Bottling Exercise

When my family and I set sail on a Christmas cruise this past December, Yoga and Pilates were the two classes I signed up for at sea. Back on land, I'm excited to have a found a place near my home where I can do both: Pilates one day, yoga the next -- and then throw some Zumba in there, too, and I've got quite a exercise program going on, I'd say.

Today, I am simply "bottling" the great feeling of exercise. I took a Pilates class yesterday morning and a Zumba class last night. At the end of the hour-long Pilates workout, the instructor said to me, "You make it look easy." That was sweet of her, but I still want/need to get my core strengthened far more. But, if I did "make it look easy," I'm sure the yoga teacher training program I'm doing is certainly helping with that. Talking about yoga, that's Kate Potter (yellow shirt), creator of the Namaste Yoga TV show, pictured with me (green pants) about three or so years ago.

I ended up at Zumba last night because I felt an urge to go cardio-crazy, so to speak. The class had two instructors -- lovely and lively French gals -- and we partied away, Zumba-style! (By the way, Didier, my Yoga Teacher Training teacher is also French.) The Zumba fitness room had lots of space for moving around -- and the atmosphere just made me feel like I was dancing in my own living room. After class, I joined my husband and son at their basketball practice. Initially, I was going to go with them but decided that rather than just watch my husband coach and watch my son get all of his exercise in, I might as well get some of my own in! So, it was my "date" with Zumba until I met up with my family, and so I got the best of both exercise "worlds".

Today, after Chapel at my son's school, it was off to Victoria's yoga class at the gym -- where I got to do headstands and backbends (wheel). Thanks, Victoria! Victoria received her yoga teacher's certification from the same school where I'm getting mine, so her classes feel as if they're an extension of my training program. Perhaps that's why throughout her class today, I heard Didier's voice in my head reminding me that: "Yoga is about energy," and then I could feel myself giving more energy to the postures while feeling stronger and more alive in the process. For instance, here's a little exercise where you, too, might be able to experience this difference I speak of:

~ With your arms about shoulder width apart, extend them straight up above your head and look up.

~ Bring them back down by your sides.

~ Now, with your arms hanging down by your sides, stretch your fingers open wide and begin the motion of raising your arms (shoulder width apart) above your head. Raise them with purpose and intention. Raise them as if you have the head of a tiny infant resting on your wide-opened finger tips of one hand and the infant's feet resting on the finger tips of the opposite hand. Feel the strength it takes to lift the precious "infant" up towards the sky as you look up with shoulders relaxed and away from the ears. With that stretch, remember to spread your fingers apart like five-pointed stars....because you are a star! ;-)

Did you feel the difference between the two variations of the stretch? Did you feel more electrified by the second one? I did. :-)

Exercising with Energy,

Penny

Welcome!

Thank you for stopping by my very first blog entry here at BottlingHealth.com, the place where I'll be blogging about healthy things I'm bottling in this wondrous journey of life.

So, what am I bottling today (Jan. 12)? Well, my yoga journey/training continues. Yesterday, I kicked off training with Didier Razon from Two Suns Rising Yoga, so today I am continuing to bottle the many lessons and experiences from that remarkable 10-hour day.

However, I had some yin and yang energy going on not long before the course started. It was as if there was this force trying to keep me from attending even though attending this teacher training was all I had been longing to do. To me, so many things had divinely lined up for me to start this journey that's been waiting for me and I for it, yet there was this crazy invisible force trying to stop me from going yesterday morning it seemed. First, there were a few delays at home that got me off to a later-than-planned departure time. Of course, with not a minute to spare to get to class on time...what happened? Close to halfway to the studio, I looked in my rear view mirror only to see flashing blue lights behind me -- for me. SIGH! "No, this can't be happening," I thought. But since I'm choosing to focus on the positive, let me not dwell on that speeding ticket incident and get to what I'm bottling on today's blog (although I am bottling how kind the police officer was).

~ I'm bottling the energy I felt in Didier Razon's presence (my knowledgeable yoga teacher) and the hug he gave me when I arrived at the yoga studio that made me feel so welcomed even though I was frazzled when I entered the door. What an alive spirit Didier is! So full of humor and joy! "Ah, Penny, we'll find a way to pay your speeding ticket," he said with his fun French accent. "Now when I see the police car behind me when I'm speeding," he continued to the group, "I say...'Ahh, look at the pretty Christmas lights behind me.'" LOL (Didier will have us seeing the positive in EVERYTHING by the time this training is over in June.)

~ I'm bottling his wife Ann's telephone encouragement she gave me when I called her from my car to update her about my "blue-light" delay. I sat in my car feeling blue, seriously considering waiting for Didier's next training session (months from now) as not to miss the introduction, but Ann made me see how ridiculous I was being. She was loving with her lesson to me, of course. ;-)
~ I'm bottling the adjustment Didier gave me when we were practicing inversions and I was in Shoulder Stand; he lifted my feet higher and the stretch felt in-cred-i-ble. I know I surely bottled that because I feel as if I'm still in that posture and it has been almost 24 hours since I've been out of it.

~ I'm bottling the Head Stand balance that Didier and my training partners helped me achieve. When I struck that perfect balance, I felt as if I could have hung out on my head for quite a while.

~ I'm bottling doing a series of Sun Salutations to classical music; it made me feel like a graceful ballet dancer. Music choices really do help make a difference in yoga classes.

~ I'm bottling being able to practice yoga with Didier at home, thanks to his DVD (available at http://www.didieryoga.com/).

~ I'm bottling getting this heart-touching (to the point of tears) vision of my dad during a soulful chant CD we were listening to and interacting with during class. I've always felt very spiritually connected with my dad since he passed on and, apparently, I'm in a season once again in which I'm feeling his presence really strongly. He and my mom are two blessings I'm forever grateful for! Love them!

~ I'm bottling all of the love from God I felt in class -- so many "hugs" to me, if you know what I mean. You know, just those moments when you know that, "Yes, I am so aligned with God right now." Those moments when you are clear beyond the shadow of a doubt that you are one with God. Totally supported!

~ I am bottling the wonderful spiritual discussions we had in class, including discussions of my beloved Jesus. One of the students even brought a treat to class called a "King Cake" (or something like that)...that has some symbolism to the Three Wise Men. No, it wasn't raw food, but was a very good pastry and almond/chocolate combination that I did try. I could tell that treat was prepared and served in the name of love, and I felt it was a form of respect to try a piece. It carried some symbolism with it that I wanted to be a part of. For lunch, however, I returned to raw foods with a green salad and sunflower seeds.

~ I'm bottling learning how to be active with two suns. The sun that rises everyday outside my window and the sun that rises everyday inside my heart.

Don't forget to let your inner sun shine, too!

I can feel you shining all the way over here! ;-)

Shine on...

Penny