Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAYS 190-194

Days 190-196

This week I chose to do a Moon Sequence every day since my monthly cycle came to visit. Plus I knew I had a crazy week ahead, so it was nice to do more restorative postures to help relieve any aches and pains as well as any stress that might arise.

A moon sequence helps to support a woman during her monthly cycle in many ways. It helps the body rest and restore, and can relieve the pains and symptoms that PMS can bring on.

This was a well deserved and needed week of calming postures and breath.

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAYS 183-189

DAYS 183 - 189 - (Week 6)

So last week was very busy for me, so I am compiling my week of posts into ONE.

Week 6 in my book was called Listening Inward. It is all about finding a little time to turn inward to the point where you are fully present in the moment and where all internal movement is as fully observed as external movement is... It focuses on forward bends and restorative poses. The forward bends literally fold you so that your senses (eyes, ears, mouth, and nose) turn toward yourself. They help to allow you to observe what is taking place within your body. Restorative poses help you to observe the sensations of your body without identifying with them. As surface noise begins to quiet, the deep inner workings of your mind, body, and breath become exposed.

This week of forward bends and restorative poses came at a perfect time. My next week is actually even busier, so I am debating whether to repeat this week, or do the Moon practice each day this week as I happened to start my "woman cycle" today! I will decide on Monday... :)

 

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAYS 181 & 182

DAYS 181 & 182 - (Week 5 Days 6&7)

Weekend!! It was a busy weekend for me, as I had some photo shoots and lots of photos to edit. :) This is the best time to rejuvenate my mind and body with rest, breath, and meditation!

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 180

DAY 180 - (Week 5 Day 5)

Today is attempting full Handstand and Shoulderstand in a sequence. In the book, we still use the wall as support for Handstand, but I tried a few without the wall only because I am experienced with Handstand and feel comfortable. I can generally only stay in it a few seconds without a wall, but I love to try it!

Yoga Every Day for a Year - DAY 179

DAY 179 - (Week 5 DAY 4)

Learning Handstand and Plow Pose. More of handstand prep (up against a wall). If you aren't comfortable in full handstand, then it is always good to keep using a wall for support. Plow is a good preliminary pose to help learn Shoulderstand.

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 178

DAY 178 - (Week 5 DAY 3)

Learning Volcano Pose and Wall Shoulderstand. I'm sure you have heard me talk about this before, but Shoulderstand is probably one of the most beneficial poses in yoga. This step by step process helps those who may be uneasy or confused about the posture. It's a personal favorite posture of mine! :)

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 177

DAY 177 - (Week 5 Day 2)

Learning Reclined Mountain and Handstand Preparation! Fun Fun!!

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 176

DAY 176 - (Week 5 Day 1 of 8 week challenge) "Facing the Unknown"

Half way through my book, yeah!! This week's focus is called "Facing the Unknown," which is doing inverted poses. Some people have a fear of going upside down, especially in yoga postures. This week helps to give you safe and playful variations of some of the inversions, like handstand and shoulderstand. It's not important that you can fully do them, but focusing on your discovery of how you can relax in a possible threatening situation and having a sense of fun towards them.

I personally love inversions! I adore handstands and find it fun to do them often, even randomly out in public sometimes. When I worked with children, this was a fun thing for me to do for them because they loved to watch me go upside down. When I do handstands, I feel like such a kid! They make me smile, giggle, and feel young again!  

Yoga Everyday for a Year - Day 174 & 175

DAY 174 & 175 (Week 4 DAY 6 & 7)

My much needed breath awareness, meditation and relaxation this weekend! Ahhhhhh....

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 173

DAY 173 - (Week 4 DAY 5)

Learning Wide Angle Twist and Seated Crossed-Legs Twist. One thing I've had to remind myself all week, and ALWAYS when doing twists, is to keep my chin up when twisting. It is our natural instinct to tilt our head down when we twist. Remember to keep that chin up, sit up tall to lengthen the spine, and twist through the core and not the shoulders.

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 172

DAY 172 - (Week 4 Day 4)

Learning Marichi's Twist 3 and Lord of the Fishes Pose. I just love the name "Lord of the Fishes Pose..." This pose is also a great one recommended to me for my Ulcerative Colitis! So all you out there who suffer, this is one for you to do daily.

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 171

DAY 171 - (Week 4 Day 3)

Learning the Reclined Twist. These are nice because when you lie on the ground, your spine naturally elongates, providing a good orientation from which to twist. They are also very relaxing for me. My husband has been out of town part of this week (one reason I have slacked on my posts!), but it has been very quiet once my son has fallen asleep. It's been my favorite yoga time this week. :)

Yoga Everyday For a Year - DAY 170

DAY 170 - (Week 4 Day 2)

Learning Simple Twist and Marichi's Twist 1. Can I just say I LOVE twists! They feel so good to me, like I am ringing out the "nasties" in my body. This sequence also includes a Core Strengthening series which is really nice!

Yoga Everyday for a Year - Day 169

DAY 169 - (Week 4 Day 1) "Allowing Receptivity"

This week is all about "Twists!" Basically it is teaching us that when we hit a barrier, we need to learn not to resist, but to observe, breathe, and asses. In twists, many of us come up against a wall of physical and emotional tightness. We sometimes resist and hold our breath. We need to learn to relax, find space to inhale into and release. The "twists" can be very cleansing for the body and mind; flushing the digestive tract and improving circulation.

I look forward to this week!

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 168

DAY 168 - (Week 3 DAY 7)

Today the focus was learning Passive Backbend and Upward-Facing Bow Poses. We began with Sun Salutations first to help coordinate the body, mind, and breath. Bow pose is a powerful backbend, so by doing Passive Backbend pose after this, which helps let go of the bindings in the front body.

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 167

DAY 167 - (Week 3 DAY 6)

Learning Camel pose and Reclined Hero Pose tonight. Camel is one of my favorite backbends and I love how it opens my heart and strengthens my back. I feel a little uncomfortable in Reclined Hero, so I never stay in it for long. When you feel uncomfortable in a pose, it's best to take it very slow and practice it often to feel more comfortable in it.

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 166

DAY 166 - (Week 3 DAY 5)

The focus today was learning Bow Pose and Supported Bridge. Bow Pose is a very active pose for the entire body. This strongly works the muscles in your back and legs. I love Supported Bridge pose. Since you use a block, it is not as active as regular Bridge pose. It is a nice way to open the hip flexors and thighs.

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAYS 164 & 165

DAY 164 & 165 - (Week 3 Day 3 &4)

Again I chose to do my relaxation and meditation days in the middle of the week. I would prefer the weekend to do this usually, but sometimes life happens and we need to adjust! :)

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 163

DAY 163 - (Week 3 Day 2)

The focus today was on learning Cobra Pose and Upward Facing Dog. These 2 postures are good at strengthening the muscles in your back. They are also wonderful for learning how to lengthen your spine from the strength of your legs.

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 162

DAY 162 - (Week 3 Day 1 of 8 week challenge)

Learning the postures tonight for this week's focus: Opening into Vulnerability, which is focusing on backbends. Backbends are the yoga poses that will re-balance your spine, shoulders, neck, and pelvis.  They also open the door to your heart chakra, which is the emotional center of your body. Opening the door to your heart chakra means having both a willingness to connect to your emotional center, and a willingness to connect to the outside world from your emotional body.

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 161

DAY 161 - (Week 2 DAY 7)

Tonight's focus: Learning how the breath works during Sun Salutations by using one breath per movement and flowing with the breath. I love to flow with the breath...feeling free!!

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 160

DAY 160 - (Week 2 DAY 6)

I did my Yoga sequence tonight out on the deck. I love when I get a chance to get my yoga time outside in the fresh air! The connection of being in nature really relaxes me and help me clear any tension and stress. Today we focused on Upward-Facing Dog Pose. This pose relies on your leg strength because the legs are the foundation for the backbending of your spine, so you do not strain your back.

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 159

DAY 159 - (Week 2 DAY 5)

Today's focus is learning Push-up pose during Sun Salutations. It is one of the most challenging poses in the Sun Salutation because it takes a lot of arm strength if you are doing it correctly. In the sequence today we practice Mountain pose, then Plank pose to learn the proper body alignment.  Once you have been doing these for awhile, you get very and nice strong toned arms and shoulders.

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAYS 157 & 158

DAY 157 & 158 - (Week 2 Day 3&4)

I had family in town this week, so I am a little slow on posting the last few days. Since I had family here and a couple very late nights, I chose to do Day 3 & 4 as the breathing and meditation days. So this weekend I will do the sequences instead.

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 156

DAY 156 - (Week 2 DAY 2 of 8 week challenge)

Feeling exhausted today! I couldn't wait for my yoga time... A sequence with 4 mini sun salutations and 2 full ones, spending longer in Downward Facing Dog, followed by a few standing poses from last week. Relaxation pose was heaven tonight!

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 155

DAY 155 - (Week 2 Day 1)

This week's theme is "Awakening Connection." It's about linking poses together through movement and realizing how each pose is connected. "By taking time to do a yoga practice, you give yourself the opportunity to digest your experiences and therefore awaken your consciousness of connection." -Rodney Yee

The first day I learn the poses for the week. The focus this week is connecting the poses of Sun Salutations. I went through each pose individually, then at the end I practiced a couple Sun Salutations linked together. I love linking postures together through flowing movements and it is how I teach the majority of my classes.

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 153 & 154

DAY 153 & 154 - (Week 1 Days 6/7)

Two days of breath awareness and meditation. This was a good opportunity for me to reflect on the week's focus of "Being Present." As the week went on, I tried to remain in the present moment not only when doing yoga, but during my everyday activities. I felt really happy this week as a result!

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 152

DAY 152 - (Week 1 Day 5 of 8 week challenge)

Happy Friday! Today's focus was learning Pyramid Pose and Half Moon. I have always loved Half Moon. It is a standing balance pose; and I always feel so open and free when I am in the full version of this posture.

