Featured Posts
She Says: Yoga Month Rewind
Yoga Month (n.) – A glorious month filled with 30 days of Hot Power Yoga.
Between February 1 and March 2 I did:
- 1 Dave Farmar Podcast
- 30 Hot Power Yoga classes
- 1 Restorative Class
- 1 Vinyasa Aligned
When I started my month of yoga I shared that I was a bit frustrated with some things. I wanted something, but I wasn’t quite sure what it was. I learned that yoga does not solve my problems, but it makes me better equipped to solve them because I am calmer, more focused and overall, happier.
I got a few questions about yoga, which I will answer now. Additionally, if you’re interested in reading about each day of the challenge, just search for it using “yoga month” or go to the February archives.
If you’ve never done yoga, where do you start? And by where, I don’t mean what studio; there are all sorts of practices, but how do you know where to start if you’re a beginner?
If you are a beginner, I think you should start with a type of yoga you think you might enjoy and suits your personality and goals. I found a fun Yoga Style Quiz and an article about different styles.
What am I going to do now that yoga month is over? My goal is to attend class 2 – 3 times a week and do something at home, too.
But what about running? Ah, yes, I am a runner. I find this post especially timely considering my previous post on over exercising and all of your wonderful diverse comments!
About half-way through the challenge I stopped going to the gym for the most part. I felt that running or using the elliptical before such strenuous classes was inhibiting my yoga practice. I reduced my cardio by 5 – 6 times a week to 2 times a week. As someone who is trying to lose a few pounds, this was scary. As someone who is used to running almost every day, this was strange.
I got over both feelings very quickly and I realized that while I enjoy running, I don’t love the gym and schemed up a way to get out of my contract. Through some good luck and good people, I’m fairly certain Mark will take over my gym membership at the end of the week. I think cardio is important to physical health and I enjoy running, so I will run outside a few times a week.
Have you noticed any physical changes? Yes, however, if I did anything for 75 – 90 minutes everyday, I assume I would see physical changes, too.
(1) I’ve noticed changes in the muscle tone of my stomach and arms. I don’t think I’ve lost weight, but I stand taller and feel leaner.
(2) My flexibility has returned! Some of my favorite stretching poses are these:
(3) My strength has vastly improved.
- Crow - I can hold for several seconds before toppling over!
- Side Plank – Used to be shaky, and now I can do it every time.
- I can now do high plank to low plank and then back to high plank!
What am I going to do now that yoga month is over? Yes, I know I already said I was going to do more yoga and run less, but there’s something else that it’s important to this story. Yoga is more than the physical part. In class I learn that the physical part is actually incidental the mental and spiritual parts.
My real goal for going forward is to take the yoga with me when I leave the studio. It’s nice to be all yoga stoned and blissed out when I leave a class, but what about the rest of my life?
I think that’s the change I was looking for – an appreciation for the moment, not worrying about the future or dwelling on the past. It’s contentment I’m after, an ease and fluidity in my life, and that is what I will work on now that the month is over.
Thank you for following along with me this month. I know many of you have said you’ve been inspired to try more yoga yourself, and that makes me happy. I hope you find a yoga you love!
Glad you found a way out of the gym contract! I was very flexible when I was younger from dance, but had seen a decline in it since I stopped teaching yoga in college. I have seen a HUGE improvement in my flexibility too. I have to say the most significant thing has been my mood after work – it has greatly improved and I’ve learned to relax a bit.
i loved reading about how far you’ve come…that’s so awesome that you can hold those new poses! nothing better than watching yourself grow and develop the capability for something you never thought you could do
Thanks for sharing your experiences! I think its awesome that you did the full 30 days even through the scariness of reducing your other activity! As a runner sidelined by injury, I tried hot yoga classes for a while (until my injury worsened) and never got to the point of being able to take yoga with me outside the class…it will be a goal I go back to! Good luck with your post yoga month endeavors!
I really want to get more into yoga. I agree with you on the gym bit. I love to run but despise the gym!!!
Heather, I’ve really enjoyed following your yoga month! Thanks for the link to the quiz – I’m a beginner, I do YogaDownload.com at home but I’ve never been to a class and I’m kind of intimidated to go.
