Be present…

These are all all phrases I hear at hot yoga. It seems so simple, but it is very, very hard. For me, someone constantly on the go, I have a heck of a time finding the off switch in my brain. I need to be able to turn things off and just be. That is one of the reasons I don’t really like doing the treadmill at home. I am surrounded by fifty different things I should be doing and it’s distracting. But when I go outside to run or walk, I can leave it at home.

When I go to yoga, I do my very best to not get distracted by thoughts of work or anything else I need to do. So when I hear the words be present, it is a very gentle reminder that I need to do just that. Everything else can wait. My thinking about it at that very moment is not going to fix it. It will still be there when I leave. For the 60 minutes that I am in that yoga studio, it is all about me. Selfish? Absolutely. Necessary? Yes. My Type-A, control freak, perfectionist personality needs that. And that is one of the many reasons I love hot yoga. I love the fitness aspect of it, the focus on breathing, all the sweating I do, the heavenly feeling of savasana at end of class, and that refreshing ice cold towel when it’s all done. But what I enjoy most is the ability to be present in that room.

Be present.

I snuck out of work early yesterday to make it to the 3pm class. I took my stuff with my in the morning so I could just go straight there. Best idea ever…. It was a great class, I sweat my butt off, and left there feeling strong.

During class, as I was watching myself in the mirror, I noticed something. Change. Progress. Almost 2 months into this weight loss journey, and down 9-10 pounds, I am starting to feel it. And today, I noticed it in the mirror. My stomach is a little flatter, and my arms and face are a little slimmer. I will always have curvy hips and muscular legs, but I am definitely feeling slimmer. I’m not sure what’s better… The numbers going down on the scale, or seeing and feeling the changes. I have a long way to go, but it’s nice to know my hard work is paying off.

After class, I decided to snap a few pictures in the locker room. Great lighting for pictures and a full length mirror…. I look beat and I was pretty much done for since class had just ended, but I think these pictures are a good progress report.

And can we just take a minute and discuss my braids? I haven’t braided my hair in years. I’m 41, so it’s probably been a good 30+ years since I wore braids. I braided my hair last week for yoga class and it was the smartest thing ever. My ponytail was getting in the way of laying down and I have to have my hair back off my face when I’m sweating that much. Braids are definitely the way to go for yoga class.… And a cute headband makes it even more fun.

What fitness activity do you find to be the best for stress relief and focusing on you? What non-scale changes do you notice first?