Sweating it out.

Hot yoga and I have a love/hate relationship. Love:

• sweating with the music
• getting deeper into poses
• removing toxins from my body, bad things I have eaten, drank, or just feelings of sickness that are coming along
• stretching my muscles in the heat always makes me feel longer, leaner, more in control of my body. 
• dropping into savansa feeling like I really accomplished something great.
• knowing i left it all on the mat, pushed through each hard moment, breathed through the tough poses and made the most of the hour I had.
• all that sweat on my shirt afterwards, feeling of pride when I leave the gym, knowing I am strong, happy, blessed.

Hate:

• my cold, wet body afterwards.

So you see, the love outweighs the hate. Lots. I love hot yoga. It is a combination of my favorite things and just right for my Monday nights. I encourage each of you to reach out and try it. It is my favorite form of yoga so far, and I just can't get enough. 

Rest

Resting seems to be something that I struggle with. Something I am definitely not good at, but is it something you can practice?

This weekend I planned on trying. I don't know what it is, but I am constantly going, from work, to yoga, to blogging, to spending time with those I love, to going somewhere, doing new things, I must stay busy. Always. I have found this to be both a blessing and a curse. I don't know where it comes from, maybe my mother, but I just enjoy life more being busy. I do enjoy watching tv in the evenings or just hanging out, but I need to learn to be quiet in my own stillness, to take a break or a nap instead of cramming in just one more thing.

Because here is the thing about being busy, you eventually get tired. Studies all over are always saying how good rest is for you, how much you need your sleep, and I completely agree. I guess when we just get down to it, I like to be awake more than I like to sleep. I like to do, to go, to be active, both in my mind and with my body.

I am learning that in order to be more productive, I need good rest, not necessarily a nap, but go to bed at a decent time. I just have so much that I want to do and see when I get off work that it doesn't always end up as I had planned. Once I hit the pillow I am always out though, it is on the rare occasion that I don't sleep soundly. That is definitely a blessing. So that is where I am now, working on resting, being more productive with the time that I have and gearing up for warmer weather, later nights outdoors, and really busy weekends.

High Five for Friday

Heck yes! That's how I am starting this post, you see that pic above? That's me, doing my first ever headstand all by myself. My intense yoga schedule is paying off and I was so excited when Allie snagged this picture of me! I know I have been a little MIA this week, but I plan on starting back fresh after the weekend. Good things are coming peeps. Good things. 

Here's my 5 things for Friday to get me TO the weekend!

Uno+ Headstands, they have worked my core to the bone this week, cannot wait for each and every class. 

Dos+ Weekends, I live for that day and a half to get my sun on, spend time with Andy, and fill every moment with something wonderful.

Tres+ The fact that Instagram now has videos. Believe me, this might not be great for my followers, but I am sure it will keep me entertained, plus you now actually get to see what SaraMontana Says... <get it?>

Quatro+ (I just had to count all the way out loud to get to quatro, thanks for nothing Ms Blanchard) This quote and my garden. It just can't grow quickly enough. But I have a pepper now, hooray!

Cinco+ And finally all my inspiration for my new room, yeah you heard me right, I am moving, to a new house with a new room so I am taking this time to re-do it all, sell a few things, and clean out some closets!

life in the present moment

via

To say I might be obsessed is an understatement, my recent yoga classes have taken me over. Body, mind, and spirit. I am so happy to have found Allie, my instructor, as she guides me through this new journey of figuring out the lengths to which I am able to push myself. 

It is going to be hard for me to describe what my recent feelings about this new found love are, but I am going to try. Even before classes begin I am eager to get going, to feel the stretches, and to find that small spot between too much and not enough. As I enter class, I get to see the new familiar faces that I have come to know so much better, new friends, new yogis. And when we begin, I truly find myself only focusing on the present moment. The moment that I am in. It seems so easy during yoga to let go of the bothers in my head, to focus, and to find myself easing my mind of the days worries. I work harder each day to push myself a little more, to bend a little deeper through the forward folds, to hold a headstand for just a few seconds longer, to push through a shoulder stand, and just to grow with each class. When the class itself ends and we ready ourselves for shavansa, it is then that I find a greater inner peace. I am working on closing off my mind more at that point, to focus on my breath, and to find that spot where your mind is solely on the moment, but that is where I struggle. And when we are finished, I leave with a great relaxing feeling covering my body. I feel worked out but relaxed. Truth be told there are some moments during the class that I get jacked up, I want to dance to the music and I find myself tapping my toes to the sounds coming from the radio, I love these moments too, but it is the relaxation at the end that I feel most comforting.

I can also feel my body changing from the classes I am taking, my arm strength has improved tremendously and I feel my core tightening, while I am also becoming more aware of the way that my body pushes through the poses. I make mental notes to not cheat myself out of the moment, to make the most of each move, and to remember that in order to grow in my practices I must push myself daily. 

All in all, I feel so thankful for these random hours during the day. The ones that I always come out of feeling relaxed, more fit, and with a clearer mind for the rest of the day. Have any of you tried yoga? Does a certain type of exercise fit your personality more? I feel so thankful to have found something that I truly enjoy doing.

<3
Montana

oh yeah, if you are ever in the area or currently live in Madison and have been thinking about trying a yoga class, be sure to contact Allie through her website. She is seriously the best.