Practicing Yoga

Good Morning! I just finished my Yoga workout and decided that it is the subject I want to cover today. I can hear those groans, "not another hippie idea from Judy"!!! But, really, Yoga is a very important part of my life. It relieves stress, helps on my bad brain days and keeps me very toned in the process.

There is a program, called Namaste Yoga on Fit TV that I do. It is great because it is only one half hour long (22 minutes if you FF through the commercials!) and it has been very beneficial to me. My family teases me that I have the "big guns". Yoga has helped me get the cut in my upper arm to show my bicep, and my legs are also toned enormously through this program. I am also very flexible for an old gal!

I think there is a stigma attached to Yoga, that it is not a very hard workout or that practicing yoga is an "oddball practice". To be honest, I thought so too. In a past lifetime (you know BC, before children) I was an ACE certified personal trainer, too bad I found out after I went to all of that trouble that I didn't like working out in front of people-Ha! Anyway, it was a very strict certification process, so I did learn a lot. It wasn't until recently that I had to give Yoga a try because traditional workouts were just too hard on my joints. I can't tell you how much I instantly enjoyed this very challenging workout.

Another great aspect is that anyone (over weight, over bored or over aged-ha!) can do Yoga. Until one builds their strength, all postures can be modified to the level which the Yogi is at, the stretches just aren't quite as deep and the strengthening is done for a shorter time. I also believe that it has strengthened my immunity system-a big plus in today's world!!

The following is from the Namaste Yoga website at Fit TV:

The word "yoga," from the Sanskrit word yuj, means "to yoke or bind," and is often interpreted as "union" or a method of discipline. A male who practices yoga is called a "yogi," a female practitioner, a "yogini." Today, most people practicing yoga are engaged in the third limb, asana, which is a program of physical postures designed to purify the body and provide the physical strength and stamina required for long periods of meditation.

I do it in the morning, since I have them recorded I can do it early, before the kids get up. It is a great way to get you moving and then you have the rest of the day to enjoy without feeling guilty!

Have a miracle of a day!