Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Cupcake Flickr Finds #3

Don't fret the weekend is almost here!

Click me for a larger, yummy view!

1. Cupcakes and Ice Cream Charm Necklace, 2. Cupcake Felt Brooch, 3. Cupcakes Charm Necklace, 4. Cupcake Hama Bead Brooch, 5. Cupcake and Icecream Charm Necklace, 6. Little Cousin with Cupcakes, 7. Second Tier of Cupcake Stand, 8. Cupcake Stand, 9. Crabapple Cupcakes - Musk, 10. Bottom Tier of Cupcake Stand, 11. Top Tier of Cupcake Stand, 12. Finland - Turku!, 13. Chocolate cupcakes + bright icing - up close, 14. Chocolate cupcakes + bright icing, 15. Fifties swap, 16. carrot cupcakes, 17. It's Springtime!, 18. Jan 2008 271, 19. Coconut Lime Cupcakes, 20. Coconut Lime Cupcakes, 21. majic wands, 22. Coconut Lime Cupcakes, 23. Valentine's day cupcakes, 24. Valentine's day cupcakes, 25. Pink and Turquoise

Created with fd's Flickr Toys.

Class Recap

Class last night was just what I needed to end my incredibly annoying day. It was bad folks. I was really down in the dumps, I think PMS may have had something to do with it. Of course before class started everyone was talking about Heath Ledger. It was around 5:45 so we didn't hear all the news that came out later on saying that it might have been accidental. At the time though, we all though suicide and how sad and stupid it is suicide is.

It is kind of a downer subject to think about before practicing but our teacher helped us set our intentions to our mental health and to remember that on days where we may feel like our mental health may be weakening, yoga always brings us back to where we need to be and that is the truth! We proceeded in what I like to call a "Chex Mix Yoga" class where we did a little bit of everything. By the end of class my mind felt sharp again and the worries that were pushing their way to the front of my brain throughout the day were gone.

It is results like this that make me think that the whole "westernization" of yoga may not be such a bad thing. It may seem superficial on the surface, the fancy clothes and the spa like studios, but at the end of the day, it does what it needs to do whether we realize it or not. Yoga brings calm and peace of mind, even if temporarily, it is there and we can only benefit from that.

Monday, January 21, 2008

1 Year!!!



It was one year ago today that I posted my first entry at Cupcakes & Yoga. It has been a blast! Surely I did not anticipate anyone reading this blog, maybe a random lurker passing through but nothing like the response I have received and the lovely people who come and help make this blog what it is. I will not take all of the credit. The comments left by many of you have been wonderful and insightful that I am sure anyone can benefit and learn from. I know I have!

So let's all make a wish!!!

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Ongoing Wrist Problem

I have been practicing Yoga for about five years now. One thing that has not changed since day 1 is the feeling my wrists feel in Full Wheel. I have tried every trick in the book: parallel your feet, don't let your knees splay outward, draw your chest forward, shoulders above the wrist. I can almost dare say that I do a PERFECT WHEEL! But man my wrist continue to hurt. In most classes, you can't do just one, instructor will ask for three. My wrist are done after the first but of course, Miss Pushy Pushy has to keep going and suffer.

I think my wrists are pretty small and not in scale with the rest of my frame, could that be it? I have tried other alternatives like grabbing my instructor's ankles while they stand over me or setting up blocks against the wall and place my hands on them instead of the floor but that just seems like too much work for me to do at the end of class. I think I may have to just do one wheel and the rest bridge poses. I hope I am not causing long-term damage to my wrist bones.

Tuesday, January 8, 2008

You don't have to love it.

THANK YOU for the comments in my last entry. It seems like most people I encounter online and offline are in agreement with me on the Partner issue. So who exactly likes Partner Yoga??? I guess that will be an ongoing issue. I absolutely love getting comments and hearing from others.

Class last night was so nice. Most of the focus was on the shoulder blades (or the Pork Chops as my teacher likes to call them). My back is going to be sore tomorrow I just know it. Maybe not tomorrow, in two days my back will be sore. We were in headstand for a while too. I think at this point I can do a 3 minute headstand. It may not sound long, but time slows down when you're upside down. =P

I will say this, in 2008 I will OWN Supta Virasana. Unlike "Partner Yoga" which I would be totally ok with never doing again, Supta Virasana is the pose I have been working on. I have been doing a series of stretches before class and I have to say I am starting to notice a difference, especially today.

I still use five props for this pose, I don't think I will ever get to the point where I lay completely flat on my back but I do find it easier to let go and not cling to anything. There are poses I have difficulty doing, but instead of just saying "I don't like that pose! I'm not gonna do it anymore!" I rather understand why I don't like it, and how can I make it so I can be civil with it, I don't have to love it.

Friday, January 4, 2008

Another Partner Yoga Rant

Ok maybe not a "rant" per se. I went to class last night and a good portion of it was partner work *cringe!!* Actually it was not that bad but there were some things I opted out of doing (ie: dropbacks). I have mentioned in the past that I don't care for partner yoga and this class has not changed the way I feel. I was a good sport about it but I would have preferred a regular practice. In fact, I am liking partner yoga less and less.

I am not squeamish about others touching me or worried about hurting anyone, I am very strong and careful with others, but I feel like I don't get that in return. I don't have confidence in my yogi classmates, there I said it! I'm sure they mean well. Basically, I handle others the way my instructors handle me in adjustments. Why can't everyone else be that way? C'mon! Get rough with me alittle!

It sucks because what can you do? If the instructors annouces at the beginning of class that you're going to be doing partner stuff, do you get up leave? I didn't want to leave, I wanted to practice! And I like the teacher! I don't want to be a sourpuss either and not participate. I guess this was just another example of putting my pride asside and helping out a fellow-yogi, which I think I did. There were some things I helped them do that they never did before like coming out of Crow into a Handstand so I guess that my lesson in for the evening.