Wife Mother Runner Yoga Archives

runDisney Races Are Coming Back!

July 12, 2021

RunDisney races are coming back! If you haven’t heard already, then you must live under a rock! Not only that, they are coming back this November for Wine & Dine weekend. Do you all know what that means? Registration day is going to be INSANE! It also means it’s time to start training!

Along with the amazing news that RunDisney has finally bestowed to us, after teasing us on social media for the past few weeks, there are some changes for their return. I’ll share with you the changes you can expect in comparison to races prior to Covid-19.

runDisney Race Registration

Those of you who still have your Walt Disney World Annual Pass, or are a DVC member, you will no longer have an earlier registration date. The only people who will be granted early access are the runDisney Club Gold and Platinum members.

If you are not a runDisney Club member and you’d like to join, the registration period to join is currently closed. According to the runDisney Club page, the current membership term ends on September 30, 2022:

Club runDisney Membership is valid October 1, 2021 through September 30, 2022. Benefits listed expire on September 30, 2022 unless otherwise noted.

I am not a runDisney Club member, and at this point, and from what everyone is saying, it is enticing to want to consider it for the benefit of getting a better corral placement and the ability to register a week early for the races. However, the early registration option is only available for the Gold and Platinum memberships. The corral placement option is only available for the Platinum membership.

Silver Membership Benefits $265.43
Gold Membership Benefits $478.63
Platinum Membership Benefits $798.43

Travel Agent Packages

You can no longer book a race package through your favorite travel agent. All registrations have to be done by the individual runner. However, you can still book your rooms and park passes through your favorite travel agent. In fact, I would recommend you get on that ASAP!

From what I am hearing from my podcast friends, that the reason for not having travel agent packages is to entice people to register for runDisney club when it opens again for new members.

Charity Bibs

There is a lot of chatter in the Facebook groups about charity bibs. From what I have learned, there are requirements of the charities that they are unable to commit to at this time, so the charities that used to receive bibs for the races are not getting bibs for the upcoming races and for 2021.

Registration Dates

Registration is going to be a race in itself. With so many people chomping at the bit to get back to these races, the registration process will be similar to what it was back in 2014 and 2015 when registration day would cause as much stress as race day!

Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend – November 4-7, 2021:

- - Club runDisney Gold & Platinum Registration Opens July 6, 2021 at 10 AM EST.
  - General Registration for In-Person Races Opens July 13, 2021 at 10 AM EST.
  - General Registration for Virtual Races Opens July 16, 2021 at 10 AM EST.

Marathon Weekend – January 5-9, 2022:

- - Club runDisney Gold & Platinum Registration Opens July 20, 2021 at 10 AM EST.
  - General Registration for In-Person Races Opens July 27, 2021 at 10 AM EST.
  - General Registration for Virtual Races Opens July 30, 2021 at 10 AM EST.

Princess Half Marathon Weekend – February 24-27, 2022:

- - Club runDisney Gold & Platinum Registration Opens August 17, 2021 at 10 AM EST.
  - General Registration for In-Person Races Opens August 24, 2021 at 10 AM EST.
  - General Registration for Virtual Races Opens August 27, 2021 at 10 AM EST.

Springtime Surprise Weekend – March 31 – April 3, 2022:

- - Registration dates have not been announced at the time of this blog post.

Prices

Seems like the prices haven’t changed too much compared to previous years. Here are the breakdowns for the races:

Wine & Dine Race Weekend:

- - 5K – $95
  - 10K – $135
  - Half Marathon – $215
  - Challenge (10K & Half Marathon) – $360
  - Virtual Races ($79 – $252)

Marathon Weekend:

- - 5K – $95
  - 10K – $135
  - Half Marathon – $195
  - Full Marathon – $195
  - Goofy Challenge (Half Marathon & Full Marathon) – $390
  - Dopey Challenge (5K, 10K, Half Marathon & Full Marathon) – $600
  - Virtual Races ($79 – $480)

Princess Half Weekend:

- - Disney Princess Sunrise Yoga – $95
  - 5K – $95
  - 10K – $135
  - Half Marathon – $210
  - Fairy Tale Challenge (Half Marathon & Full Marathon) $355
  - Virtual Races ($75 – $232)

Proof of Time

This is a big concern for runDisney race participants. And it has been one of the reasons why I thought I had to register for a local half marathon as soon as we heard if runDisney was going to host races again. A proof of time is only required if you are going to run a half marathon under two hours. This was what was written for the Wine & Dine Half Marathon weekend.

