The two-week challenge...

Last night began my two-week TTC prep challenge. Luckily, I have a supportive husband that spots me while I try to achieve these lofty goals. I can't stress enough the importance of a home practice. I always have my Sivananda Companion to Yoga beside the mat and I follow the asanas in the easy to understand chart in the middle of the book. The illustrations and descriptions/instructions are very helpful. Although attending class regularly is just as important, it is amazing how much progress you can make if you supplement classes with your practice at home.

I focused on scorpion, crow (transitioning into headstand), and cobra (working towards king cobra). Having my husband for a spotter helped me overcome my fear of falling and find my balance without worrying about injury. I am working on the first step in achieving cobra, by beginning with a traditional headstand but then bending my knees and arching my back to find a balance. I found my balance for a few seconds at a time, but I am still wobbly. After building confidence in the first step, I will look up at the ceiling and use my hands and forearms like big feet.

Next, I worked on transitioning from crow into a headstand. I've heard of people breaking their noses after falling out of crow, so I put a pillow in front of my face for safety and confidence. After a few false starts, I guided the top of my head to the floor with my knees resting on the backs of my forearms and palms pressed flat on the floor. Suddenly, I was back where I started the first time I tried headstand! I could tell that my abdominal strength was lacking and I would have to work everyday to get my feet up into headstand with only my palms and crown as support.

For the first time, I tried king cobra, thinking that it would be a lot easier than it looked. Then my husband told me that my feet were a couple feet from my head and I realized that my spine has a long way to go before my toes touch the back of my head. One of the best lessons I've learned in the process of learning yoga (which I'm sure will never end) is that I am capable of achieving things I never thought possible, if I work hard and stay committed.

Namaste,