A challenging POTD & Night Inversion Love

Tonight was some "yoga in real life". Not the airbrushed, sugar-coated yoga that is out there. This was real yoga! It was the raw-can't-quite-get-it-right-but-giving-it-my-best yoga :)

 

Today's POTD was eight-angle pose and I knew going into it that I might not be able to do it. I found a tutorial on YouTube so I could make sure to go into the pose correctly. Turns out it starts out with Elephant's Trunk Pose, which I have wanted to try as well.

 

When I have seen this pose, I guess I thought that the knee was literally wrapped over the shoulder but that is not necessary. And here I managed to hold it a bit! I will keep working on this one to build arm and core strength for other poses.

 

Elephant's Trunk L Eka Hasta Bhujasana

When I was setting up for full eight angle pose

Try, try again!

I didn't quite get eight angle pose. I still need to get fully off the ground and get my legs nice and straight but I was pleased with what I can do for now! It was more than I thought.

Eight Angle Pose L (heel anchor) Astavakrasana

Eight Angle Pose R

 And I did some inversions just because :)

 

I started with a good ol' headstand but I couldn't get a descent picture

 

This takes a ton of core stabilization and is harder than it looks!

Eventually I will get this into a fully inverted split!

Finally! A Great Run!

Today's post is not about yoga! What ?!? :)

Today's run finally felt great! My last few runs have been after working on my feet all day and I have had to trudge through them! I shaved around a minute-per-mile off by running in the AM. Huge difference! Besides the fact that I enjoyed it much, much more.

9:06 per mile makes a girl happy :)

My favorite products! My Contigo water bottle (purchased in a 3-pack from Costco), My Ninja blender I got for Christmas, Coppertone Sport sunblock (spray for body, lotion for face), Yogi Detox tea, Everyday Nuun tablets (purchased on Amazon.com) and Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Lip Moisturizer with SPF 15 (because if I accidentally get it in my mouth, it doesn't have a weird taste-no taste at all actually).

Yoga Shoulder Stand Flow

Shoulder Stand --->Plow Pose--->Staff Pose--->Namaste

Quick Sesson Before Work!

I had 2 POTD to get done today so I snuck in a quick yoga session before work. I want to stress that I do about 30 minutes of yoga to warm and prep my body and then I do the harder poses at the end.

Malasana (wide knee squat) with hands variation that just felt right

Prepping for chin stand

Chin Stand Vrschikasana

I'm not straight as a pencil with my Shoulder Stand, but it is something to work towards

Shoulder Stand Sarvangasana takes a lot of core strength and a surprising amount of shoulder strength

Plow Pose Halasana is an awesome challenge for the hamstrings

 

 

Rock Yoga

Today I did something different. It was my day off (yay!) so I decided I wanted to carve out some time in my morning to get out in nature. I drove a few minutes to our favorite park and I hiked for 30 minutes to warm up my body then I did about 40 minutes of yoga on the rocks. It was fun! I found something interesting about myself though...I am kind of terrified of inversions that have me looking up into the infinite sky. I feel like I am going to fall into it...kind of an interesting version of acrophobia. I coped with it by looking in small doses and closing my eyes the other times. It was just a great time. Sunshine all around, a great breeze going, and it feel so freeing to be outside enjoying it all. And I was practically alone which is therapeutic for me.

My Happy Place-

I always thought this was called half moon pose just with a variation but it has a name! Sugarcane Pose R

Sugarcane Pose L

Forward Fold, Uttanasana...I need to do these for days to relax my tight hamstrings

Hero Pose with hands at heart center

Working on Lizard...but the picture makes me look like I have no L leg! You have to look closely to see it is up by my L arm

 (sorry for the butt shots in my triangle poses...that was not on purpose!)

Triangle L, Trikonasana

Triangle R

Revolved Triangle L, Parivrtta Trikonasana

Revolved Triangle R

 

Compass pose...this one is one of my least favorite (which means it is one I need to practice most!). It challenges my tight hips and feels very unnatural to me at this point. Maybe if I keep working on it, it will start to feel a bit more natural.

Compass R

Compass L

Flying crow with my head down to anchor. I need to work on my arm balances. This one is hard!!

Seated Forward Split

So now that I am back home, it's time to get cleaned up for the day, then I get to pick my son up from school and do other normal daily things. I hope it is also sunny wherever you are too!

POTD

Today's pose is Forearm Wheel Pose. It was harder than I thought!

Soccer Practice Hikes

Tonight was a nice evening where my son had soccer practice. I hiked along the trails and enjoyed the evening, then did a bit of yoga to wind down (and fulfill my daily pose quota)

King Pigeon

Working on touching my head!

Night run plus my pose of the day

Tonight after work I made myself get out for a run. I really didn't want to, I was so tired. Taking care of people all day long really takes a lot out of you. I kind of wonder when I will be at a place in my life where I am not constantly taking care of others. It can be a joy for sure, but is so draining.

But I did it. I had no excuse. We had leftovers, kids had their homework and chores done. My Nike+ app showed that my last run was 9 days ago!  I could not stall any longer. I did not think anymore. I just went. And the track was open so I got to run on the track which was nice.

When I got home I worked on my yoga pose of the day: Wheel Pose

It helps to remove the socks!

I really surprised myself! I haven't even been working on this pose, but all of my backbends are helping!



I did one last pose and tightened my backbend (although my toes weren't pointed forward quite correctly)

Yoga, St. Patty's Day Eve

Yoga, yoga, yoga. I am so thankful to have found yoga in my life. It is something that fits into my crazy schedule no matter how much I have going on. Tonight my yoga was slipped in after the kids went to bed. Running is awesome, but I can't run after dinner, have to have enough time in the morning to shower afterward (which my patients would thank me for). So I have a few runs scheduled this week but yoga doesn't even have to be scheduled. I just squeeze it in and follow my body's cues. It is always the best way to wind down.

Everyone has challenging areas of the body that they have to be persistent with stretching. My areas are my hamstrings, hips and shoulders.

(Can you tell this is my favorite tank lately? It has a really cute twisted back. Maybe I should have been wearing green...?)

Pyramid L, Parsvottonasana

Pyramid R

Bow Pose

Crescent Moon Pose-I was surprised when I saw the picture...I can bend back pretty far!

Still working on grasshopper. My baby grasshopper is looking really great these days but I have a ways to go before I grow into the grown-up version. For tonight I took some time stretching my hips and strengthening through each foot.

Reclined Hero Pose, Supta Virasana. I can bring my body flat, but I was enjoying this stretch too much!