Thank god for Yoga Zen. Battling a cough, a runny nose and streaming eyes, Monday morning Yoga Power on Day 3 was pure struggle. I spent the who class just trying to get through to the end. Not feeling much better today (Day 4) I decided to give my body a break and opted for Yoga Zen which is described as a yoga chill pill.
Bliss is how I can describe it in my slightly frazzled state. 60 minutes of deep, slow stretching, mostly sitting or lying on the mat was heaven for my tired muscles which are still trying to adapt to the strength required for Yoga Power and keeping my head above my heart for most of the class avoided stuffed and dripping sinuses.
I'm sure one of the worst things you can do in a yoga class is compare yourself to your fellow yogis, but I can't really help it from my back-of-the-room position. Man I have a long way to go! Three years of basically only running for exercise has taken a very clear toll on my glutes and hamstrings. As I can't even keep my legs at a 90 degree angle lying flat on my back I'm barely able to manage some of the beginner postures and can only watch enviously as my neighbours contort themselves into positions I was attempting three years ago.
I'm trying to keep in mind that yoga is not a competitive sport, and that my finger tips' journey towards my toes is a marathon, not a sprint.
My favourite posture for today was Lion's Pose. If this can't shake you out of a down mood, I don't know what will. Essentially you take in a deep breath and shoot it out with a loud "blah!!!" as you roll your eyes to the ceiling and stick your tongue out as far as possible. Brilliant!
Image from www.prevention.com
Bliss is how I can describe it in my slightly frazzled state. 60 minutes of deep, slow stretching, mostly sitting or lying on the mat was heaven for my tired muscles which are still trying to adapt to the strength required for Yoga Power and keeping my head above my heart for most of the class avoided stuffed and dripping sinuses.
I'm sure one of the worst things you can do in a yoga class is compare yourself to your fellow yogis, but I can't really help it from my back-of-the-room position. Man I have a long way to go! Three years of basically only running for exercise has taken a very clear toll on my glutes and hamstrings. As I can't even keep my legs at a 90 degree angle lying flat on my back I'm barely able to manage some of the beginner postures and can only watch enviously as my neighbours contort themselves into positions I was attempting three years ago.
I'm trying to keep in mind that yoga is not a competitive sport, and that my finger tips' journey towards my toes is a marathon, not a sprint.
My favourite posture for today was Lion's Pose. If this can't shake you out of a down mood, I don't know what will. Essentially you take in a deep breath and shoot it out with a loud "blah!!!" as you roll your eyes to the ceiling and stick your tongue out as far as possible. Brilliant!
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| Corpse Pose |
Image from www.prevention.com
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