By Sarah Cook
I marked today—the half-way mark of the 40-day challenge—with 2 hours and 15 minutes of yoga practice on my new mat (yes, I won the check-in contest...I’m a lucky girl). How did I go from someone who could hardly stand a 40-minute class to someone who can double down and do two yoga classes in one morning? I’m convinced that for me, it is the right time in my life to re-invent myself—to dig a little deeper emotionally, to open myself up to new experiences, and to focus on self-care.
I’m continuing to see physical changes, as are my personal trainer (she continues to be impressed with my core strength improvements) and massage therapist (he noted how much my muscle tone in my thighs has improved). Although I still have twinges of neck and knee pain, I find they come around less often and I feel better equipped to deal with them physically and mentally. None of this is terribly surprising.
What does surprise me? Intellectually, I’m finding “the zone” more easily and more often. I’m better at blocking out distraction at work and staying laser focused on tasks. When people irritate me, I am more likely to take a step back and laugh rather than let it get under my skin. I’m finding patience with myself and others that I never knew I possessed. Mary Glover (I have no idea who she is) said, “For me, yoga is not just a workout - it's about working on yourself.” That about sums it up for me. Namaste!
(For more inspiring quotes, visit 101 Yoga quotes at http://www.lexiyoga.com/yoga-quotes.)
Sarah Cook is a Senior Product Marketing Consultant for Dell Storage. Opinions expressed here are her own.