Some Great Yoga and A Book

Well, after this week, I am definitely needing some great yoga! It has been a wonderful end to 2014 and a very progressive but relaxed beginning. On December 31st I picked up North and South- a favorite mini series (Richard Armitage as John Thornton, I can't even) and classic English literature. It turned out that I was as engrossed in the book as I have always been in the mini series and got 20% through Wednesday, spending most of yesterday reading and finishing last night around 2 am.

It was a beautiful book and I loved hearing all my favorite characters' thoughts through out- especially John Thornton's. Swoon. Unfortunately, I thought the end was rather abrupt and wished for another chapter or two. But, that is what they say a good book should feel like, right? One should race to the end, then feel remorse that there is no more. If that is the case, this is definitely a book you should consider reading, or watching the mini series that is free on Netflix and Amazon Prime. It is so. good.

Now, on to the whole purpose of this post, nay, this blog- a workout! I have not been doing as many of my own workouts lately, but taking workouts from online and adding a bit extra to it. There is a resistance band bum workout that will simply have to be shared soon (it will change your bum), but for now, here is a yoga video that I love and will be doing later today!

I did this flow a few days ago after a 3-mile run and simply loved it! It was the perfect stretch/tone/cool down that my body needed. This yoga flow can be done on it's own, or with another cardio or strength workout to get those muscles warmed up and ready!

Now, for a questions... Do you prefer reading a book first or watching the movie/mini series/show? I am a fan of watching the movie for an overview, then reading the book for a more in-depth look at the characters!

Also, sorry for the messy half post yesterday... That is a future title that I thought was scheduled for next week. So, there was a little preview for you- Life hacks for 2015!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Yoga for the Holidays

Hello friends! I am sorry for the confusion yesterday and the lack of an actual post. This weekend we were at my uncle's wedding in Miami and I came home on Sunday with a terrible bug. Thankfully, the hubs came home from his film shoot Monday night and promptly took me to the doctor Tuesday morning- you know, since being ill means I am automatically turned into a baby who is capable of doing nothing for herself. Now, I have been on antibiotics for for a day and already feeling better! But, that does mean yesterday was a haze of not caring about anything other than sleep, water, tissues, and food.

Today though, we have two fantastic yoga sequences that I did last week and absolutely loved. The first was completed after a short run and the second was done before bed after the wedding Saturday night. I absolutely loved the sequence before bed. It was the perfect way to finish off the day. After the wedding, my cousin, grandma, and I went back to the hotel and found ourselves tired but not tired enough to fall asleep. To help this, Alicia and I did the evening yoga sequence that was only about 20-minutes long but did the trick. Afterwards we were refreshed and ready for bed. Neither of us remember falling asleep, but we do not remember being awake for long. It was a very good night's rest.

Yoga for Core 30-Minutes

Yoga for Core 20-Minutes

The next morning neither of us wanted to get out of bed, so Alicia asked if there was a good online yoga sequence we could do while still in bed. I found this one by Tara Stiles. It is 4-minutes long and tricks you so good at the end. I would suggest not watching it ahead and doing it tomorrow morning. Tell me what you think of her trickiness!

Bikram Yoga Flow Online

We cannot (or will not) heat our homes to 105 degrees, but that does not mean that we cannot do the Bikram yoga sequence in the comfort of our own homes. If you are considering trying Bikram or Hot Yoga (which I completely recommend) but do not want to get to the class without any idea about what you are getting yourself into, do this first. This is a full Bikram class video. Unfortunately, it is just the audio instruction, but you can find a full list of the poses here.

I have found Bikram to be much easier in the heat, you just have to let your mind get over the fact that the body is hot. After the first few standing poses things become easier as the body looses up and is able to easily flow from one pose to the next. Sure, the heat may be a bit intimidating, but that is where this handy video comes in. If you are not quite ready for the heat or are traveling but want to get your Bikram flow in, you have this instead.

It's not as good as the real thing and I would highly recommend finding a great Hot Yoga Studio in your area, but for those who do not have or do not want that option, this will do the trick just fine. And, I end this week's posts with ^that ^ massive run on sentence. Yay for a day in Greece and throwing grammar to the wind!

Oh, and if you just want a hot yoga power flow at home, this one is pretty great too!

Standing Bow Bulling Challenge

This is the first of our challenges that has nothing to do with cardio and everything to do with yoga and balancing. Standing Bow Pulling Pose is one of my absolute favorite poses in yoga because it works so many parts of the body. This pose also improves balance, flexibility, and posture. The pose also helps tone all the muscles of the arms, legs, and core.

I would recommend adding this pose to the end of a yoga flow once you are already warmed up. To complete this for the time needed, you will need to look at one spot straight ahead, having the balancing foot locked, and keep a pull between the upper body and the held leg. This pulling action is what helps keep balance in the upper body where both the leg and the body are trying to be as tall as possible. A balance in this push-pull will create a balance in the pose.

The pulling arm should be held around the ankle or foot while the other arm can be straight ahead like above, or, lifted upwards in an ark. Really, the only way the non-holding arm can be is loose and floppsy down at your side. Just find a comfortable place for it and keep it there :)

I would also recommend trying to hold the 90-seconds the first time you get into this pose. It may not happen, but the more you try, the harder it will be since the body is reaching exhaustion. If this pose is new to you, try holding it for 1-minute first.

Good luck and let me know how long you were able to hold this for!