My First Yin Yoga Class AND Yoga Teacher Training

Life...sometimes it doesn't cooperate with what we have planned.  So I haven't been here in a while.  Sometimes post ideas pop into my head but when I'm sitting at a computer I lack the energy or motivation to write.

This past week I went to my first ever Yin class.  I had no idea what it was and...WOW! Instant love-hate. I could tell right away that it was going to be super challenging for me to be still for several minutes with nothing but my thoughts (I can sit still for hours while reading a book but not if I'm not "doing" anything).

If you don't know what Yin yoga is, basically you put yourself into a pose and then hold it for several minutes.  There's no movement, no flow, just holding.  The benefits were clear pretty quickly but it was a real struggle. It's definitely something I need to work into regular practice.

This weekend I spent in yoga teacher training.  It was a great, supportive, group of yogis and that's a connection and community that I've not found here yet.  It felt really good although I will admit that I'm not great with the "fluff" parts of teaching yet.  What's "fluff?"  Things like, "Opening your chest allows you to let in positivity."  I'm an engineer and my brain sees things in very logical ways.  I get the physical aspects of poses and my cueing tends to be very instructional and less emotional.

I've already signed up for the next course in a couple months.  I look forward to adding to my knowledge, expanding my practice and making more connections.

I. LOVE. THIS! - {The Revolution}

What a fabulous example about the Revolution.  Stop hating your body!!

Skin Deep

I was in the restroom at work this morning.  A coworker was applying makeup with the aid of one of the above-sink mirrors.  "Don't judge," she said.  I wasn't sure what I was supposed to be not judging.  She explained that she had had to throw out all her makeup over the weekend and so she bought new stuff on the way to work and hadn't had time to apply it before getting there.  I later heard her explain the same thing to another coworker.  They discussed how sometimes on the weekend they might only wear eyeliner and mascara but only if not leaving the house.

I rarely wear any makeup. Not because I'm am super confident about my appearance but because I prefer not to gunk up my skin and mostly because I'm not willing to take the time for it. I never wear mascara as it makes my eyes water so much it looks like I've been crying.  I'm sure there are a lot of women out there who do not leave the house without makeup and who wear a "minimum" amount even if they aren't going any where.  I have a cousin who had eyeliner tattooed on so that she never had to worry about it again.  This makes me incredibly sad...that so many women feel they cannot be seen without covering up and embellishing their faces.  I see women in the gym every day who are far more made up than I would ever be and they're presumably there to sweat (but still won't be seen without mascara)!

I know this is largely a societal pressure that women have taken on and I know it isn't going anywhere but I still wonder if there's anything I can do to change it in any way.  I love the Post Secret blog.  If you're not familiar with it, people mail (yes, using the post office kind of mail) their secrets on post cards to a man in MD.  He posts some of them every Sunday.  This one was posted recently.

[source]

I have so many feelings about this...far too many to unpack in one post.

What are we doing to our girls? Why are we doing this? How do you feel about makeup?