On my renewed journey to my ideal weight, health and wellness, I am (re)embarking on a morning yoga routine.
In the height of my health, both as a teenager and as a young adult, I was very active in ways that engaged my mind, my body and my spirit. As a teenager I practiced martial arts. As a young adult I was very active in yoga.
Now, this may just be me, but I feel like I can’t do either of those things anymore. Not because I don’t enjoy them anymore, but because I remember what it felt like to move my body as a martial artist and as a yogi without the extra weight.
You would think this would inspire me to pursue the practice even more aggressively, but my brain and spirit just doesn’t work that way. I spend the entire workout feeling “wrong” and “broken” and “messed up”. I chant inside myself over and over to stop being judgmental and to love and accept my body as it is in this moment, even as my subconscious recoils in disgust because my belly fat prevents me from touching my toes with ease and comfort.
What discouraged me even further is that even doing super beginner yoga movements were killing my spirit and starting my day off in a very energetically unhealthy space. I ended up wrapping up my sessions feeling WORSE in my spirit, regardless of what the exercise is doing for my body.
I firmly believe that what’s going on in your head is what ultimately creates your life, whether you’re aware of it or not. So spending my yoga sessions being discouraged and torn down just doesn’t seem smart to me, on a primal and even intellectual level.
This got me thinking about the whole purpose of yoga. Yoga was created during a time when there was no distinction in thought between mind, body, or spirit.
According to Michael Tayloy, co-founder of Strala Yoga, “Yoga gets people to feel. To connect to themselves. The actual experience of yoga – doing yoga – allows us to know clearly that we’re not separate parts to be studied or treated separately. Yoga connects us with our own ability to create one whole complete system. Yoga, like other early approaches to health, was uncovered as a highly individualistic, intuitive system, something each individual already had in them: a way to find your own way to what you should do and not do to be healthy, happy, whole.”
So is yoga mostly about asana? Or meditating? Or breathing? The answer is yoga is about what you need to be healthy.
So instead of postponing my practice until I “got thin enough”, I decided to pick some moves that made me feel good, that moved my body in ways that encouraged me and served me, and freed up space for my mind to focus on serenity and peace. While searching for a database of body and spirit affirming poses I stumbled across an AWESOME tool that answered my every need.
Downward Dog Yoga App for Android
So I should start off my stating that THIS IS NOT A SPONSORED POST, I REALLY DID FIND THIS APP ORGANICALLY, lol. Secondly, it is all I could ever want in a yoga app. You literally choose the style of yoga, the level of fitness, the areas you want to focus on, the pacing, the length, the music, the voice – everything!!!
I am currently focusing on restorative yoga, beginner level 1 full body stretches, at the slowest pace (so I can focus on my breath), and defaults on the voice and music. (The music is all exceptionally good… wondering if there’s a Down Dog app Spotify playlist out there?! OMG THERE IS! (Just checked). Following that mutha SO hard right now.
Anyway. I know it’s just 10 minutes. And I know it’s super duper insanely easy and basic stretches. But it feels GOOD. It makes me feel good in my body. It leaves me feeling accomplished and rejuvenated and happy in my skin. It’s the yoga I need right now.
And I am insanely grateful to find this super easily customizable program so that my practice can evolve in a natural way, at my own pace, without my having to “yoga program” hop.
Seriously. If you ever struggle with feeling like you’re not doing yoga “the right way”, you NEED to check out this program. It’s a legit game changer. I’m excited to use this tool in my weight loss journey.
CURRENT STATS
Start Weight (May 15, 2020): 201 pounds
Current Weight (May 18, 2020): 196
Total Pounds Lost (Since May 15, 2020): 5
