Sweating Shins
It was so hot today.
How hot was it?
It was so hot that my shins sweated, leaving sweat stains on the lower front of my khakis.
Conditions as of 11:00 a.m.
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Currently: 84°F Partly Cloudy
Wind: Southwest at 6.0 MPH
Humidity: 69.0%
Dewpoint: 73°F
Barometer: 29.83 inches and rising
Heat Index: 90°F
Today is one of those days where it truly is the humidity and not the heat. Just returned from a very slow walk – 1.2 miles around the path. Everything seemed slow and muffled, thick. The birds, however, were very active, especially the goldfinches. Observed many bright males chasing each other, rising up then diving down. Perhaps the abundance of thistle makes them so active. I believe the variety is plumeless thistle.
Yoga practice going well, after a brieft setback. At the end of last week, I was very stiff. My right shoulder was giving me trouble, along with my right hip and calf. I tried to "yoga" my way out of it, by being diligent about my poses, and doing lots of them as well. Not a good idea.
Somewhere around midday Sunday, probably when I was having trouble reaching up to change the CD volume whilst driving, I had a revelation. Breathing - I hadn't been breathing correctly. Moreover, I wasn't practicing any relaxation in my yoga. I was just forcing all the poses and starting to feel all bound-up in the shoulders, back, and hip. At first I welcomed this sensation. Felt kind of muscle-bound - a real Charles Atlas, ready to kick sand in someone's face. But then I remembered the funny thing about yoga, like much of life. If you try to hard you often run into trouble. Just step back and approach it in a more relaxed state.
Solution - - the AM/PM Yoga DVD. I had been ignoring it for a while because it is so touchy-feely. The music is all swarmy and new-agey. But I also remembered that it really promotes the breathing, relaxation part of the practice, while moving through some wicked tough poses. On Sunday night I slipped old Patricia Walden in the DVD player and did the PM workout. On Monday I did both AM (Rodney Yee) and later PM. Did the AM again this morning. Feel great!
Learning yoga is kind of overwhelming. Like another sport I know, it promises to cure all ills, even change the way you live and think. There are so many poses, it's tempting to try them all and really push yourself. Not a good idea. Moderation, of course, is the key to success. The harder you push, the further into injury you go. It almost sounds backward, but it works: Strength through relaxation and flexibility.
How hot was it?
It was so hot that my shins sweated, leaving sweat stains on the lower front of my khakis.
Conditions as of 11:00 a.m.
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Currently: 84°F Partly Cloudy
Wind: Southwest at 6.0 MPH
Humidity: 69.0%
Dewpoint: 73°F
Barometer: 29.83 inches and rising
Heat Index: 90°F
Today is one of those days where it truly is the humidity and not the heat. Just returned from a very slow walk – 1.2 miles around the path. Everything seemed slow and muffled, thick. The birds, however, were very active, especially the goldfinches. Observed many bright males chasing each other, rising up then diving down. Perhaps the abundance of thistle makes them so active. I believe the variety is plumeless thistle.
Yoga practice going well, after a brieft setback. At the end of last week, I was very stiff. My right shoulder was giving me trouble, along with my right hip and calf. I tried to "yoga" my way out of it, by being diligent about my poses, and doing lots of them as well. Not a good idea.
Somewhere around midday Sunday, probably when I was having trouble reaching up to change the CD volume whilst driving, I had a revelation. Breathing - I hadn't been breathing correctly. Moreover, I wasn't practicing any relaxation in my yoga. I was just forcing all the poses and starting to feel all bound-up in the shoulders, back, and hip. At first I welcomed this sensation. Felt kind of muscle-bound - a real Charles Atlas, ready to kick sand in someone's face. But then I remembered the funny thing about yoga, like much of life. If you try to hard you often run into trouble. Just step back and approach it in a more relaxed state.
Solution - - the AM/PM Yoga DVD. I had been ignoring it for a while because it is so touchy-feely. The music is all swarmy and new-agey. But I also remembered that it really promotes the breathing, relaxation part of the practice, while moving through some wicked tough poses. On Sunday night I slipped old Patricia Walden in the DVD player and did the PM workout. On Monday I did both AM (Rodney Yee) and later PM. Did the AM again this morning. Feel great!
Learning yoga is kind of overwhelming. Like another sport I know, it promises to cure all ills, even change the way you live and think. There are so many poses, it's tempting to try them all and really push yourself. Not a good idea. Moderation, of course, is the key to success. The harder you push, the further into injury you go. It almost sounds backward, but it works: Strength through relaxation and flexibility.
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