Did you know that September is National Yoga Month?
That’s right, a whole month dedicated to asanas like tree pose, mountain pose, downward facing dog pose, cobra pose and my personal favorite, shavasana. (Shavasana is also known as corpse pose –and it’s usually the last pose you do. Ha, not literally… at the end of class! It’s *very* relaxing!)
The purpose of this post is to REKINDLE your interest in your existing yoga practice or encourage you to START your own yoga practice if you haven’t already. And if you’re already getting up at dawn and starting your day with a half dozen sun salutations, well then, my hat’s off to you — go read something else! 🙂
Believe me, as a busy mom (and even before kids, as just a ‘generally busy person’), I’ve come up with my fair share of excuses for putting it off. I know how easy it is to say, “Oh, I’ll get to that later, maybe tonight after the dishes, when I have a little free time, when the kids are in school, when (insert your reason here)… but why not take a few minutes, like, NOW, to get your stretch on?
Yoga: Health, Beauty, Energy
Listen up — yoga does NOT have to be a difficult, strenuous practice. In fact, and IMHO, yoga shouldn’t be sweat and stress inducing at all. Yes, it should challenge your muscles, but ideally, a yoga workout is the perfect combination of quietly calming your mind and gently stretching your body. When done correctly (i.e. mindfully and non-competitively), it should recharge you completely — body, mind and spirit.
In the space of a class (usually about one hour, give or take) or on your own at home (where you can do as little as 15 minutes of yoga and still reap some wonderful benefits), you can find some much needed personal time, quiet time, and time for exercise. How’s that for multi-tasking?!
I have a wonderful and inexpensive resource to recommend that I’ve personally used for years. And it’s great both for those starting out and for those that just need a little encouragement to get back on the mat: BodyWisdomMedia’s Yoga for Beginners DVD featuring yoga instructor Barbara Benagh. Barbara has been teaching and practicing yoga for more than 35 years; she is also a regular contributor to Yoga Journal magazine.
Beyond that, Barbara’s personal style is exactly what I look for in a yoga teacher — she is strong, relaxed, calm and exceptionally clear in her instructions on how to get into (and out of!) a pose. And for those of you that enjoy visual stimulation and might need a quick, mini-vacation… she is practicing on a beautiful white sand beach with turquoise waters and the sound of the ocean in the background… ahhhh!
What’s different about this DVD is that the format of the program allows you customize your practice by choosing which routine(s) you’d like to follow. There are 8 routines focusing on topics such as building strength, improving flexibility, reducing stress, and more, ranging in length from 10 to 60 minutes — so there is always something to fit the time you have available for your practice.
You can find Yoga for Beginners at Amazon for just $7.96. I think it’s a wonderful investment — less costly than a single yoga class in most cities and something you can use over and over again.
Here’s to your health, your flexibility, and your peace of mind!
Happy National Yoga Month!
For more information on yoga and more yoga resources, visit: https://yogahealthfoundation.org/
Today’s guest post is brought to you by Carrie W. of agelesseveryday.com. Carrie writes about — you guessed it — how to age LESS every day… bringing you tips on diet, skincare, supplements, exercise and more for busy moms and others who want to look and feel great at *any* age!
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