I have been feeling a bit under the weather since Friday and all throughout the weekend. I've been sleeping past midnight but I always wake up with an alert mind but with a body wanting to stay longer in bed. It's been kind of crazy.
It started on Wednesday night after J and I watched Rurouni Kenshin: Kyoto Inferno and I went home sneezing like there's no tomorrow. The following day, although wanting to sleep more, I hauled myself out of bed and attended yoga class with my friend, JR. It was exactly what I needed to perk me up. Admittedly though I felt a bit weak during practice, feeling my arms shake while on plank. Upon getting home, I took a nap that went down longer than I wanted it to resulting to not being able to sleep again before midnight. I ended up watching the first Rurouni Kenshin movie, which J insisted I watch. I liked it a lot. I slept around 3am but still got up in time for work a few hours later. I was even quite productive at work and I felt so triumphant at the end of the day.
Saturday was laundry day and I had so much time left that I decided to do some major cleaning in my room. I rearranged what little furniture I have in the room and slept before midnight enveloped in fresh, clean sheets. I woke up on Sunday feeling so fresh and strong. I braved Sunday yoga class and throughout class, I felt in perfect condition. I didn't feel weak and it felt so good to be able to hold poses and not feel a part of my body tremble. The class I took last Sunday was one of the best classes I've had in Urban Ashram Manila so far. Not because I felt strong but because the teacher was great. The class was led by Maricar.
That night, I still felt so energized that I once again slept way past midnight. I was even able to catch the documentary on Ninoy Aquino's assassination on a local TV channel and how much of it still remains a mystery.
Yesterday, I once again woke up feeling tired but I was decided to attend yoga class because it was Share-A-Yoga day at the studio and I invited my cousin to share the practice with me. They arrived so early so we went to the studio an hour early. The class was led by Carla and it was the first time I ever had her as a teacher. I enjoyed her class so much so that I plan on attending her Sunday FNR classes in the future.
There were several poses that were new to me. These were challenging to me and I always felt a sense of achievement each time I was able to perform the pose - maybe not entirely correctly but the important thing was that I was trying and was enjoying in the process. Towards the end of the class, we did several balancing poses. The one pose we did that I really liked started out in garland pose. Carla then asked us to bind one leg with our arms and asked us to try, if we can, to stand up and balance. I was able to do it out of sheer determination and curiosity. When I couldn't hold the pose the first time I tried it, I realized quickly that a lot of what I have to overcome is confidence. Confidence that I can do it despite my newness in the practice. It was also overcoming the fear of standing out for fear of making a fool out of myself because only a handful was able to come up to standing. This made such a huge difference the second time I tried to do it. I was once again reminded that in practicing yoga, you only have yourself to think of and to listen to. And shutting everything out takes some getting used to.
Yesterday's practice has been so much fun, I suppose it was mostly because I shared it with my cousin who's been such an inspiration to me. At the end of the class yesterday, in between breaths, it dawned on me how I needed to be kinder to my body. And that being kind to my body doesn't have to end when I step off the mat. It means trying harder to sleep early so that my body will wake up as strong as it was last Sunday, coming to practice or to whatever I have planned with enough strength to enjoy every motion. Once again, ahimsa.
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