Yoga and Moving

Well, I have continued my yoga practice most every day. It is amazing to me how after forty it takes so much longer to recover the degree of flexiblity and stamina that I used to have just a few years ago. I am trying to help the arthiritis by keeping in shape and flexible. I am also determined to clean up my diet. I am still eating vegan, for the most part, no animal products, except for the negligable amount of milk in some chocolate and convenience foods. But I feel likeeven  this eating has caused me to gain a couple of pounds and not feel as light and clean as I'd like. SO......I am on a mission to do better. It will be different, because I began this way of eating in the middle of summer, June 1 to be exact. And the eating was good and easy, tons of fruits and veggies. Doing it as fall comes into winter will be a challenge. But I feel like I am ready.

As for our move. Things are happening. We have a  couple of options in and near our neighborhood. And we feel very positive about finding some where that will be a comfortable fit for us and the kids. More to come......

Yoga Check in

I have managed to get insome yoga practice every day so far. Some mornings, which is my preferred time, are easier than others. I moderate to severe arthiritis in my hands and wrists, so sometimes it is difficult to do those poses that require me to put weight on my hands. And of course those are my favorite poses. :/ But it is what it is, and I am dealing with the hand I have been dealt. (Pun intended)

Peace and Blessings.

Yoga Anew!

I am geared up to begin my yoga practice anew. In fact I have already begun it. This photo is very inspiring. It is not me, duh. :) But I strive to be flexible in all of my life, not just in my body. I have, of late, been under tremendous stress and pressure and have turned to my yoga practice as a way to ground and center myself for the tough times I am going through. The quote is very true also, and I have to continually remind myself of my strengths and resources. To help myself keep to a regular practice I have decided to once again turn to my blogging community for support. I will post regularly on my progress and hopefully receive some helpful feedback.

Peace and blessings.

Bikini Time

Sophie and David and I all got in the pool yesterday to cool off. Sophie decided that we should have a picture of us in our bikinis. :) I must say that I did not realize the extent of my weight loss and shape up until I saw this photo. If you recall the ones that I posted last year after a year of yoga. This is the result of a year of eating a vegan diet. Woo Hoo! I am pretty stoked. My poppet is as cute as a button in hers too. :)

Yoga Yoga Hooray!

Yesterday I had the opportunity to "teach" yoga to a couple of my close friends. I felt very honored to share my passion for yoga with them and to see how good it made them feel to put their own bodies into the poses I love so much. We have plans to make this a weekly yoga practice together and I am really looking forward to learning more about teaching others and working with their limits as well as my own. In researching yoga practice as a teacher I am learning a lot more about yoga and about myself. Thank you to my friends for the opportunity.

Yoga Revisited

I am back on the mat! I have established a regular practice that consists of at least 20 minutes of poses at least five days a week. I am feeling the benefits again and loving what my body can do.

There are plans in the works to begin a class of a sort with a few friends one day a week, so that will be extra beyond my own practice. I am looking forward to it. Yoga bliss.

Benefits of Yoga Revealed!

OK, I don't usually like to share pictures
of myself in bathing suits, however, after seeing this latest one, I was so surprised, and pleasantly so, that I really just had to share it. This is the direct result of my yoga practice. I began yoga in January of 2008, after many years of not doing any yoga, and the photo below was taken in the summer of '08. As you can see, I still had a bit of padding here and there.

This photo was taken today at the lake by mt friend Mari. After two years of daily yoga practice and two months of vegan eating!!!! I could hardly believe that such a difference has occurred. When I look in the mirror, I can not see that much, even though my hubby has been telling me what a change there has been since I began the yoga. I am just so glad about this, I wanted to share....thanks for humoring me. :)

This is what 42 looks like!! Yay!

Yoga Again

Once again I find that during a crisis at
home, stressful days, etc I neglected the one thing that could bring me peace and a centered mind~yoga. I have had a really rough week, emotionally and mentally. During that time I practiced my yoga routine only a couple of times. Knowing how it makes me feel afterwards cannot even entice me onto the mat. I simply have to do something completely mindless, and yoga is not. Yoga gently forces me to be in the present, be in the moment, and go with whatever emotions come up. When a crisis is happening, that is not something that I can do easily. Therefore, I tend to avoid yoga practice until things settle down again. Thus, I am happy to report that this morning I was back on the mat and feeling much better. Releasing some of those tensions and emotions that I have been holding in all week. Thanks to yoga I am ready to begin anew.

Back to My Center

Lovely yoga this morning. And let me just say that I was in definite need of the stress reducing benefits this morning. David is going through a tough time right now, which means that I am going through a tough time. :) So as soon as I sat down and began to center myself and breath the yogic breathing I felt a sense of calm and peace descend on me. In that moment I could feel the loving arms of my Mother Goddess wrap around me and reassure me that everything would work out if I stay strong and be supportive and take care of myself as well as my family. Yoga has a way of bringing it all back into focus.

Yoga

Back on the mat this morning after missing three days of yoga. I was so busy with getting Sophie ready for Kindergarten, and then I lost some sleep and really had to make it up, ad then....oh the excuses could go on and on. The fact is, I just did not make the time for this important part of my life. I have been wondering why I have been feeling down and irritable lately and I think that missing so much yoga, my down time, my refresh and renew time, has something to do with it. I need yoga in my life. I need it. It gives me a peace of mind and a centeredness that I don't have in my stressful life otherwise. It helps me to be able to give to all the people in my life who need me. Yoga is a good friend. I would like to do another 'class' with my friends soon, its time for a little something to shake up my routine and inspire me.

