Three Months of Yoga

Does three months of regular practice of yoga sound like a lot to you?   In the scheme of all things zen, it actually is not.  Yet I feel good about three months.

 I attend some advanced classes and I do a pretty good job of keeping up at this point.  That's something.  I still say how much easier it will be for me when I shed some of these unwanted pounds.  I was especially thinking that tonight at my class. 

The instructor who is already fairly tough decided to hold each pose longer than usual.  As my arms were burning in plank pose and downward facing dog, I couldn't help but dream of weighing 50 pounds less.

 As I still struggle to keep learning poses and mastering poses, I do not focus as much on breathing, relaxing.  However, I do already see the benefits to this aspect of yoga practice.

Prior to starting my yoga journey, I could never breathe (it seemed).  My breathing has improved.

As I have mentioned before, there is definitely the benefit of less anxiety.  I would like to say that all anxiety has disappeared, maybe someday!

Three months ago, I could not do the tripod pose.  Today I did. 

Three months ago, my hands and wrists hurt for days after my first two classes.

Three months ago, I didn't know a cobra pose from an eagle pose.

Three months ago, I didn't know how much I would love yoga.

Dating When Married

Well, it is official!  We can leave the children alone for a date. 

We left today for a friend of my husband's wedding at 4pm.  We did not return home until 10:00pm.

The children did NOT burn the house down.

The children did NOT call me or text me twenty times wondering when we would be home. 

I think we are ok with maybe dating again/

I think that we will have to figure this thing out because dating has been such a non-priority for the last 15 years. 

This could be a good thing.

Could it be the Tryptophan?

I am feeling LAZY. 

I had high, high hopes of doing yoga today.  My workout routine is a disaster due to vehicle problems.  Getting the gym is a challenge right now and motivation at home is slim. 

But my hopes were high!

I said I WOULD go to the gym!

Yet... 

Here I sit among a mess in my house. 

I don't have any energy.

 

I suppose it could be the lack of sleep the last three nights in a row.

 

or it could be that I was upper early today.

 

Or it could be the tryptophan from the turkey.

 

 

A New Option for Yoga

As I have mentioned, I have been without a vehicle for nearly a month now thanks to a paperwork nightmare that we are trying to straighten out.  The biggest issue has been me getting to the gym for my Yoga classes.  (thankfully, the children are in low activity mode right now)

My husband's work schedule has made it so I can get there occasionally, but not regularly like I need. 

I know so many folks who do their yoga at home always. 

I am just not good at exercising at home. 

I'm just not.

A month or so ago, I downloaded a yoga app, but I found it boring. 

Yesterday I decided to check out youtube.  I found many yoga videos on there.  I started one by that Jillian chick from the Greatest Loser show, but the video wasn't working.  The next in line was one by Denise Austen.  Although I am not a big fan of her, I decided to try it. 

It was a 30 minute class that was fairly basic.  It went much more quickly than if I were trying to do it at home without a class.  It wasn't great, but it was something which was more than I was getting. 

So that is my plan.  From now on, I will try to do videos at home if I cannot get to the gym (which at this rate, who knows when I can drive my van again.)

Here's the youtube video that I watched. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=daoU86HqYPg

Blogger Tag: I'm It

Well, already I do not know if I can actually tag anyone.  So my plan is to share this with my blogging momma friend mommykerrie maybe via email.  Here's her blog by the way:  http://www.thekerrieshow.com/

Here are the 25 questions for blogger tag. 

1.  Where were your born?  Well, I'm going to plead the fifth on this one because sometimes that's a security question on things.  So I'll just say that I was born on the planet earth.  K?

2.  Were you named after someone?  Nope.  no awesome story to go along with my name darn it.

3.  if you have question, how many do you have?   I'm the mother to five beautiful children.  My oldest child died two years ago though.  So I have to struggle through life without his precious self in my day.

4.  how many pets do you have?  We currently are on the low end of pets with only two cats and a dog.  The dog is huge though and is the equivalent of a grown man or four dogs.  Anyone want a new dog?

5.  what was your worst injury?   well, this may be speaking physical, but the worst injury I have ever sustained is losing my son.  my heart is broken and will never mend.

6.  Do you have a special talent?  eh, not sure.  I am a pretty good cook.  I decorate my children's birthday cakes and they look fun.  And I sometimes take some awesome photographs. 

7.  What's your favorite thing to bake?  well, this is tough.  I love a delicious baked pasta dish like lasagna or cannelloni.  I also love freshly baked bread.  Then of course, there are cookies.