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 151

DAY 151- (Week 1 Day 4 of 8 week challenge)

Today's focus was learning Warrior 1 and Tree Pose. I did my sequence while my husband was making dinner and my son was crawling all over my mat and playing with his toys. A little hard to stay totally present on yoga, but I enjoyed being present in the moment of family time! :)

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 150

DAY 150 - (Week 1, DAY 3 of 8 week challenge)

I made it to 150 days..woohoo!! Tonight I was so tired and didn't get around to yoga until about 10pm. I so wanted to skip it and go straight to bed, but my 150 day motivated me and I knew I would sleep better after. Tonight focused on learning Warrior 2 and Extended Side Angle poses. I love this book because it explains everything in such detail. I have really been working on alignment in each posture.

I have realized that I need small challenges along the way to keep me motivated and help me achieve my long term goal. This tends to be true with most things I do!

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 149

DAY 149 - (Week 1, Day 2 of 8 week challenge)

A sequence focusing on learning Mountain Pose and Triangle Pose. It's feels good to be doing mostly standing poses again... like I said before I have been quite "yoga lazy" lately and sticking to seated poses, breath, and relaxation.

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 148

DAY 148 - Today I began my new 8 week challenge, "Moving Toward Balance" with Rodney Yee. This book takes you through 8 aspects of balance (one each week) as you practice related posture, breath awareness, and meditation. Each weekly lesson consists of an Introduction, Day 1 (learn the poses), Day 2-5 is guided sequences, Day 6 is breath awareness and meditation, and Day 7 is rest; but I will either do another sequence or another day of breath awareness and meditation. 

Week 1 - Day 1: Being Present

Today I read the introduction and practiced the poses for the week. "Being present means observing and responding appropriately  to whatever arises." We start with standing poses to awaken our physical connection to the earth. Standing poses awaken our legs to increase their agility, strength and alignment. The poses invigorate the entire body, which brings ease to your mind. Therefore helping to be present. Each day ends with a short relaxation, breath and meditation.

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAYS 146 & 147

DAY 146 & 147 - It's a holiday weekend so the last 2 nights I kept it simple with breathing and meditation, especially since I will start my 8 week Yoga challenge on Monday! I hope everyone had a great Memorial Weekend and spent some time relaxing and enjoying friends/family! xxx

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 145

DAY 145 - I ended my day with a couple back and side stretches. I'm feeling quite yoga lazy lately and I haven't done much more than 10 minutes for several weeks now. I feel so distracted and my mind is all over the place again. It must be because of my new business and my motivation has shifted to it...I have been considering doing my Rodney Yee book, "8 weeks of Yoga" as a new challenge to re-motivate me with yoga. I think I mentioned this book before...I have only completed it one other time (right before my yoga teacher training). I think I will start it on Monday!

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 143 & 144

DAY 143 and 144 - I managed to get some yoga in during the afternoon the last 2 days. Just simple sequences of my own. I haven't done many videos lately, so I hope to do some over the long weekend.

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 142

DAY 142 - One of my favorite moments is still getting to hold my son when he falls asleep. He is growing so fast and soon I won't be able to do it anymore... so tonight while holding him, I did a meditation and focused on my love and appreciation for having him in my life. I am so blessed! I love you my sweet Mateus!

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 141

DAY 141 - With my husband at soccer and my son asleep, I can usually get some yoga in and have a quiet house!

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 140

DAY 140 - My days are mixing together and I am usually posting a day late, sorry! I need to be better at keeping on track. I've been so consumed with my photography, so my yoga time in the evening is keeping me at ease. I keep saying this, but I need to commit to doing more daytime practices and keep evenings free to work more on my photography. Yoga is so important for me to relax as well as get my creativity flowing!

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 139

DAY 139 - A full day today, so it was a night of a short mediation and relaxation...

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 138

DAY 138 - It was a beautiful day, so while I was at the park with Mateus he played and I did a little yoga!

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 137

DAY 137 - Shoulder stand....my only pose this evening

Benefits

• Calms the brain and helps relieve stress and mild depression
• Stimulates the thyroid and prostate glands and abdominal organs
• Stretches the shoulders and neck
• Tones the legs and buttocks
• Improves digestion
• Helps relieve the symptoms of menopause
• Reduces fatigue and alleviates insomnia
• Therapeutic for asthma, infertility, and sinusitis

This is probably my favorite posture and has multiple important benefits!  

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 136

DAY 136 - A sequence of calming and restoration poses to end my day. Just a few minutes goes a long way!

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 135

DAY 135 - A night of rest and relaxation pose!

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 134

DAY 134 - Chair yoga tonight..lol! I have been at the computer quite a bit this week getting my new photography business together, so I took a few breaks and did some stretches in between my work. What a difference it makes! If you work at a desk and at a computer, take regular breaks, stretch your arms, neck and back, and twist.

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 133

DAY 133 - A quick sequence with one of my favorite instructors, Shiva Rea! I love her yoga style, it is like yoga dance. She is constantly moving and flowing..a great pick me up that I needed tonight!

http://www.myyogaonline.com/videos/yoga/prana-yoga-for-the-spine

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAYS 130,131 & 132

DAY 130, 131, & 132 - Oh gosh, sorry I haven't posted in a few days! I've been working on a new project (photography), so it's been a little hard to find the time to write. The last few days I only had time for a little late night yoga, which was basically just a few poses, breathing, or meditation. The good news is, that I'm feeling much much better!!

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 129

DAY 129 - A few quick backbends and shoulder openers and stretches for my aching arms and back today...too many times of lifting Mateus in the air I think!

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 128

DAY 128 - I found a new mama and baby postnatal yoga class on "my yoga online." I did it while Mateus was sleeping to check it out it if it was something he could do with me. Basically the babies in the class were quite young and just laid there or slept. There is even one baby who gets a diaper change in the middle of class...lol love it! The class was really nice though and helps a new mama get out some of those aches and pains of caring for a baby. I would recommend to any new mom!

This was the first video I have done in a while, and it was so nice to be led by someone else again!

 http://www.myyogaonline.com/videos/yoga/postnatal-mom-and-baby-yoga

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 127

DAY 127 - Yoga to the sound of the rain...

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 126

DAY 126 - A really busy, but fun day for me with 2 photo shoots. I am building my portfolio to start a portrait photography business! It's days like these, my yoga time is especially important to not only clear my head, unwind, but to even promote creativity. I unwound this evening with a short sequence, while I let thoughts of today's session pass through my mind. After this, I tried to let it all pass out of my mind and just BE.

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 125

DAY 125 - A day of relaxation for me! I love weekends! :-)

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 123 & 124

DAY 123 and 124 - It's been another couple days of my son teething; so he hasn't been taking regular naps and has gone to bed at 10pm the last 2 nights! Therefore I haven't been able to do yoga until quite late the last couple of days. I kept my sequences simple and short both nights... just doing a few poses my body was asking for in order to ring out any aches and pains of the long days. Let's see what tomorrow brings..

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 122

DAY 122 - The house was quiet since my son was asleep and my husband was at soccer, so I got a really nice evening sequence in...BLISS!!!  Finally feeling back to normal again...

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 121

DAY 121 - Feeling better today! I managed to get a few asanas in this afternoon to get my body moving. Hopefully I can do more of a full sequence tomorrow!

Yoga everyday for a Year - DAY 120

DAY 120 - Tonight just a short meditation focusing on the heath of my body after a long 3 weeks of pain and sickness. It's been a draining few weeks, especially when you have a little one to take care of too. You never get to totally rest, so recovery time can be a little longer... I am feeling much better, so I am looking forward to a new challenge soon!

I still haven't done anything to celebrate me 100 days of yoga...hmmm...now I may just wait until 150 since I am half way there! LOL

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 119

DAY 119 - I tried to get on the mat this evening to do some postures.. I did about 4 poses, then ended up in relaxation because I nearly fell asleep in each pose! Off to bed!

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 118

DAY 118 - A house full of sickies this weekend! My husband, baby, and I have colds... so tonight just some relaxation for me!

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 117

DAY 117 - I took it easy since I have a little cold, so I did a few poses here and there throughout the day. After over 100 days of yoga, I am starting to hit a motivation wall...  from feeling bad for the last 3 weeks with my Ulcerative Colitis flaring up, and now a cold, I have fallen out of a good yoga flow and it is sometimes hard to keep my motivation to do yoga each day. This is an important time and when I need yoga the most, so that keeps me going. Once I'm feeling better (after this cold) I will set myself another little challenge. That always seems to help me stay on track!

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 116

DAY 116 - I was finally able to do yoga this morning! :-) I didn't do a very long sequence, but at least I got some in during the day instead of leaving it for the last thing in the evening. Don't get me wrong; I love an evening sequence! But, every night was getting hard since I need to do a lot of things in the evening and can't fit it all in. Anyway, if I can get back to sometimes during the day and sometimes during the night, I will be happy!

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 114 and 115

DAY 114 and 115 - A couple more days of meditation and relaxation the last couple of days. My UC flare up has really taken a toll on my body and my energy. Now I have picked up a slight cold because my immunity seems to be down. Yoga can help so many issues, but it is definitely not a quick fix. Slow, steady, and persistence will take you a long way! :-)

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 113

DAY 113 - By the time we got home tonight, had dinner, and put my son to bed... it was 10pm! I was so exhausted, so I only did a few poses tonight and put myself to bed. I need to start getting my yoga in during the day again because so often in the evening, I am struggling to find the time to fit it in. The evenings, after my son is asleep, is the main time I have to get some things done.

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 110-112

DAY 110-112 - This weekend I took it very easy with yoga and stuck with a few basic poses that help my stomach to feel good and less bloated (Forward Bends, Bridge, Child's Pose, Modified Downward Facing Dog, Shoulder Stand, and Corpse Pose) I'm trying to get my body back to feeling good after my UC flare up. I still wasn't feeling great over the weekend, but now I feel that I am finally getting back on track. My plan this week is to continue with some Yin Yoga and UC special sequences.