The proof of time instructions for the full marathon has been shared in a few Facebook groups. I saw one that was requiring a marathon finish time of less than 4 hours and another showed a requirement of less than 5 hours. Either way, I don’t have the ability to run the races that fast, so my corral placement fate will fall into the hands of runDisney.

New Special Offerings

New Race Theme

There is a new race added to the line up. Instead of the Star Wars Dark Side Half Marathon weekend that took place in April, there is a new Springtime Surprise Weekend which will take place every March. Each year there will be a different theme for the races. Details are yet to be released for the 2021 races.

Sunrise Yoga!

I love yoga! Yoga in front of Cinderella Castle at sunrise? Sign me up! During the Princess Half Marathon weekend, there is a special event taking place on the first morning of the event weekend. Sunrise Yoga will take place before Magic Kingdom opens, led by a professional yoga instructor to help you get your mind and body prepared for the race weekend.

Photo by Disney Parks Blog

Changes For Race Weekends

Race Day Bib Pickup

Something I used to rely on in case of bad weather or a late flight before the races was race day bib pickup. RunDisney has now published that this option will not be available. Race bibs and shirts must be picked up prior to the day of the race. We are hoping that runDisney has announced that but will still have bibs with them on race morning in case of extreme circumstances, and they just aren’t sharing that the option is available.

Character Stops

The races will still have on-course entertainment; but it won’t be the same as in the past. Word on the street is that there will be “selfie stops” along the course to take pictures of characters from a distance. Very similar to how character interactions take places in the parks now.

Kids Races

The kids races are being modified and are not currently offered during the races posted for 2022. They have published a new experience for kids called the runDisney Kids Adventures; but no details are available at this time.

Spectators

At the time of this blog post, there isn’t a Chear Squad offered for spectators. RunDisney is still evaluating this experience option. One of the questions going around is if spectators will be able to cheer from the parks. I’m sure we will get more info as time goes on.

Which Races Are You Going To Do?

With all of these changes coming back, will you be registering for one of, or all of these races weekends? I plan to run marathon weekend to continue to keep my streak going. I will most likely register for Goofy again. However, I don’t want to miss the Princess Half Marathon weekend and the yoga experience!

Let me know which races you are doing! I can’t wait to see all of my running friends again!

The Silver&Fit® Fit at Home™ Program

April 16, 2021

I am pleased to share an online workout program that I have the pleasure of working with. It’s called The Silver&Fit® At Home™ Program. Silver&Fit is a healthy at home workout program to allow you to maintain a healthy lifestyle, aimed towards older adults.

This is a sponsored post with Silver&Fit® at Home™ Program, but as always, my opinions are my own.

I know the importance of maintaining my workout routine even now before I begin to age into my Medicare years. As I am in my last year of my 40’s, and also going through some female life changes, working out has been critical in helping me feel better mentally and physically. Especially strength training which will help my bone density. I know it is important to stay active at all ages. I have been an active person my whole life and continue to include fitness in my life for as long as I can.

Types of Silver&Fit Workout Options

Grab your water bottle, a yoga mat, resistance bands, or a dumbbell or two. You don’t need an entire gym set up to enjoy the benefits of what Silver&Fit has to offer for workout options.

Live Online Classes

A great feature about Silver&Fit’s online classes is that you can take them daily via their Facebook Live and YouTube classes. They offer 9 classes per day, 6 days per week.

Pre Recorded

If you can’t attend during the live class scheduled, you can always go back and view the recordings on their Facebook and YouTube pages. With a large variety of workout videos, you can customize a great workout program for yourself to include strength training days, stretching days, and cardio workouts.

Silver&Fit Workout Classes Available

There are classes for all levels from beginner, to intermediate and advanced. Some that use weights, and others that use just one dumbbell, resistance bands, or your own bodyweight.

