Day 109 Gratitude!

I slept 9 GLORIOUS HOURS! I am so grateful for finally, after two weeks, getting adequate sleep! I've been going to bed early, listening to Yoga Nidra (deep relaxations) guided relaxations, and now melatonin to get my mind to shut the hell up so I can sleep. Normally, I never have trouble sleeping: I read a bit, and fall into a deep, restful sleep, and ZONK! sleep 8-9 hours and awaken fully restored and full of energy! I'm not anxious, but do have a lot going on in my mind related to my new teaching post! It's good, but I've been TIRED! Wednesday, I came home and went to bed at 8pm! And I've been overloading on coffee during the day so I don't feel so zombiefied! Thank you Melatonin! Until I can re-regulate my mind, and get into a groove with school, 9 mg. hits the spot! I feel great today and I'm so grateful!

I'm also grateful for a healthy body as my knee is getting better and better each day! I can almost get my foot up to my groin again for half-lotus Vrksasana (tree pose with foot folded into the groin instead of foot placed against the inner thigh) with my right knee! In this pose, you bend your knee and fold your foot into the hip-crease with the sole facing outward. You advance to bending over and then squatting one one-leg with your knee still bent as well (in Bikram yoga). Soon I will be doing the full pose again! I can also almost do a full squat (Garland Pose), where you squat down all the way again (though I am still slightly crooked with weight more to the left). And! I can almost sit in full Virasana (hero pose)! First, you sit back on your heels, then spread your shins and feet to the side, so your butt is down on the floor between your heels. This pose takes a lot of knee ligament flexibility, which I've lost over the course of the year, but it's returning to normal! Whoo Hoo! Now, just got to make the time to get my bike fixed so I an start pedaling again!

I am grateful for my healthy body and and SLEEP!

photos credits:
Half-lotus Vrksasana - bodysoulyoga.uk
Seated Virasana - cronyogitect.blogspot.com
Reclined Virasana (Bikram posture) - asanajunkieswinter2015.com
Balancing Half-lotus Vrksasana - unknown (Pinterest)