Today was day 102 of my yoga streak, and since I am a runner first I got to say, it is also day 832 of my running streak. It is good to celebrate the small milestones in life!So what I have I learned from 100+ days of yoga?
1. I shouldn't have waited so long. Yes, I had done yoga here and there. I looked at books, articles online, etc. and tried to incorporate the poses in my life but it didn't really click. It didn't click until I did two things: first, make a commitment to do at least 15 minutes of yoga every day and second, get the YogaStudio app on my iPhone.
2. The Yoga Studio app is AMAZING! This app has been instrumental in getting me to do my yoga each and every day. So instrumental it deserves a bullet on its own. I love the variety of classes it has so I don't get bored. In addition, you can create some of your own, which I have done. And you can change what the teacher tells you and background sounds. Right now I am listening to the Soothing Guitar and yes, it soothes my soul while I work on flexibility, relaxation, and/or strength.3. Yoga is hard. Okay, not always as some classes are gentler than others. I try to alter things but some classes are way hard and take commitment and focus but it is worth it.
4. It is okay to modify a pose or go into Child's Pose. My body doesn't feel the same every day and yoga isn't a linear line of improvement. Some days I am just tighter. Some days I amaze myself by how loose I am. Listen to your body and don't force things.
5. Don't be afraid to try. There are some crazy poses in yoga and no, I haven't tried them all but I do try some advanced poses here and there. You see, I look at it this way....I will never learn to do the pose if I never try to do the pose. Baby steps will get me further down the yoga road.
6. It is a good supplement to running. I truly feel my running has improved through yoga. I remind myself of this whenever I feel "guilty" about converting over to yoga time when I really want more running time. My chiropractor explained it this way, running compacts your body, yoga stretches it back out. She is happy I have added yoga in the mix...and I am seeing her less often.7. It is calming and empowering. Yes, yoga can soothe my soul in one minute and make me feel strong the next. It all depends on the class and of course, my body that day. Just being honest.
8. It is balancing my hormones. Okay, I have no scientific proof of this but I feel it is helping with some of those perimenopausal symptoms I am experiencing. In fact, I feel a bit more like the me I used to be after I started doing yoga. Perhaps too much became stagnant in my body and yoga is getting those good old juices flowing again. So whether or not it is truly impacting my hormones, the end result is the same. I am feeling better and more vibrant.
9. It is easier without shoes or socks on. Just saying. If I am doing my class at the gym I often leave my running shoes on. For many poses, that is okay. For some, not so much. Tree pose with running shoes can be a bit ouchy. Why oh why don't I just take those shoes off? And socks on a mat can be slippy. Yep, learned that one at home. Take the darn socks off!
10. It connects me with my breath. Yoga tends to bring my mind back into myself and allows me some serenity in a different way than running. In running my mind processes a lot of emotions I do need to go through. In yoga my mind focuses on my breathing.Daily Gratitude: I am thankful for the technology to have a yoga teacher whenever and wherever I want.
Daily Affirmation: I will overcome a broken heart.