Cardio

I love all of the different options that Silver&Fit offer for cardio. I do my own form of cardio with running or biking; but I love having options to do indoors when it is too dangerous to run outside. I also sometimes like to do a different form of cardio to work different muscles than those that I use for running. This gives me overall a better level of fitness.

Dancing

Want to move to a groove? There’s some great dancing videos from dancing from your chair to actively dancing across your living room! I am a horrible dancer; but I will dance to a workout video in the privacy of my home if I know it can also count as a workout!

I’m going to add this one to my playlist to give it a try! I may even ask my daughter to do it with me!

Flexibility & Balance

Everyone can benefit from having strong balance and flexibility. The simple, basic movements in this video are something you can do anywhere at any time to help open up your body and get some flow going to your muscles.

This is also good for your posture and supports your back while sitting in the chair. The instructor also shows what you should and shouldn’t do to get the most benefits from the workout.

Mixed Format

Mixed Format is a cardio strength circuit where the instructor provides total body strength moves combined with low-impact aerobic combos for a perfect blend. You can also use some of your fitness gear like resistance tubes in the advanced class.

This is one of my favorite types of workouts. It incorporates strength with cardio for a full body workout. Even though I am showing some advanced videos, remember there are options for all fitness levels.

Strength & Body Weight

You can do several different strength workouts using weights or your own bodyweight. That’s what makes these programs so versatile!

When doing so you challenge your strength, balance, coordination and awareness, all in one workout with just one dumbbell! Other videos are targeted to doing supersets for muscle definition using resistance bands, and alternate upper and lower body exercises to maximize the muscles.

TaiChi

I’ve always wanted to try TaiChi. I personally think of it as a slow form of yoga. It’s a program you can engage in using just a chair and your body. It involves slow flowing movements and breath work with compassion.

TaiChi teaches you how to transform anger into calm, improve your health and harmonize your mind. This is going to be added to my workout routines. Especially in the afternoon after working when I want to open up my body and lower my anxieties.

Yoga

I chose to do this workout while on vacation because of all the walking we are doing. Also, because we are sleeping in a different bed, I’m a little stiffer when I wake up. I enjoy yoga to help me open up my shoulders, loosen up my back and help ease my mind. I love when my daughter joins me for some stretching.

I’m going to do some yoga classes with my laptop or our outdoor projector outside this year so I can enjoy the fresh outdoors, the ground beneath my feet, and the smells of spring and summer upon us.

Will You Try Silver&Fit?

If you want to try their program, like and follow the Silver&Fit Facebook page and subscribe to their YouTube Channel. You won’t be disappointed!

Also share with me which workout you liked best!

5 Ways To Stay Healthy When Traveling

March 26, 2019

In the next coming months I have a lot of conferences for social media and blogging. I just returned from Social Media Marketing World in San Diego, California. I lost my voice from trying to have conversations in loud rooms with several people. I am soft-spoken so it did a number on my vocal chords. At first I thought I was getting a cold. But then I realized it could also be allergies. I thought about this and decided to share my top five ways to stay healthy when traveling.

I also had a similar thing happen to me when I was on the Oprah cruise. So here are a few things that I need to travel with to help keep me healthy when traveling. I’m sharing my favorite items below and also providing my affiliate links to each item.

Diffuse Essential Oils

I sleep with a diffuser in my room every night. I diffuse Breathe essential oil from doTERRA. On my last two trips I didn’t have my diffuser with me so I think that made a difference in helping keep my sinuses clear.

From now on, I am going to pack my diffuser with me to help keep me from coming home with a raspy voice and clogged up sinuses.

Use On Guard Softgels

On Guard softgels are another product from doTERRA that I like to use. I also give them to my family at the first signs of a cold or when they complain about a scratchy throat. It is a protective blend of essential oils to help support the immune system and help kill off harmful bacteria and viruses.

On Guard softgels contain the following essential oils:

Wild Orange Peel – protects the body against seasonal threats
Clove Bud – supports a healthy immune system
Black Pepper Seed – supports healthy circulation
Cinnamon Bark/Leaf – promotes healthy immune function
Eucalyptus Leaf – purifying and cleansing properties
Oregano Leaf – helps maintain a healthy immune system
Rosemary Flower/Leaf – may help support the digestive system
Melissa Leaf – may help support healthy immune system

Hydration and Nutrition

I drink a lot of water when I am at home. I make lemon ginger water and add cayenne pepper and turmeric sometimes. When I travel I bring the ingredients with me to make the lemon ginger water. Instead of using a blender, I use lemon juice and powdered ginger. It’s a more refreshing drink than just plain water.

