Category: Yoga

I was just reading about the 21-day yoga challenge on Eat, Live, Run, and I decided that it sounded like a great idea! I always feel better when I’m practicing yoga regularly. Truth be told, I’m a bit of a Zumba addict, so yoga has taken a back seat… I’ve been going to a few yoga classes a month, but I haven’t been as regular with it as I’d like to be.

Anyways, so why 21 days? It is good because it is a small, attainable goal. 21 days is the amount of time that Dr. Maxwell Maltz claimed in his book (in 1960) that it takes to a form a habit, so it is now a popular number to choose. Realistically, the “science” behind that isn’t really backed up today. He arrived at this number because that is about how long it takes people who’ve lost a limb to adjust. In actuality, the latest research points to 66 days being the point at which habits take the deepest root. So, since we aren’t losing limbs here, at least 21 days will give us a good head start on forming a new habit. 😛

Even if you don’t stick with it after the 21 days, regular yoga practice for the next 3 weeks can have a positive impact on everything from your stress and anxiety levels to your sleep and sex life.

The rules of the challenge are that you need to spend at least 5 minutes on your mat for it to count for the day. That’s easy enough!

When I’m practicing at home, I love trying the MANY free yoga podcasts. Here are a few that you might like too:

Yoga Today Free Weekly Class Video

Yoga Journal Free Podcast

Dave Farmar – Baptiste Power Yoga – Podcast

Yoga to the People Podcast

Elsie’s Yoga Classes

For my first day of the challenge, I did this overall toning series from Yoga Journal. It is less than half an hour long, so it was a little easier to fit into my day.

Have fun!

Interestingly enough, I found YogaToday and it was recommended to me by a new friend at almost the exact same time  :)  I like that it comes through my iTunes.  That’s very nice.

I just did the ashtanga workout from yesterday, and it was pretty true-to-form for the primary series.  She took a few liberties, but I didn’t mind at all.  I think I’ll probably do another yogatoday workout tomorrow!

Well, I am still awaiting a reply from the Oxygen network, so I’m trying to move on and find another yoga practice until my beloved Inhale returns.

I’m on a mission to find a replacement workout that is portable.  Naturally, I decided to turn to apple (iTunes specifically), as there are few problems that apple cannot solve for me  :P  I found quite a few podcasts and decided to give one a go tonight.

My butt is kicked.   My legs are jelly.  It feels great!  Here was today’s workout: Yoga to the People  It is a flow class, which I like.  If you don’t know posture names, its going to get a little hairy for you, but if you’ve been practicing a while, then I think its definitely worth a shot  :)  I like that it is aimed at a higher difficulty level.  I get bored with those yoga 101 classes  ;)  If you were practicing Inhale, then a lot of the postures will be very familiar to you (lots of flow connections (up dog, down dog) and sticking a leg up in the air).
I might try a different podcast tomorrow or I may try this one again.  Either way, I’ll let you know  :D  and I’m happy to have something for the interim.

Oh maaaaaaan! 

A few years ago the folks at Oxygen pulled Inhale from the air.  I was moping around the entire time it was gone!  It stunk!  Now its happened again!!!

I was so depressed to see that my TiVo recorded over my beautiful yoga workouts and replaced them with Xena the Warrior Princess.  I was even MORE disturbed that my kids came downstairs while it was recording and turned on the tv and have now been subject to more violence in 30 seconds than they’ve seen in their whole life, LOL.

I had a great response when I posted about Inhale a while back, so if you like the show too, please consider emailing the Oxygen network and asking for it back – their address is feedback@oxygen.com

Today I was enjoying my day, and all was lovely.  I finished working out and decided to go look up some more yoga information on the web.  I was trying to sit with good posture, but couldn’t find a good position.  Then I stumbled on this article on the Yoga Journal website.

Rewind: A couple of weeks ago we went to Six Flags and dh took a ton of pictures.  I noticed that my posture looked a bit hunchy and “yuck” so I’ve been trying to be aware.  My shoulders looked a little slouched, and I didn’t like that.

I was keeping that in mind as I read the article.  I figured that I must need to work on some yoga postures to enhance my daily posture.  Then I did their spine test.  That beautiful thing taught me that not only are my shoulders hunching forward, but I have a swayed back too.  Grrrreat.  I’m bad on both ends!

So now I’m walking around the house while trying to be aware of my swayed back (which apparently is the issue I should work on first).  As I was thinking about it, I remembered something: Right after my pregnancy I kept thinking about how swayed my back had become.  Apparently I just accepted it and moved on though.  What an oaf!  I can’t believe I’ve been walking around like this!

I guess I have some new exercises to add to my practice.  Not surprisingly, they are postures that normally give me a hard time.  I guess that makes it even more obvious that I need to work on it.

So the lesson to be learned here is that you should evaluate your own hunchedness, because apparently even your friends and family won’t tell you  :P  Thanks for nothing, everyone!  😉

I’ve gotten a couple of emails about my post on yoga and workout recommendations so I wanted to share this good deal that I scored this week!

We’re in the process of moving and I packed up my yoga mat a long time ago. I was doing yoga on our carpet, but we are getting new hardwood (bamboo actually!) floors put in this week, so I needed a new mat so I won’t slide away. I figured that I’d buy one and then pass it on to a friend once we move.

I went to Target and they had a power yoga mat kit that is up to $40 online for only $6!!! It was in the back clearance section. It includes a sticky mat, a strap, and a video. I went to another Target yesterday, and they had it as well 🙂 So if you’re in the market for a sticky mat/yoga kit, then get over to Target! Hopefully they won’t be sold out 🙂

If you can’t get that one, I also saw a mat at Ross for $8. It was just a mat, but hey, that’s better than nothing!

Have you ever noticed that when you’re not exercising often, then exercising feels yucky. However, if you’re exercising regularly, then it just feels so great! Its really cool how our body adjusts, isn’t it?

I thought I’d write about some yoga programs that I like, since that seems to be a common question in Christian circles. I’m not here to debate yoga, and I realize that there are many Christians who don’t feel comfortable with that. That’s perfectly fine by me! For me it falls into one of those categories of things that some people cannot do (perhaps because of past experiences with eastern religions, etc), but other people can do without stumbling. I don’t do it around people who struggle with it, but I find nothing wrong with the moves themselves. As Paul put it

Romans 14:13Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother’s way. 14As one who is in the Lord Jesus, I am fully convinced that no food[b] is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for him it is unclean. 15If your brother is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy your brother for whom Christ died. 16Do not allow what you consider good to be spoken of as evil. 17For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, 18because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men.

Anyhoo, back to the shows. Here’s my faves right now. I will admit that sometimes they say funky things, and when they do, I ignore them. I have friends who do the same thing I am perfectly able to ignore, lol. Neither of these shows are too spiritual though, and anything they might say is more like what I’d hear my chiropractor or masseuse say

Inhale Yoga – This is the more vigorous workout of the two. It is high energy and they use Kirk Franklin songs (“GP are you with me?!”), which makes me smile. Its all upbeat music and the host is really sarcastic. I’ve worked out to this show for years, and I really like it. It plays on the Oxygen Network.

Namaste Yoga – This is much more mellow. It is not a difficult workout, but it really reminds me to slow down and focus on the postures. It plays on FitTV.

I hope you enjoy and that I don’t get flamed! LOL.