do yoga regularly

Okay I’m going to start gently on this and will plan to get 1 yoga session in every 2 weeks. This sounds like it’s very infrequently, but it’s what I can do.
I also need to get some other things sorted out- like getting new specs and going to the chiropracter. So one thing at a time

Since I moved to London I’ve really battled to find a yoga class that I like. They’re generally taken by an over-zealous instructor who is really in to the complicated moves and they really tend to SHOUT instructions out. What’s that about? It’s a bit like yoga boot camp, which I find really uncomfortable after going to a class run by some veyy gentle, kind and warm people who used charm to get us trying new things. And being older they’ve been focussed on getting the simple things better rather than tying our bodies in knots. So I’m really glad that I’ve found a class. It’s in Amsterdam. I know it sounds like a long trip. but I’m moving there at the end of this month. The instructor is lovely. Older, kind, gentle and all about find ing breath in the poses.Yeah!

I did it. Yoga on my own. It was great. I’ve brought my mat with me on a road trip and promise to do yoga every second day. Even in the game park!

I’m just back from a weekend yoga retreat. What a treat. I’ve tried different types of yoga now and know what I like and definitely don’t. I ejoy being in this place.

Signed up for a weekend of yoga. I hope that I enjoy this and don’t push too hard. I want to remember that this isn’t a competition. I’m going to focus on jus enjoing the weekend.

I went to my first Vinyasa yoga class completely by accident. I’ve been avoiding it for the last few weeks despite curiousity. And I didn’t really enjoy it.
I just felt that I’m not strong enough and there wasn’t a real focus on the perfection of the technique. I think that my anal retentativeness is also showing! I don’t feel the need to be spectacular or even graceful. But to just get the pose feeling right and then breathe as I rest in to it. Not as fancy as the Vinyasa, but I’m okay with that. So hatha it is for the next while.

I love yoga and don’t battle with most of the poses. I’ve in fact seen tremendous progress over the 6 weeks.

Yet there’s just this one pose I find really difficult. I just can’t seem to balance when I’m in it. I think that part of it is my mind going “oh dear. Here it comes” when it comes up.

I’m going to commit to being patient and really focus on the basics for this one.

I played squash on Wednesday and have been battling with squash bumb. It really made my yoga class tough. I could just feel those muscles ache as I put weight on to them and couldn’t make the extra bits on my strstches.

Yet I still feel proud of myself. I kept focussed and didn’t let my ego win.

Yeah!

Did my first “fancy” poses today: a back bend and also some head stand pose where you curl your legs over your head so that they touch the floor and then up in the air. I did it! Hurt my back a bit doing the back bend, but didn’t let my ego take over and justcame out of the pose.

What a feel good place. Yoga is awesome.

Yoga today was really difficult. We used a wall for stability so that we could get a good sense of what the poses are supposed to feel like. It needed real mindfulness, no straying and loads of breath.

A great session!