Do You Exercise When Feeling Icky?

The morning brought with it a headache and a case of the "icks" today. 

If you ask me why I don't feel good, I can't quite explain it.  It's just a bit of ickiness and blahs.  (The headache left after my morning coffee, water, and Ibuprofen.)

I had planned an afternoon visit to the gym for some cardio and weight training, but the icks prevailed. 

Would I have felt better had I exercised?  Most likely. 

Instead I have allowed myself to be icky and blah and ugh all day. 

Do you force yourself to exercise when you don't feel your best?

I'm Having a Love Affair with Yoga

Don't tell my husband, but I am having a love affair with YOGA.  Yes, it's reached that point.

 I find myself preferring yoga to all other activities. 

When I realized my moms' night out this week will conflict with my Friday night yoga class, I was beyond despair! 

When I realized that the children's Christmas program would conflict with the following Friday night yoga class, I wanted to scream and shout at the top of my lungs.

 When another dear friend sent a message about getting together with multiple friends the first Friday in January, again, my thoughts turned to YOGA.

Is it wrong to be obsessed with my dear flexible, zen-creating friend?Will all my friends start avoiding me because they know that I am being a harlot with yoga?

 

Will my children find out?

 

What will they say?

 

 

Progress

As I wrote last night, I am having a love affair with yoga.  Perhaps I am merely in the honeymoon phase.  Perhaps the passion cannot last.  Perhaps. 

Or perhaps I have found something with which I will have a lifelong relationship.

I hope that is the case. 

As I make progress, I do find myself loving it more. 

For example, last night's class was an excellent, challenging class from one of my favorite instructors.  One of the final poses of the evening was crow pose.  Although crow isn't terribly difficult, initially, I found it tough.  Maybe my arms weren't strong enough to hold my chubby body.  Now I can do it.   I also can shift my body to where I am on my head.  When I first began yoga, the feeling of any pressure on my head was disturbing and uncomfortable. 

My flexibility is slowly improving, though I still have a long way to go.  I cannot get over how difficult it is for me to reach with my arms behind my back.  I often wonder if it is truly lack of flexibility or if it is that my arms are short. 

I'm happy with my progress. 

photo credit:  pixabay

That's How I Know I Love Yoga...

Fridays tend to be long, long days.  They can seem even longer if I have a bad sleep the night before like I did last night. 

I awoke around 4am because the cat pushed open my door.  (I love that cat, but grrrrr)

Then I never returned to sleep.

Needless to say, I have been so sleepy all day. 

Additionally, I have been extra sad today. 

The easiest thing in the world would be to come home and sit on my bottom while drinking wine and watching movies.  Oh how tempting that was today when I was tired and it was rainy, cold, and dreary!

Yet I craved my Friday night yoga class.   I pushed myself through my tiredness and went.  And yes, not only did I do it, I loved doing it! 

If I were simply planning to go to the gym and workout on the elliptical and the weights, I would have been too tired to go. 

Yoga is different.

When I think of how much I love doing it compared to other workouts, I am amazed at the difference.

My Favorite Yoga Instructor

Her name is Amy B. and she teaches at the YMCA.  She only teaches one yoga class at that location.

 OH HOW I WISH SHE TAUGHT MORE!  I LOVE HER!  (ok, so I don't "love her" love her, I just think she is a fabulous instructor.)  My first ever yoga class was with her and I am so glad for that. 

 Her classes always offer something different.  She works different areas each week and no matter what, I feel like I have experienced a workout. 

She also offers something in the spirituality of it, the mental benefits.  She offers words of inspiration.   Something about her almost always brings me to tears by the end of the class.  That may not sound like a good thing, but it is!  They are tears of release!

 

Today's class focused on the hips.  It felt good;  it felt tough at times;  it felt relaxing as well. 

 

Yesterday I was suffering from intense anxiety.  My start with her today was a much needed thing.

 

If only I could attend her classes every single day!

I Could Use a Little Zen Today

One of these days soon, I plan to photograph my daughter in some yoga poses to use with my posts.  I keep planning to do so, but not following through.  Life is busy.  In the meanwhile, my personal photos of trees and lovely beach scenes work fine.

Today has been such a rotten day.  I have felt such anxiety due to all sorts of things.  I need some zen.  I need some yoga. 

The busy, busy schedule of Wednesday never allows for Yoga.  Today is even more busy than usual as I have to take my daughter to dance class. 

The good thing is that tomorrow I get to go to my favorite yoga class.  I love this instructor and I want to suggest to her that she make some instructional videos and put them on youtube.  I'd love to be able to benefit from her teachings on the days I cannot make it to her class.  Due to vehicle issues, I haven't been to her class for 4 weeks!  That's terrible!  I miss it!

I three instructors that I see regularly, but she is my favorite.

Do you have a favorite instructor?

Sunrise Yoga? I Don't Get It!

Perhaps it is because I am simply NOT a morning person.  I'm just not.  I would rather sleep. 

In fact, tomorrow I have plans to go to an 8:00am yoga class and I am not thrilled about it. 

I'm thrilled about the yoga, just not the time. 

Again, I would rather sleep.

So when I hear about these yoga studios that offer sunrise yoga, I find it completely unappealing.  For one thing, early in the morning, my body feels extra tight and off-balance.  The early morning classes seem so much more difficult for me to keep the poses or even reach the poses. 

There is way more "ouch" to morning yoga. 

I wonder if the morning yoga might be a better way to start your day if you suffer from anxiety (which I do).  Perhaps the spiritual and mental benefits outweigh the negatives from the stiff morning muscles.

I could see doing sunset yoga.  That sounds nice. 

Much nicer because it does not require me to set my alarm clock.