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 108 and 109

DAY 108 and 109 - I am trying out some Yin Yoga for a few days to see how it makes me feel while my UC is flaring up. I did the same sequence for Day 108 and 109. The first day I could only hold most of the poses for around a minute. I felt really full from dinner, so I think this was the main reason. Tonight I could hold most of the poses for around 3 minutes, but it still seemed a little hard. My mind wasn't relaxed and was busy, so even 3 minutes seemed like 20 minutes to me tonight. By the end of the sequence I felt more relaxed and calm, which is what my body and mind are craving.

http://www.yogajournal.com/practice/2545

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 107

DAY 107 - I finished my last 10 sun salutations, a couple days late, but that is totally fine! I am going to look in to doing some more Yin Yoga and my UC sequence over the next couple of weeks to see how that helps me. I am feeling much better today though!! :)

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 106

DAY 106 - Just relaxation tonight after having my UC flaring up. Hoping to finish the 10 Sun Salutations tomorrow, but if I don't it is no big deal. I have to listen to my body and do what is right for it.

I started to google Ulcerative Colitis and yoga last night. I have a sequence that I do for my UC that really helps, but it has been a couple years since I researched any new information. I found another blog where yin yoga helped the person's UC. Here is the link if you are interested:

http://lindasyoga.blogspot.com/search?q=yin+yoga

And another woman who did yoga everyday for a year, who also has UC and talked about her flare ups during her year:

http://yoga2010.wordpress.com/

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 105

DAY 105 - I only did 5 sun salutations tonight...still feeling bad :-( I have 10 more to go so hoping to finish them tomorrow. After that, the rest of the week will be restorative yoga for me until I feel better again!

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 104

DAY 104 - 15 more Sun Salutations tonight, making it 93 total and 15 more to go tomorrow! I didn't add any more poses in tonight. My stomach is SO bad today, so I struggled through the 15.... :-(

I have Ulcerative Colitis and have not been taking my medicine, therefore I now have a flare up which could have probably been prevented. You would think I would learn my lesson, but I hate taking medication! Yoga does help my symptoms in a big way; as well as avoiding dairy and meat. When I am doing yoga regularly, and eating a healthy vegan diet; then I feel my best and only have to take the minimal medication. So I am now back on my meds and hopefully will feel better soon!

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 103

DAY 103 - Happy Friday! 15 again tonight. I've had a sore tummy all day today and yesterday...blah! Starting to feel better tonight though after my yoga. I feel like I fly right through the sun salutations now and the flow is so smoooooth....78 down and 30 to go!

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 102

DAY 102 - I did 15 more tonight. I did them in groups of 5 this time because I wasn't feeling great, so in between each 5, I stopped to rest in a seated stretch. 63 down, 44 to go!

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 101

DAY 101 - This afternoon I completed 13 Sun Salutations, followed by some additional poses. I have now done 48 Sun Salutation this week, and have 60 to go. This is a fun challenge for the week!

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 100

DAY 100!! I made it to 100 days...woohoo!! Today I did 15 Sun Salutations. After 10 I was about to call it a night since I was feeling very sleepy. I did a couple stretches and got a drink of water, then said to myself "just do 5 more." So I did 5 more and did a few more stretches and savasana. This was one of those nights where savasana feels like the most comfortable place in the world! 35 Sun Salutations down, 73 to go!

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 99

DAY 99 - Here I go with 108 Sun Salutations in a week! I did 20 today...after about 10, I started to get a little heated and really get in to a rhythm. I loved it! It was like a moving meditation and my mind and body were flowing together. I started to feel light and almost like I was dancing. Some day I would love to try to do all 108 in a day. It would take time, focus, and discipline to accomplish all of them...but I think I would feel great after!

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 97 and 98

DAY 97 and 98 - Easter weekend was a weekend to be with my family, enjoy the beautiful Spring weather, and to relax. I took it very easy with yoga over the weekend and kept it simple. I did mostly relaxation and breathing techniques.

I wanted to set a little challenge for myself this week to bring some motivation back and to welcome in the beautiful Spring season. I have always wanted to try 108 Sun Salutations at the Spring Equinox. The date has already passed, but I thought I would give it a try. Of course I will not be able to accomplish it in one day, so I have decided to try to complete it in one week instead (starting Monday). Please read the Yoga Journal article to learn more about the significance behind the number 108.


http://www.yogajournal.com/practice/2579

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 96

DAY 96- I chose a yoga sequence from one of my apps on my ipad. There are several Free yoga apps you can download onto your ipad or iphone. I used one from iYoga tonight. I did the Belly, legs, and buttocks - Level 1. These are quite good little sequences, especially for free! I always try to find as many free sequences as possible since there are so many good resources out there.

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 95

DAY 95 - I did just a quick "Moon" sequence tonight. It definitely helped me to feel better and supports my body for what it needs now.

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 94

DAY 94 - I apologize that I have been a little slow on my posts lately! My computer is old an has been acting up on me, plus I've had a few days of feeling exhausted. Today I realized what has been making me feel so tired. I'm sorry if this is TMI, but I began my monthly cycle again after having my son almost 9 months ago.

Tonight I did get around to doing some gentle and restorative asana, which always makes me feel better during this time of the month. There are special sequences you can do, sometimes called a Moon sequence. This can help with headaches, bloating, cramping, and fatigue that women often experience during their cycle.

I'm getting close to my 100 days of yoga! Around this time it is easy to lose a little motivation, so I need another mini yoga challenge. I have been thinking about following my Rodney Yee book, "8 weeks of Yoga." I have completed this book once before when I was preparing for my yoga teacher training course. I loved it! I will let you know what I decide to do on DAY 100!

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 93

DAY 93 - Ommmm.... the last couple of weeks I have felt a bit sluggish and I haven't felt like doing a lot of asana (postures). Perhaps all the hot weather and being outside so much lately? So again today while my son was napping, I took the opportunity to rest. I felt tired and with a little headache. I did a few Om chants and then closed my eyes to breath in savasana. There is nothing wrong with taking the time to rest when your body is telling you its tired. If we stop and rest when our body needs it, then we can recover quicker from whatever it is we are feeling.

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 92

DAY 92 - I have started doing a stroller fitness class two times a week, which started today. It is a cardio and strengthening class at a park while you push your little ones around in the stroller. After the class was over, I let Mateus play on the grass while I continued with a few yoga stretches. This is a great way to fit my yoga into my busy day!

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 90 and 91

DAY 90 and 91 - A very fun-filled and busy weekend, so I really cherished my few minutes of meditation and savasana to unwind at the end of each day. I also made sure to take the time to appreciate and give thanks to all I have in my life. I try to remember each day, but often the day gets away from me and I forget. While I was at a restaurant this weekend, I saw a woman sit down, close her eyes, and I assume she give thanks for the food she was about to eat. This was the simple reminder I needed to take a few moments each day to do the same.

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 89

DAY 89 - Another beautiful afternoon of yoga. I did several sun salutations, then rested in savasana for longer than usual. Listening to my breath and feeling the breeze gently flow over me, was enough to take me away.

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 88

DAY 88 - I may not have had a long practice today, but it was perfect. I got to be out in my outside yoga space (see photo below). As you can see, it is such a beautiful and peaceful place to sit and do yoga. I wasn't sure how much time I would have today, so my theme was to take it slow. I only did a few asana, but I moved in and out of each one very slowly and took my time once I was there. The birds singing in the background is always a bonus!

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 87

DAY 87 - I've been wanting to do a longer Asana practice, but the last few days I haven't been able to find the right time. Today was the same... my son's naps have been short lately and my husband had a soccer game this evening. I knew I might not have much time today, so throughout the day I did a pose here and a pose there when the mood struck me. Sometimes this can be beneficial to help you cruise through your day without stress and it can provide you with multiple "mini" escapes from the day. Maybe tomorrow I will have a longer stretch of time?

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 86

DAY 86 - A gentle sequence tonight with mainly forward bending poses to ease my mind and relax me. Before this, I sat with my eyes closed and holding my sleeping son. Holding him while he is sleeping and before I put him in bed; is probably the most calming part of my day. I love this moment of stillness, love, and the connection we share during this time.

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 85

DAY 85 - Twist and Detox! This was the sequence I chose today from Yoga Journal. I was hoping to get a good afternoon practice in today. I had to keep stopping and starting again because my son had a very short nap, then was extremely grumpy from cutting 4 teeth and wouldn't let me do my yoga very easily. Oh well, it was just one of those days...que sera sera!

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 84

DAY 84 - I have Ulcerative Colitis and yoga has often helped relieve me of my symptoms time and time again. My stomach was bothering me a little the last couple of days, so I did a restorative sequence that I put together years ago which always helps with my colitis. If I do this sequence daily, I always see good results. I need to at least remember to include a few key poses each day: Supported Bridge, Shoulderstand, and Lord of the Fishes Twist.

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 83

DAY 83 - Just a quick meditation tonight. As I sat trying to think of a peaceful and beautiful image, thoughts of New Zealand kept entering my mind. It was like a slide show of photos in my mind of this magic country I had lived in for over 3 years. The images that came to mind the most was of "the mount." This is where I spent so much of my time walking, sitting, doing yoga, meditating, enjoying the beach and ocean, having coffee, and most importantly visiting with all my amazing friends I had there. I felt a longing to be there. I felt that slight pain of sadness or missing something in my heart. But then I smiled because it was a part of me that would be engraved in my soul forever. I had so many wonderful memories there and made long lasting friendships. I even met my husband there! I then also smiled even bigger because I know that I will be there again someday soon and my husband and I can share it with our son. Thank you New Zealand and to all my friends there for creating such a special memory and safe place for me to go to in my mind when I need you.

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 82

DAY 82 - A beautiful evening practice listening to the rain and feeling the cool breeze fill the house. I concentrated on a few balancing poses tonight and practiced using points of focus to gaze at throughout my sequence. When you use these points of focus, it not only helps you balance, but also helps keep your mind present.

