A YOGI IN THE HOUSE
About five weeks ago, I started going to a weekly yoga class with my friend and her daughter. We were both looking for additional "stuff" to add to our exercise regime, and by my exercise regime, I mean, I used to walk 3 miles every day, and now I don't have time to go to the bathroom let alone walk, and dang it! I sat down. NEVER SIT DOWN!
So, yeah. I needed to add something.
I'd done yoga DVDs before, and I liked the mind body soul connection. Not in a weird, New Agey way, but rather recognizing that if one area of your life is out of whack (the technical term for not very balanced), all areas get out of whack.
Boy do I have out of balance issues in my life right now!
After five weeks of doing yoga once a week, I have started noticing a difference in my body. It's been a slow burn, but I'm finally noticing a bit more flexibility in my arthritic body. I don't feel quite so achy in the mornings. There might be a slight difference in my energy level ... slight. It appears as though my posture might be getting better as well.
My friend reports the same sorts of differences. Although, I suspect hers were noticed much faster than mine. I am sooooooooo out of shape.
So, last week, I decided I would get up 20 minutes earlier to do an AM Yoga tape I've had for ages --- clearly, I've had it for ages ... it's a freaking VCR tape! Each morning when my alarm went off, I would groan, get out of bed to shut it off, and head back in bed until my back up alarm went off. The Cat judged harshly with her judgey eyes all the while curled up in her furry ball of laziness. I suppose I could count her as an accountability partner.
Yesterday morning, I told myself I would get up and get this AM Yoga business underway. It WAS going to happen this time!
When my alarm went off at 4:40 a.m., I hopped out of bed, went into the kitchen, grabbed a cup of coffee, fed the cat, and got the tape started.
Okay, I lied. I didn't hop out of bed....unless you consider hopping to look like someone dragged me out by my hair toward the hallway.
The jacket of the VCR tape claims that this particular practice will energize me. AWESOME! I need some energy 'cause this coffee ain't cutting it!
Now, I'm not sure how many of y'all have attempted yoga with a cat in the house. If you haven't, let me fill you in on what occurs.
#1. You must immediately shoo aforementioned cat off the yoga mat, because as soon as you roll that sucker out, she is all over it like white on rice, sniffing it, rolling on it, laying on it, basically making it impossible for you to get into resting pose, because, well, she's in cat resting pose! Back it up, human! I'm doing my yoga!
#2. After said shooing occurs, you must contend with aforementioned cat all over your face and attacking your hand because, hey! Human! Whatcha doing on the floor? Wanna play? Oh! Fingers! Let me bite them!
#3. When the cat notices you aren't buying the "playing hand game" idea she's rolling out, she goes to the sofa and begins to scrape her paws on the sofa because she KNOWS she is not suppose to do that and HUMAN! YOU AREN'T PAYING ATTENTION TO ME!
#4. The "I'm going to be naughty" tactic doesn't work so now she gets a toy out, and bats it around THE YOGA mat, because that's just the kind of degree of difficulty cats look for in toy batting.
#5. When she sees that I have found complete relaxation as I practice my poses, she reluctantly parks it on the sofa, perched over top of me, glaring wickedly while she plots her revenge.
I am not going to claim I am more energized than I was prior to the yoga this morning. However, I did manage to get a load of laundry in, eat breakfast, and write this post. So, there's that.
So, yeah. I needed to add something.
I'd done yoga DVDs before, and I liked the mind body soul connection. Not in a weird, New Agey way, but rather recognizing that if one area of your life is out of whack (the technical term for not very balanced), all areas get out of whack.
Boy do I have out of balance issues in my life right now!
After five weeks of doing yoga once a week, I have started noticing a difference in my body. It's been a slow burn, but I'm finally noticing a bit more flexibility in my arthritic body. I don't feel quite so achy in the mornings. There might be a slight difference in my energy level ... slight. It appears as though my posture might be getting better as well.
My friend reports the same sorts of differences. Although, I suspect hers were noticed much faster than mine. I am sooooooooo out of shape.
So, last week, I decided I would get up 20 minutes earlier to do an AM Yoga tape I've had for ages --- clearly, I've had it for ages ... it's a freaking VCR tape! Each morning when my alarm went off, I would groan, get out of bed to shut it off, and head back in bed until my back up alarm went off. The Cat judged harshly with her judgey eyes all the while curled up in her furry ball of laziness. I suppose I could count her as an accountability partner.
Yesterday morning, I told myself I would get up and get this AM Yoga business underway. It WAS going to happen this time!
When my alarm went off at 4:40 a.m., I hopped out of bed, went into the kitchen, grabbed a cup of coffee, fed the cat, and got the tape started.
Okay, I lied. I didn't hop out of bed....unless you consider hopping to look like someone dragged me out by my hair toward the hallway.
The jacket of the VCR tape claims that this particular practice will energize me. AWESOME! I need some energy 'cause this coffee ain't cutting it!
Now, I'm not sure how many of y'all have attempted yoga with a cat in the house. If you haven't, let me fill you in on what occurs.
#1. You must immediately shoo aforementioned cat off the yoga mat, because as soon as you roll that sucker out, she is all over it like white on rice, sniffing it, rolling on it, laying on it, basically making it impossible for you to get into resting pose, because, well, she's in cat resting pose! Back it up, human! I'm doing my yoga!
#2. After said shooing occurs, you must contend with aforementioned cat all over your face and attacking your hand because, hey! Human! Whatcha doing on the floor? Wanna play? Oh! Fingers! Let me bite them!
#3. When the cat notices you aren't buying the "playing hand game" idea she's rolling out, she goes to the sofa and begins to scrape her paws on the sofa because she KNOWS she is not suppose to do that and HUMAN! YOU AREN'T PAYING ATTENTION TO ME!
#4. The "I'm going to be naughty" tactic doesn't work so now she gets a toy out, and bats it around THE YOGA mat, because that's just the kind of degree of difficulty cats look for in toy batting.
#5. When she sees that I have found complete relaxation as I practice my poses, she reluctantly parks it on the sofa, perched over top of me, glaring wickedly while she plots her revenge.
I am not going to claim I am more energized than I was prior to the yoga this morning. However, I did manage to get a load of laundry in, eat breakfast, and write this post. So, there's that.
Comments