Daily Practice - March

[Poisonwood]

Well February seemed to fly by. Maybe by the end of March we’ll be doing some outdoors yoga 🪴 🧘‍♂️.
Today I’m splitting yoga up morning and afternoon, did Charlie Follow’s Improver and Sarah Beth Level 2 yogalates this morning, will do a half primary David Swenson practice later.

Yay for a March thread,having spent much of February self sabotaging after a great January. Missed the first but place marking for operation Back To The Mat🌻

You can do it @Yogachick 💪

A mix of Sarah Beth and Charlie Follows again today, for an hour. Also practiced crow and headstand. Not feeling that energetic but completed it well still. Tomorrow is an hour in-person class (my favourite of my 3 weekly classes) and I’ve persuaded a good acquaintance of mine to come and give it a try, I hope she likes it!

Ease into Yogalates yesterday, then level 1 this morning followed by the morning flow from yesterday. Reading on the app Level 1 should have been for 6th so might pop todays calendar practice in there. Happy to be back at it,really helps with the fibro inflammation

I'm still going to the hotpod 6 days a week (double class on Sundays so 7 classes a week).

I'm really starting to feel stronger after regular practice since middle of November - its quite amazing. We had a fun class this morning - he really mixed up the flow, added in some wide leg forward bend twists etc. I'm really starting to feel strong and flexible and I can take myself into new places I couldnt even imagine 3 months ago. It feels quite exciting. And what a wonderful way to start the day.

I can't do any strength balances (crow etc - I'm quite heavy), but I am working towards them - maybe one day.

Going in and out of Up/Down dog, rolling those toes, planks etc, I feel a new strength in my body, which combined with some weight loss is really making me feel wonderful.

Oh and yoga bonus - I can now scratch every part of my back!

@Yogachick it’s great that you are managing some 😊.

@RobinEllacotStrike 7 classes a week is my dream, I’m living vicariously through you lol. Instead of non scale victories like in weight loss we have non mat victories in yoga and your back scratches are a big thumbs up…I like being back to balancing to put my socks on rather than sitting on the bed. I hadn’t even noticed when it changed.

oh yes the leg balancing while getting dressed is fabulous. It kind of snuck up on me but now I look forward to doing leg balances while putting socks on and getting dressed. I'm 57 and was starting to feel aged in my body - but yoga has really blasted that feeling away. a reclamation of sorts - so I stand on one leg a lot now.

The yoga pod has a spongy floor which makes balancing extra tricky, but bonus - when balancing outside of the pod on firmer ground it feels effortless.

I'm also outlasting my teen daughters in plank holds, and I'll take a low squat when I can, because I can.

What amazing discipline @RobinEllacotStrike , so inspiring, Thankyou for sharing your journey x

@RobinEllacotStrike so inspiring the changes you are getting from yoga!
Welcome back to the mat @Yogachick
I did SB yogalates level 1, I didn't feel up to level 2. Enjoyed the deep hip opener this a.m.
Realised I'm very weak, especially upper body, something I need to work on. I was inconsistent in February so starting with upping the number of sessions and not shying away from the more challenging ones for March.

Today was 5 min Abs then yesterday’s hip opener,both straight to favourites,big surprise with the ab one,very tough,lots of breaks but I still want to repeat it. Floating on a cloud of yoga magic 🌻

They sound good @Yogachick , I’ll try them out tomorrow.

CF 30 min hips and spine today, very nice after a busy day.

Going to a class is fairly easy. I am lucky to have a wonderful yoga space with affordable classes close to me. All I have to do is commit to turning up. (BTW I am currently the one doing the most classes at the yoga center - I've just done my 100's class - started mid November).

Its self practice at home I find difficult, and I am totally in awe of you doing daily yoga at home - that is really inspiring stuff. Bravo yogi's. 🧘🏼

Hi hi! New thread. Well done @RobinEllacotStrike that sounds like great gains!

I’ve been doing a minimal daily practice so far this month but have made it onto the mat each day. Been mostly doing post run stretches and then yesterday did a YWA hangover practice as I’d been to a party the day before. I wasn’t hungover as I don’t drink anymore but just going out dancing and talking to people is enough to make me feel hungover the next day. Mid life strife.

I’ve pulled back from Charlie follows a bit as I think it might be too hard especially on days combined with other activities. Did a yoga with Tim post run this eve. I’m really enjoying running again - I’ve lost a bit of weight so it doesn’t feel like such a slog. Could do with losing another stone and then I’ll feel tip top. It’s ages since I’ve been in shape, so really happy the hard work is paying off. I can’t eat anything unhealthy while I wait for my haemorrhoid surgery so this is a pleasant bonus to counteract the pain!

im gonna try putting my socks on standing up tomorrow.

15 min mobility this morning,there’s a great active back stretch in there!