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 81

DAY 81 - Yoga in the park today! Spring is blooming in full force, so I have been trying to get out walking with Mateus as often as possible. The weather, the flowers, and the atmosphere is absolutely stunning! Dayton has tons and tons of parks, walking/biking trails, and nature areas, which I love! So as I was enjoying a morning walk today in one of the parks, Mateus fell asleep, and I felt the urge to do some yoga in the park. I found a shady spot, did a few poses in the grass, some while using the support of the stroller or picnic table, and then sat with my eyes closed until Mateus woke up. It was so peaceful and beautiful listening to the birds, the frogs and the breeze through the trees. The sweet perfume of the flowers and clean Spring air entered my body with each inhale, and the stale Winter air was released with each exhale. Welcome Spring!

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 80

DAY 80! - My family left today, so I needed a quick pick-me-up sequence to get my blood pumping during my son's afternoon nap. I picked a 15 min Kundalini class called Enliven Yourself. This sequence got me moving and revived my body! These types of Kundalini classes are always fun, get your heart pumping, and can be done by anyone.

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 79

DAY 79 - My body is feeling really good from all the yoga! I haven't had the aches and pains in my back and neck that I was getting before. Maybe from the yoga? The last several days I have chosen to do my own sequence and mainly just went with what has felt good at the time. Sometimes I enjoy doing this and sometimes I enjoy following a video or instructor. Being experienced in yoga allows you to choose, which can be really nice to be creative and playful with your yoga. Tonight I chose to do some restorative poses to relax after another busy day with my family. Short, but a sweet surrender to the body and breath!

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 78

DAY 78 - With family in town, my days are long and busy. Tonight I was ready to rest and relax! Just before bed, I laid in legs up the wall pose and did some deep breathing. Then it was off to dreamland.

Yoga Everyday for a Year-DAY 77

DAY 77 - Yoga on the porch this morning! It was so amazing last night under the stars, so I took the opportunity this morning to do yoga outside again. The sun was still low in the sky, and there was a beautiful breeze. I did a strong and energizing sequence, which felt amazing. What a way to start the day!

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 76

DAY 76- Yoga under the stars!! I had a magical yoga session outside tonight on my back deck. The weather was perfect! There was a very slight cool breeze and a beautiful clear night sky, allowing me to see all the stars. This was probably my favorite yoga moment so far this year. I would have liked to stay out there for hours and hours; breathing in the cool, fresh air, gazing at the stars, and smiling into the night. As I was out there, I was reminded of when I used to teach a yoga class in New Zealand at 6am up "the Mount." When we met at the bottom it was dark. As we got to the top and started to do our yoga, the sun would begin to rise. What an unforgettable class!

The yoga felt so amazing tonight too! Earlier today I played a little soccer with my husband and slightly pulled my quad muscle. I was able to really stretch this muscle in a variety of ways, which helped my leg feel much better after. I feel so refreshed and ready for bed now. I can't wait to do this again!

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 75

DAY 75 - Happy Birthday to me! After a really fun and looong day with my family, I did a quick evening flow. I had all the windows open in my room to let in the cool breeze and sweet smell of outside. This restored peace to my mind and soothed my tired body. Inhale. Exhale.

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 74

DAY 74 - This afternoon I had two choices, nap while my son is sleeping since I didn't have much sleep last night, or do yoga to energize myself to help get me through the rest of the day. I had a a lot to do this evening, so I chose YOGA!! :) It worked! I did a few sun salutations, then some energizing standing and balance poses, followed with pigeon, a standing twist and several side-bends. I felt great after and was able to cruise through my afternoon easily. Oh the power of yoga!

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 73

DAY 73 - The weather has just been fantastic! Clear blue skies, gentle breeze, and in the 70's. Just perfect! We have opened all the windows up in the house to let in all the fresh air. I love Spring! So today while my son was napping I was able to do an afternoon yoga practice. My mat was facing out my back porch so I could see the trees and watch the birds. I chose a yoga sequence from my Yoga Journal. The article was "5 twists to Bring Your Body Into Balance." I warmed up with several sun salutations, then did the twists recommended in the article. Three of them I had never seen before and were quite challenging. I love playing with new and challenging positions, which keeps me motivated and pushes me to a deeper level. When doing these, I had to slow down and be mindful of what I am doing in each position. This helps me develop my patience on and off the mat.

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 72

DAY 72 - If I have a busy day, or just don't get around to my yoga during the day; I really look forward to surrendering to my yoga practice at night. My evening didn't quite go like I had planned....being so tired and I burned my husbands dinner! I attempted doing some yoga asana in my room after my son was asleep, but I just wasn't feeling it. I decided to lay next to my sleeping son instead and watched his breathing and try to breath with him. Babies breath fully from their belly. As we grow and acquire stress, we start to breath more shallow and quicker, which in turn causes more stress. If we slow down our breathing, then we will calm our mind and promote relaxation. As I laid with him, I smelled his hair, took longer breaths, and was "present" with him in this precious moment. What a beautiful way to practice my yoga tonight!

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 71

DAY 71 - Today was a day of rest for me. These days are so important for me as a stay at home mom. I need to take little bits of time here and there to rest my mind and my body. Those who have children know what I mean; and especially the ones who stay at home. When you are looking after a child all day, your mind and body need to stay alert 110% of the time. Although it is the best job in the world and so much fun, it can be so draining on your energy!

So tonight after my son was asleep, I sat in his room, closed my eyes, and did a meditation of gratitude towards my health and body, and to all my loved ones. After this I laid down on the floor for a 5 minute Savasana to deepen my relaxation.

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 70

DAY 70 - Yoga with the husband! I finally got Roberto to do some yoga with me tonight! He is good at coming up with excuses not to do it...lol. We had such beautiful weather today and made it to the park to walk and play some soccer. So this evening, I asked him if he would do some yoga with me to help relax and stretch our muscles. I was proud of him to say "Yes, ok!"

We did a short 20 minute seated sequence to promote relaxation. I showed him how to use blocks for support and when you can't fully go in to a position. He seemed to like that you can use props. So many people don't realize that you can use support and that you don't have to look exactly like the instructor or the person next to you. We all look different in yoga, and we all have different levels of ability and flexibility. What's important is that we are doing it correctly and we are listening to our own body's abilities. I hope I didn't scare him away and that he will continue doing yoga with me several times a week! Good job my love! ;-)

Yoga Everyday for aYear - DAY 69

DAY 69 - I've started to run again, so I chose a Yoga for Runners sequence tonight. It was very basic and short; with a 5 minute relaxation. It was a good warm up or cool down for a run, but I would have liked it to include more hip opening poses. None the less, the yoga felt exceptionally good tonight!!

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 68

DAY 68 - Happy Friday!! Tonight I tried a candle gazing meditation. You can use any object for this type of meditation, but I chose a candle. I also put on some soft music to drown out any house sounds. I sat in a dark room and closed my eyes to center and clear my mind. My mind didn't want to stay very still and I kept thinking about what am I going to write for my blog! After a couple minutes of bringing my focus back to center, I opened my eyes and started to stare at the candle. It was really beautiful and the flame seemed to dance with the music. Using the flame as a focal point really helped me keep my mind free and clear. After several minutes of watching the flame dance, I closed my eyes again. The image of flame and outline of the candle where now burned in to my closed eye view. I now had a focal point while my eyes where closed! As time went on, I stayed focused on the colors. The colors kept changing, and finally the image of the flame went black, then disappeared. Once it was gone, I opened my eyes and took a few deep breaths and finished. As someone who finds it hard to stay focused when meditation, this was a great way to help me sweep other thoughts aside and just be present.

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 67

DAY 67 - This is the month of the beginning of Spring! The weather is changing, and so are our bodies. It is time to detox and cleanse ourselves of everything that has built up during the Winter months. Like Spring, our mind and bodies are rejevenated with new energy and life.

Over the next couple of months I will be picking yoga sequences that help renew and detoxify the body. Today I chose a class called, Yin Yoga for Spring: "To restore balance after winter and begin your spring cleanse, these Yin poses channel liver chi through the inner legs and gallbladder chi through the outer leg meridians." We did some deep hip opening poses to achieve this cleansing. My hips felt so stiff at first, but after the class they felt open and free. I look forward to more of these types of classes over the next several weeks!

http://www.myyogaonline.com/videos/yoga/yin-yoga-for-spring

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 66

DAY 66 - My body, mind, and soul are tired today. Shoulderstand, Plough, and Legs up the wall pose...night night.

Yoga Everyday for a Year - Day 65

DAY 65 - Due to the beautiful weather, I had an active day of a run this morning, an afternoon walk with Mateus in the stroller, then a volleyball tournament in the evening. All this activity was great, but wore me out! I just took it slow this evening with a few seated posed to relax and unwind... I love these days where I can do exercise all day!

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 64

DAY 64 - It was a Downward Facing Dog evening for me! I felt like doing a lot of them tonight and did one in between just about every pose. Each time I tried to focus on a different area of my body and experimented with how I felt each time. It's fun to take a pose and really play with it and to see what you can come up with. It's such a great all around pose that strengthens and stretches the whole body at the same time. It's a good one to practice over and over again too because although it might look easy; it is commonly done wrong. What I discovered tonight is that I still love doing Down Dog and always will! Woof!

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 63

DAY 63 - I tried an Intermediate sequence today. It was short, but challenging! I am reminded how much I still need to work at getting back into my pre-pregnancy shape, or not really "shape" but the strength that I had. Doing this sequence gave me the perspective I needed on my current practice and to know that I am ready to "step it up a notch." Especially since I am going to start teaching again soon, so I want to be ready.

