Pause-52-53

I just counted on a calendar from January 6th (my start date) and today is day 53.  I have done 51 classes in 53 days.  I do hope to make those up, but it really is up to my body as to whether or not that's a good idea.  I am encouraging it by eating steak, gf noodles, homemade sauce, broccoli, gf chocolate chip cookies and kombucha for my post yoga dinner.  (Much thanks to my roommate, who made the sauce and broccoli!)  I also bought ice cream, chocolate kefir, tamales, and potato and sweet potato fries so that I have food to eat this week.  I did not get to go to class on Saturday due to moving.  I made a point to go on Sunday, thanks to an encouraging yoga buddy.  All it took was some logic; a simple reminder that class will "unload some of the stress."  Saturdays class was a wonderful way to start Moving Day #2.  I was in the front row with 2 yoga-buddies and I was able to play off their energy and concentration.  The rest of the day still felt daunting, but I knew I did what was right for me and went to yoga.  I had a lot better concentration and put 100% of myself into it.  Oh, and the hot water was out, so I did not shower after class.  That was a first, but there was no way I was going to freeze my ass off in the name of hygiene.  Today was also a good class.  It was a big class and there were distractions, but I had a good time and worked really hard.  I was next to the aforementioned yoga-buddy and we had a case of the giggles.  Also, the woman behind me kept tickling my feet with her fingertips when she did sit-ups, which made me laugh.  I mean, I would have been okay with her not extending her arms all the way and distracting me almost every sit-up,  but I made the best of the situation and found the humor in it.  I really should go to morning classes but I'm reveling in sleeping in.

Day 49?

I put a lot more effort and concentration into class last night. I needed that hour and a half of concentration on something other then life. Thought crept in and tried to distract me but I just kept going. I had some dizzy spots and my quads burned. My lower back is still stiff and stinging but I worked through it & did all the poses anyway. Today I won't be making it to class. It's day one of moving and day three of painting. Somehow it will all get done.

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Day 46

My count might be off, I'll have to go through and check one of these days.  And that's not including the class I didn't go to and haven't made up.

I intended to go to class this morning.  But I woke up to my period.  I had no desire to suck my belly in and lock my knee out and sweat my ass off while dealing with serious cramping and bleeding.  I went back to bed and slept until I woke up on my own or Nina woke me up, I can't remember.  I went to the last class tonight because between work and yoga I went to paint my new room.  Well, prime it.  Tomorrow is the painting.  So I really do have to go to morning class tomorrow because I need to get straight to painting after work and there is no 8/8:30 class on Fridays.  I was in a shitty mood all day today and class was not great because of it.  I let myself sit out even though I didn't have to.  I only gave about 70% effort.  I did not bust out balling in class so I consider this a success.  My lower back has been bothering me a bit more the last couple days.  There is a burning and sharp pain.  I think I'll have to try to get back in to see my chiropractor this week.  I have been having a hard time with the deep back bends like Half Moon Pose and Camel Pose because of the burning and pain.  I avoided doing Full Locust Pose and Floor Bow because of it.  I did not feel like making myself suffer.  There's a lot going on in my life and going to yoga every day is a consistent that helps even on the days I just don't feel like it.  Making it through class without crying was where most of my energy went.  Tomorrow will be a different day.  Try and try again.

Day 45

I made myself get up and go to class this morning.  My mistake was getting up at 8 instead of 7:30.  I try to wake up 2 hours before class starts so that the little bit of food I eat has time to digest.  I was very aware of the yogurt I ate for the first half of class.  Then, I got hungry.  I don't think I've been drinking enough water, so I made a point to drink constantly while at work.  Well, it was more like work, work, work, oh shit where's my water? chug, chug, chug, refill glass, repeat.  As for class, I was in super concentration mode again.  I had some dizziness but it was manageable.  I think I've been concentrating better in the 3rd or 4th rows than I was in the front.  My quads haven't been able to handle all the squats lately.  They start burning and then I have to fall out of the pose.  My lower back is sore again, no idea what's going on with that.  I'm supposed to go to morning class again tomorrow.  I think I'll have some ice cream for dinner, it's all I've wanted all day, and then go to bed.  Then maybe I'll actually have the energy for class tomorrow, even though my joints will sound like rice crispies!

