Monday, January 16, 2012

Day 64 - Yoga'd, Yogad, Yogaed, or Yogaded

I'm still searching for an alternative to the verb phrase "did yoga," but for lack of a sufficient substitute, I'll just tell you that I did yoga for the first time ever today. I've been so resistant to it for so long, but I know I need to work on balance to improve my running. No, not because I fall all the time, though I did fall during the first race I ever ran back in 2006. I've read that balance, along with core strength, can really help you improve in any type of athletic performance, so I'm giving it a shot.

I plan to take a Pilates class at the gym on Fridays, but I employed a Jillian Michael's DVD for my yoga workout today. I knew I could count on Jillian (yes, we're on a first-name basis) to get right to the exercises and steer clear of the meditation/"spiritual" sides of yoga. That's just what she did. At one point, she said some silly yoga term like "melt your heart into the floor," or something, and then laughed, saying, "Or, in plain English like the rest of us speak, stretch as far as you can." I appreciate that.

I have done her workouts before and always leave feeling challenged and encouraged by her. She's fun but also no non-sense. We'd definitely be friends in real life, but first I have to get some muscle so I could feel not-so-shrimpy next to her.

A few more times of doing it and I think I'll feel a bit more comfortable with the positions and transitions. Overall, I'd say it was a success, particularly because I know I worked muscles I don't typically use while running. I like this idea of using my own body weight for resistance, too. I look forward to reporting back about my first-ever Pilates class on Friday, too.

On an unrelated note, check out this drawing my step-mom sent me:
Family portrait
This is a portrait of our family that she drew with one of her clients. Can you guess which one is me? Haha! Love it. If I had Facebook, this would definitely be my profile picture.

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