Yoga

I've never been to an official yoga class. I've never had a whispy flowy yoga instructor come up to me in mid-downdog to correct my posture. I have, however, now logged many many hours of yoga via the dvr and my dvds. And I love it. It stretches you...challenges you...makes you say bad words to the tv...trims your waist and makes your leg muscles a little more pronounced. My husband even notices and comments. Now, if that ain't motivation, I don't know what is.

The first time I tried yoga was a few years ago in my post-partum world of *whiny voice* "where's my sleeeeeep???" I wanted to exercise so badly but was so incredibly tired that the only thing I could manage was a one-hour yoga session courtesy of the tv station I had flipped to. And I was hooked! I now have a stack of dvds on my office desk where several times a week during lunch a few friends and I shut my office door and curse our yoga instructor through a 30-minute power yoga series. Then we moan and groan about how the positions stretch this muscle or pull that joint. The next morning we all smile at each other and say, "Hey! that worked! Let's do it again!".

The other benefit I've found aside from the physical is the mental calming and clarifying that comes with any exercise. Well, any exercise where you're not wheezing a lung onto the pavement...that's not calming at all. A little session mid-day and I actually have more energy, my lunch tastes better, and I find I'm much more focused on the task at hand.

Do I sound like an infomercial for yoga? (never mind the fact that Jack La Lane still has me sold on his power juicer from just ONE infomercial) If I do, it's only because I really like this form of exercise that can be done just about anywhere and you don't have to hit the locker room showers afterwards. And if you're doing it at home? Bonus! My toddler thinks mommy is playing a really fun game...try downdog with a 2-year old on your back!