Here’s the recipe for the lemon ginger water:

Fill a blender with water
Squeeze 2-3 lemons
Peel and cut ginger root

Blend the water, lemon and fresh ginger in the blender.
Strain the water into a pitcher
Add cayenen pepper or Turmeric if you want for an additional antiinflammatory benefits and flavor.

Eating well is also very important. It’s easy to just eat whatever is in front of you; but if you are trying to watch your weight or eat clean, you should always make sure you are getting good proteins, vegetables, and fruit in your diet. Conferences usually include buffet meals and you can typically find a salad and some chicken or fish to help make a complete and healthy meal.

I always pack my own oatmeal so that in the morning I can make it in my hotel room with hot water from the coffee maker. I also like to keep some packets in my bag so that at any point in the day I could eat a snack that will hold me over for a while until my next meal.

Use a Neti Pot

When I return from my trips I like to use a Neti Pot to irrigate my sinuses from all the germs I may have been exposed to. A neti pot is a container that you fill with a saltwater solution. You must use bottled water or sterizlied water when making the saltwater solution.

To use the neti pot, you tilt your head sideways over a sink and pour the water into your nostril. The liquid will drain through the other nostril and you will clear out your sinuses of any mucus, allergens, or dust.

Rest

While at conferences as an attendee or working the event, self-care should be number one on your list. For me, getting at least 6-7 hours of sleep while at a conference keeps me alert throughout the day. Of couse, more sleep would be ideal; but conferences usually have events at night and sometimes early morning sessions.

When an event like Mom 2.0 offers classes like yoga, on their itinerary I like to participate in those morning classes. It helps work out the kinks from flying to the location, sleeping in a different bed, and the long days of sitting in sessions.

On the way home from my flights I try to catch up on my sleep and take naps on the plane. This way, when I get home I can be fresh for my family. Becauase I had been away from them for an extended period of time, I don’t like to come home only to have to spend hours away from them taking a nap.

How do you keep yourself healthy when you travel? Do you have favorite things you bring along with you? I’d love to hear what your advice is!

New Yoga Poses

May 20, 2016

In Yoga we did some new poses and one of my favorites was the Inversion Pose. This pose was fun to do because I wore my heart rate monitor to class so I could view my stats. The inversion pose really drops the heart rate quite a bit! That’s because you have your feet in the air so your heart isn’t working as hard to move the blood throughout the entire body.

The instructor said this is a great pose for when you are on your feet all day. Inversions are typically seen as a hand stand or a forearm stand or a plow. Inversions are great for balance and concentration, as well as circulation. I think for sure this is a great pose for after a long run when you want to move that blood out of your legs. I used to take ice baths after my long runs, but I stopped torturing myself with those baths. I will try this approach to see if it helps with recovery.

It may not look relaxing but it was actually very relaxing. I stayed in this position for our end of class ritual of 5 minutes of quiet reflection while the instructor helps us to focus on every part of our body one at a time. Bringing our focus inward and to complete relaxation. The benefits of this pose are the following:

– Eases anxiety and stress
– Therapeutic for arthritis, headaches, high blood pressure, low blood pressure and insomnia
– Eases symptoms of premenstrual syndrome, menstrual cramps and menopause
– Relieves tired or cramped feet and legs
– Gently stretches the hamstrings, legs and lower back
– Relieves lower back pain
– Calms the mind

As I continue to take these yoga classes I hope to learn new poses. I checked out inversion poses online and found a great web site for beginners to try inversion poses such as headstands and wall stands.

Getting Rid of Excess

May 12, 2016

This week in my Yoga class (that I really wasn’t in the mood to go to) the instructor talked to us about Excess. Every week as class begins, the instructor speaks to us from the book The Yamas and the Niyamas. Excess can rob us from our Joy. Excess can be in the form of sleep, sugar, clutter in life, food, activities, weight, or anything.

