Last week, I published a synopsis of the first 3 days of #7days of yoga (click here). And this is what the second half of the week looked like:

Thursday: I went to Eagle Creek Wellness (again) for a different class. Thursday’s class was Basic Yoga (as opposed to the Core Power Yoga I attended on Tuesday). This is exactly what I expected from a yoga class. Yoga-ish music. Dim lights. Lots of stretching, but still challenging. I had my first breakthrough of the week in this class. Not only did my head touch the floor in child’s pose (yippee!), but I was able to briefly hold a side plank  (think of a pushup on one arm and turned sideways) on my feet instead of a knee. (But one-arm dolphin plank? Again? Seriously? Ugh.) I think I fell asleep briefly during the relaxation at the end. It was pretty awesome.

Friday: I opted for yogadownload again. I used $6 of my precious monthly “blow” money and downloaded the 60-minute Lunar Flow. I did it by candlelight right before bed. I really liked it. It was very repetitive though. That kinda bored me a little, but I found myself getting lost in the poses and performing them more instinctively and with little thought. So that was nice. I was really relaxed and centered when I finished the series and walked across the hall to go to bed. It was nice.

Saturday: I finally went back to Bikram. I really wish I was going more often, but with 20 minutes there, 90 minute class, and 20 minutes home, it is such a time commitment. But I’ll try to do better next week. On to the class. I was nervous since I hadn’t been for a while. But I had a few major breakthroughs. I’ve been having trouble getting my foot up high enough and I’ve had to stay bent over to maintain tree. But I was able to straighten my back completely. And what gets me about locust pose is my inability (or fear of trying) to get my hands palms-down under my body. Granted, I only got them right under my hip bones instead of way under my body, but I got both of my palms down at the same time. And that was pretty cool. I pushed myself really really hard, which probably hindered my race later that night. But it was worth it.

Sunday: I was having no resentment about not going to BlogHer this year. Until I saw the tweet Saturday morning. That my hugest celebrity crush was leading a workout. So I did the closest thing I have to being in the actual physical presence of Bob Harper.

I hadn’t done this workout in a long time and I was shocked at how much stronger I am. I remember struggling to hold poses and now I’m pushing myself harder in them. I found myself making Bikram adjustments (hands out instead of up in Chair) because they were what felt natural to me. I really pushed myself. It felt so short! I’m not used to only doing yoga for 30 minutes. I’m thinking I may try the advanced versions sometime soon. I don’t think I’ve ever done either of those. I hope Bob says “lengthen.” I love that. “Laaangthen.”

(Oh. And for those of you that used to hang around Miranda’s Biggest Loser Live Blog? Vickie is on the warm-up and the cool down. I still remember that Poop is Brown.)

As much as I have loved this week, I think I’ve missed what I got from my previous #7daysofyoga challenge. Last year, I did a similar sequence each day and was able to see how I had progressed during the week. So that’s what I’m doing for the next 7 days.

Each night, I’m going to do the YogaDownload Lunar Flow. I have downloaded the 20 minute (free!) program to supplement with the 60 minute series. And each night, I’ll do whichever fits best into my schedule. Same series, just different reps of each pose.

I’m excited.

So be on the lookout on twitter for my #7daysofLunarYoga hashtag! (I need to find a Hashtags Anonymous group. I might have a problem.)

You know when you need to do something but you worry that you might not actually be up to making the commitment?

And then you try to recruit others so you won’t be alone?

Emily was very generous and gave me some of her Bikram yoga sessions. Here’s the problem.

It’s too hot to go to yoga. We’ve had heat indexes at 110*. And the thought of going into a room that is hot? It’s almost more than I can handle.

But I’m still on Operation Bridesmaid (Labor Day Weekend!) and I want to make the most out of my time at Bikram. I really want to do the 30 day challenge, but I don’t know if that’s really possible for me. Partly because I don’t know how I’ll squeeze 2+ hours into every day (20 minute drive there, 90 minute class, 20 minute drive home) and partly because 30 days is a long time.

But I’m committing to 7 days. Without question. Based on a #7daysofyoga challenge that Lynn did way back in the day. And I’m asking you to join me.

When I did Lynn’s challenge, it really made a difference for me. To get all new-agey, it really made a difference in how connected I felt to my body, at how I was able to let emotions in and then let them go. This is how I summed up my #7daysofyoga experience almost a year ago, in August 2010.