The sequence today was a little difficult, but fun! If you have been doing yoga for a while give it a go! It's a FREE class! There is a forearm handstand (I had to use a wall), a standing one leg balance (I did OK), wild thing (I fell over and hit my son's excersaucer..lol), and a very challenging variation in side-plank. Good Fun!!

http://www.myfreeyoga.com/videos/18/enbracing-abundance.html

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 62

DAY 62 - Baby is asleep, my husband is at soccer, and there is a peaceful stillness throughout the house. It's Yoga Time! I can hear the Brazilian lullaby in the background, which makes lovely yoga music too. As I sit with my eyes closed, I am reminded of how fortunate I am to have such a wonderful life. I have an amazing husband and a beautiful baby boy, the best family anyone could ask for, so many caring friends all over the world, and a strong healthy body and mind. Yes I am truly blessed! As I continued with my yoga tonight, I radiated with gratitude, appreciation, and love for all. Thank you to everyone who has entered my life in a positive way and wishing you all the best the universe has to offer you. Namaste

“For each new morning with its light,For rest and shelter of the night,For health and food, for love and friends,For everything Thy goodness sends.”-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 61

DAY 61 - Happy Friday!! I was actually hoping to get out and do some stroller yoga again today because I enjoyed it so much, but we had thunderstorms this afternoon. Instead I did a sequence called, Postnatal Yoga for Busy New Moms. I really like this instructor and I did her pregnancy videos when I was pregnant. Her pregnancy sequence became my favorite toward the 2nd and 3rd trimester of my pregnancy and I did it almost every day! I even used a version of it when I taught a prenatal yoga class. Anyway, the postnatal class was really nice too! I wish I had started doing this right away after I had my son, but it took me several months to get back on my mat. The sequence today was slow and steady and was a great way to get a new mom back into yoga. It has a good focus on the abdominal, which is so important after having a baby.

http://www.myyogaonline.com/videos/yoga/postnatal-yoga-for-busy-new-moms

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 60

DAY 60 - Stroller Yoga!! Today was another nice day outside, especially for the 1st of March! We have had such a warm Winter this year. I really wanted to get outside this afternoon and walk with Mateus since it was so nice. I didn't have a chance to do yoga this morning during his first nap, so I decided to combine the walk with some yoga too. Basically I would walk or jog a few minutes, then stop and do a few yoga poses, then continue. Sometimes I would use the handle for support in various balancing or standing poses.

What a great idea and it was so much fun! Mateus actually feel asleep after the first 5 minutes, and woke about 40 minutes later. At least with him sleeping, I could stop often and do some poses without him getting fussy. I loved combining the walk with yoga! I am all about yoga in nature. When I taught in New Zealand, we did yoga on the beach and a class where we would hike up a mountain and do yoga on the top. You always felt amazing after! I had a similar feeling today after my stroller yoga session. I was buzzing with energy after and could feel myself glowing! I am definitely going to start a Stroller Yoga class with some other moms!

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 59

DAY 59 - Happy Leap Year Day! I am pleased that I chose to do my Yoga Challenge during a leap year because it means an extra day of yoga bliss! I was really short on time today and did not know how long my son would nap, so I had to pick a quick sequence. I am also trying to experiment with new styles and teachers since I have access to so many on the myyogaonline website. Today was Hatha, which is not new to me since this is the type of yoga that I trained in. However I had not done yoga with this instructor before. It was a short, slow, and sweet sequence. I wanted to do something slower today because I have a little sore throat (maybe allergies?) and not a lot of energy.

http://www.myyogaonline.com/videos/yoga/short-hatha-flow

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 58

DAY 58 - I had a very busy day today and tonight, so it was one of those days where I did a little yoga here, and a little yoga there. As I was waiting for my husband to get out of work, I sat in the car and listened to some relaxing music, focused on the breath, and did a couple neck and shoulder stretches. Later I got to my mat to do a few sun salutations as well as various other poses for about 10 minutes to prepare my body before my volleyball game. I played a lot better today in volleyball, so maybe the yoga warm-up was the key!?

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 57

DAY 57 - Now that Mateus (my son) is getting so much more active; crawling, and trying to walk.. it's even more important for me to pay special attention to certain areas of my body, especially my neck and back. The sequence today was to release shoulder and neck tension. It was a very nice flow and the instructor has you massaging your neck and shoulders at the beginning to relax and loosen that area. It was so very relaxing and made me want to go get a real massage!

http://www.myyogaonline.com/videos/yoga/releasing-neck-and-shoulder-tension

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 56

DAY 56 - It was Yoga with Mateus this evening, my little Yogi! We tried to do the sequence from the book, Baby OM - Yoga for Mothers and Babies. We "kind of" followed along... Mateus was sooooo tired, so it actually worked in my advantage. He basically sat on my mat, or close to my mat and played with a toy most of the time. He is crawling now and sitting up great, so if he was really awake and active, it would be much more difficult doing yoga with him.

We had fun while it lasted... I would try to engage him by reaching and tickling him, making funny faces, or blowing raspberries on him when he got close to me. In Downward Facing Dog, he was sitting under me, so my face and his were in direct contact. He liked this because I would do something silly to make him laugh each time I would go in the pose. I put him on my lap in Boat pose and would extend and then bend my legs and tickle him. His favorite is still airplane; me on my back with my knees bent and him on my knees "flying." We do this quite often. Its great on the abs! After about 15 minutes he crawled off and got too fussy so yoga was over.

I need to try to do at least a couple poses each day with him, or let him watch me do some, so as he gets older he will "hopefully" want to do some on his own! He is already getting good at Down Dog; and often I see him go into poses such as Plank, Pigeon and Bound Angle as he is exploring his world.

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 55

DAY 55 - A nice and relaxing evening sequence for me tonight. A simple, but great way to end a busy day and a sleepless week! I love you Shoulderstand and Legs up the Wall pose...bed, here I come!

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 54

DAY 54 - Happy Friday! A short, but effective sequence tonight from the Yoga Journal website. I love these free videos! I need to search for some other websites with free videos.

I have some sort of pinch that I have been feeling in my left-side, lower back, ever since I had my son. I am guessing in the muscle? I could feel it during some of my movements in yoga today. I'm not sure how to fix it, so guess I am going to need to ask the doctor next time I go. I also have a pinch that I feel once in a while in the right side of my neck. This one feels more like it could be in the joints...hmmm...I wonder if I can find some restorative yoga for these pains, but need to find out the root cause or what they are. If anyone out there knows, or has suggestions, please feel free to advise me!

The sequence I did today - http://www.yogajournal.com/video/237/

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 53

DAY 53 - The last few nights I have had very little sleep due to my son waking so often and crying. I'm guessing it's teething...anyway today I felt so tired. I decided to do some Yoga Nidra. Yoga Nidra is basically a very deep meditation or "sleep-like" state. It's like a conscious deep sleep, similar to hypnosis where you come out of it feeling rested and feel like you have been sleeping. After I did the 22 minute yoga nidra session, I felt really good and rested for several hours. During the session it felt closer to an hour that I was listening, but it was only about 20mins. Now it's almost 5pm and I am feeling sleepy again. Maybe I need to do it again? ;-)

http://www.myyogaonline.com/videos/meditation/short-practice-yoga-nidra-session---audio-practice

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 52

DAY 52 - Winter is the season for feeling sick, sluggish, or just "Blah." It can be harsh on our bodies and mind when we don't get outside as often and germs can easily spread when we stay indoors. Yoga can give your immune system a boost, enlighten your mood, and help you feel good again.

Today I found a sequence called, Boost Your Immune System. This Hatha sequence targets some breathing excercises to get rid of toxins in the body and to balance the hormones. I always feel great after yoga!

Try this sequence if you are feeling the "Winter Blues." http://www.myyogaonline.com/videos/yoga/boost-your-immune-system

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 51

DAY 51 - I was back at the YMCA yoga class today. 51 days into yoga and it's easy to still feel challenged in postures. There are so many variations and modifications to poses; that it is a never ending journey of yoga exploration. Plus, your body can feel different from day to day, even hour to hour, which can keep your yoga practice fresh and interesting.

I ran yesterday, which I am just getting back into again. Therefore my body was a little stiffer and sore in different areas this morning. This affected how I felt in some of my yoga postures today. For example, last week I felt good in extended side-angle and was able to "bound" my arms under my leg. Today in the same posture, I only felt like bending my elbow and keeping my arm supported on my leg. I wish I had brought my blocks to class with me. Next week I need to remember to bring them!

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 50

DAY 50!!! Wow, I have made it to 50 days already! Time is going so fast! I'm really enjoying getting to include yoga in my daily life again. It's funny because before I became pregnant, I was teaching 8 yoga classes during 6 days a week. Yoga was a huge part of my life! Also during my pregnancy, I was still able to fit yoga in most days and even teach a pre-natal yoga class. However, since I had my son, I was finding it so challenging to get my daily dose of yoga. This "Yoga Everyday for a Year" challenge was to prove to myself that I could still manage doing yoga daily, no matter what and no matter how little I did each day.

Being a mom doesn't mean I need to stop doing all the things I love, but that I need to modify them a bit at times. Some of my best yoga moments are when I include my son in my yoga practice. I actually do this quite a bit, even when I don't write about it. Mateus love to play "airplane" so I get a great ab workout in a modified Boat Pose with him on my legs. My arms are also getting so strong from throwing him up and down in the air (he LOVES this!). And his most favorite activity is trying to walk. So while holding his hands and letting him walk around, I bring the awareness to my breath and body so I don't get too tired. I bend my legs and try to keep a straight back as I do this. Later after all this fun for him and a workout for me, I sit and stretch a little on the floor while he plays. All this happens almost daily!

So it is my 50th day today! I started off this morning with some warm-up sun salutations and a few basic floor poses. I knew I would be running later, so I made sure to stretch my hamstrings and hips good. After my run, I did a few more downward facing dogs, pigeon, and seated leg stretches at the gym. Now I'm at home and my son is still taking a nice long nap, so I am going to do a couple balancing poses and a meditation until he wakes up. Yoga I love you!!

