Day 85

31) Take a yoga class began 6/23/07; 6/25/07; 6/28/07

I learned the hard way yesterday that it pays to get to yoga class early lest you end up in the "hot spot". As it'd taken me some time to find parking, I was so relieved to see this large chunk of floor amongst the crowd when I walked in the room. And I started out so strong expecting the intense but tolerable warmth I'd experienced in the previous two classes. Then, about 5 poses in my body felt like an inferno and I began to waver in what had been an extremely strong pose for me a couple nights before. I didn't give up, and even excelled at some of the following poses, but the heat remained crippling from then on. The reason for this is the spot I was in was in direct line with the windows and door to the outside and had been baked by the unclouded sun all day. The instructor took pity on me and the girl directly behind me a few time by fanning open the door, but these short bouts of relief only kept me yearning for the next one. Afterwards, of course, I felt fantastic, and pampered myself with a lavender oil salt scrub in the shower. However, I'll scornfully avoid that spot and those surrounding it from now on.

33) Complete 35 books: 5 must be from Banned-books(0/5); 5 must be from Guardian's top 100 books (0/5); 5 you must already own (0/5); Total - (2/35) What Would You Do If You Had No Fear, by Diane Conway 5/2/07; Healing Emotions:Conversations With the Dalai Lama on Mindfulness, Emotions, and Health, Edited by: Daniel Goleman 6/28/07

What can I say? The Dalai Lama is awesome and this book is full of his wit and insight. I wasn't happy to learn about the emotional experiments done on animals though. I already practiced mindfulness (a main topic discussed) without knowing, but meditation is not yet in my grasp. Yoga helps though, because it's hard to think of anything while holding those positions. During Pilates my mind is all over the place. I understand now how yoga unites the body and mind while Pilates becomes more atomatic. But I degress from the book... sort of. The primary thing I got from it is a peaked interest in yoga and meditation.