Return to Yoga (part 1)

Recently, one of my marathon friends mentioned that he was going to add yoga and strength into his routine. This reminded me that I have taken quite a long break from my yoga DVDs over the past several months. I decided to turn that around with a goal of add yoga back into my routine at least 3x per week for the next month.

When I originally got started with yoga back in 2008, I took a few classes and determined that Hatha yoga was too slow and boring. Without knowing too much about the various styles of yoga, I decided to try something else. I looked at reviewed on amazon for various yoga styles and decided to try Ana and Ravi Kundalini Yoga. Yeah, you read that right. The extent of my research was checking reviews on Amazon.com.

Anyway, I found a good deal on about half a dozen of their DVDs through a combination of ebay and amazon. Together, the DVDs together were about the cost of a month and a half at the gym. It seemed like a good deal even though most of the DVDs that have several sections that I don’t care for. They conveniently have a Matrix option that allows me to customize which parts of the DVD to include in each workout (and which parts to skip) which works out well for me.

Anyway, I now have a few yoga sessions behind me after returning to it. Here are my thoughts thus far. I also noted which DVD I put in and which sections I included in my workout.

Session 1: Yoga Beauty Body. warm up, set 1, set 2, & deep relaxation

“There must be three dog toys under the couch. I better get those out now while I’m thinking about it”

“Half the stuff they say is crazy talk. Connect with your inner. What does that even mean?!?”

“Are you kidding me? I think I needed to modify the last 6 poses. I suck.”

“There is a LOT of dog and cat fur on the rug. I really ought to vacuum. Wait, what did she just say to do? Crud, where's the remote? I need to rewind.”

“Did she just say not to let anyone or anything cause us to doubt ourselves?!? Hahahahahaha. How funny, since my inability to keep up is causing me to do just that.”

"I don't remember this workout being so difficult. I must really be out of practice."

“I’m sooooo not flexible or strong. And I can’t relax. No wonder I took an extended break from Yoga.”

Session 2: Beginners and Beyond. warm-up, set 2, & deep relaxation

“Wow, my arms and my abs are quite sore from yesterday. That must have been a good workout."

"I'm glad she just said to go at your own pace, rest if you need to, and begin again when you feel ready. This is killing me.”

“I like what she just said - don’t focus on what you think the pose is supposed to look like, but to experience it right where you are – Okay, I can do that.”

“I think I get it now. This isn’t just about exercise; it’s about being present. When my mind wanders, I shouldn’t follow it.”

“I feel strong, stretched, relaxed, and somehow more peaceful”

“Perhaps I shouldn’t have skipped set 1. Actually, maybe I’ll do that part later today. Next time I do this DVD, I’m definitely doing both sets”

“You know...there are a few DVDs in my collection that I really don't care for. I should pay-it-forward and do a give-away" [likely foreshadowing for a future post later this week]

So there you have it. I'm not the typical yoga type. But I'm working on it. And I really do feel better afterwards. Having said that, I have a few questions for my readers.

• Can you think of a yoga DVD of any style that you think I would *love* and therefore should consider adding to my collection?
• Have any of you also tried Ana & Ravi or other Kundalini yogi DVDs? What do you think about this particular style of yoga compared to others?