• Yoga keeps me focused on the moment. No regrets about the past and no worries about the future. It’s all about my breath and the pose. Taking those thoughts through the day have also helped me think about food in the same way – to think about food in the now and not let myself think that food will change the regrets or the worries.
• Yoga keeps me focused on what I can do in this moment. Unlike running, I don’t compare what I’m doing now to what I used to be able to do. I don’t think about how long until I’m able to accomplish my long term goals. I just do the pose. In the moment. I’m not thinking about what comes next or how long until I’m able to get the pose to the next level because I don’t know. I do what I can. And I trust my body to challenge itself.
• I am able to notice the little improvements. It’s not about how many reps I can do or the distance I can go, the changes are much more subtle. Like how the bend in my knees is getting less when I put my hands on the floor. Or how my butt touches the floor in child’s pose when it didn’t for the first several days. Yoga strides come in baby steps, and there’s something to be said for taking notice of small improvements. It’s so motivating.
• I am giving myself permission to try – and to fail. I’m used to the Bob and Jillian style of aggressive yoga. Unfortunately, though, that kept me within my comfort zone. I didn’t realize I was doing this, but I learned this about myself. When I was doing the high-energy videos and  I knew I had to hold a pose for a long time, I kept it safe. I challenged myself, but I knew I wouldn’t fall over. When the practice is focused and encouraging, I find that I do push myself harder, I get my arm as far over my head as I can. I bend as far as I possibly can. Because I know that if I fall over or lose my balance, I just try again. I don’t feel like I’m cheating or failing. It’s a practice of effort, not of repetitions. I like that.
• But more than anything, yoga has taught me the joy of letting everything go. If I think outside of the pose, if I start to worry or regret, I fall over. It’s that simple. I have to let everything go. And it’s amazing to get totally lost in my body and the space it’s taking up. Yoga helped me get centered, to realize what is important, to just get inside my head and actually listen to what’s going on in there. And helping me let go of what I don’t need to hold on to.

I’m not asking you to commit to anything specific, just yoga in some form for 7 days. A sun salutation when you get up in the morning. A session of office yoga on your iPod at lunch. A dvd while dinner is in the oven. Try an audio version of Bikram in your own home (or on your deck like I’ll probably do soon). Or there’s even a series that can be done in bed for better sleep. You can try a variety of different series over the week or do the same one every day. It really doesn’t matter to me. I’m just interested in what you all find out when you make the commitment to try yoga daily for a week.

Starting Monday, August 1st, I am committing to 7 days of Bikram. 6 In the studio. Monday I’ll use YogaDownload (I can’t make any classes that day). No excuses. I’m not saying that’s all I’ll do (I used to really like the desk yoga series), but I’m committing to Bikram.

So, who’s with me?

So last week, I did Lynn’s #7daysofyoga challenge. And I loved it. I credit my yoga practice for pulling me out of my emotional and physical funk. I’ve been doing yoga here and there for years, ever since I bought my first yoga book way back in 2001. In the last few years, though, I’ve steered toward the aggressive yoga, the calorie burning yoga. I’d forgotten about the relaxing, centering yoga. I fell in love with yoga this week thanks to the free 20-minute classes at yogadownload. And, since you know me, you know that I’ll share the bullet points of what I’ve learned from yoga. I’d hate to disappoint, so here you go.

• Yoga keeps me focused on the moment. No regrets about the past and no worries about the future. It’s all about my breath and the pose. Taking those thoughts through the day have also helped me think about food in the same way – to think about food in the now and not let myself think that food will change the regrets or the worries.
• Yoga keeps me focused on what I can do in this moment. Unlike running, I don’t compare what I’m doing now to what I used to be able to do. I don’t think about how long until I’m able to accomplish my long term goals. I just do the pose. In the moment. I’m not thinking about what comes next or how long until I’m able to get the pose to the next level because I don’t know. I do what I can. And I trust my body to challenge itself.
• I am able to notice the little improvements. It’s not about how many reps I can do or the distance I can go, the changes are much more subtle. Like how the bend in my knees is getting less when I put my hands on the floor. Or how my butt touches the floor in child’s pose when it didn’t for the first several days. Yoga strides come in baby steps, and there’s something to be said for taking notice of small improvements. It’s so motivating.
• I am giving myself permission to try – and to fail. I’m used to the Bob and Jillian style of aggressive yoga. Unfortunately, though, that kept me within my comfort zone. I didn’t realize I was doing this, but I learned this about myself. When I was doing the high-energy videos and  I knew I had to hold a pose for a long time, I kept it safe. I challenged myself, but I knew I wouldn’t fall over. When the practice is focused and encouraging, I find that I do push myself harder, I get my arm as far over my head as I can. I bend as far as I possibly can. Because I know that if I fall over or lose my balance, I just try again. I don’t feel like I’m cheating or failing. It’s a practice of effort, not of repetitions. I like that.
• But more than anything, yoga has taught me the joy of letting everything go. If I think outside of the pose, if I start to worry or regret, I fall over. It’s that simple. I have to let everything go. And it’s amazing to get totally lost in my body and the space it’s taking up. Yoga helped me get centered, to realize what is important, to just get inside my head and actually listen to what’s going on in there. And helping me let go of what I don’t need to hold on to.

