So You Wanna Be a Yogi?

via here

When I talk about doing yoga, the response I usually get is that people are curious about it but don't think that they can do it.  They think you need to be some kind of zen, granola, pretzel gymnast.  Not true.  

There's lots of different kinds of yoga and ways of practicing it. The part of yoga that I connect with though is building strength and energizing my body.  That may sound strange if you think of yoga as a typical meditation sort of activity.  It definitely can be that but the great part about yoga is that its all about YOU making it whatever you want.  Its about listening to your body and following that.  I just happen to love the strength that I feel when I practice yoga, so that's the part that I share with other people. 

My favorite way to practice yoga is by going to a class at a gym or yoga studio.  Sometimes you can also find smaller groups that get together.  The reason I like a class is because each class is different, the teacher has you doing different moves each time which is great for your body, its inspiring to see what other people can do, and the instructor can help you with your form.  I dont know about you but I always push myself harder when I'm with other people.

I don't have the luxury of a class right now so I've been practicing at home.  Since I started my 30 day challenge of doing it every day, I've been doing a lot of videos.  I like to switch up videos all the time because I get a little anxious when I know what's coming next, but also because like with any exercise you see faster results when you challenge your body to new things.  I'm a couple weeks into my challenge of doing it everyday and I'm happy to say I've only missed 2 days so far.  I don't feel bad about that either.  Some days you just aren't feeling it and thats okay.  But even after two weeks I've noticed SO much more strength in my arms.  I love that!  I love that yoga makes me so aware of my body that I can really feel my improvements.  Anyways....I thought I'd show you some videos that I've found that I like.  Yoga can be a little intimidating to start at a class, so trying it at home might help you.

Yoga is about recognizing how you feel and not competing with others. Its about doing your best. Try to not get caught up in the fact that you cant do all the poses that the instructor is doing. Especially if you've never done it before, you can feel SUPER awkward. Like falling over on your face awkward. But give it a month or two before you decide you don't like it. It gets better. A lot better. 

I've been looking for a lot of videos online and its hard for me to find one that I like. I'm totally picky....I don't like music, I don't like cheesy zen backgrounds, and I don't like it if the instructor is annoying.  If I get annoyed, I'm definitely not going to enjoy yoga.  So I added videos that I actually like.....but it'd be great for you to search for other yoga videos that you like.  There's lots that you can purchase on Amazon or watch for free on youtube.  

A couple if you're a newbie: 

She is a little bit nutty but this would be a good video to run through once or twice to get familiar with the most basic yoga moves and what they're called.  

I also like Jillian Michaels' video for yoga if you're a beginner.  It has yoga moves, but in more of a cardio focused workout with both beginner and advanced moves.  Its a good way to work up your strength for more traditional yoga.  Find it here.

My favorite yoga videos are by Bryan Jones. He has channel on youtube that has so many amazing videos.  His videos pass all of my tests: no music, he talks normal, he has a good mixture of quick to slow, and there's lots of challenges to work up to.

Power Yoga - This one is more challenging but great to see what your goals in yoga can be.

This one is the most challenging for me right now but I love throwing it into the mix sometimes to see how I'm growing. 

I'd love to hear about it if you try it out - see how you do or if you find any other videos that you love and wanna share. Also there's an awesome group of girls that are into motivating each other to be good to their bodies. They have lots of great ideas if you wanna join the group on facebook.  Good luck!