8.  What's your favorite fast food?    I'll have to say Schlotzsky's.  I love those sandwiches.

9.  Would you bungee jump?  Um, nope.  I don't know if I would have back in my youthful days or not, but definitely not now. 

10.  what is the first thing you notice about people?  I guess just how friendly they are.

11.  When was the last time you cried?  Yesterday.  I tend to cry at least once a day since losing my son.

12.  Are you worried about anything currently?    Finances.  Just received notice that a monthly bill is going up by $300 a month.  That is about all extra we have.  I don't know how we will afford anything, ANYTHING, extra now.  and by extra I mean children's activities, homeschool books, hair cuts, clothes....

13.  What are three drinks you drink regularly?  1.  water (I LOVE water!)  2.  coffee (can't start my day without it)  and 3.  wine (not every night, but many nights)

14.  what is your favorite book?  I hate limiting this to just one, but if I must, I will say Les Miserables. 

15.  would you like to be a pirate?  only if it were in a movie

16.  favorite smells?   fresh basil and coffee

17. why do you blog?  I like to write.  I like to talk.  and I hope to eventually write a book.  this is good practice. 

18.  Do you have a song you want played at your funeral?  I used to say Dancing Queen by Abba.  I'm not sure anymore. 

19.  what is your least favorite thing about yourself?  my weight and my lack of willpower and my tendency to be lazy

20.  favorite hobby?  writing, photography, and knitting

21.  what qualities do you look for in a friend?  trustworthy, kind, fun

22.  name something you have done that you never thought you would do:  be a stay at home mom.  I was a career gal and loved it.  I had no plans to stay at home.  funny how things change.

23.  favorite things to do?  write, watch movies, read, drink coffee, yoga

24.  pet peeves?  women who gossip, dishonesty, drama

25.  what is the last thing that made you laugh?  i'm sure it was my children today sometime, but my mind is blank. 

Comparing Yoga Styles, A Newbie's Perspective

I'm no expert at Yoga.  I simply know that I enjoy it. 

I have been practicing for nearly three months now which is nothing in the long journey of life. 

My yoga practice takes place at three different YMCA locations which I live in close proximity, as well as occasionally at home.   When I first decided to give it a try, I simply looked up the yoga schedules at my gyms and went from there.  I did look at the websites of a few different local yoga studios and felt slightly overwhelmed when reading the different descriptions of the classes.  I had no idea there was a difference.  I thought that yoga was yoga.  Period. 

After three months, I can tell you a few things I have learned and what I prefer. 

First of all, I recently learned what Bikram yoga is.  I have absolutely ZERO desire to try this.  Do you know why?  Bikram yoga practices in the poses and postures in a studio where the temperature is set to a very high temperature, approximately 105 degrees F.  Seriously!  Who does this?  I hate the heat.  So this does not sound appealing to me. 

Two other styles of yoga are Hatha and Vinyasa, both of which I have now practiced. 

Reading up on the styles, Hatha is explained as a slower, gentler flow of poses and postures.  It is often recommended for beginners. 

Vinyasa moves through the poses a little more quickly.  You will do more poses and hold them for less time. 

I prefer the Vinyasa which is funny because most things I have read states that Vinyasa is best for advanced students.  I find the Vinyasa easier when it is a difficult pose because I don't have to hold the pose as long.  I suppose in all honesty, I should be doing the slower and perfecting those poses.  However, I think for me, a big reason some poses are difficult is that I am overweight.  (will work on that after the holidays!)  So holding some poses just gets so hard.  My arms get so achy! 

As I have said before yoga will be so much easier for me when I am skinny. 

One of these days when I feel a little more skilled, I would like to take classes at an actual yoga studio.  I'd love to see what it is like in that environment. 

For now, I'll enjoy my YMCA!

Give Me Strength, Flexibility, and a Little Zen

Another day at home without a vehicle. 

This is getting quite old to say the least. 

I love being home.  I love the days we have no activities, but I need to go places!  I need to go grocery shopping, to the bank, to the gym!

I NEED YOGA!

Here shortly, I plan to do some poses here at home.  As I have written before, it is never the same.  I often feel bored and distracted at home.  The time passes quite slowly. 

I shall do it!  I shall!

I'll do some salutations (rex style), some chair, tree, and warrior poses.  There's a pose that I do not know the name of that I shall do.  I shall stretch, stretch, and stretch some more. 

And my achy, tight, sore, inflexible body will thank me for it!