Day 44

(I'm sure I'll end up doing a double to make up for yesterday.)

I had an appointment with my wrist surgeon today.  I have to see him every 4-6 weeks because of Worker Compensation rules.  Seeing my doctor is an ordeal but at least I'm no longer in super amounts of pain and doped up on hydrocodone.  The journey starts with a ten minute walk to the train (I rode my bike today).  Then, the train ride is 20-30 minutes (ran into some track work today).  Next is the 30-40 minute bus ride.  On the glorious 152.  Over the summer, part of Addison was redone, and there were always Cub's games to contend with.  This time, it was smooth sailing.  Well, except for the motion sickness.  I used to get it really bad when I was a kid; my mom figure it was part of my migraines.  I have not thrown up from it since I was a kid, but today was really rough.  I sometimes get it when I'm riding on the bus.  It's worst when reading with sun in my eyes while not sitting sideways.  Something about sitting sideways really helps me with motion sickness.  I started not feeling so hot on the train, but didn't connect it with motion sickness.  Shortly after getting on the bus, it started to hit me hard.  I tried eating, drinking water, looking out the window, breathing in and out my nose, but people kept texting me about important things and I had to keep responding.  So, reading might have played a part.  I stayed queasy all through my appointment.  A whopping ten minutes (barely worth the horrible trip, but I didn't pick this doctor and at the time I didn't have Worker Compensation insurance information, and no one else would take me without it).  As soon as I got back on the bus home, which I knew to run for thanks to my fancy phone, I felt horrible all over again.  I decided to stop at Target for a break from the bus and to purchase some things I needed.  By the time I left the store, I felt a bit better, but then I had to get back on the bus...

Anyway, this did not put me in a good place for yoga tonight.  As soon as I walked in the room I felt off again, so I went and talked with the teacher.  She thought it best for me to be by the back door.  That way if I needed to leave and puke, which I'd do anything to prevent, she'd be able to follow me easily.  It's also a bit cooler right there.  I fought nausea the whole time.  It got rough halfway through the floor series, around Bow Pose, which has mad em queasy before.  Then, hunger tried to equal nausea, which was really weird.  I never felt like I was really going to puke, which is a rare thing for me (except for extreme amounts of alcohol and Post Operative Nausea and Vomiting, which is super duper fun!), but I did take me a lot to get through the nausea.  I had a pretty good class despite wanting to puke and having skipped yesterday.  I was expecting worse, though I'm not the kind of person that can easily psych myself out, making it bad just by thinking about it.  I only sat out a few sets, less than I have been lately, and I had minimal dizziness.  Now it really is time for bed, I've stayed up late just to write this on the same day of class.  But now it's past midnight, oh well!

Days4142Pause

I felt really good about Saturday's class.  It was one of my best in a while.  It charged me up for my performance that night.  Other than that, I can't remember much about it.  As for Sunday,  I was exhausted from staying up so late and dancing for hours.  I woke up yesterday not wanting to go to yoga.  I knew I didn't want to go.  I had probably 5 hours of sleep, including a 20 minute nap on the couch.  I had circles under my eyes and must have bruised my leg dancing, but I don't remember it.  I went to yoga anyway, and nearly fell asleep between floor poses.  I sat out some sets because I knew I did not have the energy for them.  But, at least I went to class.  Unlike today.  I went to bed around midnight, but should have made that happen an hour earlier.  When I was supposed to get up at 7:40 to eat and get ready for yoga, I knew that it's be a repeat of last night and I'd be miserable in class.  I decided to stay in bed and sleep.  I needed that.  I feel a bit better now, but there won't be another time I can get to class today what with work and dinner plans with a friend.  I'm okay with that.  I don't know if I will do a double to make up for it, seeing as I don't eat enough those days.  It seems my renewed appetite is sticking around and that makes me happy.  I will probably regret not going to class tomorrow, but I'll deal with that then.  I have to do an evening class tomorrow because I have a Dr's appointment in the morning.  Then, I'll be doing a morning class on Wednesday since I'll be working late.  That can be either exhausting or energizing, we'll see!

