Ready for day 7-13 of YWA’s BRIDGE?

[CBDB]

So I gather from the chatter that many found the first week too easy. I have to admit, I rather liked it. It gave me a few more feelings of having been able to achieve full sessions without too many substantial amendments.

But when I turned to hubby, saying with a relaxed, delighted Adriene-like smile how much I liked it, he just raised his eyebrows, bringing me down to reality by saying, “Yeah, because this was easy”.

So yes, it’s probably hard to please everyone in the YWA community.

And of course today (day 6) was a whole different and plank-rich story.

Well, I for one will be continuing, tomorrow starting on day 7, announced as a brand new practice!

Happy Yoga-ing everyone!

[cheekychipmunks]

I didn’t find it too easy CBDB. As Adriene says, our bodies are all interconnected, so she throws in some super chilled sessions sometimes and works on specific parts. I really enjoyed the hands one for example - we use them in lots of poses after all!

Wasn’t today’s fun though? Planksational! 🧘‍♀️🙏🏻

[CBDB Administrator Graduate Gold in reply to cheekychipmunks]

“Planksational” 🤣🤣 I see what you did there! Like it, and yes, I actually am seeing my planks “emerging” , specifically when they’re not sandwiched in a fast flow of poses.

Yes! 👏👏👍🏽

[TailChaser in reply to cheekychipmunks]

Side planksational 🥰

[CBDB Administrator Graduate Gold in reply to TailChaser]

😄

[TailChaser in reply to CBDB]

And more today 💪😁

[Slinkymalinki]

I like the specific focus on different areas and keep coming back to the neck & shoulder stretches from day 3. The Tai chi links you posted look interesting and I will definitely give them a go - thanks.

The thing I'm noticing this week, is how quickly I get in tune with my breathing on the mat and at other random times of the day - like driving to the supermarket! (No road rage involved, just felt connected with myself 🙂).

Happy mindful stretching!🧘‍♀️

[CBDB Administrator Graduate Gold in reply to Slinkymalinki]

Yes, I noticed how I now focus on breathing when going to bed and I fall asleep even faster than before!

[Dutch-Fraggle in reply to Slinkymalinki]

Finding this too with the breathing using the technique to relax more and also at bedtimes too..Also when having stress times taking some time out to focus on breathing.

[Slinkymalinki in reply to Dutch-Fraggle]

Keep breathing! It's definitely the way through stressful times. I get how you're feeling in your post below too. I'm only managing to run once a week with short walks 2-3 times at the moment but find the yoga keeps me from seizing up. My job is zapping all my energy so I'm just taking it slow and accepting that is how things are at the moment. Hope you feel like you can recharge your batteries this weekend! 🙂

[Dutch-Fraggle]

I have enjoyed it do far ...and found today's quite difficult tbh as my legs are so wobbly at the mo.. feeling a little weak at the mo.. struggling with runs too.. Hopefully just need a recharge

[CBDB Administrator Graduate Gold in reply to Dutch-Fraggle]

Yeah, I think sometimes we don’t give our body enough time to recharge. Even a 2 day break from running might not always be enough. The two times I had an enforced break, once for a week due to some minor knee niggles, and recently for 10 days due to icy conditions, when I started running again, I was initially apprehensive of losing fitness but my first runs after these breaks seemed to be my fastest and they felt great.

My runner husband suggests to take it really easy every 6 weeks or so. Just to give the body sufficient time to completely recover.

[TailChaser]

As a runner I found the last two sessions really helpful. They targeted very run specific areas, so whilst they weren’t overly tricky they were perfect for us imho. In fact the last two have gone in my library so I can go back to them.

My only complaint is that the sessions last week weren’t long enough as I target 3 hours a week and I’m too lazy to do extra if she doesn’t list them 😁

[CBDB Administrator Graduate Gold in reply to TailChaser]

Running, yoga... doesn’t sound ‘lazy’ to me! 👏👏👏👍🏽

[TailChaser in reply to CBDB]

True! 🤣

[cheekychipmunks]

Just peeked ahead to this week’s practices! 😳🤣

[CBDB Administrator Graduate Gold in reply to cheekychipmunks]

😱

[cheekychipmunks in reply to CBDB]

Just did today’s. A real slow burner, really enjoyable. 🙏🏻

[CBDB Administrator Graduate Gold in reply to cheekychipmunks]

Nice, will do this afternoon as I ran this morning. Looking forward to this!

[CBDB Administrator Graduate Gold in reply to CBDB]

Yeah nice one. Just did it and liked it (apart from the middle lengthy sections on knees).

