Bonus Post: 20 Year Reunion

This pic was taken Friday night at Winchesters in Ventura...kind of like a "pre-reunion".  I am in the turquoise top.  This night was actually more fun than the actual reunion.  Go figure!

Yes, I lost the 20 pounds for the reunion.  The actual reunion party was strange...kind of a bust.  But everything else I did that weekend, with a smaller group, was totally worth it.

Some pics for your viewing pleasure......

I must confess, I like my arms here...

Trent, Rob and I ....at Winchesters in Ventura

Me and Lisa ( I stayed with her, I'm on the left)

No more washcloth...

Ok, so one of my goals during my 60 day challenge was to stop using the washcloth on certain postures. Sure, I tried that a couple of times. Didn't really work out for me. I kept on using it. Fast forward to this week. I got home Monday from my 20 year reunion at 330 and went to 430 yoga. Forgot my washcloth. Wow. Very good that I did. Let me just tell you, it changed my practice so dramatically that I will never go back. It forced me to stay still, not wipe or rub, to focus and to breathe.

The postures I thought I needed it on (both legs up in wind removing and final spinal) I can get by just fine w/out it.

I recommend to anybody doing bikram to give it a try....it will change your practice completely. Its amazing. It is really just me, the mat and the mirror, no holds barred, w/out that friggin' washcloth. It is good.....do it....

All it takes for a new me is 378 classes....

Today I went to 530 pm yoga with an instructor named Mark.  I have never had this Mark before, and was told he is the new studio manager.  He had some sort of accent (english?) looked 35ish and has run studios overseas.  I really liked his class.  He is one of those "stickler for form" guys.  I love that.  It took me back to a class months and months ago.....it was in the small hot room, it was HOT, packed and an instructor named Sharon was practicing behind me.  I was DYING that day.  But after class, Sharon came up to me and said something to the effect of this:  "it was nice to practice behind you because you pay such great attention to form...it encouraged me to do the same".  I was blown away.  But in that moment, I absorbed that compliment and thought, wow....I do...pay attention to form that is.  I may not be the best person in the room, I cannot go the deepest, hold the longest, I don't look gorgeous in standing bow (my dream), but I do try my hardest to work on the form, knowing that the rest will work itself out.  As I type this, I am 18 pounds away from my ultimate goal weight, I have gone from a size 16 to a 12 throughout this Bikram yoga journey and I have a very nice man in my life right now who really cares about me.  I sit here, in awe.  How did all of these wonderful things come about?  378 Bikram yoga classes since April of 2007....that's how.

A smitten kitten goes to her 20 year reunion

Hi there!

Doubt anybody is reading anymore...but here goes anyway.  Yesterday I had an amazing practice.  I felt like a strong rubbery person.  Strange description I know, but there you have it.  

So the title of the post.  For those of you who followed my challenge blog you will know I was (still am) doing Jenny Craig and wanted to lose 20 lbs by September 20th for my 20 year high school reunion.  Well, its next weekend and I did lose 18.  More importantly, I made my goal of  being a size 12.  Yes folks, I have a super hot pair of dark Banana Republic size 12 jeans and a killer black top and stellar dark gold strappy heels for the big event.  I have to admit, I look pretty smokin' hot in the ensemble.  What a great feeling!  

The other part of the title.  A smitten kitten.  Yes folks, thats right....smitten, as in with a man.  I've been seeing somebody for roughly a month now and I'm totally smitten.  I know, it hasn't been very long, but I really really like him.  The feeling is mutual too.....thats the best part!

Life is good!

Bonus Post: Jenny Craig...halfway there

Yesterday at my weigh in I was down 18.4 total. My counselor informed me I'm halfway to goal! Not only that, but I'm on target to be down 20 pounds by Sept 20th for my 20 year reunion.

Good stuff! I can't seem to find my camera right now. I'll keep looking because I want to post a halfway pic.

John Salvatore and a numb arm

Today I went to 1:30 yoga with John Salvatore.  Many of you in the Bikram community may have heard of him (especially if you are a teacher, than you probably had his class at training).  He owns a studio in New York City and is an awesome teacher.  He is in a show here in Vegas right now, so we have the benefit of having him teach once a week.  He's been teaching Sundays at 1:30 and I've been out on the lake and haven't been able to catch one of his classes until today.  Let me just say he is incredible.  His energy is amazing.  He came in the room early just to learn our names and guess what, during the class he was calling out to people left and right...he remembered so many of our names.  I was in standing bow first set, second side and he said "Michelle, that's stunning, now body down more two more inches..."  Wow, that was so cool.  I had a pretty good class up until the floor series.  I drank too much water right before savasana and got nauseous.  I know better!  I had to lay still and skip a few postures.  On top of that, my right arm, especially the hand, went completely numb again.  This has been happening to me the last couple of days.  The first time it happened was right after locust posture a couple of days ago and it stayed numb until well after class.  Same thing today.  I must be working through something right now in my shoulder or arm or something.  Interesting.

Bonus Post: Jenny Craig and One hand in Prayer

Ok, I lost track of what week I'm on in Jenny Craig (week 10? 11?). Here is an update on my progress: As of last Saturday, I've lost 15.2 pounds. My scale shows more loss this week, getting closer to that 20 pound goal (20 pounds by Sept 20 for my 20 year reunion).
Yay!!!!
My counselor also measured me and everything stayed the same except my hips...they are down almost 2 inches! WOW! My midsection was already ok from all the yoga, it's the junk in the trunk I'm working on and its going away!
One hand in prayer: well, thats toe stand! I've been able to balance during the first side of toe stand with left hand in prayer. Can't do it on the other side yet. I'm getting my spine straighter in that posture, I used to be hunched over thinking to myself, are you kidding me? How the heck do you sit up straight in this friggin' posture! It's a very challenging posture for me. Nice to see some progress.
My forehead continues to touch the floor in separate leg stretching posture. Usually second set only. It's so exciting to keep working on it!