I’m still wanting to see a fitness journey drop that is structured around “Making Time”, as my willingness for work-outs tends to grow (even ‘blossom’) with every month I am on the mat, running or rowing.
But the time available doesn’t expand. It leaves me having to prioritise and dropping some sessions! What is satisfying though is that the minutes I clock up daily, seem to put me now in the top category of a point-counting exercise system featured in a past Women’s Health magazine. (Women’s Health The Big Book Of Walking Workouts 2019)(and thank you RunaroundSue for that pointer, I’m enjoying that volume lots!)
So let’s see if the next month’s of YWA BLOSSOM might help to also let more time blossom. I fear I’m still playing catch up, and I might decide not to continue with the February calendar but drop in here and there. As once finished with MOVE, I might go back to another 30-day journey, as they feel more plan-y. And I like a good fitness plan!
But February sounds great, as Adriene suggests:
“STRAIGHT UP - February's theme invites you to feel the love. (…) Befriend your body and mind, tend to your heart, give yourself breathing room. EXPERIENCE the love spill over into other corners of your life... and watch it BLOSSOM.”
So here is our virtual workout space all prepared and ready for the start on the first of February.
And if you are just joining us, big WELCOME to you and any new Virtual Workout Buddies! The daily practice of YWA calendar is perfect to get started with Yoga.
And feel free to - as Adriene says - “find what feels good”, meaning if your knees feel too sensitive, amend that Child’s Pose. And if you find full planks are the stuff of nightmares, rather do half planks than full ones. Do whatever feels right to get the maximum enjoyment from these daily sessions. And definitely get creative with props.
Here is a hopefully helpful post about YOGA props.
★ Here was my initial large collection of props, many of which I do not need anymore, but I certainly did in the beginning: healthunlocked.com/strength...
★ And if you want to see what a month’s Virtual Workout Room looks like, here the one for April ‘21 :
Thank you CBDB I have enjoyed the last couple of weeks of Move (away for the first two) looking forward to completing the February one. I really enjoyed completing most of last years - definitely felt fitter for it.
When working from home I regularly go for a walk in virtual meetings where I don't need to be on screen or have access to documents - I find I concentrate so much better and don't end the day so stiff. Similarly I try to fit in little breaks between meetings to stretch or do a bit of conditioning - it's amazing what you can fit in while waiting for the kettle to boil or for someone to sort out their teams glitches! Listening to audiobooks or podcasts on my runs or while doing gardening/housework is another vital bit of multitasking.
Ready to start Blossom today! I prefer mindful yoga with time to check I'm in the correct position as we transition so struggled to enjoy the faster paced MOVE. If I don't really enjoy it I find making the time to get to my mat much harder. Looking forward to my mat time this month with some FWFG practices.
Sounds like day 1 of BLOSSOM was a winner! I’ll be noting down which sessions I’ll be wanting to do in the future, whilst I finish MOVE. So thankful for anyone commenting on this month’s practices!
Day 16 - Throat Chakra Yoga: I have been a bit quiet on the yoga front due up some heavy work weeks, but managed to keep some “arbitrary yoga” sessions and stretches. (And revisiting that brilliant bum massage move from January’s practice).
But finally have jumped in to YWA with today’s calendar practice, and it’s a good one. I still don’t know what a chakra actually is, but it was a good session stretching the upper body, chest and neck area.
Day 20 Yoga Stretch: Nice! Did this one after rowing, shower and then this. Fitted great as it stretched all the necessary muscles tight from rowing.
I’m beginning to realise I have a leg strength differential (as you can see that on the rowing monitor when you do one legged rowing, than switching to the other leg). I never noticed this with running, other that my glute muscles on one side needing more stretching than on the other. But knowing all this now, it all makes sense, and I could feel again today’s yoga practice stretching those glutes, and one side feeling tighter than the other.
Day 21 and 21 - Yoga for Flexibility / Awaken the Artist within: always like flexibility session, but tend to add the bum-massage move at the end. Not sure if there is a name for it, or if it’s a YWA move? Artist within was 40min long! A bit too long for a workday. Otherwise.. nice, but planking on the tippy tips of your toes? I don’t know how she does it!?
Day 23 - Hips and Core Vinyasa: Well, I thought this 12 min session will be easy… but sorely mistaken!
It’s one of her sessions filmed on the beach with voice over, and they seem to always be extremely fast.
And I learned today that when I do fast, I don’t take care enough with my movements and joints. So in one fast move I hurt my toe whilst stretching it to fast as I moved into another position, later on it was my knee when having to rush to catch up.
So I think I will skip these beach sessions and stick with the indoor, slow, movement-conscious practices.
Day 24 - 20min Healthy Body Yoga: super slow one, which was welcomed after yesterdays super fast one, but was just as effort intensive! I even sweated! (Might have also been the tiny first run/walk I did just before, trying out my feet 🦶)
Day 26 😟: Well, I had one of those rare days when you get to the Yoga mat, and just cannot get to focus, internally grumping in your mind about the world, about your house, the things you didn’t do and the ones you did badly, realising you are not focussing, then noticing that you ended up doing the same session you did yesterday.
After 5 min still not being settled, changing the video to another session and even choosing one from your favourites-folder, but still grumping through your poses for 25minutes. Finishing with a “meh”, going online to your community and just bemoaning the fact that everything seems a bit out of odds today, writing it down just to feel better.
So to all who have one of those days, feel free to share! We all have some of these kinds of days…. 😕😏😚😘🙂
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