Yoga Anytime, Anywhere

When I first started practicing yoga, approximately seven years ago (my how time flies), I started practicing for one reason and one reason only: because my boyfriend at the time (now husband) practiced three days a week to improve his baseball performance; I could either stand there and watch him (since he used a DVD at home) or I could join him. Naturally, I joined him.

Growing up as a dancer, yoga came easy to me. I was already flexible, I caught on to the “choreography” (aka vinyasas) quickly and being in a classroom full of equally disciplined, back-bending students felt absolutely normal.

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There was no amount of “hip thrusting” (aka Bridge Pose or Setu Bandha Sarvangasana in Sanskrit) that could make me feel uncomfortable, except maybe when my 215 pound, athletic husband was doing it for the first time. Although I have to admit, Happy Baby does sometimes makes me feel a little awkward, depending on the class makeup.

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Not the most attractive of poses, to say the least.

Anyway, as I mentioned above, it was actually a Power Yoga for Baseball DVD that I used to first introduce myself to yoga. Probably not the best choice, considering I’m no baseball player, but I actually really enjoyed it. I loved using a DVD because I could practice hard-to-get-into poses in the comfort of my own home, rather than falling out of a pose on the instructor or on the oh-so-serious yogi beside me. I was able to get into my own rhythm, push my body to its limits, and find my own strength without feeling the pressure to compete or feel like an absolute idiot when the teacher said, “When you feel your mind settle within the relaxed steadiness of Tadasana, then prepare to begin Virabhadrasana II,” and the entire class would move perfectly into the next pose and I would just stand there as if she was speaking a foreign language (well, I guess she was!).

Please note however, I’m certainly not trying to scare you away from taking your first yoga class if you have never taken one before. While most instructors will use the Sanskrit yoga language throughout a class, they will also speak it out in non-yogi terms and demonstrate the pose as well. A win-win for yogis and non-yogis alike. Taking a class with a live instructor will also ensure that you are practicing with proper form – providing tips to improve your practice.

I later began to love other yoga DVDs as well and eventually made my way into a yoga class and then even later became a yoga instructor. I had no idea that it would be that baseball yoga DVD that would spark my yoga interest. I now prefer taking a yoga class from a live instructor at a studio over a DVD but living out of a suitcase hardly allows that. Popping in the same DVD can get a little old and a little unchallenging day after day or week after week. Thankfully, I’ve recently learned about something that I want to share with you.

Whether you are a first time yoga student looking to find a little confidence, a frequent traveler, a busy person with little time to make it to a class, a lunch break in office yoga class practicer, or simply enjoy practicing at home, I have the answer for you. My Yoga Works is an online yoga class “subscription” with over one hundred yoga classes taught from some of the top yoga instructors. All you need is a yoga mat and a computer, laptop, tablet or smart phone and your next yoga class is waiting for you. I have absolutely no linking, relational or financial ties with this company, I just really enjoy their service and I thought you might too! It is a $15 per month subscription fee but the awesome folks over at Mind Body Green sent me free month using the promo code MBGROX1 that you can use too! (Just FYI, the offer expires June 15, 2013.) I will receive absolutely nothing from you signing up. You can pick the length, the level, the benefit, the target area and the teacher of the class that you want. It really is awesome when making it to a class just isn’t possible.

What about you, are you an at home DVD type student or do you prefer classes? Let me know if you end up giving it a try! Have a great Wednesday!

Good health!

Tagged as: beginner yoga, DVD, mind body green, my yoga works, p90x, power yoga, practice at home, yoga, yoga for baseball, yoga works