Jump to the Front of the Mat

It's been a while since I've created a yoga gif, but the other day I remembered when I first started jumping to the front of the yoga mat during sun salutations and I really struggled. It was almost as if I didn't trust myself to bring my feet to my hands - I remember being scared that my wrists would break. So I would jump with the best intentions, but the fear and lack of core and upper body strength would hold me back, and my feet would only make it to the middle of the mat. I wanted to post this for anyone reading this who is struggling to make it to the top of the mat. Keep practicing, keep building core and upper body strength, and most importantly, trust yourself and let go of any fears.

Weekend Recap

Saturday night drinks have changed over the years....

Sunday morning yoga

I wish I had something more exciting to tell you, like 'Oh I went on this amazing adventure and you'll never believe what happened!' The truth is, however, this weekend was pretty quiet and uneventful (unless you count being rerouted through small German towns due to autobahn construction and subsequently getting lost despite having a navigation system in the car (that kept telling me to turn onto pedestrian only walkways)). Saturday night found me juicing up a fridge full of greens, and it cracked me up because Saturday night drinks aren't what they used to be! I mean, I wonder what 23 year old me would've said if she knew that in a few years fresh green juices on a Saturday night would make her happier than a college night out with no cover and penny drink specials. Anyway. Then I curled up to finish Osho's book on courage, and started a new read.

On Sunday, I taught yoga and was psyched to see a couple faces I haven't seen since I taught in Germany last winter. The clip below is part of the warm up I did before class. I like that wave through the spine thing where you go from downward dog to plank pose. It's a good way to gently loosen up the body, and nice practice for rolling over the toes. The focus of the class was twists, which are really detoxifying for the body. I think the sequencing of the class was well received, though I don't think they were pumped about the abs I had them do, haha. (Twisting requires good oblique support, so we did a lot of core strengthening poses.)

How was your weekend? 

Movement: Natarajasana

A little dancer's pose action today on the mat- one of my favorite poses.

PS- Wheel pose, kicks, and something I'm not very good at.  

Movement: On What You're Not Good At

The only way to get better is to practice, practice, practice. And then practice some more. ​My newest project is this hummingbird pose (sometimes called dragonfly pose). It's a great arm balance that uses core strength and the hips. I've got a long way to go on it- need to try to get my shoulders even and get that foot higher on my tricep so I'll continue to practice, practice practice. And then practice some more.

I'd love to know what you're working on- leave a comment below or tweet me.

Movement: Splits

I've been working on splits for months and while I'm still not all the way down, it's come a long way. Never underestimate what your body can do. ​

PS: More movement here.​