Daily Yoga Check In

I have had a sudden and dramatic increase in my flexibility. (No that is not me in the photo) Yoga poses that were a bit difficult to get fully into, I am now able to do with little effort. This seems to have happened over the course of a few days. Now I have been getting to the mat a bit later in the day. And maybe the greater flexibility of my muscles and ligaments is due to them being more warmed up instead of practicing immediately upon rising from bed. That is a real possibility. Never the less, the flexibility is there, and it is fabulous. I can feel it in everyday life too, such as reaching to get something, twisting in my car seat, and especially during sex. Yes, that is a big bonus that my hubby has noticed too. Much to both our delight. My energy level is up again too. It seems that it takes a little longer each time I have a long break from yoga, to get back to my previous level of fitness and flexibility and stamina. That having a great deal to do with being in my forties. However, I always do, I get back the level and then some and I am so thankful for that blessing that yoga has given me. In fact, my energy has increased so much that I am thinking about getting out my hoop and amping up my fitness level even more. Add to that the belly dancing and swimming and other summer activities and I should hit the fall in top shape.

I know that much of my increased health and vitality, energy and stamina is due to the vegan diet that I have been eating since the beginning of June. I am looking forward to my birthday with renewed vigor, I think 42 may be my best year yet!

Daily Yoga Check In

Getting a late start to my yoga practice this morning proved to be regretful. The heat is so oppressive today that I felt like I was in a Bikram yoga class. It was HOT! But never the less, I had a great session. I do find that getting on he mat later in the day, my muscles are loosened and the poses are much easier. I was able to stretch into the poses with less strain and more flexibility. The only other bad part of starting late was the accompanying 'music' of the neighbors lawn mower. Arrgh.

Daily Yoga Check In

Here are a few more of me in yoga
poses. First, Triangle Pose~very good stretch with this one, you can feel it in the legs, side, and back. I like this pose for the relaxation that it causes.

Next is the Camel. I have been working with this one for some time now. In the photo I can tell that I need to bow up a little further, and stretch back even more. This is as far as my muscles allow at this time, so I will continue to practice this one. It is very good for opening your chest and heart and throat chakras. There is a very good stretch in the arms, shoulders, and back of course.

I am still enjoying yoga everyday and am seeing progress and greater flexibility and strength daily. Viva la yoga!

Daily Yoga Check In

I finally got David to snap a few photos of me doing some yoga poses. In order to see if I am executing them correctly. I seem to have them down, if not perfect, then very close. I can see where my flexibility is still in need. But over all it looks pretty good. Please pay no attention to the messy porch you see in the background.:)

Dancer pose (my favorite)

Warrior pose, feels powerful and strong

Camel pose, so difficult, but I am getting better every day.

Daily Yoga Check In

This is the pose that I am working on incorporating into my routine. It is Camel Pose. What a feeling in the lower back and chest. I have just the lightest twinge in my lower back as I do this pose, now after using it occasionally for several weeks. I can now feel the opening sensation in my chest and throat, and my thighs are getting stronger to do the bulk of the support. I follow this pose with an easy forward shift into Child's Pose to relax my back, because backbends should always be follwed by forward bends to balance the body and the body's energies. This is how my day begins, how is yours?

Daily Yoga Check In

Simply sun salutations this morning....not feeling my best...a bit under the weather. Back to form tomorrow I hope. Yoga blessings.

Here Comes the Sun

"In many cultures, light has long been a symbol of consciousness and self-illumination. 'The world begins with the coming of light,' wrote Jungian analyst Erich Neumann in The Origins and History of Consciousness (Princeton University Press, 1995). 'Opposition between light and darkness has informed the spiritual world of all peoples and molded it into shape.' "

So begins the article on the origins of the Sun Salutation on the Yoga Journal blog. Giving you the reasons why we do Surya Namaskar (Sun Salutation). What better time than at the summer solstice to learn more about this most popular of poses. Enjoy and salute the sun today!

Yoga Variety

I realized that I missed my daily yoga check in this morning. But I did get on the mat. I was simply busy with so much else over the weekend, and trying to catch the posts up. It was a beautiful Summer Solstice morning, I enjoyed several Sun Salutations to honor the life sustaining sun's zenith. Yummy.

Then this evening I led my first ever yoga 'class'. hee hee Well, it was two of my friends. But I was excited to share my passion for yoga with them. It went well, and I hope that we can make t a weekly standing date. Yay for yoga!

Daily Yoga Check In

Boy, I would really love to do yoga on the beach. Maybe one day I will get there and find out what it's like to be so near to the Great Mother of us all~the ocean. Yoga this morning was great, after all the walking at the festivals yesterday, I am a little sore and the yoga stretching was wonderful after I got through the initial stiffness. It's a beautiful day. Tonight is my circle's Summer Solstice celebration, so I will have a post on that tomorrow. Blessings.

Daily Yoga Check In

This morning I almost skimped on my yoga practice. I played badminton with my oldest son yesterday and my arms and shoulders are feeling it this morning. We had so much fun, not something you get to do with an almost 16 year old very often. Anyway...once I began Sun Salutation I couldn't stop, so I ended up with my usual entire routine. I am glad because the stretching and reaching actually helped me to feel better and loosened up those sore muscles. Viva la yoga!