That very same day I took a walk instead of a run and listened to a new podcast called The Coach Jenny Show. It was Episode 6 and the topic of the episode was Six Ways to Declutter Your Life and Improve Your Performance. Bingo! There was the affirmation that I was meant to be at that yoga class that night. If I stayed home I would have missed the message meant for me.

The reason why I didn’t want to go to yoga was because I wanted to be home with my family. I had been feeling down for over a week. Not just down but significantly blue. I was afraid that depression was creeping in and I was losing control over my emotions. The weather the week prior was grey, cold and rainy. I was starting to go crazy. But by Sunday afternoon the clouds finally cleared up and the sun came out. It was such a treat! Sunday was Mother’s Day so I made sure I got in a run for myself and did things that I wanted to do. Then we visited my mother-in-law, and then had my mother over for a tea party and dinner. I wanted to take a walk with the family before dinner so we could enjoy that sunshine and some fresh air. We had all been stuck indoors for so long and needed to get outside and move.

I was glad that I went to the yoga class because in addition to the word “excess” that I had been thinking about since Monday, the exercises she showed us were different. We did more work with opening our shoulders and also used the wall for support. When I woke up the day after, I felt sore, which was the kind of sore that is good.

I had to teach a class on Tuesday and I was feeling anxious about it, but after being a yoga I was able to calm my thoughts and help myself to remove the excess anxiety with meditation.n I am noticing that I am applying meditative practices to my every day life.

With the new podcast I listened to, Coach Jenny was talking about moving into the new year and finding ways to renew, regroup and reinvent ourselves. She challenges us to make a small habit for yourself that speaks directly to you, and get rid of something that is weighing you down or zapping your energy so you can make room for something new. When I got back from my walk I felt renewed and when I got back from yoga I felt even better.

I made a decision at that point that I was going to stop letting the excess feeling of sadness or confusion or overthinking take over my thoughts and I was going to set daily and weekly goals for myself. I was able to determine that when I don’t have a deadline or a direct goal in my calendar then I tend to go astray, lost motivation and focus.

This week I am now setting up small goals for myself that I can focus on and when I set myself up with a “Power Hour” to do things I get things done and I feel better for accomplishing my tasks. So what else do I have to get rid of? Stuff… I have too many closets! Too many clothes, too many shoes…. you know the drill. It’s time to purge, do some Spring cleaning. I am going to make it a priority over the next few weeks to remove any items that I haven’t worn in a year. I already have one laundry basket full of clothes.

So I have had a lot of time to think about some things. I had been worried that I was getting very depressed but then I had an immediate turnaround where something clicked for me and I’m feeling a lot better, more focused and determined. Progress not Perfection. That is my motto this week.

Yoga Class Week 4 – Purity Through Breath

March 14, 2016

This week’s class theme was about Purity or Saucha. Each week our instructor has been providing us with a theme or a word related to the Yama and the Niyamas. These are ethical codes that make up the first two limbs of the eight limbed path of yoga. All of the paths work together to help us enter a state of yoga or union with the mind, body and spirit.

The Yamas Include:

Ahimsa ~ Nonviolence

Satya ~ Truthfulness

Asteya ~ Nonstealing

Brahmacharya ~ Nonexcess

Aparigraha ~ Nonpossessiveness

The Niyamas include:

Saucha ~ Purity

Santosha ~ Contentment

Tapas ~ Self-discipline

Svadhyaya ~ Self-study

Ishvara Pranidhana ~ Surrender

The other six limbs include the postures, breathing exercises, going inward, concentration, meditation and enlightenment. Margie recommends this great book about The Yamas and the Niyamas.

Last week we talked about letting go of things that weigh us down or not worrying about things from the past or coming up in the future. Today we talked about purity and how to rely on our breathing to help us relax. She taught us to focus on diaphragmatic breathing so when we encounter a stressful situation we can stop holding our breath and scrunching up our shoulders and focus on our breathing. No one needs to know that we are doing it either.

In yoga, the breath is described as the essential, life-giving flywheel of the nervous system. What does that mean? Your nose cleans and warms the air before it enters your body. It enters and exits your body to sustain your life. Breathing through your nose helps you reduce the speed and efficiency of breathing. Smell is also a major element when it comes to breathing. When you breathe through your nose, you smell the odors and it improves the sense of taste.