We’ll see what I learn from 30 Day Shred this month. 3 days down!

I am really loving Lynn right now. Because her #7daysofyoga challenge? Bloody brilliant.

Tonight I did the Gentle Hatha Yoga #2 from yogadownload.com. And it was awesome. 20 minute audio. PDF of the poses. Free. Wonderful. I’m in love with yogadownload.

Don’t get me wrong, I love Bob and Jillian’s takes on yoga. But I’d forgotten the true relaxing yoga. I was embracing the sweaty, aerobic, pushing myself to the point of exhaustion yoga. Tonight? When the sweet voice told me that if I was struggling with a position to ease out of it? I was actually able to push more – to stretch my arm farther above my head – because I felt like I had permission to wiggle and move and break the pose if I couldn’t hold it. Very nice.

The relaxation at the end was especially nice. I let things just float in and float out. A few observations from my yoga head tonight:

• The only moment I can control is right now. Not the past, not the future. Just now.
• I miss Gnomie. That is okay.
• I have a wonderful husband.
• I wish the cat would stop scratching at the door.
• Maybe I don’t want things I think I wanted.
• I am a runner. Running makes me feel good.
• I like the laying in the floor yoga.

I’m not sure how I’m feeling about Women Food and God. I’m getting resistant. I had a moment this afternoon where I wanted to think I was disliking it because it was hokey and new-agey. The truth? It is hitting way too close to home. I’m seeing a series of blogposts in my future. I’m not sure if I like the book, but it’s in a way that I don’t know if I’d like therapy (getting it, anyway) because it pushes me out of my comfort zone and it is challenging me. It may take me a while to get through it. But I will get through it.

I’ll get through a lot of things.

With the help of Nathan. And God. And food. And running.

And yoga.

(yes, that is a song lyric. from one of my favorites. and it’s appropriate as well. double whammy!)

We had an awesome weekend with Fat Bridesmaid. Beer, shrimp boil, Arrested Development, bookstores, yagoot, amen. And we sent her home with several new mix cds. Good times.

But I’m in that place again. The place I’ve been in for a few weeks now. That place where I want to be better. I’ve been saying all the right things for the last few weeks, but still spinning my wheels.

But I’m not giving up.

I’m still trying.

I’ve committed to Lynn‘s #7daysofyoga challenge. I’m very excited to have something fun to commit to that I know I’m not doing alone. I downloaded the same progam Lynn did tonight and I loved it. I’d never used yogadownloads before and I will definitely use them again. The instruction was clear. The music was relaxing. Very nice. I’d planned on doing my new Bob yoga DVD tonight, but I slept late this morning, so I needed to wind down instead of rev up tonight. I’ve got Bob ready to go in the morning though. Yay!

I’ve committed to run again. Committed to the Iron Horse Half Marathon and the Marshall University Half Marathon in particular. I know I have to get it in gear to be ready for a half-marathon by Halloween, but I can do it. I think it makes it even more exciting that I would be running a half on the weekend before and the weekend after my birthday. Nice way to bookend, don’t you think?

I’m reading Women Food and God. I’m through the prologue and can tell that I’m going to learn a lot. I’m excited. I realize that like most books, I’ll love some of it and disagree with some of it, but I’m prepared for that. I’ve got my purple underlining pencil and my Wellness Journal for notetaking. I’m ready.

And? I’m made tuna salad for lunches this week. Check out the food blog for the recipe.

So what are you doing to start your week off on the right foot?