Slipping on my Yoga Mat

Last night's class was a DISASTER! It was a little warmer than usual, I guess, and I was just slipping around like crazy on my mat! Both my hands and my feet were sweaty and I couldn't hold any of the poses for very long. I've had this problem before, but not nearly this bad. I had to drop to my knees a few times during downward dog just to wipe my hands off.

I don't think this is a problem that's going to get better as I go into summer. So I'm debating on purchasing one or more of these products:

• A Skidless Yoga Towel

 

• Yoga Gloves

• Yoga Socks

Does any one have any experience with these? I'm leaning more towards the yoga towel because I've seen people use these and also I just really like being able to have bare hands and feet in yoga. It's a more natural feeling. I already have to wear gloves in the winter when I run, and all year round when I bike because if I don't my hands sweat so much that I can't switch gears! (clearly this is a problem I've experienced in other areas of life). 

If anyone has any insight, let me know!

The Benefits of Yoga for Runners

Found this article the other day and thought it was pretty interesting.  I especially liked the part about the mindfulness needed in both practices, which is something I try to have in many areas of life.

The Benefits of Yoga for Runners

In other news, I did NOT want to go for a run yesterday. It was cold (37 degrees, feels like 27) with a lot of wind. I called my mom for some inspiration and she said she got up and walked at 5:30 in the morning, but then said the wind can be brutal and to not go if it was too windy.

So I was given an out and when I pulled in my driveway I had decided to not go. But then I got out of the car and noticed the sun was trying to shine, so I went. Good decision. With the right coat it was a very nice run. 1.25 miles as instructed by my 5K training guide. Glad I powered through.

Losing Flexibility

Last week I only made it to one yoga class, on Tuesday. Thursday I got caught up at work on a phone call so I missed class. But I did go for a run, so it wasn't a total fail.

The problem is that left me with only one class for a full week. My grandmother, who practices yoga regularly, told me that you can lose flexibility quicker than you would think. Well she wasn't kidding! I went to yoga last night and I could definitely tell a decrease in flexibility...in just one week! Makes me realize I really can't flake out if I want to remain flexible. Maybe I need to purchase that Tara Stiles DVD series I've been eying?

Other than that, it was a pretty successful class. Wasn't the best by any means this time due to missing class last Thursday and the super good girl was back showing off. Don't get me wrong, she's awesome and I want to be like her one day. But until then, she's a showoff. :)

New pose this week: Eagle Legs. We do Eagle Arms all the time, but this week we combined them with Eagle Legs. I was surprisingly stable through this pose.

5k Training

So not much to report on the yoga front. I've been training for a 5k in between classes so I ran a mile on Saturday and today. This has produced a little back pain but nothing a little Tara Stiles yoga can't fix! Also I'm back to yoga class tomorrow so that should help relieve some pain and soreness from running.

Motivation in Yoga

So I kind of felt like a rock star in my yoga class yesterday. There were two girls who had never done yoga before and one girl that had only been to one class. So when my teacher said "Okay you can go into child's pose OR you can go into a half series." We had just done a pretty tough string of poses so everyone went into child's pose. I was feeling great though so I went ahead and did a half series. Great feeling.

I also did something I've never been able to do (that I feel most human beings can do). When you lie on your back and put your feet in the air, can you straighten your legs? I feel like 99.9% of you can, but until very recently, I could not. I know this is a small thing, but it felt very big for me. So yay!

Running in between Yoga

Well I didn't make it to Saturday yoga, but I did go for a run both yesterday and today. Yesterday was intervals: run for a few minutes, walk for a few minutes. Today I walked for five minutes, jogged for 13 minutes and walked for 15 minutes.

This was per a 5K training guide I've been reading. I know it's not a lot, but I'm trying not to burn myself out. The 13 minute jog was actually really nice and I didn't get out of breath so I know I'm ready to move on. Wednesday I'm to kick it up to 15 minutes.

Progression of Poses: Week 3

I made some major breakthroughs this week with my one legged dog and I'm really working on getting the shoulder stand. Here's how far I've come!

Downward Dog Week 1

Downward Dog Week 3

One Legged Dog Week 1

One Legged Dog Week 3

One Legged Dog with a Hip Opener

Forward Fold Week One

Forward Fold Week 3

Warrior One Week One

Warrior 1 Week 3

Warrior 2 Week 1

Warrior 2 Week 3

Warrior 3 Week 1

Warrior 3 Week 3

Plow Week 1

Plow Week 3

Shoulder Stand...this was my first attempt at this