Practice Yoga at Home - Your Body Will Thank You

I know I already tol' ya about my love of yoga, but I'm just going to waggle it in front of your nose again.

Yoga is awesome.  And you don't have to join a gym or a studio, or fumble around trying to make stuff up as you go.  If you're like me you can think of about 3 stretching moves.  I need guidance.  And the cheaper the better.

My favorite way to do yoga is at home, using Yoga Studio App, info here. It is $5 and has unlimited classes in varied lengths, focuses, & intensities.  The Runners Stretch classes are the bomb after a run or bike.

I also occasionally enjoy a $5 class at my local gym.  Yes, I will go into a gym for classes, but that's it.  I like it because they crank up the heat in the room and it is so warm and cozy, my muscles just melt like butter on a hot pancake, or like warm taffy, or a melty chocolate chip in a warm cookie...what was I talking about?  Oh yeah, warm yoga.  Bliss.

My sister sent me this great article from Huffington Post, 9 Great Yoga YouTube Channels.

The only one I have experience with is the Tara Styles channel and I really really love her classes.  She has a really casual approach, making yoga something everyone can do, even if your pose is not perfect.  It's a more organic feel, with movement, rocking, loosening, and flow.  And her voice is really soothing.

I believe that Yoga is an essential part of fitness.  Repetitive movements from the exercises we favor create muscles that are reluctant to stretch and move in other ways.  This applies to body builders, runners, bikers, HIITers, cross-fitters, swimmers, & triathletes.  Even basketball, football, etc.  Yoga also improves balance, coordination, & overall strength.  For our Summer Slim Down challenge, do a few minutes of Yoga after your 60 minutes of cardio.

Having long and limber muscles & tendons helps prevent injury by making our bodies resilient.  So when you slip on ice, arms and legs flailing wildly to keep your balance, you don't end up with a pulled hammy, or torqued back.  Think nimble, like a cat.

Yoga also relieves the tension that we carry in our muscles, that create pains in our backs, necks, shoulders, hips, etc.  Women particularly carry their stress in their hips in the form of tightness.  My favorite pose for hips is "Shoelace".  It's magic.

One of my goals for this year is to do Monkey. The splits, in layman's terms, but Monkey just sounds so darn yogi-ish and non-gymnasticky (yay for made up words).  Unfortunately I come from a long line of inflexible ancestors.  That's why it's a long-term goal.

Some argue that yoga isn't really a workout, but I can attest to the fact that if you put all your effort into it, keep your muscles engaged, and breathe, you will be sweating and muscles quivering by the time you're done with a 30-60 minute sesh.  Especially if you are in a hot room.  But keep in mind that not everything that is beneficial for your body requires sweating.  Isn't that refreshing?

Shed some tension today!