#YouDoNew - 30 Days of Yoga
During the summer when the weather is nice I find it a lot easier to keep myself active. I'll walk the dog, go for bike rides, or try new sports like standup paddle boarding. Once autumn hits though, things start to get more difficult. The dog doesn't like walking when it's too cold, the wind freezes my hands and face while biking, Lake Erie is even less appealing for a swim than usual, or, like today, it's raining.
All of this adds up to me being rather stationary from October/November right through April, which is no good. So this year I'm trying to use the #YouDoNew project to force myself into finding new indoor activities to try out. I've kicked it off with an activity that isn't exactly new to me, but in a manner that is.
When I lived out in Amherstburg about seven years ago I was a member at the local gym. One of the perks of this facility was all the classes included with the membership, including yoga. I hadn't given yoga much of a chance prior to this, but figured I might as well. Turns out I really didn't hate it, even if I wasn't totally into all of the universe-connecting stuff. I also ended up giving aerial yoga a go, and it was insanely awesome, with a lot less of the hippy-type chatter that I couldn't get into.
Since I moved to Windsor I've gone to the odd community yoga class at different locations, but have never taken it very seriously.
It's pretty much impossible to go on any social media site these days without seeing a post or twelve about yoga, so I've had it a bit on my mind lately. I considered signing up for classes at a nearby studio (bonus chance to socialize?) but after looking up the prices realized I'm not quite in a position to afford that yet.
But it's 2017 and everything is on Youtube, so that seemed like a good resource. I did some research on popular yoga channels, and Yoga with Adrienne came up in almost every list I found. Plus, back in 2915 she ran a "30 Days of Yoga" series - amazing!
This seemed like the best way to get back into yoga-ing, as I wouldn't have to spend time each day looking for a particular video and had a clear start and end point. This last bit is very important to me, because even if I end up not liking it or getting sick of it, I've got that challenge of thirty videos in thirty days to keep me honest and engaged. Plus, I'd taken a quick scan through some of her videos, and Adrienne seems to keep the flowery bullshit to a minimum, even if there is some random chatter here and there.
So last week I started 30 Days of Yoga, and so far it's going well! It's a nice mixture of relaxing and movement, and the stretches always feel great in the middle of a long day of sitting in a desk chair writing, editing, and researching whatever I've got going on that day.
I had some serious pain in my left shoulder at the time I started, but within a couple days It had calmed right down, and is now back to normal. I feel refreshed after a session, and since I'm just doing it right at home it's super easy to fit in these 15-35 minute videos at any point in the day when I need a break.
This thirty day adventure will wrap up in early November, and so far it's going very well. Once I'm done I might have to start trying out some of Adrienne's other videos, and maybe will even sign up for in-person classes at some point!
#YouDoNew - Week 11 - October 2 to 8