[LottieMW]

...just downloaded today’s...This should make all the “too easy” or “short” people happy...it’s 51 minutes!!! 😱😱😱

[cheekychipmunks in reply to LottieMW]

Hahaha yes! 🤣

[CBDB Administrator Graduate Gold in reply to LottieMW]

😳

[Rowers]

When the practices have been shorter, a couple of times I've repeated a day of Breath. Yesterday's was pretty sweaty though, so I didn't! 🤣

[dijep 30D Graduate in reply to Rowers]

I've done that as well, I saved all my favourite Breath sessions.

[CBDB Administrator Graduate Gold in reply to dijep]

I have to admit I like the fact that every session is a different one. On the one hand, I would like to work on perfecting one session, but then the temptation of the new and unexplored is simply too high. 😃😄

[CBDB Administrator Graduate Gold]

Day 7: Yoga for Uncertainty.

Just did it. Perfect for after my 5k run (I joined/listened in on the 10k #winterrun fun for the first half). And it helped in stretching out all legs. Only thing I had some issues with is staying on my knees for such a long time in the middle.

But really like the half plank, one leg up and then lift your pelvis move. That was new.

[dijep 30D Graduate in reply to CBDB]

I really liked the structure of the practice today, easing in, then hard work, then the floor work and stretches. My side Planks are getting better, but my shoulder flexibility was tested with the kneeling / arms up / head on floor posture.Good one 👍

[CBDB Administrator Graduate Gold in reply to dijep]

Yes, sideplanks 😱😱. Still really awkward but doable without the one hand reaching up. Seems so beginner still for me, but it’s such a big step up from where I was 9 months ago! 👍🏽💪

[LottieMW in reply to CBDB]

Woah! Had really stiff shoulders this morning...probably from all that planking 😬🙄

Knees were ok, and managed to get out and run 8km ☺️🐌🐢🏃🏻‍♀️

[CBDB Administrator Graduate Gold]

Day 8: Yoga for Insecurity

Planks, half and full, side ways, diff’t child’s poses, and some spinal stretches. I thought this was difficult, and at times it was (planks🙀) but I can see how it was easier than the first time I tried to do planks and thought it simply impossible. I still wouldn’t call what im doing full perfect planks, at times reverting to the safety of half planks, but just being able to give full planks a go and holding them for a few seconds is progress! Yey! 👍🏽

[linda9389 in reply to CBDB]

Massive progress - don't underestimate yourself 😊😊😊

[cheekychipmunks in reply to CBDB]

Progress sneaks up on you, so the fact you’re even noticing a difference now is massive CBDB! It’s fun to try a harder practice a few months later to see how far you’ve come. 🥰

[LottieMW in reply to CBDB]

Oh no...not more planks...I’m about to do this now...

[LottieMW in reply to LottieMW]

To be honest, I decided to bail on this one. Was feeling pretty tired after my 8km, so did the 12 minute bedtime one (coming up soon) and was in bed before midnight!

[LottieMW in reply to CBDB]

Ah yes...planks. Managed the first set, fudged/shortened the side planks, finished on side planks. Managed Hero’s Pose with no difficulty...was unsure re knees, but ok. Would be an interesting one to return to...

[CBDB Administrator Graduate Gold]

Day 9: Finding your Center. I found something else actually ... having worked so hard to get the resemblance of planks over the last weeks - yes, also today 😳 - I realised that I was relieved to transition into a “relaxing down dog”. RELAXING? Did I just say a “relaxing down dog”. Yup, now that’s progress. But then, everything seems easier to me than planks! 🤣

[dijep 30D Graduate in reply to CBDB]

Brilliant I remember being told that when I first started yoga 😊I liked this session, not particularly long not it had a bit of everything 👍

My daily yoga has now become part of my late afternoon routine, dog walk about 4, back home feed the dog, cup of tea then yoga.... 😊

[LottieMW in reply to CBDB]

Caught up with this last night (11th). I couldn’t face doing all the plankage...I confess I didn’t hold all the poses 😬

[CBDB Administrator Graduate Gold]

Day 10 BRIDGE: 7min Yoga for runners! Well, we got up a bit late and with me taking a quick shower, we thought we’d be quite late once we fitted BRIDGE’s day 10 in and then would be heading to our whole family breakfast. (We do try to always have family breakfasts, but school and work and our collective, relaxed getup-out-of-bed ‘practice’ gets in the way sometimes)🤨🛌🥱👩‍💻💻🎒💼

But we hadn’t counted in the fact that this was just a 7 min practice. One that is great for runners, hits all the right spots including a new way of stretching those ITB bands.

