yoga – Page 2 – French Fry Runner

5 Things I Love about Yoga

I’m linking up with Courtney from Eat Pray Run DC, Cynthia from You Signed Up for WHAT?!, and Mar from Mar on the Run. This week’s Friday Five theme is Five Things I Love about ____ . . . And I chose YOGA!

I’m still running and lifting, of course, but I’ve been focusing a lot more on yoga lately. So, to celebrate that, I thought I’d share five things I love about yoga.

I can practice in my pajamas! They say you can just roll out of bed and go running, which you can–once you put on shoes. But you don’t need shoes with yoga! You don’t even need a mat. You can begin your practice anywhere and at any time.
I know what utkatansana, vrikasana, trikonasana, and savasana mean. Being the word nerd that I am, I love that I know a little Sanskrit. 🙂
Yoga helps me center myself. I can be pretty high strung and stressed out, but yoga helps me focus inward and let my worries and stresses dissolve. I can better live in the moment through yoga.
Yoga makes me happy. And happy people just don’t shoot their husbands. They just don’t. . . . In all seriousness, though, I can honestly say that yoga has improved my relationship with the world around me, myself, and my husband. I’m a much happier and nicer person after I’ve practiced yoga. And people want to hang out with a happy person, right? No one likes a downer. Sometimes the Engineer and I practice together, and he is calmer and happier too. Everyone benefits from yoga in my house! 🙂
Yoga meets you where you are. This is why yoga is a practice. You don’t have to force anything. You can just be where you are, whether you’re a beginner or you have been practicing for years. With yoga, I always see improvement–in my flexibility, my strength, my focus, and my heart.

Looking pretty graceful, I gotta say! :) — Looking pretty graceful, I gotta say! 🙂

Rebecca from Strength & Sunshine encouraged us in one of her posts to find our own yoga, which is different from others’. I’d like to share with what my yoga is, and I hope you’ll read her post and contemplate what your yoga (or running or favorite activity) really is and be mindful of that.

Here’s what I wrote:

My yoga is fulfilling, strengthening, contemplative, calming, and invigorating. It helps me center myself and look inward. It is a spiritual experience for me, and I feel this way whether in class or at home. After spending years in competitive sports in my youth, yoga is the perfect opposite for me. It’s all about my personal practice and no one else’s.

So do you love yoga? Why?

What pose are you working on right now? I’m trying my darndest to get into bakasana, or crow pose.

What do you love?

What do you love? It's #FridayFive with @eatprayrundc @yousignedup & @marmaone1. Click To Tweet

Don’t forget to #taketheleap with prAna and Fit Approach. Details here.

It’s not too late to join in the 12-day #bringingyogaback mini challenge. Details here.

I’m also linking up with Jill Conyers’s Fitness Friday and B.J. for #FitGeekFriday. Be sure to check out the hosts’ pages and find other fun blogs to read!

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Strike a {Yoga} Pose: Bridge Pose

You might be reading this as I’m panicking through the sign-up process for the Dumbo Double Dare. Wish me luck!

We’ve been doing a lot of bridge pose in my yoga classes lately. Personally, I love bridge pose (Sanskrit: Setu Bandha Sarvangasana). It makes me feel somewhat flexible. 🙂 You can also do a full back bend (Wheel Pose or Urdhva Dhanurasana) as a variation of bridge–after warming up, of course, and if it’s in your practice. Remember, do not force yourself into any poses. Specifically, if it hurts, come out of the pose.

According to Yoga Journal, this asana has quite a few benefits, from alleviating menstrual cramps to improving digestion. Here’s a great video that shows you how to do the bridge pose. Enjoy!

Bridge Pose | Yoga With Adriene from Yoga With Adriene on YouTube.

Other Resources about Bridge/Wheel Pose

Other “Strike a [Yoga] Pose” Posts

p.s. I love Adriene’s “Foundations of Yoga” series on her blog. Check it out!

Is Bridge Pose in your practice? How about Wheel Pose?

What’s Your Favorite yoga pose?

This post is linked up with others for The Fit Dish Link-Up. Thanks to Jill Conyers at JillConyers.com, & Jessica Joy at TheFitSwitch.org for hosting. Be sure to visit their blogs and others in the link-up.

Try Something New!

Sorry this is posting a bit late! For the Fit Dish Link-up this week, the topic is “Try Something New!”

I like trying new things because you might end up finding something you love. For example, I used to hate running. I played sports way back in high school, so running was a punishment. In college I took up running for exercise because I needed a way to de-stress and I didn’t need any special equipment. I ran nearly every day. I got in great shape and ran my first 5K. I always go back to running first when I need to get in better shape. (Because I know I’ve let my fitness slide more than once! Yikes.) And now I’m training for my first marathon! Who would have thought?

Then a couple years ago, I found yoga. I found out that I loved it, and it’s one of my favorite exercises. It’s a fantastic way to center yourself and strengthen your body.

Finally, a couple months ago, I went to my first Body Pump class. Man, it was tough, but for some reason I loved how I felt after. I finally found a group fitness class I like! And I’m finally seeing muscles! Woo! Even though the class is challenging, I can’t get enough. Now I get so excited to increase my weight on the bar and make it through sets without breaks.

Here are some tips for trying a new class.

Think about the type of exercise you’re lacking in your routine. I was missing strength training, so I first took up yoga and then, later, Body Pump.
Check out your local gym’s schedule. Are there any classes on there that you’ve heard of but never tried before? Pick one that fits your schedule and check it out.
Go to at least three classes. The first class is always weird because you’re unfamiliar with how it’s run, the instructor’s style, etc. Three classes gives you enough opportunity to get used to things and see whether you want to continue.
Pick out the positive. If you end up not liking the new class, what were the things you liked the most? Use those positives to pick out the next class. For example, if you find you don’t like Pilates, but you really enjoy the stretching, maybe you can try yoga next.
Remember that no one is judging you. If you’re trying a new class, you might feel uncomfortable. This is totally normal. Take a deep breath and focus on yourself, have fun, and maybe you’ll just find the right class for you.

I’m linking up with April from Run the Great Wide Somewhere, Patty from My No-Guilt Life, and Erika from MCM Mama Runs for Tuesdays on the Run! Be sure to visit their blogs and others in the link-up.

This post is also linked up with others for The Fit Dish Link-Up. Thanks to Jill Conyers at JillConyers.com, & Jessica Joy at TheFitSwitch.org for hosting. Be sure to visit their blogs and others in the link-up.

What’s your new favorite class?

Yoga or Pilates?

How are you doing today?