Getting Treated...

Life in New York City sure does get hectic. It's been a while since I posted here, but I feel I should share my thoughts a little now that I've completed the 30-day Bikram Yoga challenge. I started this challenge in January and it is such a challenge because the practice is done in a room heated to about 100 degrees with 26 postures. Each posture has an active and passive benefit to it. For instance in the standing head to knee posture you actively work on strengthening your quad muscle by engaging it to maintain balance. You are also activating your abs, gluts, and pulling with your biceps to bring your head to your other kicked out leg. However passively you are stretching your lower back and hamstrings as well as your calves if you are kicking out strong enough. Each posture has its benefit to the operation and cleansing of the body. Most of the cleansing comes through restricting blood flow in the postures. By restricting the blood flow to an area for a short time, you allow a rush of blood to go through that area when it opens up healing any damage and flushing away build up and toxins. Over time, your body becomes healthier due to this detoxification and healing process. Also because of the heat and intensity of the Hatha Yoga postures used in the series, you detoxify by sweating immensely. The goal of the practice is to surrender your mind to the instruction and focus on the corrections to the postures while making them stronger. You want to eliminate the other negative thoughts that creep in and activate the "fight or flight" response. The "fight or flight" response is what makes you hyperventilate, feel dizzy or even nauseous. I have been there in the beginnings of my practice. Before I started I thought it would be difficult physically. Sometimes it was depending on the week I was having, but more often than not the real difficulty came in scheduling the class. Needless to say I made it. I had moments in the period where I thought I wasn't going to make it, but I persevered.

I went to get a massage today as a treat for my hard work. I had a gift certificate still from the commercial shoot I did back in November. When I was in the men's locker room I saw a scale in there and was curious. I hadn't seen my weight since staying at my friend's place in Queens. Everyone had been saying I was losing weight. So I stepped on to see and lo and behold I lost 10 pounds!! I couldn't believe it. All that sweating I'm sure. I was floored and vowed to keep up the practice at least 4-5 times per week. Well, I went in for my Shiatsu/Swedish massage. The lady asked me to tell her if it was too much. She started and I thought it was to light, but know how these things go so I didn't say anything. Then she proceeded to dig and grind. I just breathed through the pain. When she was in my rough areas (shoulders, neck, sciatica) I winced a little, but tried to relax as much as I could. Then came the big stuff. Suddenly I felt the weight of her step up onto the table. Yes, step up. She stood, yes stood, on my back and kneaded with her whole weight starting at my calves to my upper back. WOW!! It was amazing. She was laughing because she kept asking if I was okay and I kept saying I was fine. She must have known how much pressure she was applying and how her other clients might be screaming at this point. I was really fine. Thanks yoga. After that she began to flop me around like a rag doll. I just tried to stay relaxed as she pulled and twisted me stretching out all my muscles. Hence why I felt like such a rag doll. The hour went quick and the only moment I told her to back off a bit was when she was pushing into my hip flexors. Damn those hips. They just don't want to let go. The area just above the back of my neck was wonky too and when she was in there I got a little headache, but just breathed through it as much as possible. All the while a soothing Asian mix of music was on cooling the senses. I can almost hear the bamboo waterfalls in the background from someone's Japanese garden and it made me yearn for the simple cruise life again where I have these amenities at my disposal 24/7. Afterward I just felt amazing. I could curl up and fall asleep right there. Now I'm ready for another week.