February 24th, 2014 | Uncategorized
Mentally, it has been a tough couple of weeks for me. Though I am well on my road to being able to play again very soon, having to take the time off and truly rest has been a major test of my discipline.
I am not used to extended rest to say the least. I always try to sweat at least once a day. Slight digression—my fellow student athletes, current and former will absolutely relate—on days off it is very confusing for athletes as to when to shower. Such a small thing, but causes great confusion.
Back to the main point: rest is essential for recovery, no matter how frustrating it can be. As I continue to rehab and recover my injuries I have returned to one of my favorite recovery workouts to get my sweat on and refocus: Bikram yoga. Anyone who doesn’t think yoga is a good workout, I encourage you to give this variety a try. It is humbling and intense, but I have fallen in love with it again—smelliness and all.
Returning to my mat has been a great reminder that the body takes time to heal and grow. My first class last week I looked like a complete rookie as I hadn’t practiced yoga for nearly 6 months. My legs didn’t want to cooperate, my balance was terrible, and my mind was screaming at me to give up. Almost a week and 5 classes later, things are starting to flow a bit better.
While there is still healing to happen—and still major improvements to be made to my eagle pose—little by little improvements are happening. I just need to keep my eye on the prize and give it some time. Patience and focus will prevail!
