After not working out for the past month, today I started yoga again. As I poped in my Body By Bethenny DVD and began my yoga breaths I thought, what a great topic to blog about. I haven't been practicing yoga for that long but instantly fell in love with it. You always see celebrities on TV walking out of the gym with their yoga mats and I have to say, when I got my pink yoga mat I officially joined the yoga movement. There are many different types of yoga but the one that I enjoy the most is power yoga. Power yoga combines stretching, strength training, and meditative breathing with each move flowing into the next (traditional yoga pauses between each pose). This is a great strength training and aerobic exercise. Benifits of yoga you might ask? Well, there are plenty! Yoga can improve flexibility, strength, posture, breathing, concentration, heart condition, need I go on? All of you out there thinking how am I supposed to do yoga when I can't even touch my toes? Your in luck! You do not have to be that flexible to do yoga. There are plenty of modified versions of every pose and as Bethenny Frankel says "Yoga is not about ego, it's about what YOU can do." Over time you really will see yourself getting stronger and more flexible. I went from hating downward dog and hardly able to chaturanga (pushup pose) to a perfect downward dog and chaturangaing every morning. The sun salutations at the beginning of the workout really get your blood flowing and the twist poses detoxify your organs. When I finish a yoga workout I always feel like I do after getting a massage, relaxed and recharged. Don't think your ready to try power yoga? Thats ok, just start out with a more meditative type of yoga and work your way up. I have to say though, even Moose has tried yoga so don't let a dog out beat you!
At the end of each yoga practice the teacher (and you repeat back) will say namaste. Namaste means "I bow to you" or represents there is a divine spark in each of us. Namaste can be performed in a seated cross legged or standing position. The hands are folded together in prayer and your head is bowed. The hands are in prayer to increase divine love and the head is bowed to to surrender to the divine in your heart. So, as you all get up out of your chair to begin your first day of yoga, I leave you with this:
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