Getting back into it

This holiday season I've been bad-- no yoga for almost a month! I knew I should get back into it. I could feel my chest getting tighter, my upper back rounding more each day. Yesterday I decided, "Ok, I'm just gonna do yoga today, no matter how lazy I feel!" Not feeling quite motivated enough to brave the frigid New York air, I got on to one of my favorite sites-- YogaJournal.com-- and clicked to their featured sequence, Play Leads the Way" by Sianna Sherman.

It was a really nice yoga routine, with lots of backbending to get my shoulders back to where they should be. I was suprised at how shakey and weak I felt. My legs trembled in downward dog, and I had to constantly remind myself to keep breathing (it's only what I deserve for not yoga-ing at all during the holidays). I grabbed the closest book (Henry Miller) to use as a block in the side angle pose, and snatched the blanket off my bed to put under my knees for the pigeon and camel poses.

Afterward I felt great! This routine was exactly what I needed to get my holiday-worn body upright again. I spent the rest of the day feeling beautifully centered. This morning I woke up feeling a little sore, but the good effects of the yoga were still with me. So I did the sequence again, and once again I felt amazing afterward.

YogaJournal.com is a great resource for free yoga. They have quite a few routines, clear pictures, and detailed explinations of poses. I use the site often, especially if I don't feel like going out to a class. It functions great as a suppliment to my home practice. It's perfect for those days when you don't want to go out, but still want a pre-thought out sequence.

While this website can't entirely take the place of proper classes, I still highly recommend it. If there is any yogi out there that doesn't know YogaJournal, it's time you checked it out.

peace, love, and ohm
the Starving Yogini