Day 40

I don't get quite the yoga brain that I used to.  Even though I'm usually pretty drained, hungry and thirsty after class, I can think clearly and make complete sentences.  I can carry on full conversations, which was impossible before I started the challenge, and even a couple weeks into it.  I feel bad sometimes in the locker room because a lot of the other women are grimly quiet and I'm Little Miss Chatterbox.  It used to be me that was silent, just trying to go through the motions of getting showered and dressed, while barely understanding anyone who happened to be talking around me.  My brain would take so long to process anything anyone might actually say to me, that I tried to avoid conversation most days.  Some days, it is eerily silent in the locker room.  That's usually after small classes where there is no one that I'm really chatty with.  Then it's just a handful of exhausted women silently, slowly moving around.  I feel really bad when my old friend is in class (we ran into each other for the first time in over 2 years in the locker room before class) because we are very loud.  We just talk in circles and I'm sure it makes everyone around us dizzy.  Anyway... last night's class was alright.  My lower back is still sore but my toe is better.  I haven't been pushing myself super hard because I'm in class everyday.  When it was only a few times a week, I could push myself to my maximum, but if I did that everyday there would be nothing left of me for the rest of the day.  Eek, I gotta get ready for work!

Day 39

I'm really glad that my toe is not broken and it's feeling much better.  Last night's class was alright.  I had some dizziness and felt fatigued, but I was able to do almost everything.  Sometimes, I think I'll sit out the next set and then the teacher talks about something, giving me ample time to call myself a wuss and stand back up.  Over the last week or so I've been having lower back pain and stiffness.  It's been since my Chiropractic appointment, but I doubt that's the cause of it.  Because of this pain, I've been dreading Camel Pose.  Only a few weeks ago, I couldn't get enough of it!  I think I need to be drinking more water during the day before class, I don't feel hydrated enough and have let myself take a few sips of water during class.  By the time I get to BYA on my bike, I'm pretty thirsty and just want to chug water.  My appetite is still back, I'm crossing my fingers that it stays!

Day 38

I did not want to go to yoga today.  I wanted to eat a bowl of Moose Tracks ice cream and go to bed really early.  Maybe even read a little.  I sent a Facebook message to a yoga-buddy asking for motivation.  I went to class.  Part of the reason why I was not in the mood was that I got another flat tire on my bike.  I found it when I left yoga last night and ended up walking my bike home.  Without my bike, it's very stressful to try to get from work to yoga using the bus.  I get out of work at 6:00 and class starts at 6:30.  I can just make it if I ride my bike.  It's a little less stressful if I get my yoga gear on under my clothes before 6:00.  Adding to my lack of motivation are my wrist and a possibly broken toe.  Besides those two things, class was alright.  I had a hard time doing a few things but I only felt dizzy twice.  As usual, class flew by and I can't really remember much about it.  For the second set of Standing Bow Pose, the teacher counted to 20.  I was able to hold the first one to 20 and the second one to 18.  That felt good!  The numbers gave me something to focus on and I just kept telling myself to hang on and stick with it.  I think I might have regained some of my appetite!  I've been hungry and able to eat more without feeling so full.  I hope this sticks around for a bit so I can regain some of my lost weight.  I'm so tired and so ready to brush my teeth and collapse into bed.

