Napping, or Meditation?

So, I went back to that Wednesday morning, hot hatha yoga flow class today and it was much better than my previous experience in that I could focus, and found my center. I was able to be present with each pose, and the slipping and massive, drenching sweat wasn't nearly as bothersome as the previous session. I got very deeply into many of the forward folds, and I think that it actually may have corrected the pinched nerve I gave myself last time.

When I stepped out of class, it was raining pretty hard, and I had chosen not to bring an umbrella. It's been a long time since I walked 3.5 blocks in the rain, but I have to say, it was pretty nice after being in an 82 degree room for an hour and 20 minutes, working the whole body.

After I got home I realized I was really hungry and that the fruit smoothie I had for breakfast had worn off about half way into the yoga class. When I opened the refrigerator, I saw my jar of sprouted quinoa and knew exactly what I wanted to have for my mid morning snack/lunch.

Sprouted quinoa salad.

I typically always mince up some parsley in this, and that is truly what makes it, but today, no parsley.

To make sprouted quinoa salad, you have to first sprout some organic quinoa. It's a snap and only takes a couple days. To learn how to do this, click here: How to sprout quinoa Once, my jar of quinoa has sprouted, I take my entire batch, toss it into a bowl, and combine with crumbled feta cheese, finely sliced scallions, today I added chopped radishes, chopped tomato, and as stated above, the key really IS minced parsley. Over all of this I drizzle Newman's Own Light Italian dressing. Add freshly grated black pepper, salt to taste, maybe a squeeze of lemon juice and some extra virgin olive oil.

Quinoa is a highly nutritious grain, high in protein, iron, manganese, and apparently the magnesium helps with migraines, and is fantastic with peri and post menopausal women in protecting their cardiovascular health.

After I ate my delicious salad, I decided it would be best to take really hot soak with some Epsom salts. I find this to be very therapeutic whenever I over exert my muscles. So, I took a really hot soak, and contemplated the day's blog entry, and my list of this week's "to dos". By the time I got out of the bath, I was absolutely wiped out; exhausted. I got out of the tub, and put on a robe, and attempted to bounce back from the effects of the hot yoga and the hot bath. It didn't take me too long to realise it was a futile battle, and I NEEDED to lay down. Now, I'm not a nap taker. As a matter of fact, naps, while alluring initially, tend to make me much more tired, and much more out of it than before I lay down. There was no keeping my eyelids open. So, I lay down, and closed my eyes, and it felt sooo relaxing. It felt like savasana.

Savasana or Shavasana (pronounced shah-VAH-sah-nah)^[1] (Sanskrit: शवासन; IAST: śavāsana) is a Hatha Yoga asana known in English as Corpse Pose,^[2] and often used to begin and conclude a yoga session.

I laid there and thought how similar it was to savasana. I let my mind free, and eventually, it stilled. I lay in what felt like a state of meditation for a long time before I actually fell soundly, and deeply asleep. It was so warm, and so deep, and sound, that when I woke, I felt disoriented and slightly upset. I looked at the clock and it was time to get dressed and pick Sophia up from her after school program.

I am not sure that I'll ever really allow myself to become a nap person, but when I am beat, I know it. Today I found a source of restful peace in my nap and surely it will give my muscles the repair they need to get back into the yoga studio tomorrow.