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 49

DAY 49 - A fabulous morning vinyasa sequence today! The sun was out and beautifully shining, so I wanted to do a warming and fun active sequence today. The sequence was playful and had some new variations of poses that I had never done before. We did a scorpion plank and a scorpion cobra, a variation of camel in a lunge, and wild thing backbend. This sequence really woke up my body and energized my soul! LOVED IT!

http://www.myyogaonline.com/videos/yoga/surya-morning-flow

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 48

DAY 48 - Just a quick evening sequence tonight to get ready for bed. A few seated stretches: side-bed, twist, forward bend, downward dog, wide-legged stretch, pigeon...that's all I needed tonight. Namaste

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 47

DAY 47 - I ended my week with some evening Yin Yoga. Yin Yoga is basically yoga for the joints, instead of the muscles. It targets the connective tissues, such as the ligaments, bones, and the joints of the body that normally are not exercised very much in a more active style of asana practise. It also targets the hips, pelvis, and lower spine. It is quite challenging in a different way due to the long duration of the poses, or very deep stretches. This is a practise where I really enjoy using props, and find blocks especially helpful. I feel so open and free after Yin Yoga, especially in the hips and pelvis.

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 46

DAY 46 - I was on the move today: baby story-time, getting my Ohio driver's license, bringing lunch to my wonderful husband, Mateus's 6 month doctors appointment, dinner with friends from Brazil...so on busy days like this how do you fit some yoga into your day? I can always do an early or late night practice, but my solution today was yoga in my car. Yes, in my car! How you ask? Simple...

After my son's doctors appointment, and 4 shots later (poor little guy) he fell deeply asleep. I still had an hour to kill before picking up my husband and I didn't want to go home because I would have had to get back out again right away. Since Mateus was sleeping, I thought I would just stay in the car and do some yoga. I went through the starbucks drive through, got a hot chocolate, and parked. I turned on my iphone to my "Nature Sounds" app, closed my eyes for a few minutes and let my mind relax and my breath take over. After a few minutes I went into some seated stretches: a twist (using the steering wheel as some resistance), triceps arm stretches, neck rolls, a side bend, eagle arm shoulder stretch, and a chest opener (arms behind the back holding elbows). Voila!! Yoga in the car...just another example of how you can fit yoga in almost anytime and anywhere. And my hot chocolate was waiting for me at the end..Bliss! ;-)

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 45

DAY 45 - I'm a little sore after the yoga class yesterday, especially my abs...good!! We did quite of few Boat poses and some other ab work. My arms are also "singing" after many planks and chaturanga's. I started my morning off with a quick stretch yoga class - http://www.myyogaonline.com/videos/yoga/a-quick-stretch (I added a few arm stretch poses to the end of this sequence) This helped with some of my soreness and loosen my body. After yoga, I went to go swim. This is another great exercise to lubricate the joints and move the body in a gentle, but effective way. I need to learn water yoga next... ;-)

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 44

DAY 44 - Happy Valentines Day! I hope everyone had a day filled with Love! Today I went to a yoga class at the YMCA where I work out. I haven't been to a "live" yoga class (that I wasn't teaching) in several years! When I lived in New Zealand, I was teaching 6 days a week, so it was challenging to get to a class. In Brazil and since I have had my son, I have only done yoga at home by video, or my own practice.

Going to a live class can be important for one's practice. Even if you have been doing yoga for years and years, it is still good to go and have an instructor give you feedback and adjustments. Even as an instructor myself, I am not perfect in my postures and will always need guidance. I enjoyed the class today because I was able to completely get lost in the class. My son was at daycare, so I did not have to worry if he would be waking up or needing me. My intention was to try to focus on the breath and leave all my worries and thoughts at the door. This was ME TIME! The class was nice and not too challenging, which was just what I wanted today. I'm hoping to make this class a weekly habit.

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 43

DAY 43- A short and sweet practice tonight as I am very tired from a teething son who doesn't want to sleep much at night lately. I did a 10 minute sequence, Open Heart, Open Shoulders. This is just a short practice of a few gentle poses with alternate nostril breathing at the end. The shoulder openers are always welcome since my shoulder and arms get so tired from carrying and lifting my boy into the air (his favorite). I added on my own 5 minute Love meditation after the sequence to send my Love and Appreciation out to my family and friends.

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 42

DAY 42- A quick Heart Opening sequence tonight called 6 Poses to Open Your Heart. This article helps us remember that true love comes from within and by doing yoga, especially certain poses, can directly give our mind, body, and heart some good loving. This practice has a combination of "The Love List" meditation and a few Asanas. Feel the love within yourself and watch how your heart becomes available to others.

http://blog.gaiam.com/blog/6-poses-to-open-your-heart-slideshow-instructions/

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 41

DAY 41 - Oh Delicious Restorative Yoga! If you have never tried it, then you are missing out on one of the most relaxing experiences you can get from a yoga class! In Restorative yoga, you are using multiple props to comfortably place you into various "relaxing" postures. You typically stay in each pose for 5-15 minutes each. Its best to do this type of class just before bedtime because you feel so sleepy and peaceful afterwards that I don't know how you would get anything done.

The class I did tonight was called Melt into Love. The instructor not only leads you into poses, but also guides you on a meditative journey! She has you extend your love out in all directions so it radiates to all people all over the world. I felt so warm and fuzzy inside and I'm VERY ready for sleep now. Ahhh nighty night!

http://www.myyogaonline.com/videos/yoga/melt-into-love

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 40

DAY 40- Happy Friday!! To finish off the week, I did a meditation called Journey into Love. This was a beautiful guided meditation allowing me to open my heart to the world and share love more freely in every moment. The instructor reminds us that Love is all we need in this world to live a life filled with more joy than you could imagine. After this meditation, I felt warm, peaceful, and my whole body was smiling. Namaste!

http://www.myyogaonline.com/videos/meditation/journey-into-love

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 39

DAY 39 - Heart Wide Open was the name of the sequence I did today on the Yoga Journal website. This short sequence warmed the body with Sun Salutations, chest-openers, gentle backbends, and side-bends in order to achieve a pose called Wild Thing. I could not get fully into this pose at the end, as it is a more intense backbend. I like attempting this pose because it not only stretched my sides and gave me a great backbend, but it took me a little beyond my comfort zone. This builds confidence and strengthens our heart. Wild Thing, you made my Heart Sing today!

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 38

DAY 38- I have yet to get on my mat and not feel great afterwards. There are some days where I feel like skipping my practice for one reason or another, but once I get on the mat and get moving or breathing, my mood is lifted and my heart radiates.

Today I did a Vinyasa sequence with one of my favorite instructors, Clara Roberts-Oss. It was called In a Heartbeat Vinyasa Yoga. Her classes are smooth and move with such grace and I feel like a dancer. During this sequence she spoke of how there are 3 rhythms in the body, the heart, the breath, and brainwaves. We are only able to manipulate one of them, the breath. If we slow down our breath we slow down our heart rate, therefore slowing our brainwaves. This allows us to become more present in the moment.

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 37

DAY 37 - Setting an Intention (a determination to act in a certain way). I had time this morning to do my yoga during my son's first nap. I love doing yoga at this time of day if I can. I chose a 15 minute morning practice. The instructor talked about how if you only have a few minutes, then your practice should be effective as well as gentle on the body. She also reminded us that we should set our intention for ourselves each morning for that day. This is a perfect way to take your yoga off the mat and live it throughout your day. Even the smallest intention you set for yourself can have positive impacts on yourself as well as everyone around you. My intention I set for myself this morning was to go about my day as self-less as possible. So throughout the day, I kept reminding myself this intention. As a result, I felt good about my daily actions and made more of an effort to think of others first. I even found myself smiling more than usual, especially at strangers. Now each morning I will take a few moments, even if I am not doing my yoga practice yet, to sit and choose my intention for the day.

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 36

DAY 36- Exploring Savasana. I recently downloaded a couple of Free Yoga Apps onto my ipad, so I decided to give one of them a try tonight. I picked a 30 minute Level 1 Evening Sequence. It consisted of a couple seated stretches, a modified headstand, shoulderstand, plough, reclined twist, and a 10 minute savasana. I really enjoyed the savasana because the instructor had us explore each part of our body by lifting it up off the ground, then releasing it back down. After going through each part, my body felt so heavy and I was able to relax even deeper. I give this App a Thumbs up!

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 35

DAY 35 - I'm still not feeling 100%, so I did a short evening practice to relax. It was a "go with the flow" sequence, which means I did what poses felt good to me in each moment. I ended up doing quite a few seated hamstring and hip openers, a couple lunges, twists, and side-bends all transitioning through Downward Facing Dog pose. Instead of Savasana, I ended it all in cross-legged pose with my eyes closed to quiet my mind.

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 34

DAY 34 - There is nothing like doing Sun Salutations outside on a sunny day! Today was very sunny, but still a little too cold to be outside. I'm lucky because my house lets a lot of sunshine in through the windows and glass porch doors. It was just nice enough today to open up the sliding doors and let some cool air inside. This was a perfect combination because the slight cool breeze kept me from getting too hot from the sun. I rolled out my mat right in front of the porch doors and had a pleasing view of trees in my backyard. Since the glass door was also open, I could hear the birds singing too. I then did 10 Sun Salutations in my little "sun sanctuary." It really felt like Spring and being in the sun and smelling the fresh air completely uplifted my spirits. Doing something like this is always important in the Winter because you can get cabin fever; but it was especially nice to end my week of being sick. I think I just found my perfect "yoga space" for my daytime home yoga!

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 33

DAY 33- "Have patience; it will benefit you" a quote from Yogi tea. When I am sick, I don't like to take medicine for 2 reasons. First, I prefer to treat myself naturally if this is possible. Medicine can sometimes inhibit the healing process, therefore possibly slowing it down. Of course it can be necessary in some circumstances. Second, since I breastfeed my baby, I don't want the medicines to enter into my milk. My point is, when I am sick I usually like to be patient and let my body heal itself. I treat myself with rest, water, tea, and gentle yoga. I feel that I usually heal quicker this way.