Surprisingly, breathing stabilizes our emotions and nerves. Have you ever noticed that when you are stressed you are breathing shallow from your chest? If you feel uptight, take 3 deep breaths to lower your heart rate. If you can’t fall asleep, focus on taking deep breaths into your abdomen.

So to sum up the definition of Saucha, it is the practice of knowing very well what is our objective in this particular moment in life.

We did some warrior poses in tonight’s class, the chair pose, the bridge and several twisting poses. She told us that twisting is a great form of detoxifying our body. I like that feeling of stretching out and opening things up during a twist. It pushes me beyond my limit is such a gentle subtle way where there is no harm.

At the end of class we participate in Savasana and today Margie played Liquid Mind music which immediately brought me to when I was in labor with Kevin for 3 days. I played that music in the hospital and it was very peaceful. I felt like I went back in time almost 9 years! It was very strange, emotional, yet relaxing at the same time. I felt emotional because I couldn’t believe that it was already 9 years ago that he was born. Time is going by so quickly; but I didn’t think about things that we haven’t done yet or had any guilt. I just realized the time and let that thought float by. A couple tears were shed because I miss the baby years and that music has a very strong connection with me and my babies when they were younger. Sometimes the older years are hard; but the newborn days weren’t the easiest either! Being a mother, parent, wife, employee, daughter, person isn’t easy. As I learned tonight, the objective is to be aware of where you are in this moment in life.

This year I have been focusing on mindfulness, wellness and finding joy. I think the yoga has been a very helpful tool with mindfulness. My essential oils are also helping me find balance and wellness.

I can’t wait to find out what we will learn about in week 5! Sadly, the instructor will be on vacation next week so I may need to resort to a youTube version of a yoga class next week to keep me grounded!

Yoga Class Week 2

March 1, 2016

As I mentioned in my post yesterday, I am starting to dislike Mondays because the fun of the weekend comes to an end, and I am getting Spring fever when we have nice weather on the weekend. But what is helping me get through, is looking forward to my Monday night yoga class. I went to my second week of Yoga class this Monday and it was fantastic! It was even better than the first time! The instructor, Margaret, is very good. I really like her style of teaching and attention to the students. We have a small class of 6 people and tonight there were only 3 of us, so it is a nice intimate size.

This week she incorporated some Yin yoga into our poses. Yin is a practice designed to have you hold a pose for an extended or fixed period of time. This helps you to meditate and stretch the connective tissues around your joints. The typical hold position is for 3 to 5 minutes. For us, since it was our first time doing such a practice, we held our positions for about 90 seconds.

For the beginning we started off sitting and did some neck rolls and warmed up our shoulders, then we stood and did some airplane poses which were great for the shoulders and the arms. I felt the burning in my muscles. After that we moved to the floor to do a Sphinx pose in the Yin style. Then we did some Cat/Cowl with a twist and then a Child pose to open up the spine. Then we did more floor work lying down and opening up the hips and doing hip bridges and spinal twists.

After working on the floor we stood up and did shoulder rolls, crossing the arms in front and back to loosen them up. Then we did more shoulder rolls with our hands touching the tops of our shoulders. Then we did side bends to stretch our sides and backs. We put our hands on our lower backs and did pelvic circles. It was a lot of fluid movements to wake up the body in certain areas, especially when we sit most of the day.

Then we worked on our balance. We stood on one foot and kicked our legs to the front, then swung our legs to the side for the hip abductors. We did this on each leg to ensure balance on both sides. Then we did ankle circles for both feet and moved back down to the floor, put our legs out in front of us and pointed our toes to the ceiling to stretch out our lower body. This is called the Dandasana pose

To wrap up the class, we laid on the floor in what is called the Savasana pose (the corpse pose). This puts the body back into a neutral position. We began with our knees bend, then lowered them to the floor, feet hip width apart, then we pointed our toes together and then apart to release the tension in our body. It is important to be comfortable in this position because we were going to remain there for several minutes. While quieting the body physically the instructor also spoke to us to have us be aware of every part of our body that she calls out. It is important to soften the root of the tongue, the space between your eyes. Let the eyes sink into the back of your head, release the brain to the back of the head. It’s all about being still and quiet and ending the class by thanking your body for what it has done for you during the day. Giving it quiet time to rest and recover and rejuvenate. It is one of my favorite parts of class and I hate to have to get back up again to go home!

