Moulting Like A Snake. And Fearing Back Bends.

I was able to squeeze in one last Bikram class today, before I leave for vacation tomorrow. 

I picked the hot spot in the room. Though the room wasn't very hot. (It was perfect, actually.) But it certainly was humid, which I love!  But for being the last class before I start the Bikram 101 Day Challenge next Tuesday, it was a little odd.

For some weird reason, as soon as my skin started to bead with sweat in Pranayama... I became very itchy.  I didn't have any lotion on my legs. And my skin wasn't dry.  But for some reason, with the sweat came the flaking of my skin. I contained it to my towel...  And it was actually sticking to my skin from the sweat... But my body clearly needed to shed it. Just like a snake.

(Oohhh... Freaky!)

There was another odd thing that happened in class today. My lower spine did not wat to cooperate in back bends. But the forward bending posture, my body loved those!  Usually, it is the opposite for me - I love back bends and despise forward bends.  But I think that since I have been to Sedona, I am now hitting a new level of "openness." And when think of back bends, I think of opening up the entire heart chakra and letting whatever I am feeling come out around me. "Releasing" it. And today, I didn't seem to want to release anything. I couldn't even do Camel pose. CAMEL POSE!  How insane is that?!?!?!

With forward bends, I feel stifled usually. Uncomfortable. Sick. They feel so forced. But today, I loved them. I wanted nothing more than to pick up my foot in Standing Head to Knee and sucking in my stomach. It felt so good on my lower spine. Opening up the vertebrae. Magic!

So between moulting like a snake, a newly developed hesitation with back bends, and a love of forward bends... I don't know what to expect with this Bikram 101 Challenge. But maybe this time I'll actually transform my mind and my body?

A yogini can hope.