WoYoPracMo Day 8:I have a prize! I have a prize!

-Mont Blanc

This is NOT macrobiotics. It contain a lot of suger and cream, but simply the taste is great. I have been taking a sweet class at a cooking school. This is my recent work. Baking cakes is my favorite thing to do beside doing yoga. I am obviously addicted sweets. As I am getting interested in macrobiotics, I decide to take a macrobiotics sweet class at the academy from April.

I had a good practice this morning I had had a terrible low back pain two days ago. Today, it was much better, I was able to do all primary series. It was a joy! I also did backbends. I normally do backbends 6 times but today I did 8 times. When I finished 6, Matt asked me to do 2 more. Oh, no... I did somehow. As a result, my legs were shaking. Apparently, I need more strength of my lower body. After that, I did dropbacks with Matt. I hardly stood by myself, so Matt had all my weight. I felt sorry for him.

I have been trying to walk my hands or legs in backbends. But I am worndering if I should walk in legs or hands or both? And my prior goal for backbends is standing up without any support. To do that, how should I practice? But for now, I need to straighten my arms more and more. There are tons of questions.

I thought it would be rash to say focsing on backbeds since I am a "low table" backbender. But now I realize it's really good. I found some struggled backbenders. I am not the only one person who is suffering from backbends! I was encouraged during the practice.

I have just checked the forum. I got a prize! Yay!

WoYoPracMo Day 7: My Feb Intention & Macrobiotic Class Day 5

-Natto and Daikon whole wheat spaghetti
-Pumpkin and carrot soup
-Hijiki with vegs
-Apple and millet compote

It's already the 7th! I had intentions at the end of Jan. But I fail most of them. So I decided my intention is "focusing on backbend". Backbend is Nemesis, it's terrible. When I started Ashtanga yoga, I was not able to lift up my head from floor. It was torture, maybe it still is...

My backbend has been changing recently. So this month, before I go to AYC, I want to focus on my poor low table backbend.

It was the 2nd lecture class of the macrobiotic academy. It was about Yin and Yang. We studied the basic concept of Yin and Yang. It was interesting and fun. But I felt I missed something. Yes, no meal!!

So I cooked some dishes which I learned at the academy for dinner home. GOOD!

now I am

like him... can't wake up...

WoYoPracMo Day 31: Macrobiotic Class Day 3 GOAaaaL

-Brown rice with veg
-Pumpkin soup
-Deep fly fu(dried wheat gluten) with sweet miso sauce
-Dried strips of radish salad with plum pickles dressing
-Boiled chinese cabbage with grated yam
-Apple and millet compote

This is the last day!! Yattaaaa!

It was the very beginning of my moon holiday a-nd I have a new back pain from moon salutation on Day 27.... orz But I decided to go to the studio for the last day of WoYoPracMo. I did primary up to Mari C. I did it very slowly, no banddha and no jumpbacks. After the practice, Matt asked me if I was OK. I hadn't explained to him about my condition before the class so he was worried. soooorry.

Here is my result of this month! This is a great experience. Thank you, Yogamum!!! And tomorrow is the first day of Feb, I will post my intention for Feb.

Day1(ladies' holiday):Restorative yoga for 1hour@home
Day2:Primary series@Tarik's special class
Day3:Primary series@Tarik's special class+d
Day4:Primary series@Mysore Tokyo+d
Day5(Sat):Restorative yoga for 1hour@home
Day6:Primary series@Mysore Tokyo+d
Day7:Primary series@Mysore Tokyo
Day8(new moon):Restorative yoga for 1hour@home
Day9:Primary series@Mysore Tokyo+d
Day10:Half primary series@home+Restorative yoga for 1hour@home
Day11:Primary series@Mysore Tokyo
Day12(Sat):Restorative yoga for 30min@home
Day13:Primary series(up to baddha kona)@home
Day14:Primary series@Mysore Tokyo
Day15:Primary series@home
Day16:Primary series@Mysore Tokyo
Day17:Primary series(up to pachimotasana)@home
Day18:Primary series@Mysore Tokyo
Day19(Sat):Restorative yoga for 30min@home
Day20:Primary series@Mysore Tokyo +d
Day21:Primary series@Mysore Tokyo +d
Day22(full moon):Restorative yoga for 50min@home
Day23:Restorative yoga for 15min@home
Day24:Primary series(up to standing series)@home
Day25:Primary series(up to ardha baddha padmo)@home
Day26:Primary series(up to janu sir A)@home
Day27:Restorative yoga for 30min@home
Day28:Restorative yoga for 10min@home
Day29:Primary series(up to Mari B)@home
Day30:Primary series(up to bhujapida)@Mysore Tokyo
Day3１:Primary series(up to Mari C)@Mysore Tokyo

WoYoPracMo Day 25-30: Thanks for a high-tech mask

a chai soy latte at Hachiko Crossing.