Days353637

I had hardly any time on the computer this weekend so I failed at my goal of writing about each class on the day it occurred.  This means that I don't remember a thing about them.  I've had some overall thoughts about yoga and my practice, but the individual classes blur together.  They seem to go by very quickly these days.  Before I even know it, we're two-thirds of the way done and into the floor series.  I've been avoiding drinking water in class, but still bring it with me most days just in case.  I had one sip yesterday, which was the first in a few days.  I just make sure I drink a ton of water during the day and chug most of a bottle right after class in the locker room.  I bounce between being crazy hungry by the time class ends, or feeling like I could only eat a little bit and then I'd feel sick.  On the days I don't want to eat, I try to drink some chocolate milk or juice so I'm getting some nutrients while also rehydrating.  My muscles have been feeling fatigued and burning during class, especially my quadriceps.  I have been allowing myself to sit out of the second sets of Awkward and Eagle poses.  If I don't, then I'm wiped out for Standing Bow Pose and Balancing Stick.

Unfortunately, I had some issues with my wrist yesterday.  I was able to kick out during three out of four of Standing Head to Knee.  On the last one, my right wrist started aching in a sharp way and I had to stop.  I was not able to grab my right foot for Standing Bow Pose because of the sever pain and stood there cradling my wrist.  This has not happened before.  I have felt soreness in the muscles in my arm and hand and pain in my knuckles from the intense grips, but I've never wanted to cry out in class from pain.  There were noticeable changes in the scars on the side of my wrist.  There were bright pink splotches and the scar lines showed up very white.  I felt pain a few more times during class and backed off immediately.  I even took ibuprofen when I got home.

I've been in the first or second rows with a decent view in the mirror for most of my classes lately.  I've noticed that I get a little more distracted in the front row than I do in the second row.  I thought I'd give the back row a try since I've only tried it a few times.  Sunday I picked a spot in the back row and was pleased that I could see part of myself in the mirror.  After Pranayama breathing, a classmate decided to move their mat directly in front of me so they had a better view of the mirror.  I was frustrated for a minute but then saw it as an interesting challenge.  My first class was packed because the Regional Asana Championship was held earlier in the day.  This canceled some midday classes and brought more people in from out of town.  I was at the back and unable to see any part of myself in the mirror.  I just thought back to that day and let go of my anger at my classmate.  I know that I get distracted when I am too close to the mirror, that's part of the reason I wanted to try the back row again.  I found that during some poses it was easier for me to hold my gaze steady when I couldn't see myself.  Others, I felt were made more difficult, like Standing Bow Pose, because I could not see the alignment of my shoulders and feet.  I'd like to try the back row again but with at least a small view of myself in the mirror.  Because I do yoga without my glasses on, I can't see very clearly.  When I am close to the mirror, my eyes work to try to bring things into focus and dart around getting distracted by movements.  When I am farther from the mirror, my eyes don't work so hard to focus on my image so I get distracted less.

Day 34

Look at me!  I'm writing about my class on the day it happened!  I went to class before work today.  I was exhausted and really didn't want to wake up, but I made myself because I knew I'd regret it later if I let myself sleep and skip class.  I think I prefer doing Bikram Yoga first thing in the morning over later in the day for the sole fact that I get more calories in me.  I don't usually like to eat a lot first thing in the morning, so it works for me to have something light as soon as I wake up.  Then, after class I eat a decent lunch or a protein shake with fruit and the rest of the day I can eat whatever I want to.  I can't eat as much as I used to be able to, but it's a big improvement from the days I do class right after work or right before bed.  Class was less hard to get through than last night.  I had lots of sinus and lymph drainage during class today.  Stacey, ewww...  I felt less like a puddle of mush after class but still pretty exhausted.  I had to squat down a lot from dizziness and sat out a few second sets.  I forgot something from last night's class.  There were a lot of men!  I think I lost count at 15.  I don't recall ever noticing that many men in a class before.  The usual is 3 to 5, a little more in really full classes.  There weren't nearly that many in class today.  Another interesting tidbit, hardly anyone showers before leaving after evening classes but there are always lines for the showers in the morning.

