Snow and a yoga goal

Day two of snow in Rhode Island. Just enough snow to cause everyone to drive like absolute morons and give me anxiety commuting to work. Miguel is not a winter car, just like I am not a winter person. 

Little Miguel Corona Ricardo Guacardo Avocardo, so happy in the summer time. Now he is sad and camera-shy in his snow-covered state :(

I almost partly grateful for the pile of paperwork sitting on my desk because it gives me an excuse not to go out driving around to the houses. 

All of this makes the warmth of the yoga studio after work so much more comforting.

Speaking of yoga, I've been focusing a lot of my energy on increasing my flexibility lately. I've mastered splits on both sides. Now if only I could get my straddle split... 

Some random standing split stretch from Sunday morning yoga. My leg did not feel this high at all.

I think I'm going to refocus my practice for the remainder of the year, however. I'll still challenge my flexibility of course, but I have set a personal yoga goal for myself to achieve by 2014. A pose that has seemed impossible for months, no matter how many times I've tried.

One-Legged Crow

a.k.a. Eka Pada Bakasana

That's my beautiful yoga instructor, Paula, demonstrating a perfect example. (Love you, Paula! Please don't be upset that I'm posting your picture, it's just so stunning!)

This pose requires so much body awareness, balance, core strength, lack of fear, and determination. I think I've finally figured out the body mechanics behind this pose. I'm so close I can taste it. I am at the point where I can extend my leg, but I can't seem to hold it up just yet. I refuse to enter the new year without having mastered this pose, if only just for a second. 

I have a lot of practicing to do.