Do any of you have a travel yoga mat? They say they are about 2mm thick & I am wondering if this is enough?
I am travelling for 3 weeks in April and I can't take the pod with me <gasp>. So I am hoping to do some self practive/YT video yoga during my travels.
I could take my normal yoga mat but its going to be a tight suitcase so I was thinking of getting a travel yoga mat.

I don’t have a travel mat but do travel a fair amount for work so would be interested to know what it’s like if you do get one. I usually end up just practicing on carpet or a towel. Although if you’re going somewhere exotic, is there a beach or some warm wooden decking to practice on? If you are, I’m jealous! Although just booked a last minute yoga retreat in snowdonia for the weekend after this, so looking forward to that.

I'm going to NZ (exotic-ish) to visit family (not so exotic).
There will be beaches and lakes, and it will be early autumn.

We are staying at a few different places - mix of family & airBNB hires. Think yoga on the deck (many decks) with a lovely view.

Many of the travel mats are PVC - expensive ones are PVC and the cheap ones are also PVC.

ah that sounds amazing! i would love to travel to NZ. I travel to asia for work fairly regularly, so I might tag a trip on one day to soften the jetlag. Although I take melatonin these days on long haul trips and find it works really well.

Definitely let us know how you find the travel mat if you get one @RobinEllacotStrike , they may be less slippy than using a towel though I’ve only used cork mats so don’t know what benefits pvc ones have.

An hour of CF today, including a really delicious 30 min video, 30 Min Yoga Flow For Hips & Twists Day 12 - 30 Day Improvers Yoga Challenge.

Tomorrow is an hour of Vinyasa and an hour and a half of Ashtanga.

Is there any chance any of the people you are visiting would have a mat you could borrow @RobinEllacotStrike ? NZ sounds fab, you could maybe just buy a cheap/used mat when you get there?
No yoga for me, I elected to go for a walk when I got home as the weather was so lovely. By the time I got back it was time to cook. Then to full of food!

Back after 3.5 months of not much. My practice waned in November once it was harder to practice outside. New Year restart wasn't to be - family bereavement made January a write off 😥. Restarted yesterday outside on the deck (was really beautiful weather here) and have just been outside for today's. Pick ing up an old favourite - YWA True 30 day - to ease me back in. I put out food and new feeders for the birds yesterday so saw a blue tit darting around (stayed away from me!).

Going to start early morning practice again next week once half term is over. DH has a new job which means he's up at 5:30 3 days a week so he can't complain about me waking him up now.

@RobinEllacotStrike I just used a beach towel when I was on holiday for 2+ weeks last year. Worked well on grass, deck, even patio (though I had a folded up hand towel for my knees when on stone slabs).

I also felt great last year after continuous practice for a few months (I managed July to mid-November so 4.5 months) mainly practicing outside in my garden in the morning. I saw stars, sunrises, birds, bats - it was so good for my soul! I just struggle with the transition back inside in the winter (especially as my house is so cluttered, it's hard to find peace here). I don't like attending classes (live outside the UK so most not in English - I can speak the local language and follow but find it much less relaxing).

I would love to be able to practice in the garden but unfortunately I only have a small, north facing courtyard in north west England, which smells of dog wee. Not the best setting. We nearly bought a detached house with land last year and I had dreams of yoga surrounded by birds and nature but it turned out to be a disaster property and the process traumatised me so we gave up.

it’s lovely and sunny here today.

did a Charlie follows evening flow last night which was pretty relaxed and what was needed.

@Fibrous that made me laugh! We are in a semi in city suburbs. Our garden is NE facing, quite long and overlooked on the side and back by neighbouring houses. The bit closest the house doesn't get much sun at all except in the middle of summer, but the deck all the way at the end gets sun except in winter. I can hear the traffic from quite a busy road and this morning lots of drilling (everyone in my neighbourhood seems to be doing home improvement/extensions right now), but can always hear the birds (blackbirds, blue and coal tits, sparrows, darn jackdaws, magpies and pigeons too).

Last year during the summer I practised outside in the house we rented (raised deck next to a river with birds, squirrels and deer visiting the garden) and out at my parents (who are lucky enough to live int countryside with fields behind them). Find it so much more enjoyable. We're staying near the coast this year so maybe I'll be able to practise on the beach.

All this outside yoga talk is so cheering ☺️
yoga lates level 1 today. Didn’t really want to get on my mat but still trying for consistency & I did it

That sounds nice. I live in a terraced house on the edge of the Peak District with amazing views out front of the rolling hills. I was just thinking what to do with my small front garden. It’s elevated from the road and is a sun trap. You could definitely fit a yoga mat on it but it would probably be the talk of the village! There are a lot of yogis in my village, though, so maybe I’d start a trend 😆