Hey there,
This month Between a Rock and a Hard Pose will have more of a focus on yoga, plus the usual reading, watching and listening recomendations.
Last weekend after teaching Saturday morning yoga I was feeling a little tired and hungry. It had been yet another big week at work and I’d taught a lovely Yin by Candlelight the evening before. Teaching yoga felt good but afterwards I was ready for food and a nap. There wasn’t going to be time that day for a nap though.
I sit on a few committees using my professional expertise. One of these commitments involved a drive 75 minutes down south to Victor Harbor that afternoon for an afternoon event. There still were floors to mop and I’d promised the lovely Prags, the Jeeva Yoga Studio owner, a timelapse yoga video of what we would be working on in class that month, to use as content to promote our classes. Well I’d told her we should do them more and get the other teachers to do them too, so I certainly had to get mine done!
After mopping the floors with some tunes to lift my energy, I was ready to flow. I filmed myself flowing for just 10 minutes, making a nice short video which I later converted to a 90 seconds of timelapsed clip.
And you know what?
It felt good.
After teaching from 7-8:30pm Friday night then 8-9am on the Saturday, it felt so good to be in my own body, moving for me, not just to demonstrate a pose.
The 10 minutes of flow lifted my energy and boosted my mood.
I was still tired and needed an early night but that 10 minutes of yoga really changed the trajectory of my day.
In case you are needing some encouragement t, here are three reasons to roll out your yoga mat today:
Your body needs it! Whether you are stiff from the week, or filled with anxious energy, yoga can help ease off tension and release energy. And it doesn’t have to take long. A few rounds of cat/cow and simple sun salutations can be enough to give your body what it needs.
Your mind needs it! We often start yoga for the physical benefits it can bring us, but long-term, it’s the mental benefits which really make the difference day to day. Yoga asana changes our focus by asking us to tune into our body and our breath. It can give our mind time and space away from stressors to be present. When we take time to do this regularly we build the ability to be more present and mindful, like asana builds muscles.
Any climbers out there? It will transform your climbing! My hip and leg mobility and strength have especially improved through regular yoga. And I can see how specific asana help me on the wall. For example, skandasna (a yoga pose deep side lunge) gives me the ability to rockover onto quite a high foot that would otherwise not be able to do. I cruised up a climb at the gym at my max indoor grade Wednesday night relying technique, balance and flexibility, the latter two which come mostly from my yoga mat. The mindfulness yoga gives me has also been helping me stay calmer on the rock. Though it’s still something I have to actively practice.
Not a climber? Yoga with transform any physical practice. As an occasional lap swimmer, the emphasis on breath in yoga really improved and relaxed my breathing in the water.
And if those three reasons weren’t enough to get you onto your mat today. Know that you won’t ever regret spending time on your yoga mat!
Do you want the freedom to practice yoga at home but aren’t sure where to start?
For $10 a month you can access my online library of yoga classes. Classes are 7 to 30 minutes and there are 7 classes available, with a new class released on the first Sunday of each month.
Upcoming Yoga Classes at Jeeva
Have you joined me for a class at Jeeva yet? New students can currently access a special discount on the new student intro pass. For only $20 enjoy unlimited yoga for 2 weeks, usually $35!
Vinyasa 1 ~ 8am Saturdays
Join me at 8am Saturday mornings for an all levels Vinyasa class. Over 60 minutes of Vinyasa Yoga we using the foundations of Asanas (postures) and Pranayama (breathwork) to build a flowing and fluid class. During the month of June we will be exploring our hips.
Yin by Candlelight ~ 7pm Friday 28 June
Yin by Candlelight is a 90 minute restful Yin Yoga sequence to help you wind down from the week. The June Yin by Candlelight will explore movements of our spine. Learn more here.
Recommendations
Reading Tell me Again by Amy Thunig. Amy’s memoir deals with some difficult themes. I knew it would be a heavy read, but I didn’t expect it to be a page turner. Amy weaves the past, present and place together like I haven’t read before as she reflects on a challenging upbringing and where it has landed her today.
Watching my flow from last week, which I have included below. As I rewatch it I come back to that energised, embodied feeling and gain inspiration to return to my mat. This is also the base sequence for the hip focussed Vinyasa classes I’m teaching this month at Jeeva.
Listening to this playlist on my yoga mat.
10 minutes of flow, in 90 seconds of timelapse, with the beautiful Jeeva tree in the background.