Iyengar yoga week #3: Viparita Karani and new gear

Gorgeous girl,

This morning, I had another Iyengar yoga class and it seems like every class, there is that one pose (different every time) that stays with me and from which I benefit a lot. Today was Viparita Karani (or “legs-up-the-wall” pose. I always write the Sanskrit name as they usually don’t translate in Iyengar ;)) The class started with a breathing exercise and after a few breaths, I could feel all my stress and tension being released and a certain serenity came over me. We went through a few UtthitaTrikonasa (extended triangle pose), followed by a variation of Virabhadrasana II (Warrior II pose) and Prasarita Padottanasana (Wide-legged forward bend) which I can now successfully do! then went into Halasana (plow pose) and Salamba Sarvangasana (shoulder stand, which I did for about 2 mins! Yay me! ;)). We finished off the class with Viparita Karani and I must say, it was a great restorative pose. Funny enough, last night, a reader left a comment about this pose on my last pose and apparently, it can help with shin splints. I was happy to get to do it in class today!

We stayed in the pose for a few minutes and I felt like I could’ve filled my lungs forever. I could feel the air filling my lungs from the lower, all the way to the tip of the upper lobe. When I reached the upper lobe, I just kept on going with my inhalation and it felt like I was inhaling forever. It was great to be able to utilize my lungs to their full capacities! I was also very aware of my pulse in my lower back. It wasn’t painful or uncomfortable, simply an awareness of the blood pulsing through my lower back, a very neat experience. We finished in Savasana (Corpse pose) and I felt rejuvenated, like I usually do walking out of class.

Coming back home, your Dad had been busy and we managed to buy you some used gear for our upcoming hiking trip. We are purchasing this child carrier (barely used, apparently) and the lady agreed to throw in the rain cover for free if we purchased this booster seat. Overall, if everything is clean and not damaged, we’ll be getting a good deal. Your Dad is currently on his way to meet with the lady and see that everything is in good condition before he makes the purchase. I’m pretty excited about our upcoming trip! We went to try on the child carrier yesterday and it’s comfortable for both your Dad and I and has all the features I was looking for in a “sturdy” carrier (safety and comfort for all of us). I can’t wait to try it on and go for hike around the neighbourhood before we leave for out trip!

Love,

Mom & Dad Xxo