Best Class

I was saying to my sister that this challenge is proof that mentality means so much when it comes to strength. On previous challenges (30 days) I was really hurting by the last week, with fatigue, lack of motivation, anger, mysterious random pains in my body that felt like they might be injuries, etc. Now it's Day 24 and I'm fine, but I know it's partially because this is a 60 day challenge and I've just surrendered. It's like how sometimes a one hour flight or drive can feel longer than a 4 hour journey, because you mentally prepare yourself when you know you're really in it for the long haul and that is an important step. I'd also like to mention that this is the longest I've ever gone consecutively because I always skipped a few days here and there and did doubles (which actually made the challenge more difficult overall, especially because I usually skipped classes when I'd drank alcohol the night before and I would have been far better sweating that out the next day.) This has been a good challenge so far.

I had a really good class today. I am a bit overtired and I had nightmares last night for some reason, but I managed to go in with a good attitude and I felt very strong. I have been concentrating most classes on staying still between the postures and coming out of postures very slowly. I never used to care about that stuff for the most part, my mentality was like "all I can possibly do is make it here, you can't expect any more from me than that." Now I make it a point to continually ask myself if I'm trying my 100% honest best and it's made a really big difference for me. I've heard plenty of people say that that's when their practice really changed, when they started giving 100%, but I still felt it didn't apply to me - it was just one of those things like "yeah, well I also can't stick to 1500 calories a day or avoid alcohol or be a complete saint like you and I'm not going to apologize for it because at least I'm trying here." But I guess you hear things properly when you're ready for them, you make that change when you're ready. I still have a lot of room to grow, of course, but I went into this with the mentality that I was going to turn my practice around and that is what I'm doing.

Meanwhile, my schedule at work has changed and I'm considering aiming for 6am classes during the week. I don't know if this is really what I want to do or even can do seeing as I'm a night owl and I suffer from insomnia - I can't see myself asleep in bed by 10 every night...but it's a maybe nonetheless. Even though classes are more difficult in the morning, I don't feel like I stretched as well because the muscles are so tight, I still feel you're better off going to bed early and practicing first thing. It's the traditional way I'm told, not that we're ultra-traditional around here ;) Night!