I. AM. HEALTHY.

Day THIRTY FOUR

Omigosh!  An awesome, unexpected surprise awaited me when I arrived at the studio for 7am class.  Corinne was teaching because Danielle got stuck in the blizzard in Atlantic City!  Loveee Corinne!!  How funny that all the students who walked in the door had the same reaction as me.  She definitely one of the favorites here at our studio.  :)

I explained to Corinne about my knee pain and how I think it may be emotionally induced.  She also said that if if there was a lot going on in my mind, I may not be always present in my practice and without presence, there is a lack of engagement in our bodies.  I thanked her for her last week's correction on my triangle, which helped ease the pressure off my knees (she told me I was coming down too low).  She then came around the desk and showed me how to set up for triangle properly.  In order to ensure that the weight is on both legs, she told me to imagine a finger is pushing at the hip of my extended leg forward, forcing me to to bend my knee and come down.  This way, my extended leg remains contracted, knee locked, butt tight, foot flat on the floor.  Instead, I was bending my knee to get my hips down, putting most of the pressure on the bent leg and my knee.  Setting up for triangle in class definitely helped take the pressure off...and I discovered that doing it this way, keeping that straight leg locked and engaged.  Whoa!  Totally different posture.  My weight was evenly distributed and hello hips!  You are opening! 

My right knee today was okay.  It is definitely getting better.  I managed all parts of awkward, both sets.  In the third part especially as I came down with my knees pressed together, I breathed and my mind said repeatedly, "RELAX, RELAX, RELAX."  It did briefly spasm after second set of half tortoise and during the forward bends in half moon, the back of my knee wanted to lock out in pain.  After class, both knees, felt like I applied icy hot or tiger balm to them!  There was a hot ringing coming out of them.  Was that a good thing?  I don't know.  The feeling went away after 30 minutes.

This is my second class where I didn't drink any water except at the end after final breathing.  I think I will try to refrain from drinking until I leave the room next time.  In final breathing, Corinne threw out what kept her going during teacher training.  She said that final breathing was so long during teacher training (similar to how long we do it in our studio) and by that time she wanted to die.  So during each exhale, she would chant in her head, "I. am. strong.  I. am. strong.  I. am. strong." to the beat.  I decided I would follow-her lead and instead chant, "I. am. heal-thy.  I am. heal-thy."  In these last few days, I am finding these mantra, tied to my breath, have really been my saving grace especially in parts of my practice when I feel discouraged, frustrated, or afraid.  These mantras leave no room to focus on the negative thought patterns or any thought patterns for that matter.  There is only room for affirmation and breath.

I.  AM.  HEALTHY.