Days 31, 32, 33

My brain is complete and utter mush.  It feels like I am in a fish tank and the world is being filtered through the water.  Nothing sounds right or feels right.  To add to it, there is a lag time between my brain and my body.  Somehow I've been able to do some stuff on auto-pilot.  I'm actually pretty impressed that I think I'm making sense here.  This feeling started right after Pranayama breathing tonight.  There are a myriad of plausible reasons for this feeling:  I got a much needed adjustment today, I might be fighting off a cold, I experienced some anger and frustration directly before class, I've been dealing with a good deal of stress and change in the last few weeks.  In contrast, I felt pretty good about Tuesdays class.  Yesterday, I started out with a headache even before I got to class, so I took medicine in an attempt to cut it off before it got worse.  It ended up getting really bad, full blown migraine by the time we got to the floor series.  As soon as I got out into the cool, chatting with yoga-buddies in the locker room, and chugging water it felt  a lot better.  In fact, it went away completely, I was very relieved and I attribute it to one yoga-buddy in particular who really helped to lift my mood after such a C- kind of day.  I felt so much lighter and was in a much better place by the time I got on my bike to head for the train.  I really didn't want to go to yoga today at a few different moments.  I'm pretty tired and just wanted to sleep.  I accidentally forgot to pick up my bike by the train station where I parked it last night on my way home today.  So, I didn't have it to get from work to yoga, which is a very small window.  I tried to catch a bus, but they were leap frogging and the bus in the lead was packed and wouldn't have gotten me to BYA on time.  I went home and waited out the time until the next class.  When I bus tracked, one bus was at the stop right then and the next said 30 minutes.  I was prepared to try to walk it, but the bus got here much faster and I made it with a couple minutes to change and get into the room.  Throughout this whole fiasco of realizing when I got home before work that I'd left my bike, to trying to make it to both classes, I really considered just not going at all.  I'm glad I did even though I feel like crap right now.  I'm hoping that with some proper sleep I'll be better in the morning and ready for the 9:30 class...

Day 30

WooHoo!  I made it to 30 days.  A nice round number.  And look, I'm even writing my post directly after class.  Pretty impressive, huh?

Today was a down day and I had my reasons.  I didn't want to go to class tonight.  I could have gone in the morning but I wanted to get some extra sleep since I had a migraine after class last night.  I dragged myself to class, had to ride my bike in the snow because the CTA is no help at all, and by the time I got there I still didn't want to be there.  It was after the first time the teacher made me laugh that I started to feel lighter.  I had a couple moments in class that I laughed and by the time I got to the locker room I felt much better.  I feel pretty bubbly and energized, which is a huge change from earlier today.  As for the actual class, I had a good time and worked really hard.  I didn't have to sit out any sets and I only had to squat down to clear my head of dizziness a couple times.  I could tell that the woman behind me was watching me, and I knew she was new.  The woman behind her was watching both of us.  That was a lot of pressure on me!  It helped to push me just a little further into my postures.  But I found out afterward that the first woman was a little intimidated by me.  So, I felt all embarrassed.  My right shoulder has been tight, which I attribute to my wrist injury and months in a sling, and I've been trying to get myself deeper into the poses that are uncomfortable for it.  The teachers like to tell us that the poses that are the most beneficial for us are the ones we hate the most.  Standing Bow Pose with my right arm back, Half Tortoise Pose, and Triangle Pose with my right arm up are all very uncomfortable for my shoulder.  Today I was able to push myself further into those uncomfortable spots and I feel good about it.  I think I'm starting to feel tired now, so I should probably get ready for bed.

Day 29

Yesterday's class was okay.  I was pretty fatigued and had some dizziness so I felt it necessary to sit out a few sets.  I figured it was better to do some of the postures and give them 100% than to force myself to do all of the postures and not have enough of me to go around for each one.  My wrist was also bugging me a bit and it made some of the grips difficult.  I was very hungry by the time I was done so I treated myself to a salad & a gluten free pizza.  I wasn't too impressed with this restaurant the last time I dined there.  This visit was not redeeming.  I usually can't handle these cold temperatures, but this winter has been a little easier.  I can only think of one time that my back spasmed this winter, which has been a part of my winters since I broke T4 in 2003.  I attribute this positive change to all this yoga I've been doing!