Today I'm feeling much better! I am still taking it easy so I can completely heal. I did "bath yoga" tonight. :) While my wonderful husband got our son ready for bed, I ran a hot bath filled with Eucalyptus bubble bath, put on my nature sounds, lit a candle, and sipped a tropical smoothie. I did some deep breathing and meditation. This was SO relaxing!! Once I was out of the bath (and my son was asleep) I continued with a couple seated stretches to take the extra tension away and prepare my body and mind for a peaceful sleep.

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 32

DAY 32- I'm still feeling bad today and not much energy, so I did a few seated stretches and relaxed most of the day. Whenever I had a few moments, I would close my eyes and focus on my breath. Other than that it has been lots of water, tea, and rest today!! Good night!

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 31

DAY 31- I'm feeling a little better today, well... I can at least breath through my nose! I wasn't up to doing any asana (postures) today and just wanted to do my own thing, which was mainly pranayama (breathing) and savasana (relaxation).

I grabbed my Vicks Baby Rub (a combination of lavender oil, eucalyptus oil, and rosemary oil) and rubbed it into my neck, behind my ears, and on my chest. This helped to clear my nose and relax me. Then I turned on my Nature Sounds to "Australian Beach", an App on my iphone. I started in cross-legged pose, closed my eyes, and tuned into my breathing. I did some simple belly breathing and alternate nostril breathing. Next came a cross-legged forward fold with my forehead on the mat. The pressure of my head on the mat helped my sinuses. I didn't want to move from here, so I stayed here about 5 minutes. After this I covered myself with a blanket, put my flax seed eye pillow on my eyes and went straight to savasana. My own little sanctuary... Ahhh BLISS!!! I stayed here until my son woke up (maybe 20 minutes). This was much needed "me time!"

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 30

DAY 30 - I feel like a train hit me today! My son caught a cold over the weekend and now I have it. I can't breathe, my head hurts, and I have a slight fever... So now what to do about Yoga? Who wants to do Yoga when you feel like this!? I Googled "Yoga for a cold," and found an article from Yoga Journal called Feel Better with 6 poses to do when you feel sick. http://www.yogajournal.com/health/117

First the article tells you to wrap your head with an ace bandage, which I did not have. I used a scarf instead, which I had to double around my head and tie in the front. I looked a little ridiculous! Even my 6 month old son was laughing at the fringes in front of my head. Anyway, I kept it on the whole time and the pressure did help my head feel a bit better while it was on. I did the 6 poses and stayed in them a few minutes each. The sequence helped me to take some time out for myself and I know it is a small step closer to helping me to feel better.

If you get sick this Winter, be strong and try a Yoga sequence to help you to feel better!

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 29

DAY 29 - YJ Challenge Day 21!! Last Day of the Yoga Journal Challenge!! I'm SO glad I followed through with this because the videos were awesome and I got a lot of great sequence ideas. I will go back and do some of these again for sure. I liked having a chosen video to do each day so I didn't have to think about picking one; but on the other hand there were some days where I didn't feel up to a specific sequence. Overall it was really good and I would highly recommend giving it a try!

A few things I learned from the Yoga Journal Challenge: 1) I don't have to do an hour or more of Yoga a day to reap the many benefits of Yoga. Many of the videos we did were only 20-30 minutes long. This is a more realistic amount of time for yoga everyday, especially for a busy mom like me! 2) It's ok to slow down and do simple, basic sequences. This can help me keep my "beginners mind" and make sure I am doing a pose correctly. 3) Make sure I do a gentle and relaxing sequence a couple times a week, or just simply sit and breath or meditate. This will ensure that I am getting some "rest" during my year of yoga. 4) Lots of new ideas for poses and sequences!

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 28

DAY 28 - YJ Challenge Day 20- A late night practice tonight with Jason Crandell's Arm Balance sequence again. This sequence prepares you for Crane pose by deeply opening your hips, warming up the arms and activating the abs. I did this sequence last week and enjoyed it even more tonight. I'm definitely feeling more open and stronger after almost a month of yoga. One more day of the YJ Challenge. I can't believe how fast the 3 weeks went!

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 27

DAY 27 - YJ Challenge Day 19 - Happy Friday!! A nice and gentle Shoulder Opening sequence for the end of the work week. A perfect way to let go and relax from a busy week and get refreshed for the weekend. I started swimming again this week, so I was happy to release some shoulder tension. Plus I always welcome arm stretches from carrying around my little man.

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 26

DAY 26 - YJ Challenge Day 18 - I didn't get around to yoga until almost 7pm tonight, so I was feeling a little sluggish once I did. It was one of those nights where I wish I could pick my sequence instead of doing the chosen YJ sequence. If there wasn't 3 days left of the challenge, then I would probably have switched the class tonight.

The YJ sequence tonight was a "lead up" sequence to Wheel Pose. Once I was half way through the sequence, I really wished I had done a different sequence tonight. I just wasn't up to this type of class today. I needed a relaxing evening sequence to ease my soul instead.

We did many sun salutations, with an emphasis on Cobra, Upward Facing Dog, and Locust. These are all gentle backbends to warm up the back for the more intense backbend, Wheel. I can do wheel fairly easy and normally welcome it, but I started getting a little headache. That was my cue that it was time to finish up. I went down into Child's Pose for 5 minutes, then called it a night. ALWAYS listen to your body!

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 25

DAY 25! YJ Challenge Day 17 - I'm feeling more rested today. How I sleep depends on how my son sleeps at the moment... Since I felt better today, I started the day off with a run! I joined the gym the other day and now I can run indoors, go swimming, and take classes. I am eager to try the yoga classes of course!

After my run I felt energized and warmed up, so as soon as I arrived home I did my YJ video. (It helped that my son fell asleep on the way home). The sequence was Backbends: the one I skipped yesterday. We did this same sequence last week, so I was familiar with it already. It was nice doing yoga after my run because I felt even more excited about it. You know how it goes when you haven't done any exercises for the day yet, or just woke up...it can be harder to get motivated. The Backbends felt great today, but I really really really enjoyed resting at the end!

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 24

DAY 24- YJ Challenge Day 16 - Sometimes you just feel exhausted, and this is one of those days for me! I am so tired after a long night with my baby waking up at least every hour. Then I am feeling sore from the last couple days of more vigorous yoga sequences. With that being said, I just didn't feel up to the Back bend sequence that I was supposed to do today. I back tracked to one of the gentle evening sequences and did that instead. So tonight my sequence consisted of all reclined stretches and twists, pranayama, and savasana. Ahhhh now I'm ready for bed!! There is always tomorrow for back bends...

DAY 23 - Day 15 of YJ Challenge - It's the last week of the YJ 21 day Challenge. The sequences have been getting increasingly more challenging, and with only a few days of repeat classes. I really enjoy the sequences that have a certain "focus" and YJ is great at creating them.

The sequence today was a "lead up" sequence to Hanumanasana, or Splits. I don't often do the splits in my own yoga practice, but I have done many of the poses that we did today to lead up to splits. I'm not really sure why I never continue and go all the way into splits, but I guess it's because I usually forget about it as a yoga pose. I'm glad we did this sequence today because from now on I will continue to add the splits into my practice. I can go fairly deep into them, so why not do them! It's a great way to open the hamstrings and calf muscles.

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 22

DAY 22 - Day 14 of YJ Challenge - After an icy, rainy and cold weekend, I was in much need of the invigorating and heat building sequence today. It was the most active sequence I have done so far in this challenge and it really got my heart pumping. The instructor had us doing a Mandala Namaskar, which is a circular Vinyasa flow. I have often used these in some of my own classes when I want to give my students a bit of a cardio workout. I love them! They are playful, fun, and challenging. This sequence was just what the Yoga Doctor ordered today! Thanks Yoga Journal for another excellent class!

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 21

DAY 21 - Day 13 of YJ Challenge- Some people believe that it takes 21 days to form a regular habit. Today is my 21st day, and doing yoga everyday has become a part of my regular daily routine. I do really look forward to my "yoga time" every day and in what ever form it comes in. Whether it is only 15 mins long, with my son joining in, or during my son's nap; I am happy to explore my new yoga journey.

The YJ video today was a sequence to build up to Bakasana, or an arm balance also known as Crane. Jason Crandell took us through a lead up sequence that opened up the hips, shoulders, and upper back. All of these areas are strongly used in Bakasana are important to be warmed up in order to effectively do Crane. I have always enjoyed doing this arm balance and really liked the sequence we did to prepare for it today.

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 20

DAY 20 - Day 12 of the YJ Challenge - Happy Friday! I managed to finish yesterday's sequence and I am glad I did! What a lovely sequence. I will repeat this one many times for my own practice as well as use some ideas for my classes. The instructor, Elise Lorimer, is excellent! She reminds you to always trust your body in each movement and pose, which allows you to experiment and possibly even go a little deeper than you normally would.

I didn't get around to doing the sequence that was meant for today. Hopefully I will catch up this weekend as I will have more time while the hubby is around! ;-)

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 19

DAY 19 - Day 11 of YJ Challenge - Half way done with the YJ Challenge! I am really enjoying it and love receiving the daily emails. Plus its great not having to not think about what sequence to do each day. I have been learning a lot from the instructors too!

Today was the first day I was interrupted by my baby during a class. I was doing my yoga during his second nap today, but he woke up when I was only half way through it. I was unable to continue because he was a bit grumpy and then I had to leave the house...the point is, I didn't get to finish today! It's okay because I know there will be days like this. I did get in about 20 minutes, which is fine. If I get a chance today I will try to finish the sequence I started yesterday, as well as do the sequence for today (Friday). Wish me luck! :)

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 18

DAY 18 - Day 10 of YJ Challenge - Another repeat today of one of the YJ videos. We did the Standing Sequence again, which I really like. One benefit of repeating sequences is that you can go a little deeper into a pose, or focus a little more on that area. I often repeat my favorite sequences, but I also really like to mix it up too. As long as you are getting a good variety of poses and moving the spine in all directions regularly, it doesn't matter if you do the exact same sequence every day.

