Yoga anyone?

MrsT

I was wanting to start practising yoga at home (of course it’s at home, we can’t bloody go anywhere.) Does anyone here practice yoga? How did you get started?

I have a running and weights background, which means I am as flexible as the tin man.

LadySybilVimes

I’ve done a mix of live classes, dvds and following books for yoga. Do you know yoga with Adriene on YouTube? She’s great and she has a lot of different videos and some 30 day programs. She’s slightly woowoo (talks about third eyes and stuff like that) but very warm and explains things well.

https://www.youtube.com/user/yogawithadriene

CallMeAl

I tried the Adrienne for a period and would love to again if there were some way to force myself…

SatansWoman

Yoga is for everybody! It’s a great thing to do and highly recommend it. I started a couple of years back at the studio I was at when I realised barre and pilates weren’t quite me. I haven’t done it in a couple of months now and coincidently did a class on zoom this afternoon with my favourite teacher who reached out. And I feel amazing now for having done it.

I look up running last year when Sydney had its little lockdown, and found that the principles of mindfulness, gratitude, observing oneself and just showing up really helpful when running, so you can expect that part of your life to improve with yoga.

I’ve heard yoga with Adrienne is great though I’ve never done it. I follow a lady called actionjacquelin on IG and she has a stretching app you could try. A studio near where I live is called Scout Pilates and they have some online courses with some amazing teachers (no woo) another amazing place that is offering online courses is One Hot Yoga (my guilty pleasure if I’m around Potts Point)

RichardParker

Ashtanga Yoga was my favourite in the Before Times, when we could go to a class. I did it twice a week and got so fit.

After children and lockdown, Yoga with Adrienne has been my saviour. Works best if I do it every day - but anything is better than nothing. Sometimes I can’t get organised to do it until 10pm at night when the kids are in bed. But even that’s better than nothing. Just a little bit of sanity in the day.

AprilEthereal

I love yoga but have not done any at home sessions. Might give Adrienne a go.

RichardParker

OK - I’ve had dinner. the annoying kid is in bed, and I’ve got a few minutes to myself. I’m going to do this video, and try to do one a day for the next 30 days. Several of those will likely be in lockdown, so it should be easier than usual, theoretically.

Reason I’m choosing (and sharing) this one is that this 30 day yoga journey “Yoga Camp” is from 2016. That was when I had just had DS, who screamed ALL the Time, and we were in Hobart, in a 3 storey House on the side of a very steep hill. It was so windy and steep that I couldn’t get the kids out in the pram, most days. And DS hated the car, so I couldn’t drive far, and I had nowhere to go, anyway, since I didn’t know anyone. It was a really tough time, and often I would not leave the house for days at a time. The most exciting outings were to Coles.

I was going a bit crazy, and I remember saying to myself that I have a choice, here - I can either give in to my insanity, and rage, or I can choose to strengthen and grow. I somehow found this Yoga Camp online and did it, fairly consistently, almost every day. I honestly feel like it saved my life, or sanity, or both, at the time. It was like my own personal lockdown.

I think this Covid lockdown is harder, because the whole world seems to be falling apart and there doesn’t seem to be much to hold on to. But the thing with yoga is that it always brings you back to your breath. No matter how shit everything is turning - you always have your breath with you, and you can always tune into it for nourishment, support, and strength.

This has turned into a little sermon, as most of my posts tend to do, so I’m going to end it there, but just post this here so if anyone wants to join me (I have no mat or yoga gear - I’m just in my pyjamas on the dirty carpet in the space that I’ve cleared between the kid’s crap and DH’s socks) today or any other day, perhaps we can support each other in just doing this one thing that might help make things better. xo

https://yogawithadriene.com/yoga-camp-day-1/ Just in case that link doesn’t work

LadySybilVimes

RichardParker

I love this post and I’ve surprised myself by actually going and doing it! I did some weights before hand, then yoga. It was lovely.

RichardParker

Woohoo - I actually did it, instead of just saying I am going to do it. I feel a lot better right now. Maybe my little sermon will keep me accountable.

Chookas

I’ve been practicing meditation, similar concept but less effort involved 😊 fyi Balance meditation is free for a year on Google play.

CassandraNORI

Chookas

Me too - I’ve been making myself get out of bed half an hour earlier every morning to do it and it’s really worth it plus I get to have a coffee in peace afterwards.

@RichardParker

beautiful post and well done. I love Adrienne - she practices and teaches properly, with a lot of focus on the breath which is so important. And she’s lovely. I feel guilty cos we’re all open here and I haven’t even been going to my yoga class which is literally 2 minute drive away and that I love so you’ve inspired me to get off my arse and get down there at least once a week. I’ll do some Adrienne as well if I can make myself. Well done to you.

CallMeAl

I did close to 23 days of one of her different ‘30 days of yoga’ challenges. It was great, I’ve never done that much before. But I found it such a chore still, I think I might need to start smaller somehow, maybe I’ll try and accompany you but with some of her 10 minute videos or something!

RichardParker

CallMeAl

Yeah sometimes I can’t actually manage to do a full 30 minute video in one go because I get interrupted by the kids. I just have to accept that that is my life and try not to get frustrated - just come back to the video if I can that day, or the next day.

The other thing is that it doesn’t matter if you don’t do it absolutely every day - anything is better than nothing - and there’s 6 months between one video and the next, that’s OK too - the whole thing is a journey (she has an objection to the word “challenge”) and if it takes you a bit longer, or a lot longer, that’s OK too. We all just have to keep trying - keep showing up.

PuddingPlease

@RichardParker

That was a lovely post, you inspired me to do day 1 of the 30 day challenge before I went to bed last night and I’m going to try to do one every night after my kids are asleep.

LadySybilVimes

I think I’ll do another one tonight, I enjoyed it so much last night. She has such a great down-to-earth persona.

RichardParker

Yoga Camp Day 2 video. This one goes for 50 minutes, which seems like a long time, so maybe just start it, and if you have to stop, stop. Then pick it up again when you can. It’s already 10.30pm and I have to get up early tomorrow for another fun day of lockdown, so, let’s see how I go.

I was trying to embed this video like the cool people do - whatever, the link still works….

RichardParker

I finished it! Had to stop twice to go and resettle DS, but I’m not sleepy (4pm coffee) - so came back and finished it. It was a bit confronting to be so tight and wobbly on the balancing bits. Years ago I would have breezed through that - I’m now creaking and groaning my way through. Never mind.

CallMeAl

Five minutes is five minutes. It’s more than nothing which is spectacular!

RichardParker

CallMeAl

Shit sorry I accidentally edited your post! Don’t know how to fix it!

PuddingPlease

Well done everyone! I did day 2 last night (or, most of it) but I was so shaky during some of it.

I’m thinking about joining a gym that does yoga classes. I’d really like to have some personal training sessions to learn how to do weight training but I’m not sure I’ll pluck up the courage for that. I used to have yoga classes at a place years ago but I’ve never been to a gym before.

CallMeAl

RichardParker

Spooky!