Thanksgiving in Durango, Colorado

We made the drive to Durango to spend Thanksgiving in my sister’s new house. The drive from Dallas to Durango is long but with good music it went by a lot faster than expected.

It was great to see my sister and hang out with her. They just had a house built and it was my first time to see it. Their new house is nice (my favorite part is the amethyst in the granite countertops or maybe the 20ft ceilings.) They live on 60 acres on a mountain. It was nice to be in nature even though it was cold. I feel like I got to reset myself.

We took all 3 dogs with us, they loved adventuring the property. Bear especially loved the cold. They did great and after we would walk them they would sleep the rest of the day and through the night. Literally ALL day. I took this picture because I couldn’t believe my brother went to bed at 6 pm. The dogs had been laying there for hours already. The night before thanksgiving we went to a really nice restaurant called seven rivers. It was super delicious, but not as good as our thanksgiving food. My mom has been watching Gordon Ramsey religiously, so her cooking has gone up another notch (I didn’t know it was possible.) Super delicious and wonderful. My sister made 2 apple crumble pies and a key lime pie. Needless to say I always wear stretchy pants when I eat for thanksgiving and Christmas.

As far as practicing, I had plans to go to the Iyengar studio in Durango, but it was closed the whole week. Instead I practiced in the living room. I did more Pranayama than anything. When we first got there the altitude change was weighing on my lungs. The air is so thin, and feels like you can’t get enough air. I practiced asana, just a few inversions then I would do Pranayama. I could feel the drastic difference in breathing after practicing Pranayama. When my mom complained about not being able to breathe enough. I laid her over a bolster and opened her up. She said she could believe how much better she felt. (The power of Yoga)

When we got to Durango it wasn’t snowing and it was about 38 degrees outside. When I left it was 14 and snowing. There wasn’t snow in the forecast but the day before, my dad said “it’s going to snow tomorrow.” I said “No it isn’t it’s not in the forecast.” His reply “It’s going to snow tomorrow because I want it bad enough.” And then it did snow the next day.

My sister has been making some really cool stuff for the IYNAUS 2019 convention. Her latest creations are glass crystals. The white dot in the middle of the blue crystal is actual opal. This is my favorite thing my sister has made.

I think it pretty cool to see their glass progress as the practice more and more. When I saw these crystals my sister is making I fell in love with them. They are so small and cute. I see her stuff when she posts it online but they are so much cuter in person.

This eye reminds me of the ice dragon on game of thrones.

After leaving Colorado I stopped in San Angelo and stayed with Stacie. This was my first year missing her families thanksgiving, so it only felt natural to go stay with her. On Saturday morning we went to the studio and practiced together. It was wonderful to see her and of course to do yoga. It was a very short visit but I think the next time I see her is at teacher training in January. It really meant a lot to me to see her before I went home to Dallas.

And Lastly, I had to share this tree in my backyard. When I left it was green and when I came home it looked like this.

With love and light,

Namaste,

Sky☀️☁️

Eddy and Mary workshop 11/9-11/2018

Eddy and Mary are probably the most perfect couple I’ve ever seen. They didn’t even have to make full sentences to communicate. They are so much fun, and of course 4 eyes are better than 2. While one is teaching the other is working on people with injuries and making corrections. This is only my second time to experience their teaching and it was such a pleasure. I absolutely enjoy one teacher but there is something about having an 2 teachers that make it a lot of fun. I hope to see more tag-team teaching in the future of Iyengar Yoga.

Note that my notes are only what I could remember after several hours class. They are my best interpretation, I am missing a few details and such. It was a long weekend.

** Since my hamstring is injured they gave a bunch of good info on how to help it and it does feel better after practicing like this.

Friday evening 11-9-18

“Finding the sense of direction”

Day 2 asana session 1 (am)

“Different types of movement”

Day 2 session 2 (pm)

Day 3 Asana class 11-11-18

“Buttocks failure class”

When there are workshops there are also Yoga reunions, Dinners, ice cream adventures, and pie runs at 10 pm. I think more than the workshop I enjoyed the group that was here this weekend. There was such good, positive, energy. I’m very grateful for such a strong, loving community.

That’s all for now.

With love and light,

namaste,

-Sky☀️☁️

Modified Plan

Everything in life doesn’t go according to plan. I planned on practice galavasana last week, that didn’t happen.

Last Monday in class we were doing ustrasana, and I heard “take your arms overhead, bring them to the floor.” One hand was pulled to the right ankle and one hand was pulled to the left ankle. “There, that’s kapotasana.” Just like that Randy threw me in kapotasana. It didn’t take a ton of warming up to get into it, like I thought I needed.

In this very brief Kapotasana moment I realized how much my mind holds me back. I really thought I couldn’t do it without hours of warming up first. Then I was proven very wrong. Every night last week I was put into Kapotasana. By Thursday the “I can’t” changed to “let’s do this”.

Although I didn’t practice galavasana like I had planned I went with the flow and practiced toward Kapotasana another week. I learned about the limitations I put on myself, as far as saying or thinking “I can’t”. I think this often during certain poses. Now I’m trying to retrain my brain by not saying or thinking “I can’t” while I’m practicing asanas. (Even during forward bends).

Saturday morning one of the students brought her granddaughter to class, she’s 10. She could bend in every direction. (Before class I watched her do chakrasana.)We had about 10 minutes before I taught, so we played a game. I would do a pose and then she would do it…. then I showed her some backbend pictures of Mr. Iyengar and said “here do this.” She said “I can’t”. I just watched her do all this crazy stuff, I knew she could do it. I said “Don’t say you can’t. Yes you can, it’s in your head. I’ll help you.” And with minimal effort on my end she was in nataranjasana, eka pada raja Kapotasana and Kapotasana. I told her “don’t lose what you’ve gained practice everyday. It only gets harder as you age.”

I miss teaching kids they are so excited to do yoga, they are flexible and can get into all of the “pretzel” poses, and they pick up Sanskrit incredibly fast.

——-menstruation talk below———–

This next week’s focus is to practice the menstruation sequence. I have been radiating PMS and chocolate cravings. I do not practice the menstruation sequence religiously and here are some of the observations I’m having in my body.

The exact day before I start my cycle, while I’m practicing,

•It feels like the muscle is falling of the bone

•My muscles shake and I have no control over it

•I want to cry in certain poses

•I feel really thick and heavy

•I have thoughts of leaving class early (to get chocolate)

•Sweating, don’t get me started on how much I sweat.

•All poses are equally difficult, no such thing as effortless effort.

•I whine more than usual (if you didn’t notice)

I only do this the day before I start. Any other day I can push through class. Does anyone else have these symptoms? I feel stronger after I have actually started my cycle. Then I crave inversions and backbends, unfortunately.

This week in my own practice, I’m going to be nice to myself, and recover my body for the workshop with Eddy and Mary this weekend. (Again this is what I have planned, always subject to change.)

P.S. Dont forget to sign up for the 2019 Iyengar Yoga Convention. My sister and her boyfriend have a booth at the Market. Here is a peak of some of their latest work. All made of 100% hemp and handmade glass beads.

With love and light,

Namaste,

Sky☀️☁️