Oh man, I really need to get my balance back. Feeling very much out of whack at the moment.
Spent the weekend doing busy things, after a busy week, and am paying for it now. On Tuesday night I took some 'wild women' out for their first time wild camping. It's something I've only done sporadically myself but my friend Anna had organised a 'wild night out' across the country - she's the instigator of Microadventures and has done insane and incredible things like cycling round America and running up New Zealand. We've been friends since school, as we were in the same form, and although I'm not a sporty soul in the same way, I adore her enthusiasm, passion and inclusivity. She understands the barriers women face in doing things like camping and works at helping them overcome. It's what I'd like to do with my own practice.
We had a great time on Oxshott Heath, even if I did get bitten in a number of awkward places, and enjoyed a night under the clouds (and tarp) full of prosecco and spaghetti bolognaise! I hope they will all do it again and feel emboldened by our efforts.
All of this meant that my burgeoning tight back got even worse, so yoga the last couple of days has been hard. I see my physio on Friday and am looking forward to some release! I've also felt too tired to go to Pilates or Pump, which is not a good thing!
On Sunday night I tried restorative yoga for the first time, at The Yoga Hutch with Sarah, who offers a real variety of classes. I assumed it would be similar to yin but it's really not. The only prop we used was a blanket to protect our necks, and poses varied from held sphinx to a shoulder opener on your side, not sure of the name, along with some good old fashioned legs up the wall stuff. It was extremely relaxing when my shoulders weren't aching and I did find myself zoning out somewhat during the pranayama elements. I really appreciate Sarah, and had forgotten how much I get out of her classes. She said yesterday that advanced yoga isn't about complex poses but about exploration of something deeper. I really appreciated that, as someone with limitations on poses.
Today I had workplace vinyasa flow with Tammy. It hasn't been my best day - I woke up late and got in half an hour late, then realised I'd booked the wrong day off for a seminar, and work has also been really hectic. Compounding that is the issues with my tight back, along with a super glamorous infected big toe from a slightly too deep cut, and I found myself struggling with getting into vinyasas, with balancing effectively even in chair pose. And to top it all off, I'd forgotten my Sweaty Betty sweatband, so I drenched my mat and myself and was later asked if I'd been swimming by a colleague! Great.
Tammy also said something about yoga being about the experience within yourself and not about being some perfect being, and it made me think that I've chosen my teachers well! Tammy makes me feel so positive and happy about my practice, even when I'm flopping out in exhaustion, as I did a lot of today, particularly on side planks! Because workplace yoga is increasingly unreliable due to numbers, I'm hoping to start taking some classes with Tammy externally. I really want her to teach me consistently and am hopeful we can make something work.
The lesson is, don't forget to schedule your physio. And keep trying new things!