Day 27, Day 28

Day 27- Friday
Didn't I just get done saying that I needed to make sure to write about class directly after class?  I don't remember anything about Friday's class!  I went to the 6:30 one right after work.  The teacher made jokes and lightened the mood.  I was very serious, and I don't think I was the only one, so it made a big difference for me.  I was very hungry after and had two tacos, almond milk, and mint chocolate chip ice cream.  I was pretty sore and tired and just wanted a night in, so I decided not to go to a friends' house like I'd planned.  I ended up staying up too late, then having fitful sleep.  I woke every few hours and had very detailed dreams.  I was very thirsty and drank a ton of water and never felt satiated.

Day 28- Saturday
Not a whole lot to say about today's class either.  I got hungry during Wind Removing Pose, which isn't unusual.  I was tired but not enough to have to fight falling asleep.  I had some dizziness and sat out a couple sets.  Some poses I felt good about, others I felt not so good about.  I was very hungry after class and I'm still thirsty.  Concentrating during class hasn't been easy for me lately.  There're a lot of changes happening in my life right now and I had to keep bringing myself back to the present.  My mind seems to be anywhere but in the room with me.  I was going to take an epsom salt bath tonight but instead I did some cleaning and organizing.  To make it more pleasant, I listened to some CDs and decided whether to keep them or not.  Time to feed the cats and then pass out.

Day 26

It was so hard to stay awake in class last night. I'm not quite sure why seeing as I had a full night of sleep.  As soon as we got to the floor series it was almost impossible for me to keep my eyes open.  I had a few times that I got to that edge between awake and dreaming where random images and disconnected thoughts float around in my head. I'd come back to just this side of awake when the teacher started talking again.  There was a delay between her instructions and my body's response.  Towards the end, I started getting a headache which promptly turned into a migraine about an hour after class.  I ate as soon as I could and drank lots of water and coconut juice.  I still ended up having to take medicine and it was gone when I woke up in the middle of the night.  I can't really say much else about class.  I gave it my best go and I got pretty sweaty.  I've only had a few other headaches during and after classes but they usually went away after refueling.  I'm hoping today is better and that I can get back to writing my post directly after class instead of the next day.  I forget most of what I could write if I wait too long.

Day 25

That means I'm a quarter of the way into the 100 day challenge!  I've done 25 classes in 25 days.  I'm pretty pleased that I've been able to stick through it this far, even with all the changes going on in my life.  It makes all the difference knowing that every day I will go to BYA and concentrate for 90 minutes, focusing on my breath, my movement.  It is a constant.  Every class has it's differences, but they are minute compared to the other parts of my day.  The postures are cathartic and draw my attention to different areas of my body.  They are a physical and emotional release, building up pressure and then letting it go.  It allows me to let it go.  Sometimes, I laugh or grin in class.  Other times, my tears mix with my sweat or I break down after class.  It fits with what I learned in massage school about the body's memory.  We store different memories and emotions in different areas of our body.  The spine is such a huge part of our body and of Bikram Yoga that it's no wonder all the thoughts and emotions that come up during any given class.

