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.