Walk 40 minutes

Walked 40 minutes.

The Vitamineral superfood green powder that my sister loves finally arrived yesterday. So I'm packing that to go with me along with a plastic bottle to mix it with juice. I won't be making my green smoothies so this will take its place.

However, I do plan to relax and enjoy Belgium and not worry so much about diet. Just moderation. Yeah. Moderation in the land of chocolate.

40 minute walk

Still on vacation.

Trying to work the yoga into the schedule but there is so much to do before I leave for Europe on Thursday. I have to have everything prepared for the flight but also for work as there is only one day to rest before returning to work.

Bought a ten day package. But basically, will resume Bikram when I return from travels in mid-August.

In the meantime, the diet is going well. I've been too busy to exercise regularly but my weight is slowly headed in the right direction so that's a very good sign. I wanted to change my diet so that I do not have to exercise to compensate for it. Instead, I want the exercise to further the weight loss and overall health benefits.

My friend from Belgium was in town at a family reunion and spent one night at my house. She brought cookies dipped in Belgian chocolate, Italian biscotti, Belgian chocolate bars. Amazingly, the cookies and chocolate bars are intact. However,I ate some of the biscotti that very morning because I was so hungry and after one, well... Anyways, I could not make my green smoothie because the blender is so loud and I was online with the software tech trying to retrieve some lost files.

Now, I had already determined that I was going to enjoy being in Belgium... with moderation .... She is telling me that the chocolate is soooooo good that you don't want a lot. It will satisfy you for days. I'm going to bring some back for my sister and if that works on her, I will consider it to be the absolute truth. I am praying that she is right. In the meantime, I am contemplating an extra suitcase just to bring back chocolate.

4pm Bikram Downtown

Joined the Bikram downtown to see what the new studio is like. I'll be able to get a few workouts before leaving for Europe for vacation.

They have better control over the heat. I was glad that I made it through all the postures although I've been away for a few weeks on vacation. It will be great to return to a routine after the summer.

9am Bikram

Don't know the name of the instructor. Good one though.

Back bend was deeper. For whatever reason, I am now sweating a lot. Did they make the room hotter?

Standing back bend and camel were much deeper today. Overall, I am able to push harder because I'm stronger. That feels good.

Still weakness because of the hip flexors but I'm happy in the knowledge that there has been improvement and hope to be walking/jogging on a regular basis though not for as long a distance as I had in the past.

The Eye Never Sleeps

The Eye Never Sleeps a book with commentaries on the Hsing Hsing Ming, Verses on the Faith Mind by Dennis Genpo Merzel.

Hsing Hsing Ming Verses on the Faith Mind by Chien-chih Seng-ts'an, Third Zen Patriarch [606AD.

9am Bikram w/Lynne

Got there a couple of minutes late. Argh. However, the instructor was 15 minutes late. This worked out very well for me. It gave me the time to stretch and limber up. Perhaps that is the reason that I sweated profusely today. Dripping. Usually my towel is relatively dry.

Lynne is probably my favorite instructor right now. The postures become more of a meditation the way that she presents it. Of course, she has been practicing for nine years so that makes a difference.

Still pain in the hips although I went to massage yesterday with Rex. Last friday, he worked on my hip flexors and this time, he was led to work on other things. Hopefully, I will be able to get a few more massages despite the upcoming schedule.

The room seemed to be hotter than usual and I had to drink water more often than before. Normally, I drink water at the "party time" right after eagle pose. Then again, when we hit the floor. Then just before fixed firm pose, and then again just before the final savasana. Today, I even had to let cold water pour down my neck as I was drinking. A trick someone told me about to further cool off.

Anyways, it was a different experience to be so drippy with sweat that my towel squished when I moved my feet across it. ugh. This probably happened because a few days ago I saw someone in class just dripping all over the place with sweat and thought to myself "I'm so glad I don't do that". Famous last words ... ☺