Midday Yoga

I would like to be a really physically active person, but sometimes I find it really hard to get motivated. I don't like gyms, and even though I set an alarm to wake up at 6 every morning to exercise... Every morning I hit the snooze button 8 times and go back to sleep.

I hate to admit it, but money is a good motivator for me to exercise. If I have paid for something in advance I will be there because I don't want to waste what I've paid for. It has kept me going for the past two years in pole classes, and so this week I paid for a 10 week yoga course, to motivate me to leave my desk at least once a week, and at the same time improve my flexibility.

So at 11:50 on Wednesday I headed to the yoga room in the third building. Apparently nobody arrives early for yoga, as when I got there I was alone and it was a good five minutes before the teacher even got there.

I grabbed a mat from the corner and instantly knew that was a bad decision, but there was no going back. It smelled as though the sweat of fifty different people had all come together for a party on the mat, got drunk and then seeped into the fibre a of the mat where they will stay for eternity. In short, it smelt disgusting. Downward dogs, though the easiest position and the transition position became my worst nightmare for the duration of the class as I inhaled the sweat of yoga-sters gone by.

The class started and I immediately remembered why I have a strong dislike for stretching. I'm sweet with the end result, more flexibility and freedom of movement... But I don't like being in a prolonged position of pain, and that's how I've always seen stretching.

I overlooked that for this class though. I convinced myself that no matter how much I hated it, I would love it.

My legs started shaking more and more as I went on, to the point where I was doing the "less hard" versions of all the stretches by the end. This didn't do much for my self confidence but knew if I had thought it would be easy I wouldn't have tried it in the first place.

Looking around I could tell who we're the seasoned pros and who were newbies like me. I secretly felt a bit better seeing one of the other girls struggling just a tiny bit more than me, and thanked god I knew some basic yoga poses from my pole classes.

The thing that let me down the most in the class though was my breathing. And by let me down I mean I didn't do it at all. I'm usually pretty good at multitasking, but trying to have relaxing constant breaths while balancing on one leg leaning forward with your arms in the air, isn't really my forte! I was all too aware that I was struggling to breathe when the instructor came over and reminded me to breathe. As kind as it was, it didn't really help.

When it got to the part at the end when you get to just lie back and breathe I was in my element. Doing nothing was way easier, and the more the instructor softly told us to breathe in and out, the more relaxed I got, to the point where if she hadn't said: "sit up slowly now" I would have actually fallen asleep. I wished the whole class could have been like that, though I'm not sure I'd like to pay just to have a nap at work.

As much as I struggled with it I am glad I am trying it. I haven't noticed a huge change in my flexibility yet, but it's only four weeks in, and we haven't been doing a lot in the areas I need to stretch, but I'm sure that will come. Before any of that happens though I need to learn how the hell to breathe!

I'm pumped though, and because I like the idea of Yoga but think it could be more interesting I have booked into an acro yoga class this Sunday. Can't wait to have to attempt to balance while also holding someone else up in the air! Should be fun!

If you really want an interesting read about yoga you should check out Muthu's blog.

http://yoyoyogaa.blogspot.com.au/ 

Oh and if you are keen to try it for yourself... Take your own mat!

Artist's interpretation of me inhaling sweat fumes

Yoga 7/10

Motivation

This project has so far been both enlightening and challenging... There have been times I have wanted to give up, and decide it's all too much, but I stumbled across this on twitter late one night (I'm still there and slightly less inept at using it) and maybe it was the late hour, but it struck a chord with me and has given me motivation to persevere with the not so easy tasks. It's never too late to attempt to do something new, and even if I stumble... a lot... I can keep going, especially with my current "dance" project! Thanks C.S.Lewis! 

Stay tuned for more updates. Sorry I've taken so long!

Time to join the circus?

When I stand at the top of a tall building or cliff I get a little uneasy. I tell myself – and others that I’m not scared of heights; I’m just scared of falling and dying.

When I was younger I was fortunate enough to have a Wonderpass, and spent every second weekend at Australia’s Wonderland. I like to think I’m a thrill seeker, the truth be told there are certain rides that I wouldn't go near. Despite fearing for my life every time, I would always line up and go on the space probe, instantly regretting my decision each time it began rising above the shed it was enclosed in. I would get on the rickety wooden Bush Beastie and scream for my life as I bounced up and down in the carriage, holding on to the metal bar for dear life. I tried to be hardcore, I got in the seat for both The Demon, and The Pirate Ship – Bounty’s revenge, and before the ride even started screamed until they let me off. There was no way I was about to hang upside down.

The Demon and Bounty's Revenge, Wonderland Sydney

 My biggest weakness though has always been Ferris Wheels. I remember being about seven years old and going on a lovely day trip to Manly with my best friend at the time. We begged my mum to let us go on the Ferris wheel, and she obliged and we got our own carriage and the ride started. It had not moved more than a metre from its starting position, to let the next people on, when I started screaming hysterically, demanding the guy let me off. He couldn't make it go backwards, so I had to wait for it to do a full revolution before I got out and my friend went around by herself for the next few turns. When we were at Wonderland those years later and my family insisted we ride the Sky Rider Ferris wheel together I wasn't a happy camper. Much to the delight of my younger brother and sister the carriages could be spun around from the inside for added “fun” and boy did they take advantage of that as I sat on the floor of the carriage in foetal position crying. I think my family had my best interests at heart and were just trying to help me face my fears... these days putting a child through that much mental anguish would probably be classed as child abuse!

