Checking in...

31Dec10, 9:30am: Hot Flow Yoga with Ocean Liang

Last class of 2010, and I loved it so much. I love this teacher too... I mean, who couldn't love a yoga teacher called Ocean? I've studied in a class of hers before, and now I remember how much I really liked it. I don't think I've done a Hot Flow class ever, if so, it's been a while. It was very hard but still do-able, and I was able to challenge myself!

Incorporating a yoga or fitness class into my day has become second nature to me. I believe the "21 days to make or break a habit" idea. Although for some things, it may take a bit longer for me, but I'm really happy with how this one is going. It was easy in Vancouver. I had a strong network of other like-minded fitness "Junkies" and "yogis" and I could get around the city easily. Most people spoke English as well, bonus! So, the fact that I rose to the challenge of upholding my physical fitness commitments while here in a new city -- Hong Kong, for that matter -- makes me very proud of myself. The checks on the calendars below demarcate fitness or yoga classes/activities, and double checks obviously mean that I was crazy with energy that day!

I hesitated marking when I was in Taiwan and Australia, as I didn't want to be using those trips as an excuse for not exercising. I put them on the calendar anyway, but I'm not sure how I feel about it yet... I don't think it's an excuse. I exercised the morning before I left for Taiwan, and the other two days were NUTS! I walked the city of Taipei like crazy, though and got a facial! While I was in Australia, as you all may have read in a previous post, I was interviewing for a fellowship and job for which I've been preparing (writing a proposal) for over a year. It was my first academic interview EVER! So, while I wasn't touring campus, meeting and schmoozing with scientists, giving a seminar, and having coffee, lunch, and dinner meetings, I slept and relaxed. I give myself that. I needed it, and I was proud to let myself have it. My hotel room there was bigger than my apartment, and the weather was phenomenal. So, I guess I just answered my own question. No, they aren't excuses. By putting them on there, I'm reminding myself that I am doing really well and very much enjoyed the needed relaxation time, both for my mind and my physical body!

The three goals that I have on the sidebar (left) here on this blog are for my time in HK (until May or so). Based on what I've done with Goal #1, I think that documenting my weight-loss (ok, redistribution of body composition) and water consumption would be helpful for my other two goals too. These are health-based goals, however. I am going to spend some time this weekend thinking about the other facets of my life with respect to where I am and where I'm going... stay tuned!!!

Until then, farewell to 2010... best year of my life so far... so far!!!! I will say hello to 2011 in about 10 hours... I can't wait to see how this one will unfold!

Lastly, all the best to my fellow mindful souls... thank you for reading and commenting and challenging me -- as well as yourself -- to think and keep thinking... I have loved this whole process!

Knowing thy body (does anyone say thy anymore?) and relativity

28Dec10, 8:30pm Bodypump with Xiomara (very high energy Brazilian!)

28Dec10, 9:30pm Hot Yoga with Serena Chan

I also vowed to go to bed by midnight last night, which was made easy by how exhausted (in a good way) that I was after both classes. However, I know I didn't eat enough before I went and far enough in advance before my workouts, as I was ravenous when I got home. A kid's size yogurt cup did the trick though and wasn't too much that I couldn't go to sleep pretty fast. Striking that balance for me has been difficult, as you all well know by now. How much sleep, how much exercise, how much food, how much caffeine, how much water? And, when to do all of this? I can feel that I'm totally off of my schedule right now, but I'm working on at least getting back to waking up early. I love getting my day started early, and as a result of going to bed at midnight (or a few min. after) last night, I woke up this morning at 5:30am no problem! I didn't go to morning yoga however, as I was sore and tired from last night, but I'm looking forward to a full, productive day of work, and I've already gotten in a good couple hours of email checking (and blogging) already and still no one has arrived to the office/lab.

The other idea I am contemplating right now is about relativity... not necessarily Einstein's, but ideas relative to other ideas, relative distance, relative in a quantifiable sense. I am one that compares, to my own demise too as I compare myself to others constantly. In my field of work, we are taught to compare, and we are compared to others as well. It's just how it is. I have been fortunate that recently I've been noted as being successful for "this stage in her career" which is a nice caveat that helps, but it's still a comparison to others at "this stage." In yoga, I find myself listening closely to the teacher as he/she helps to adjust (verbally) other students. I make sure that I can make those corrections too, if necessary. Is this a comparison? Am I correcting my postures relative to others' strengths, weaknesses, levels of flexibility, etc.? Furthermore, my teacher last night, Serena Chan, was the type that would go around and make tiny adjustments to your postures in addition to verbal cues. What I realized, since, once again I managed myself into a class where about 95% of it was taught strictly in Cantonese, that I really missed that. I really missed being able to hear what he/she was saying to other students so that I could make the same adjustments if necessary. When she came to me, she poked me with her fingernails, which I did not appreciate at all, to adjust me and said a few words in English. Yes, I can do a yoga class without being able to hear all of the auditory cues, but am I getting as much out of it? Do we get more out of life when we are able to take each step relative to the steps that are taken around us? Hmmm....

Back on track

22Dec2010, 7am Hot Yoga with Shirley Wong

23Dec2010, 11am Body Pump with Juan, 20 min. sprints on treadmill

24Dec2010, 7am Silent Hot Yoga with Martina Lee

Silence is a virtue...

What a weekend...

I've got so much to write about, but now is not the time, as I'm absolutely, positively exhausted and have a personal training session with Wallace at 7am Mon. morning. Meanwhile, my topics list is as follows:

1Dec10: no yoga or fitness and TONS of walking

2Dec10: no yoga or fitness

3Dec10, 6:30pm: Power Yoga with Jasmine (Kim joined me)

4Dec10, 12noon: Hot Yoga with Michael Lau (Kim joined me)

5Dec10: no yoga or fitness but TONS of walking

- holding on to pain, if we hold on to it, e.g. after a particularly tough yoga posture or weight-lifting sequence, our body remembers and won't try again...

- practicing no harm, meaning even no harm to ourselves...

- more on time... especially with a loved one

I shall return when I have some sleep!

My fitness...

In no particular order, I would like to post goals that I will strive for to the best of my abilities while I'm here representing HK resident #8,000,001.

Goal #1: I will try one new fitness or yoga class or teacher per week, while aiming to do either one yoga class or one fitness class/work-out of some sort per day.

My new gym and yoga studio both host a ridiculous number of classes each day, a few of which I've tried already. I've liked them all so far, but I've already found myself gravitating toward one or two teachers and away from a couple as well. Instead of sticking to my comfort zone, i.e.

doing classes I know I will like, or that I know I'll be relatively good at, teachers I already have had and like, for this goal, I'll branch out a bit, try one of those bizarre classes I've never heard of. For example:

"Jivamukti – Jiva – meaning individual soul and – Mukti meaning liberation – comes from the Sanskrit word Jivanmuktih – liberation while living. This yoga

method was founded by David Life and Sharon Gannon to aspire for greater peace, unity, environmental awareness and karma consciousness. Ahimsa, one of the five tenets of Jivamukti, is the core to the sacred belief in oneness of beings, urging the avoidance of harm and violence. A Jivamukti yoga class is a vigorous physical and intellectual stimulating practice that combines chanting, asanas, breathing exercises, music, meditation and practice of devotion through simple scriptural reading."

I'm not really into the chanting... not so much at all, actually... but why not? What would I have to lose? So, while reading through the class descriptions and realizing my "yeah right" response to this Jivamuktki, I thought I'd challenge myself a bit. We'll see what happens! You will definitely read about my progress.