This was a small reward for enduring the nasty cold for myself.

Day25:I was getting better, I was able to speak little bit. I did primary as same as the previous day. But I didn't ujaiiy strongly. I felt I lost my balance so I stopped at ardha baddha. I felt good after practice.

Day26:I was able to speak and eat. But I still woke up every few hours because of the sore throat. I could do ujaiiy, not so deep, but fine. My balance was back so I kept going until Janu sir A, I was so happy I could do sitting postures. I realized when I did jump through, my blood pressure didn't stay clam so I stopped at Janu sir A.

Day27:My sleep was messed up. Since I was not able to sleep for long time, I slept during daytime. On this day, I went to bed around 2 or 3am. Although I was getting better rapidly, good! I didn't know why but I didn't want to practice Ashtanga, so I did restorative yoga for 30min instead. I did moon salutation many times. After the practice, I recalled my sore back. Ops, maybe the moon sal was not good for my back...

Day28:I still had a sore throat every time I woke up. I used a humidifier and a mask but my throat was dry. During daytime, I was OK. Our room was a mess, so I started to clean up. I really didn't want to practice yoga, any yoga for no reason. So I did only my favorite postures for 10min. I was hoping to go to a studio the next day.

Day29:I was not confident if I should go to a studio. I decided not to go because my throat was still sore morning. I went to a otolaryngology hospital again. I love the hospital since they have online check in I don't need to wait for a long time. The doctor said my throat was much better. After that, I went to a drug store to buy some masks. I found a high-tech(?) mask. The mask has a small pocket to keep a wet filter. This is so creative! I usually put a small wet gauze but it dry out soon. Have you seen this kind of mask?

I got one, it might work for me.I skipped my psychology class this night. I felt dizzy and I had a fever again... My plan for this day was doing a short restorative yoga before going bed. I went on my mat and I started sun sal A unconsciously. It was after dinner so I was full, no bandha. Anyway I went through up to Mari B. What was that...? I wore the mask with crossing fingers.

Day30:It worked! No sore throat, no anymore! I would get the mask more. I still coughed and sneezed little bit but it should be OK. I went to the studio. How nice. The studio was busy. I did primary up to bhujapida. I was heavy but my breath was deep. I went to Starbucks at Hachiko Crossing. (Japanese call Starbucks SUTABA.) I got a chai soy latte to indulge myself. I confirmed my flight ticket to US. I am ready for the Guruji USA tour. I am so HAPPY!

WoYoPraMo Day 24: Macrobiotic Class Day 3

Yesterday, I was not able to speak. This morning, my throat was still sore but little better, only little. I decided to go to the macrobiotic class.

-Hijiki with vegs

-Veg with Miso dressing

-Veg Soup

-Mix brown rice

-Sesame and salt sprinkling dressing

-Tsukemono

-Amazake

I was wearing a mask and sitting and trying not to touch anything during the class. I was boring just sitting and looking but I didn't want to infect anyone. Even though I was just sitting, I was little tired. But the meal was amazing. I got some sleep after the class.

Before dinner, I did yoga, in fact, ashtanga yoga. I was wandering whether I should do Ashtanga. But I decided to do because somehow I was able to do ujay and I didn't have a high favor. I thought some sun sultations was enough, so I did ten A and ten B. I was very careful of my breath. I was cheking my sore throat if it was getting worse. I also made sure I curled my tongue up. Ken Harakuma said it help to moisturize throats. I sweated a lot, really a lot. I felt good so I decided to keep going. When I did warrior, I felt tired then I moved to the last three postures of finishing series. I took a bath, I felt really good.

I am not so confident if it was right. It was kind of trial or testing. Let's see what will happen next morning, if I will be getting better or worse...

WoYoPraMo Day 18:I am still here.

I have been practicing but I didn't have time to blog.

I went to the studio I had thought it had been the last lesson before Tarik had left Tokyo for Mysore. But he has already been frying.Less people. I did primary without backbends. Matt tryed to help my supta-K, but I was still afraid of my back although the pain was less and less. So he let me do that by myself easily. I also skipped dropbacks but did backbends carefully. It was nice.

I went to dinner at a restaurant with Danna-san(my husband) and his co-workers. My junior-high school classmate is the manager of the restaurant. It is a special restaurant. The outside looks like a house, just someone's home, but the inside is a nice restaurant. non signs, non advertisements, so unless someone introduce the restaurant, you never know.

The main dish was one-pot dishes. Yammy---.