yoga monday

I have a membership at the local gym and they offer a yoga class on Monday evenings which I go to when I get the chance.  I'll probably go tonight.

I'm interested in yoga but can't say I'm 'into' it as such or that I practise it daily in the same way I practise meditation, but I do dabble. I have to say that I can see the draw and the benefits when I manage to stick to it for more than a few times in a row.  But, being a busy mum and my gym only offering it twice a week (the other slot is during the afternoon when I'm home with Sera) I don't get around to practising as much as I'd like to.

If you also can't get to a course or a class there are a few ways of practising yoga at home that I've found helpful. I sometimes follow along with a DVD by Antonia Kidman.  It's a bit fast paced for me at times and she does a lot of sun salutes which can be quite cardiovascular so I'm not always feeling up to it.

Another option, though much more technical and clinical in nature is a free app offered by women's health magazine Hot Body Yoga. There are set programs which 'talk you into and out of' poses and asanas. There are a few very brief sequences which are nice to follow.

I also have a copy of Jon Kabat-Zinn's Mindfulness Meditation Practise  CDs. There are 4 CDs in totla, two of which are 45minute long yoga sessions that you're meant to follow at home as a compliment to the guided meditation study on the other 2 CDs. These CDs are meant for people who are trying to attain a higher level of mindfulness and stress management in their daily lives whether they are facing physical challenges or not, but the practise does stem from a medical background.

When I practise at home sometimes Sera joins along with me. She can do pretty much any of the poses that I can and often much more successfully. I think as soon as she turns 3 we'll look for a course we can go to together as Mummy - Kid Yoga is becoming popular here as well.

Just for fun check out this video: Yoga for Wine Lovers and you'll be touching on a few of my favorite subjects