Challenges and Adaption

Didn't know while I was still having problem with sleeping even I had a great day yesterday. Food? Surroundings? I  could wake up at 1am, stayed up for 2 hrs, managed to get back to sleep but had to wake up at 5am for early meditation. Hope this problem wouldn't last (?)

At 6am, attended the first 30-minute meditation which went fast, even we had distraction of loud mixed chanting noise from other ashram nearby. There was also very little instruction of meditation which we couldn't understand or hear clearly. Hope our feedback will gain some improvement.

Bhooma had confirmed that 2 hrs morning practice of asanas(poses) and pranayama (breathing) will be intermediate level, and the 2hrs in the evening will be a more mindful, slow, technical detailed one.

Here are the challenges of the day:
- as I predicted, I am having problem understand Bhooma's Indian accent, and I am not alone.
- I mostly enjoyed the 2hrs morning practice, except we had to do the Head stand & Crow (arm balance) poses which are my weaknesses! I was in the 10% of the class who struggled. Bhooma said I shouldn't use the wall because I will always rely on it! (There you go my participants! Please take note on this and know how "generous" I was to you--we used lots of props) He also said I will perfect the poses by the end of the week, how encouraging!
- I felt a little sick after that, hoped it wasn't caused by desperately "achieving" the difficult poses--my ego's word.

- swept the teaching room as a karma yoga practice.
- took a nap, but felt worse when woke up. Still managed to attend the evening practice which I was thankful that it was an easier one. Never done that much of pranayama practice before, it was very interesting, learned a lot to take home :)
- didn't finish my dinner, longed for a shower after a rough day but I only had a bucket of water to use for everything (I found out later there was a hot water tab in the bathroom I could use, ah!)

- felt a little better  when I attended the chanting lesson at 8pm. The highlight was: Swami Yogesh invited the swami who performed the opening ceremony to join us, who led us a long kirtan (singing chant) with some music instruments. He has an amazing voice that brought powerful spirit to the group. So glad I recorded in audio!

Well, today was so different than yesterday, I am practicing mindfulness by feeling all emotional, physical aspects as they arose...

I hope my sleep pattern will change soon, I am having another sleepless night so I am writing this post!

Heading to begin day 4 and hope for the best!

OM Shanti, Shanti, Shanti!