Day 108 - Namaste

So here I am, on the other side of the Ultimate Yogi, all 108 days complete.  Let's reflect first on the juice feast and lessons learned:

Juice Feast

1. Just because I lived off of V8 for 5 days when I was 19 doesn't mean that I can do it for 3 in my 30s.
2. Smoothies taste delicious when all you've had is V8 and water (see #1)
3. Soy Milk does not count as juice and there is no such thing as Beef Juice (even the drippings from your burger???!!!)
4. Hunger comes and goes in spurts and gets easier day after day.
5. Eating nothing for 3 days is actually easier than eating raw fruits and vegetables for 3 days - at least for me.
6. On the third day I was seriously "hangry".

So with that done, I was ready to tackle my 108 Sun Salutation final challenge: 

108 Sun Salutations

1. As with most of the program it is really hard to focus for 108 straight repetitions.
2. I am still a perv - albeit a more enlightened perv.
3. There is no such thing as the Ultimate Yogi or at least I will never be it.  However, I will be more centered, happier, supplement free, stronger, more flexible, more enlivened and more appreciative than I have ever been before.
4. The middle 36 were probably the hardest because you are tired and you don't yet see the light at the end of the tunnel.

For those of you wondering about my prophecy on Day 2 - yes there were tears at the end.  I honestly don't know what came over me - whether it was hunger, sadness, fatigue, happiness, joy, pride, wussiness or a blend of all of the above, but tears were definitely involved.

So a number of you spambots may be wondering what is next?  Well more yoga of course.  This journey helped me realize that weight training is not for me anymore, at least for now (never say never).  I purchased Yoga Warrior 365 and after taking this weekend to get some perspective (read: get really drunk) I started the program today.  I can already tell it is slower paced and not as intense as the Ultimate Yogi, but that is a good thing too.  Perhaps the longer held poses will allow me to focus and work on testing my edges.

I have no current plans to post on that journey, but I encourage you all to check back once in a while as who knows when the spirit may move me.

I'll leave you in true corporate fashion with some key metrics about my journey:

1. Days of Yoga: 108 (+1 @ Corporate HQ)
2. Days to complete the journey: 116
3. Days with sufficiently focused meditation: 0
4. Days of Crazy Diets: 9
5. Pounds lost on the program: 13
6. Cumulative Pounds lost since re-finding Yoga in Jan 2013: 31
7. Tears Shed: Too many
8. Yogi Style Pushups: Too many

Namaste

Day 99 - Life is good

Can't believe I'm almost there.  It has been an incredible journey.  As Travis promised, I am finishing happier, healthier, fitter and more flexible than I have ever been.  I can't believe that after 10 years I am finally off the bodybuilding supplements and not feeling cruddy, not feeling sad, not feeling like I need them for focus, not feeling I need them for athletic performance.  I forgot what it felt like to feel so great so naturally.  I forgot how good you can feel just by taking a breath.

And guess what?

I'm even baking in 10-15 minutes daily for meditation and realizing that it really fuels and energizes me throughout the day.

My wife is so annoyed with me because I'm stopping to observe the trees, flowers, birds, really all the things that I normally would not care to notice.

I've also been taking a class through Coursera on Buddhism and Modern Psychology as well as reading some great books.  I highly recommend the Seven Spiritual Laws of Yoga by Deepak Chopra for anyone who wants to explore the more spiritual side of yoga.  I keep them as calendar invites for myself now so I have some wisdom to guide me through each day.

I'm actually looking forward to the juice feast even though I know it will be a challenge.

Of course I still have my weaknesses.  I still get upset, sad, angry, pervy, bored, etc. just like anyone else, but I am better able to accept those things and better able to either control them or revert to a happier norm.

Grateful for this journey and now just wondering what I do once I complete the 108 days.