Yoga Week: Grasshopper

This is Grasshopper. 

This is my new goal pose!
I went to one of my favorite yoga classes today and we practiced outside which was
miserably hot yet super fun at the same time and she broke down this move for us.
What I learned: I'm really not even close!
I have my work cut out for me!

I've also realized that I'm heading out of town again tomorrow, so I may be taking 

another sabbatical from posting. I know. Lets blame summer!

Meanwhile, find YOUR goal pose and lets figure them out this month!

ENJOY!

Yoga Week: Tree

I found out that my gym is not the only group involved in this month of yoga!

Check out Grow Soul Beautiful and their Instagram challenge!

ANYHOO-today I want to talk about TREE pose!

This is truly one of my all-time favorite moves because I can actually do it, and my kids 

bust it out all the time saying "Look Mom! I'm doing yoga!"

Another reason I love it so much is the variation options!

 This is what I consider level 2 which is where your foot is on the inside of your knee.

Level 1 is where you keep your foot right next to the heel. TOTALLY doable!

Level 3 (in my book). Foot is on your inner-upper thigh.

Finally level 4 or what I've been told is the Bikram style of tree. 

Your hands can be at heart center or together and raised, or reaching up to the sky or really

wherever you like them. Some people like to lean into the pose to. 

Rock on, I say!

Try it out! Have your kids join!

ENJOY!

Yoga Week: Headstands

As I mentioned last week, July is unofficially Yoga Month at a gym I work out. 

It's been really fun trying to incorporate yoga in my everyday life!

Here's a fun move that I was awesome at as a kid, and honestly struggle with now!

The HEADSTAND!

 This is where I usually take this move! Create a triangle with your hands and head placement

and let your knees rest on your elbows.

If you are awesome, here is where you can take it. Balancing on your elbows with your

hands behind your head, you can keep knees low, straight, or out with feet together!

ENJOY!

Yoga Month

At a club I work at we have declared July as YOGA MONTH!

The challenge is that you practice yoga every day of the month!

This doesn't mean a full out Bihkram (sp?) 90min session.

This can mean a great stretch or meditation (hello Corpse Pose in the living room), or abs workout!

Yesterday, I started out pretty lame doing only a stretch to count.

Today I joined a yoga class and it was AWESOME to do things a little different than I'm use to!

Here is a great sequence to get you started. It's stellar for abs, and basically the rest of your body!

Start in Downward Dog. Lift one leg up (like top picture), and slowly come into

plank position, driving your knee to the outer elbow (lower picture), return to the top picture and then

come back to plank driving the knee to the opposite arm's inner elbow. 

Repeat this combination move 8 times then push back to Child's Pose to rest.

Repeat on other leg.

ENJOY!!!!