Wednesday, June 25, 2008

6/24/08

AOS Newport with an 8kg.
Pull-ups: 5,4,3,2.
Handstands.
Stay tuned;)

Monday, June 23, 2008

Into the clouds

6/20/08
I looked forward to yoga all day,then I took a power nap and from that point my brain felt as if packed in cotton. I was relaxed but my thoughts were muffled. It was no struggle to get to class or physically be present on the mat. Sun Salutations A and B,forward bending,triangles and the rest of standing felt great from my toes to crown of my head. Virabhadrasana was empowering and I felt alert, but my mind was in deep chill mode. Still, I was content to witness the practice and be on the mat. If had been "forcing it" I would stop and take rest. Then on to seated....as I completed Janu Sirsasana C I realized I had skipped Ardha Baddha Padma Paschimattanasana and Tiriangmukhaikapada Paschimattanasana (1/2 bound lotus forward bend and 1 leg folded back forward bend). The Sanskrit totally makes sense if you study the words and is how I learned the postures. Postures are not as complicated as they look spelled out.
I knew it was time to stop so I took my mat to the next room, re-did what I skipped+ the janus again and then to finishing sequence. Savasana was easy today. Corpse pose is said to be difficult for Westerners. Today my monkey mind was in its mental hammock and my body seemed to fall through the floor. Other students came and went through the studio doors and I played cemetery.
6/21/08
Taught classes and did my practice:
2Hsw 12 kg 100 no stop
1Hsw 16kg L/R: 3(10/10),2Hsw 20, H2H 20 no stop
Snatches 16kg 2(5/5/5/5) 20 sec active recovery jog,2(5/5/5/5) jog, 2(5/5/5/5)jog
Snatch+ Windmill 12 kg 10/10

6/22/08
Dogs are keeping me awake at night with their active dreaming feet.
Did a little dancing to rockabilly free concert ;) Little side project to not be such a square about dancing. So many smooth and passionate dancers in CR.
Last Sunday I was on The Pacuare River rafting like a mad woman. Sometimes I am scared when rafting but this year I was eating it up. Doubles as pulling exercise as well as rotational torso. I was in front right spot and had left foot tucked in pocket dealie which temporarily relieved sore heel. Rafting was a blast, and I kept all my fingernails.

Went out to do chores and just drove into the cumulo-nimbus clouds for awhile. Beautiful. One student on CR trip had never flown in a plane before and I asked him how he felt about it afterwards. He said he kept thinking he could step out into the clouds and walk. Remember that feeling?!

6/23/08
New private client today. He is not new to kbs and is coachable and strong. We went over swings,cheat curl,clean (hang,dead and swing),pressing,front squats. Overhead hold and walk reveals good stability and flexibility in the position. Opened the can of works that is TGU and I feel confident that next session we will work on this! He noted that literature and info often simply states: "Lay down and stand up with the weight fixed overhead." Hmmm...nothing about the tangle of feet or the weight yawing in front of sight line. The session was a great start to an action packed week!!

Thursday, June 19, 2008

Full Primary

6/18/08
It is great to be back on my mat/in the studio. Kim P led an inspired class! Kim was my first Ashtanga teacher, first yoga teacher really, so beginners mind is "what it is" when I attend her led or Mysore style classes.I did do asana while in Costa Rica-I took my mat and a Thera-band along. There were places along the way for pull ups. The first 5 nights we walked 4miles per night on patrol/working with Leatherbacks, when they came up on shore. Now is the end of the nesting season for them so there were not so many though each patrol group had the opportunity to work with at least one Baula (the name for Leatherbacks in CR). I think it is the Greens that arrive next.
For grip work I wrung out my laundry. Hiking in primary and secondary rain forest was lots of fresh air for the lungs. Three ample,delicious meals prepared for us each day. I felt like we ate constantly.
We played the locals in soccer and even though we mixed Ticos and Americans we toally got crushed. They also out danced us on more than one occasion, but now at least we can work on salsa and cumbia and maybe not look like total squares on the dance floor.
6/19/08
This time next week I'll be in Minnesota. I'll arrive early, catch a yoga class with Fawn and perhaps her kettlebell class. I can use some coaching on my bent press. I really don't know what to expect for Level II as far as endurance and strength demands. I'll be selective in my choice of bells. Last June I went with a 20,16 and 12 kg. That was peachy and worked out fine,except when I had to run to the rec hall restroom. Live and learn:) I'd love to attend her kb class even if to observe.
Today's bells:
3*20 reps(20kg,16kg,12kg,8kg) = 240 2hswings
2(5/5) windmill
Bent press 2/2 worked on these with rocks in CR to keep a groove. We'll see soon enough.
8 minutes tgu+windmill 12 kg

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Powering up

6/17/08
Glad to be back w/my kbs. Got in at 3am. To get going again:
5 min swings: 2h,1h/1h,h2h
cleans 2 mins switch every 30 secs
clean squat press 3 mins switch every 30 secs
chest press 2mins switch every 30 secs
snatch 10/9/8/7/6/5/4/3/2/1
tactical lunge 2mins
plank 30 secs each: elbows,straight arms,side/side,elbows
rows 2(5/4/3/2/1)
rest, if at all, 15-30 secs.