Re: the gym inhibiting your yoga practice – I’m an avid Pilates fiend, and a few months ago I started jogging again after a shin injury that prevented it for a while. Immediately, leg and thigh work became increasingly difficult as I started to build up my running again. When I mentioned it to my instructor, she affirmed that it’s because the strength you build in your muscles creates more physical resistance in your body. Now I’ve taken to running AFTER Pilates, so I’m open and ready to go.
Great post! I would love to do a challenge like this, I’m sure I would see much more progress if I went more often.
I’ve decided to incorporate more yoga into my training for this 8K in two weeks. After that I’m going to try to better balance yoga, strength training, and running for the next set of races.
It has been awesome following you along for this month. Glad you enjoyed it so much!
p.s. I am totally stealing “yoga stoned”.
What a great wrap up! I found myself nodding my head in agreement several times. I started yoga classes a few months ago as a way to “mix up” my workouts but quickly found it was so much more than just a workout. The mental benefits are huge and I often leave class feeling “stoned” LOL
I have greatly reduced cadio (4-5 per week to 1-2 per week) and did yoga instead along with my usual 2-3 weight lifting sessions and I have seen great changes in my body. Cardio is SO overreated for weight loss and not the end-all-be-all for fitness. Activity/movement in general is what is so good for your health. And of the ineveitable is that diet is what is most important when it comes to weight loss.
I am so glad you did a wrap up/reflection. I love hot yoga, and really miss it in my life now that I’m living in D.C. and can’t seem to squeeze it into my work schedule… You’ve inspired me to try harder though! Havea great Friday!!
Great recap! I am going to a yoga Nidra workshop on Sunday and looking forward to it. Its new for me, but I am hoping to be able to incorporate some relaxation into my life from it!
I would like to take some yoga classes, but don’t even know how to pick a place, or where to find one! I know the local gyms both offer courses, but they’re at weird times during working hours, and the closest actual studios dedicated to yoga are half an hour away. However, I am certain there must be some other options close to home. I love your “yoga stoned” expression. I know the feeling.
yoga stoned is a fabulous new term! and so accurate!
I loved reading about the yoga month. I enjoy all the yoga that I do at my gym and at home but I’ve never been to a studio and I’m super intimidated by them. I registered to take my first hot power yoga class on Sunday. I don’t want to chicken out! Thanks for the inspiration!
Congratulations on the yoga month well done! Love Dave Farmar podcasts… maybe one day I’ll actually finish an entire one. I mean, I can do 90-minute hot yoga and flow classes, but his are really killer sometimes. Also yes after being a gym rat, I’m so much more into letting my yoga mat and the pavement be my gym. (Gotta have my pool membership though!)
Beautiful reflections and congrats on a great month! I feel pretty similarly; yoga just makes me calmer and makes other activities in my life — running, school, work, whatever — easier. Thanks for sharing!
Yay Becky! You can do it!
Congratulations on your yoga month!! Do you have any advice in regards to starting a yoga routine? I always feel better when I do yoga but I find it difficult to motivate myself to do Yoga. I’m always tired after doing cardio and strength training plus my mind is typically running making it difficult to focus on the moves. Any tips or advice or motivation?
High Plan to Low Plank to High Plank kills me!
I am totally stealing Yoga Stoned as well. I’m doing a mini-yoga challenge for the next 10 days until my marathon.
Congrats on a whole month! What an accomplishment! Yoga is the one thing I desperately want to start working back into my life, but I have no yoga studio anywhere near where I live that would make taking classes reasonable! I have a DVD I kind of like, but would love the benefits of an instructor again because it’s been so long since I’ve practiced regularly. I think if I could commit to just doing the dvd more often I’d feel better – I am really thinking about what you said about cutting your cardio down as kind of an exchange. Maybe if I wasn’t always trying to use yoga as an add-on I’d be more motivated.
[...] class just felt like going through the motions. Yoga is typically very calming to me, I love the yoga stoned feeling that comes over me after a class but today it just wasn’t happening. Has this ever happened [...]
[...] 60 mins. I do Hot Power Yoga 2 or 3 times a week. This is a recent change. In February I did 30 straight days of yoga and I realized I wanted to do more of that and less [...]
That is Too wonderful, when it comes in india hope it may make a Rocking location for youngster.. wish that come accurate.
[...] the new 21 in 31 challenge at my yoga studio. When I started going to this particular studio I went everyday for 30 days and then in April I did a similar 20 in 30 challenge. Needless to say, I love a yoga challenge. [...]