The Zodiac - Wonderland Sydney

Sometimes I surpise myself though. When I was about 12 my family went on a recreation camp in Berri. They had as part of their site what they said was Australia’s biggest flying fox. It was pretty frightening, and the walk up there was enough to turn anyone off, but I did It and was ready to take on the world. The next day we had the choice of doing either a high ropes or a low ropes course. The high ropes was about 30 metres above the ground, so i decided against that and went for the low ropes, merely 3 metres off the ground. As soon as I climbed up the ladder I screamed and made them let me back down. As much as they insisted I was completely safe and that the caribiner would hold me, I wasn’t about to put all my trust in a tiny bit of aluminium.

Berry Flying Fox

So this week I decided it was time to at least attempt to conquer my fear of heights... not simply by getting in a Ferris wheel or riding a roller coaster – though they did make my short list – no, I decided the best way to conquer my fear was to try my hand at flying trapeze. Conveniently you don’t have to join the circus to be able to do this, and so with my brother, my sister and her boyfriend and two of our neighbours we went to Circus arts at Homebush.

I had spent the Saturday on an all day Hens ferry pub crawl so when I got up the next morning I decided against eating. It was St Patrick’s day so I chucked on my shamrocks shirt (hoping it’d also give me a little more luck on the trapeze.)

As we arrived and walked up to the opening where the flying trapeze was set up and looked up to the platform on top of a skinny ladder I realised it was not going to be easy.

As the instructor squeezed me into the super tight harness I started getting nervous. We went over to a low hanging bar and practiced hanging on it upside down. Some of the girls did it easily, but I needed a little help. The instructor assured us it was way easier when we were in the air so I didn't worry.

Harder than it looks!

We learnt all the procedures and then the instructors showed us up above. There was another girl there by herself so she went first, but because I didn't want to lose my nerve I decided to go second.
I watched as she climbed up the ladder with ease, jumped off, flipped her legs up and over and then fell gracefully down into the net. I was so busy watching that I hadn't climbed up ready, so I started climbing the ladder as fast as I could, knowing that if I stopped I was likely to freeze, cry and need to come back now. (consequently that was exactly what my neighbour did when it was her turn.)

I reached the top and had to step over onto the little platform suspended in the air. Even though I was held up by ropes and would probably not go crashing to my death I held on to the bars for dear life. This is where it got interesting. As if I wasn't already nervous enough, the instructor at the top was new and couldn't actually reach the bar to bring it to me, so she kept reaching for it for what felt like ten minutes as the instructors on the ground told her what to do. My self confidence was not growing when a second one had to climb up onto the platform to help her.

Holding on for dear life waiting for the instructor to actually reach the bar

Eventually she got it and I grabbed on to the bar and, as instructed, jumped my feet together and went flying out. I had barely gotten my head around the fact that I was actually successfully flying through the air holding on to this thick bar, with my arms being pulled out of their sockets when the girl holding the rope down the bottom told me to swing my legs up and over.
It was not easier than it was on the ground, and though I tried four times to do it, I eventually lost momentum and had to just drop into the net.

Bombs away - trapeze take 1

After the first go we got taught a new skill. After we hung upside down by our knees we had to come back down and the flick forward and backwards and then backwards flip off and into the net.
I was fast losing confidence... every other person who had attempted the first move could do it successfully, but I went in with the attitude that “this would be the one.” I climbed up again, and was shaking even more than the first two attempts. I wasn't sure if it was the lack of food, or the risk of my impending death that increased each time I climbed the ladder. The more climbs, the more chance of injury right? I swung off and sadly had the same issue getting up, so the lady asked me instead to just try the back flip. Unfortunately my attempt was more of a back flop than a flip

Take two - plus first attempt at back flip

Unfortunately failing was the case for the third attempt too where the only modification to the skill was you had to let go with your knees, since I couldn't even get there I didn't have to worry. I managed to get the backflip this time at least. I was congratulated, but I couldn't help feel like I was being a little patronised.

Take 3

After everyone had done that one we were introduced to the last and most complicated skill. You had to go down, flip upside down and then catch the hands of one of the instructors who was on a second trapeze coming towards you, then you had to let go with your knees and swing from his hands and finally drop into the net.
It was laughable that they had the guy swinging at the right time when I still couldn't get my legs up, but I climbed up again, shaking even more this time, and went for take four. I once again missed getting my knees up and over and so just did the back flip off - successfully this time. As I got down I was congratulated for being able to do the flip. It felt more than a little patronising... I knew as well as everyone else there that I was doing terribly.

Take 4

At that point I had climbed the ladder four times and decided there was no point me continuing, as I didn't want to fail again, and I wasn't going to be able to succeed. I sat down and watched as my neighbour, then my sister, then my brother all did it perfectly and were caught my the guy. Everyone had had their last go when one of the instructors came up to me and strongly encouraged me to try one last time saying “how good would it feel if you did get it this time?”  I said “How bad would I feel if I failed again,” but knew if I didn't try I would never know if I could have made it that last time.

So I climbed up for the last time, and using every possible muscle in my body I tried so hard three times to get my legs up. I managed to get one leg to touch but couldn't get them over... alas I had failed again so I back flipped off and went back and took my harness off.

Take 5 - Finale attempt

I had given it the last try and I had failed again. It felt pretty rubbish... I don’t like to fail at things I try, especially when I've gone outside my comfort zone and my younger brother and sister could both do it better than me. Granted my sister and my neighbour had both been trained gymnasts in their younger years, but somehow that didn't console me.

The next day I was in a world of pain. Every muscle in my stomach and arms hurt which I thought was ridiculous given the fact I couldn't actually do it properly! It did however give me the consolation that despite failing I had tried really hard. I’m still scared of heights and I won’t be going back to do it anytime soon, not because I wouldn't love to get better, but the height anxiety over and over again wasn’t pleasant. Looks like i’m not joining the circus anytime soon, but I think I can live with that!

Flying Trapeze 7/10