I'm starting to feel a little stronger each day, and really trying to listen closely to the instructors directions. Their precise cues are important for me to remember the correct way to do a pose as well as learning new things about each pose.

Yoga Everday for a Year - DAY 17

DAY 17 - Day 9 of YJ Challenge - The sequence today is a repeat of last week's Core Focus. I feel really good today, so the Core sequence was very welcome this time. Last week I didn't feel great, so during the sequence I put "half" the effort in and rested a lot in Child's Pose. I actually love core work and usually want to include it in my practice, but ever since my pregnancy I have done very little. I had a C-section, so my abdomen is still sensitive even after nearly 6 months of resting it. Today as I really focused on what I was doing, I could still feel a little soreness. I know it will get better with time and with strengthening it.

I liked this sequence today. It is only about 18 minutes, which is a perfect amount of time to focus on the core area. If it was much longer it can get tiring; plus it is always important to remember that it is the quality of the movement, not the quantity. The instructor had a nice variation of moving in and out of plank pose. This variation really worked my arms as well as my core. This is a great tool for me to use to strengthen my arms too!

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 16

DAY 16 - Day 8 of YJ Challenge - The sequence today focused on gentle Shoulder Openers. The whole class was done in a chair, but I chose to sit on my yoga mat instead. This class was very slow and used gentle flowing movements of the arms to release shoulder and neck tension. This is a sequence that can easily be done at work, or sitting just about anywhere.

I found the breathing exercise we began with (sitali) to be beneficial by cooling and relaxing my mind. I then kept my eyes closed for most of the movements. When I finished the video, I still felt some soreness in my shoulders. The movements lubricated the joints and released some tension, but I needed a little more. I continued with an additional shoulder stretch (Eagle Arm stretch) and then in Child's Pose with my arms straight out. This helped my stiff shoulders more intensely.

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 15

DAY 15 - Day 7 of YJ Challenge - A very gentle and relaxing sequence tonight. This was a very welcome practice for the end of the week, especially after the last 2 days of more challenging sequences and having a headache all day. It was short and easy with slow flowing movements. I felt extremely relaxed and would be a great sequence to do just before bed. It is so important to do slower paced and gentle sequences each week to allow the body to rest and rejuvenate. After the sequence I spent a few minutes resting in Savasana (Corpse Pose) and focused on breathing into my abdomen.

On a different note...I found a website which will allow me to teach my Yoga classes from my own home and anyone can register to take my classes from the comfort of their home. This is fantastic! I have been looking for a way to do this. I have several clients all over the USA and the world; who have said they wish they could still take my classes. Now they can! This is so exciting! More details to come soon... :-)

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 14

DAY 14 - DAY 6 of YJ Challenge - The area of concentration today was Backbends. Backbends are another very essential part of a yoga sequence. We spend so much of our day bending forward while maybe sitting at a desk, driving, or doing many other things. Our posture can certainly suffer! Although they are so important, many people shy away from them for fear of the unknown or possible pain. There is no reason to fear because even the most gentle of backbends can benefit you greatly.

The sequence today really built the heat and got my heart pumping! We went through some sun salutations at first and concentrated on the cobra pose to warm up. We also did several variations of Locust and Chair Pose. I felt a little sore from yesterday's vigorous sequence, so it made today's practice a little more challenging for me. Once I was finished, I felt energized, refreshed, and invigorated! Backbends not only help balance our posture but also open the chest and allow the circulation to flow to the heart and lungs.

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 13

DAY 13 - Day 5 of the YJ Challenge - Side bending today!! These are very common in every yoga sequence and for good reason! First, side bending is not something you do in your everyday life. That is why they are so important to include in a regular yoga practice. They stretch all the muscles along the side of your rib cage, spine, and pelvis. They also stimulate your kidneys and intestines. To keep a young, flexible, and healthy spine, you should move your spine in all 6 directions daily: Forward and Backward; Twist Left and Right; and Side Bend Left and Right.

I really enjoyed this sequence today and felt a bit challenged too. I loved how the Instructor, Jason Crandell, tried to include a side bend in everything we were doing. It's fun to take a basic pose and create a new variation centered around what you are focusing on that day. This makes the poses limitless and keeps yoga fun, interesting, and keeps your mind and body constantly guessing.

I'm really REALLY enjoying these new videos from YJ (Yoga Journal)! Especially since they have been focusing on specific area each day. I wonder if I will be able to access these videos after the challenge is over? I sure hope so!

Yoga Everyday for a year - DAY 12

DAY 12- YJ Challenge Day 4 - The YJ sequence today was Hip Openers. One of my favorite areas to concentrate on in yoga is the hips. Hip openers are beneficial to the body in so many ways. They not only stretch the hip and thigh muscles, but they also help with back and knee pain. It is also believed that most people store their stress and emotions in this area.

I loved loved LOVED this sequence today! Hip openers feel so good to me and I enjoyed learning some new techniques and variations of some of the usual poses. Once you can really open the hips; you can get deeper into some of the standing postures too. I definitely feel less stressed and relaxed when I do these.

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 11

DAY 11 - Day 3 of YJ Challenge - One down side to not being able to pick your own yoga practice each day is if you don't feel well, or some other obstacle. Today was one of those days for me. The YJ video today was a sequence focusing mainly on the Core area. I really didn't feel up to this sequence today! I attempted it, but about half way through I ended up doing some easy stretches and resting a lot in child's pose.

This is a good reminder that with yoga you should always go at your own pace and do what feels good to you in the moment. This is one reason why I love yoga! It's not competitive and it is your own personal journey and experience that matters. As long as you are getting on "the mat" and attempting a pose, breathing, or meditation, you are taking a step towards a better body, mind, and soul. I say "the mat" because yoga can be done anywhere at anytime and it certainly does not have to be done on a mat! :) In fact most of my favorite places I have done some form of yoga; were out in nature somewhere without a mat.

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 10

DAY 10 - Day 2 of YJ Challenge - Today was a little harder getting my yoga time in. During the morning I could not get Mateus to take a nap, then I left the house at 12:30pm and did not get home until 8:30pm. I was on the mat at 8:40pm.

The Yoga Journal (YJ) video today was Standing Poses with Jason Crandell. I have done his yoga videos before and I really like him. The sequence started off with a couple reclining leg stretches to warm up and prepare the legs for standing poses. Then he takes you through Warrior I and II, Extended Side Angle and Reverse, Triangle and Reverse, Half Moon and Tree. I love his detailed directions and descriptions of each pose and it is easy to follow without looking at the screen. I even learned a few verbal cues from him that I can use in my own classes. Overall, I felt very good and strong in each pose. This was a great foundation sequence for all the basic standing poses!

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 9

DAY 9 - Today was the first day of the Yoga Journal 21 day Challenge! Anyone else out there doing this? I had an email in my inbox this morning with a yoga video (about 22mins in length), a meditation to try, a practice tip and a vegetarian recipe. So cool! Wish someone would do that for me everyday!

The sequence I received was for a Morning Sequence with Kate Holcombe. The challenge tip today was to make a commitment to honor your breath and begin every practice with a few moments of breath. Funny because I was just saying yesterday that I need to do this every day!

So I began with my eyes closed and observed my breathing for a few moments. I did this while I set my intention for my practice, which today was to try to flow with my breath more fluidly. The sequence was very slow and flowed in and out of a few poses like Warrior I, Downward Facing Dog, Supported Chair, and a couple reclining movements. As I was doing the video, I found myself thinking this is almost too slow. So I reminded myself to keep my "beginner's mind" and I decided to flow gracefully with the breath, be in the moment and enjoy the slower pace. This helped and I then started to really appreciate the sequence. It was actually a really nice practice to start your day off. Most people are usually stiff and tired in the morning, so it's perfect to do some awakening yoga!

I think I'm going to like this challenge! Now lets see if my husband follows through and does his yoga! ;-)

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 8

DAY 8 - It's the end of the weekend and I actually feel pretty good and not too tired. Maybe the yoga? I have been sleeping better this week, even with Mateus waking up about 4-5 times during the night.

I came home from a long day of shopping and organizing our home. We just moved a few weeks ago, so we are getting a lot of things for the house. I rolled out the mat and decided to just go with the flow tonight and not follow any books or videos. Usually, I love to follow along to other people's sequences, especially as a yoga teacher. Using other resources gives me new ideas and keeps my practice interesting.

I began with a few seated stretches, then with several sun salutations, standing poses, ending with some twists and back bends. A perfect little sequence! I really concentrated on my breathing and using one breath per movement in my sun salutations. The first few were off, but then I got into my groove. I haven't done any specific pranayama (breathing) exercises yet, but will get back to doing them daily too. The breath is the foundation of a yoga practice.

Tomorrow I start with my 21 days of yoga challenge with Yoga Journal! I will have specific videos to follow each day. I even got my husband to promise to do the challenge with me! Can't wait!

Yoga Everyday for a Year - DAY 7

DAY 7- One week complete! Only 51 more to go! ;) So far getting the yoga in everyday is easy, but finding the time to write can get tricky with a baby.

I finally tried yoga with Mateus today! I followed along with the new book I got called Baby Om by Laura Staton and Sarah Perron. It's yoga geared for Mothers and Babies. It's a great book with sequences to do and explanations of what to do with your baby at the same time. Plus it gives you little yoga stretches to do to your baby.

Mateus was really good for most of it. He basically just sat and played with a toy while I was doing seated stretches and twists. I had him facing me so I could have eye contact and could talk to him. I did a couple of the leg movements for him, then did a little leg massage. It tickled him and he laughed. When it got to standing poses and sun salutations, he was too active to be picked up. I left him to play on my mat, which turned into eating my mat and rolling from back to tummy. I had to keep bending down to grab him. He was good through it all and would laugh when I tickled him, which kept him interested long enough to stay in one area.

Overall it was fun but of course a different yoga experience. It was a nice connection with my little man and good for both of souls. I will definitely enjoy doing yoga with him more often now, even its for just a few minutes here and there.