I know...I haven't written anything about running at all in a while. I am still running though! In fact, I'm training for my second full marathon coming up in June. However, I believe I have found the complementary activity that has been helping me feel more fluid in my running. This would be yoga...power yoga that is.
I first want to back track and say that I was a very shy yogi. I thought I would never ever go to a yoga class, because I would just be so embarrassed that I couldn't touch my very own toes. In addition, I would be afraid to fall into someone else or even all over myself. So on and off for a while there, I would just do the very helpful beginner yoga DVDs in the privacy of my own home where no one would see me make a complete fool of myself. I actually enjoyed it, because I felt a little more flexible, less tight, and comfortable in my skin. It also helped me feel relaxed.
Well, fast forward to almost three months ago. I had been talking to friends and students who go to yoga. They not only go to just yoga, but they go to...oh and this mortified my brain cells...heated or hot yoga. What?!!! I thought that was ridiculous. However, the results of how incredibly amazing and more flexible everyone has reported really peaked my interest and curiosity to the max. I wondered how on earth could this be? Anyway, all these encouraging words by everyone led me to join a small yoga studio. I went there for seven weeks. No heat there, but it was a good place to feel safe with no heat and just a few students. I loved it so much! I really felt relaxed and de-stressed. I was thankful for the beginner yoga DVDs, because I didn't feel lost or out of the loop. I sure knew what it meant to do a downward dog and a warrior one, two, and three! I felt at home. Thank you to the begnniner DVDs.
Then I decided to take it another notch. I was getting braver! I decided I should see what this heated power yoga ordeal is all about. Oh WOW!!! I never thought my body could really produce that much water coming out of me. I thought I would feel like I was going to die, but surprisingly I didn't! Instead, I loved the challenge and I love the way I feel so amazing afterwards!! I have mountain and road biked, run, swim and play racquetball and definitely have felt a high, but this high or amazing feeling I feel coming out of heated power yoga is all on its own category.
I really thought I was doomed to being inflexible for the rest of my life, but that I was all my fault. I never put effort into serious stretching. I can now say I am much more flexible, not as flexible yet as many other people around me in class, but who cares. I have made progress and will continue to do so. I know you'll be able to if you had my same issue. If you're wanting to get into yoga to de-stress yourself and to be more flexible with strength, go for it! For "shy" people like me, it did help me to do the beginner videos at home first before I "graduated" to going to a class. I wish I didn't let my shyness get in the way. I wish I had gotten into yoga many, many years ago. Yoga has been beneficial not only in my running, but in other ways. You can benefit from it too. I'm not a professional writing about this nor do I have any credentials to give me the right to talk more about yoga, but from my humble personal experience I want to encourage you to give yoga a try and to reap the wonderful health benefits it provides.
******
What type of yoga do you do?
I first want to back track and say that I was a very shy yogi. I thought I would never ever go to a yoga class, because I would just be so embarrassed that I couldn't touch my very own toes. In addition, I would be afraid to fall into someone else or even all over myself. So on and off for a while there, I would just do the very helpful beginner yoga DVDs in the privacy of my own home where no one would see me make a complete fool of myself. I actually enjoyed it, because I felt a little more flexible, less tight, and comfortable in my skin. It also helped me feel relaxed.
Well, fast forward to almost three months ago. I had been talking to friends and students who go to yoga. They not only go to just yoga, but they go to...oh and this mortified my brain cells...heated or hot yoga. What?!!! I thought that was ridiculous. However, the results of how incredibly amazing and more flexible everyone has reported really peaked my interest and curiosity to the max. I wondered how on earth could this be? Anyway, all these encouraging words by everyone led me to join a small yoga studio. I went there for seven weeks. No heat there, but it was a good place to feel safe with no heat and just a few students. I loved it so much! I really felt relaxed and de-stressed. I was thankful for the beginner yoga DVDs, because I didn't feel lost or out of the loop. I sure knew what it meant to do a downward dog and a warrior one, two, and three! I felt at home. Thank you to the begnniner DVDs.Then I decided to take it another notch. I was getting braver! I decided I should see what this heated power yoga ordeal is all about. Oh WOW!!! I never thought my body could really produce that much water coming out of me. I thought I would feel like I was going to die, but surprisingly I didn't! Instead, I loved the challenge and I love the way I feel so amazing afterwards!! I have mountain and road biked, run, swim and play racquetball and definitely have felt a high, but this high or amazing feeling I feel coming out of heated power yoga is all on its own category.
I really thought I was doomed to being inflexible for the rest of my life, but that I was all my fault. I never put effort into serious stretching. I can now say I am much more flexible, not as flexible yet as many other people around me in class, but who cares. I have made progress and will continue to do so. I know you'll be able to if you had my same issue. If you're wanting to get into yoga to de-stress yourself and to be more flexible with strength, go for it! For "shy" people like me, it did help me to do the beginner videos at home first before I "graduated" to going to a class. I wish I didn't let my shyness get in the way. I wish I had gotten into yoga many, many years ago. Yoga has been beneficial not only in my running, but in other ways. You can benefit from it too. I'm not a professional writing about this nor do I have any credentials to give me the right to talk more about yoga, but from my humble personal experience I want to encourage you to give yoga a try and to reap the wonderful health benefits it provides.
******
What type of yoga do you do?
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