done hot yoga in the past.  On and off, but never anything consistent and nothing enough to build on my strength. Hot yoga is essentially yoga in a room heated to approximately 90 degrees.  I don't know much yoga terminology or all of the names of the different poses...YET.  But I do know that when I make time for yoga it has always made me feel healthier, happier and more spiritually balanced.   I wanted to challenge myself with a goal that seems ridiculous and maybe impossible.  I am a professional with two jobs for the majority of the year and I like to maintain my sanity with a dose of fun with friends and family. Fitting exercise into a busy schedule sometimes seems impossible but I want to see where this journey takes me.  It is important to make time for myself and my health.  While I am not physically leaving anyone behind for yoga the title of the blog is more a reference to leaving behind certain negative thoughts and attitudes that were controlling my happieness. I am not a woman obsessed with the scale or counting calories but I will be sporadically checking my weight and waist in inches to see the effect. I want to see what practicing every day will do to my mind, body and spirit. I guess this blog will work as a check-in and as an accountability tool for myself.  I also hope that online I find support for my goal and maybe I will inspire other women to take time for themselves doing whatever it is that motivates them. And I hope that you will excuse me if I leave you for yoga.

Day One:  I haven't done yoga for 2 months.  Recently I have been feeling depressed and down about my job situation.  I have a job but I would like to get into the field that I have studied.  I know it is a common frustration for people seeking jobs right now.  I decided that the pity party needed to end and I wanted to feel better so I decided to go to hot yoga after work.  I had a really difficult practice today.  My strength was obviously weakened by months of no exercising.  Mentally I could NOT concentrate.  The instructor would be leading us in one direction and my body would be moving in the opposite direction.  Emotionally I became frustrated and tears started flowing. Has anyone else experienced this during yoga? I have one other time. I was just relieved that I was sweating enough that the tears weren't obvious to others. Today was rough. 

Day two:  Despite the arrival of "aunt flow" I still made it to yoga.  Last month this would have been an excuse to skip any form of exercise.  And a great reason to sit on the couch eating and watching television all day.  But I did it! I couldn't fail at my personal challenge on day two! I felt slightly faint during class but it was to be expected, I was bleeding and I was in a sauna-like room doing physical activity.  Afterwards I felt amazing and motivated.  I went home and made an a healthy dinner and drank a ton of water.  And I am just about ready to crash.