I really enjoy Yoga and want to do it every day; but in reality, I will only do it in a classroom environment. I have the dedication to my running routine; but for a class that has more structure, such as yoga, I need someone directing me what to do, which order to do it in. The shoulder roll exercises and the airplane stretch exercises are something I’d like to do a few time a week to work on my arm muscles and opening up my shoulders from hunching them over a computer all day.

I am also going to work with my kids to help them unwind at the end of the day. When I got home from my class last night I had them do a few stretches with me, until their attention span wore off! My daughter is very interested in it. My son can’t sit still for more than 6 or 7 minutes. But getting them engaged and trying new things with me is part of the fun.

I Started Doing Yoga!

February 26, 2016

During my last visit with my AMAZING chiropractor, he mentioned that his practice is starting to hold yoga classes and the recommended that I give it a try to help with my core and balance. I thought that was a great idea because the day and time of the class works well with my schedule, I trust him and what he recommends for my wellness and back health and I have been on a quest for a more holistic approach to my wellness and health by using essential oils and now yoga would be a great complement to that approach. My mom also heard about the class and mentioned that she was thinking of doing it as well so we both signed up.

The day of my first yoga class was an extremely stressful day at work. Two hours before class I had come into a very high stress situation and was very upset. I didn’t want that bad energy to come with me into the class and I was hoping that the yoga would give me the relief I needed of that stress and anger that I was holding on to.

The yoga instructor started with us by explaining what yoga is and talking about how we need to take care of ourselves. To use the practice of yoga as a time of healing ourselves. Looking inward for peace rather than outward. Use your breath, body and mind to unite yourself. Harmonizing your body and mind with breathing, posture and meditation is the soul purpose of doing yoga, as well as making your body and balance stronger.

After she talked to us she had us find a comfortable position for sitting and focus on our breathing and become aware of how we breathe. Then she had us close our eyes and be still. Then we worked on laying on our backs and feeling our abdomen rise and fall with our breathing. As women, we typically take shorter breathes with our upper airway and don’t usually take deep breaths through our abdomen because when carrying children we didn’t have the space while we were pregnant. So we practiced taking a deeper slower breath and it calms your heart rate down.

Then she helped us practice opening up our hips because as Americans we sit too long in our chairs and our cars and our every day life. After some gently stretching we worked on opening up our shoulders and then we stood up to begin working on balance and posture with a tree pose and a warrior pose. After doing these exercises we got back down on the floor to lay down and get focused on breathing again and having quiet time to meditate and relax.

I really enjoyed the class. I felt calm afterwards and when I got home to the house with the kids all fired up and loud, I sent them outside to burn off their energy. I was hoping to try to do the exercises at home during the week; but I did take the practice of what she taught up regarding self-awareness and used it when I could to remain calm during situations that would have stressed me out. I made myself aware of what I was feeling and then rather than tensing up my body I was making sure that I was breathing and also opening up the areas that I tend to tense up.

I can’t wait for the next class. I also told my husband that I think this would be a great class for him to help him unwind and learn to quiet his mind. If i can quiet my mind for even just and hour, then I think he might be able to as well. I can’t sit still. When it’s nice weather out and we sit on our deck to relax I can only last about 5 minutes in the lounge chair before I start to get antsy and need to do things.

What I really enjoyed about the class was not just the exercises themselves but the practice of being aware of every part of your body. We felt our muscles from our toes, up our legs, to our hips and then throughout our shoulders and fingers. We let our head relax and did neck curls to release tension from our neck from holding our head up all day long. I think learning to be present is going to be key to this class. We are so busy with work, kids, emails, messages, all of the “noise” in life that it makes it very hard to remain present. I think this is going to help me with that, or at least raise my awareness of it so that I may think twice about how I manage my time, my stress, my projects and my health and family.

I’ll keep you posted of the progress for the next 6 weeks!

Tag: Yoga