But as I’m writing this, the porridge is stewing and we’ll all be hitting the family breakfast table on time! Yey! That’s another achievement ticked of in our daily practice, besides me becoming very proud of the fact that down dogs are actually becoming a comfortable pose! 😅😊

Happy yoga-ing everyone!

[LottieMW in reply to CBDB]

I’m a little out of synch...couldn’t face #8 after my 8km (and #7 on Sunday), so did #12. Faffed around yesterday evening, and then it was so late, and I was so tired that I just went to bed. So I may well double up on #8 and #10 today, only a total of 30 minutes...with the option of stopping after #8.

So, just off to put the bins out first!

Will report back tomorrow as no screen time after yoga practice...I go straight to bed...😴

[LottieMW in reply to CBDB]

That was remarkably short and sweet! Glad I tacked it on after #8.

[CBDB Administrator Graduate Gold]

Day 11 Yoga for abdominal wall:

well this 13 min practice I’ll have too keep for this evening. But I’m glad it’s only 13 min, ‘abdominal wall’ sounds to me like crunches 😱!

[dijep 30D Graduate in reply to CBDB]

I was worried as soon as I saw the very tight bun today 😕 I didn't take up her suggestion to replay the session and do a second round 🤣

[CBDB Administrator Graduate Gold in reply to dijep]

Yes! I just did it after a heavy workday, so was great to get any kinks out of my back but there were some killer poses in there. And she cheats when counting down! She bulks out the countdown with chatter, which really is not fair! 🤣🤣

[dijep 30D Graduate in reply to CBDB]

Yes her counts vary a lot 😂There's a teamrunderwear instagram TV post of a 40 minute Pilates session. I've had a go at it, it was really good, the idea I'd it should help you I'd areas that you need to work on. No idea if it's available elsewhere. Have you seen it? Apparently it's the first of several in the build up to their Easter events.

[CBDB Administrator Graduate Gold in reply to dijep]

Thank you. Am still on my yoga mat so just started doing it. I’m not often on Instagram but can find my way around. Let’s see ....

[dijep 30D Graduate in reply to CBDB]

I took the easy version of the planks at the end 😂🤣

[CBDB Administrator Graduate Gold in reply to dijep]

Ok ... only halfway thru and the rest will have to wait. But I assume they might drop a new session now every day?

[CBDB Administrator Graduate Gold]

Day 12 - Wind Down Bedtime Yoga: 12 minutes of relaxing stretches. What’s not to like?

[dijep 30D Graduate in reply to CBDB]

I've just got to try to remember to do this as it seems right to leave it till bedtime

[LottieMW in reply to CBDB]

Lucky me...will do this (again) after catching up with #11 ☺️

[CBDB Administrator Graduate Gold]

Day 13 - Full Body Flow: I did this after a small breakfast and a 5k run this morning and it was perfect for stretching out and gently challenging my plankabilities. This is the first workout that I liked so much that I put it into my key core workouts. It’s flowy, fast and repetitive and bar that squatting ball crouch I could do all poses with amendments. So I can imaging getting really used to this sequence.

[LottieMW in reply to CBDB]

I did this Saturday (posting here as it’s #13)...

I can’t say that I enjoyed this one...but I *was* feeling tired. I skipped a whole bit...side planks and lunge twists 😬

I’ve had a stiff neck and shoulders for a few days...I’m sure partly down to me not relaxing into these poses properly.

Ah well...onto week 3...

[CBDB Administrator Graduate Gold in reply to LottieMW]

Yeah, I adapted the sections with sideplanks.😅 Well done. And you sound like you have some ideas of what to do with stiff neck and shoulders. FitOn has a 15min „Shoulder Stretcher“ by Vytas which I find brilliant as it is the only one dealing also thoroughly with the neck. But it’s available only through the FitOn App. But Adriene of course also has some dedicated shoulder and neck sessions. 🙏👍🏽👏

[LottieMW in reply to CBDB]

Yes...I revisited Bridge #3 instead of #14 last night. If it doesn’t ease, it may take a look at that app. I get all sorts of stiffness/aches and pains any way...hard to know if it’s jus down to all this extra exercise or what!?!

[CBDB Administrator Graduate Gold in reply to LottieMW]

Yes. I don’t remember the content in detail, only that I thought it was excellent to give to my husband who had ongoing shoulder, neck and upper back issues. I had lost track of it and for 4 weeks and so was desperately trying to find it again. Even contacted FitOn themselves. Only found it again 2 days ago.

And FitOn and it’s workouts is free to download. So might be worth it.

If you do, search for “Vytas Shoulder Stretcher” and you’ll find it.

👍🏽👏

[LottieMW in reply to CBDB]

Thank you 😊