As for yesterday, I tried to make it to the 5:45 class but there were no busses on the bus tracker and I didn't know how long it would take me to walk it.  I decided to leave around 7 for the 8pm class.  When I got out there, a few minutes later than I'd wanted, a 147 bus was coming.  He was driving the 22 route because Lake Shore Drive was still closed.  This was great, I didn't have to trudge the half hour to the studio!  I got there super early and got right into the room.  I hardly ever get the chance to really just sit and warm up in the room, so I took full advantage of the opportunity.  I did some deep, slow breathing in Savasana until my face started to tingle from all the oxygen.  Then I started stretching a bit and slowly waking up my body.  By the time the teacher came into the room to start class, there were a total of 9 students.  This was the smallest class I've ever been in.  I felt this serious concentration in the room.  It was beyond calm.  The class flew by faster than usual and at the end the teacher told us we'd finished 10 minutes ahead of time!  I felt a little fidgety during class, but the lack of other reflections and movements out of the corners of my eyes made it easy to just focus on myself for each pose.  I can't say I like it any less or any more than the 70 person class I was in recently.  They were so completely different and good in their own ways.  When there are that many other people in the room, there is this chatter of bodies concentrating.  It can either be distracting or energizing.  I've been sleeping better in the last couple weeks.  I usually only wake up a couple times and I fall asleep faster.  I wonder what today's class will bring for me after work.

Day 22, Pause, Day 24

Between my busy schedule, changes in my life, and my fancy phone being fixed I have fallen behind on writing my daily post.  Here's to catching up!

Day 22- Sunday
I don't really remember much from class.  I know I sweated a lot and felt pretty good about class overall.  I was really hungry after class but then I filled up after eating only half my dinner.  This seems to be a trend lately.  Because I need all the calories I can get, I think I won't be doing any more doubles.  I don't get enough to eat on a regular day, let alone if I spend 3 hours doing yoga.  I weighed in at 96 1/2 pounds today.  That's down from 103 when I started Bikram Yoga in November, and from 100 when I started the challenge.  I know this isn't the weight issue most people have but it is a pretty big deal.  My body is changing so rapidly and I'm scared to lose anymore weight.

Pause- Monday
I somehow got it in my head that there was a 6:30 class tonight so I spent the night at a friend's house the night before and intended to go after work.  Sometime after I got to work, I checked the schedule card I keep in my planner and saw my mistake.  I debated going to the 8:00 class but I really just wanted a night in.  I wanted to cook and eat a big dinner and watch an episode of Skins.  I debated back and forth and dinner one.  I felt a little bad about making this choice, but I need the calories and I had a double from Saturday to count for today.  I figure some people wouldn't count this, but I'm playing by my own rules and I'm making them up as I go along.

Day 24- Tuesday
I did not want to get up this morning.  I wanted ten more minutes and then after Ash woke me up again, I didn't make myself get out of bed.  I allowed myself to fall back asleep instead, trusting that I'd wake up with enough time to make it to the 9:30 class.  I don't have the option to go to the 6:30 class after work (there really is one today!) because I will be heading straight from work to a friends' house to babysit for them.  I won't be able to ride my bike because of this vicious storm we are about to get so I will have to take the bus.  Bummer.  I just got my tire and brakes fixed!  When I got to BYA the teacher told us we were to switch locker rooms for the day because there was a man in the Women's locker room fixing something.  Men in the Women's and women in the Men's.  It was  interesting to see the Men's locker room.  It's completely different but I definitely like the layout better.  There is a big open space for the bins and benches as opposed to the the long narrow area we have in the Women's.  I  liked the big windows but it made it shockingly cold at first.  Then there was the obvious difference of the number of toilet and shower stalls.  There are two toilets and three showers in the Women's locker room as opposed to one toilet, one urinal, and two showers in the Men's.  There are usually a lot more women in class than men, so it makes sense for the Women's to be the one with more showers.  The shower I used in the Men's had a really nice shower head, I'm a little jealous!  As for class, I barely sweated at all.  My body retaliated a lot with aches and pains and it by far was not my best class.  I had to come out of Bow and Camel Poses early due to some lower back pain.  I was able to do a pretty good Locust Pose, which has only happened a few times.  The third part usually gives my wrist issues and so I avoid it.  I figured that'd be the case today since my wrist started hurting during Pranayama, which was a first, but I actually got both my legs up pretty high in both sets.  I experience mild dizziness today, which I didn't expect.  I switched back to the iron supplement I was taking before.  I'd had a better time with my blood pressure during class when I was on that kind and they didn't mess with my GI tract as much.  Time for a little nap so I can make it through the rest of today!