A River Between

I’m really starting to feel like doing yoga should be a very natural part of daily routines now. While I’ve taken some days off in the last two weeks, I’ve really begun to notice that I’m improving quite quickly, and feeling like I have more energy in my body.

The poses are all getting easier! This evening I went on to “standing poses” in my OM Yoga for Beginners CD. I’m feeling like I’m gaining some good flexibility. It’s interesting that in some of the poses now, I feel like I could almost do them perfectly if I didn’t carry the extra weight. My side twists go farther too.

Some of the other things I’m noticing from just two weeks of yoga:

* My feet do not get cold
* My heels are getting smoother (no crackly heels)
* I can feel my collar bone widening
* My skin feels softer and smoother

And of course, I’ve made some other changes recently too. I find it interesting that beginning yoga has made me more mindful of my body, and making changes seems easier.

Tomorrow will be two full weeks without caffeine!! I started feeling just GREAT on thursday.

I’ve cut about 80% of the sugar and junky foods out of my diet. I’ve been snacking on apples, nuts, bananas, some cheese, milk, etc. I’ve cut out a lot of carbs, but not to the extreme of an “adkins-like” diet. Keeping the good ones, but not doing the ones with a lot of refined sugar.

I guess I’ve had a lot going on with just “me” lately. I’ve been able to let go of some old emotions of grief and focus more “forward” in my life.

Who knows what forces are at work. Could be the yoga, my diet, the giving up caffeine, or a little of all of those things. All I know is that I’m starting to feel really great.

Hope everyone out there is having great summers!