The Aftermath

I woke up this morning and wished that I could somehow trade in both my legs from the knees down. I am glad that I had today off from school as handling the steps at my various subway stops would have been excruciatingly painful. Before 8 a.m., I had already taken two ice baths.

So I did what any normal person would do to alleviate my discomfort.... Bikram Yoga. Yes, I know I have preached the benefits of Bikram Yoga on this site several times in the past, but none compare to what I feel about it after today's class. That wish I had about trading in my legs basically came true after I left class. The pain was reduced from about a 7 (out of 10) to a 3. Everything feels better and stronger. One posture in particular I think helped a lot, the Padangustasana, aka the Toe Stand. The beneifits of this posture are:
Creates balance and focus in body and mind
Strengthens stomach muscles
Strengthens joints (hips, knees, ankles and toes)
Helps relieve arthritis in all leg joints including hips
It looks like this - (note: I don't quite look like that in my attempts).

Now the pose I really needed today is the Dandayamana Dhanurasana aka Standing Bow Pulling Pose, as one of the benefits of this pose is the reduction of abdominal fat. After a week of tapering, only running one time for 4 miles, and also carb loading, I feel like I balooned, and the scale confirmed it as I put on 4 pounds. Having seen a recent pic of a friend, I'm thinking he needs this pose as well.