BEHOLD…HOT YOGA…
…on a budget! hahaha
It works, seriously. Oh my muscles felt so warm and loose. Mmm.
Costco heat lamps rule. We barely turn on the heat in the house (we keep the thermostat around 65F) and we just use the space heaters and it saves so much energy. The only thing that sucks is leaving the room and you realize how cold it is in the rest of the house! ;)
Anywho, back to yoga talk.
Yesterday something inside me sort of clicked and I fell in love with yoga!!!
It was like I was running in a grassy field and I saw yoga off in the distance. We both began running toward each other, arms outstretched. It was in slow motion, running, and more running, and finally a twirling, loving embrace.
Yes, it was that good.
Monday’s Lunchtime yoga:
I did Crunch Yoga on my lunchbreak for about 25 minutes. I went back to work energized and ready to roll.
Sarah Ivanhoe is a good instructor. She explains things well. I really enjoy the Crunch yoga DVD because it is great for beginners. I can do the entire 40 minute DVD!! Amazing I know. It is a real confidence booster for beginners. They also offer modified movements in case you can’t do the ones that Sarah demonstrates. The first 30 minutes is yoga and the last 10 focuses on abdominals. And let me tell you the ab stuff is HARD!!!
I did 25 minutes over my lunch break and it was just lovely.
This block is probably the best purchase I made, in addition to my Green Lululemon Biodegradable Align mat.
It is a yoga block and it is great for beginner’s who find they can’t do certain poses. You can put your hand on the block instead of the floor and it gives you a few extra inches! I can maintain my form much better when using the block. It is a real confidence booster! I love it.
The only thing I have been a bit disappointed with in both the P90X and Crunch DVDs is that I find I can’t really zone out and relax because the instructors talk the whole way through the DVD. Does anyone else find that? I guess when I get used to the DVDs I can mute it and put on my own music! Nothing against the instructors, but it is just a bit distracting. I prefer silence or soft music.
Monday evening, I found myself craving more yoga!!
Because I wasn’t in the mood for another instructor-talking DVD, I decided to just print some poses and try it on my own!
Of course, I posed the following question on Twitter:
“Does anyone know where I can find yoga poses to download and print?”
@Janine9148 said to check out yogajournal.com
@balanceisbeauty said to check out yogadownload.com
I checked out Yoga Journal’s pose guide. I love that website and used to frequent it last winter when I was doing yoga a lot. Yoga Journal has something quite fun and unique; you can create your own sequences and print them. I selected about 8 poses and printed it off.
Next, I went to Yoga Download. Another awesome website. I clicked on Yoga Download Printable Guide. It was exactly what I was looking for!
It is 2 pages…
I glanced at all the poses and I was surprised that most of them I could do! No super advanced stuff here.
I simply put the guide in front of me and follow the poses in order. It was SO much easier than I thought!!!
The best part of it was that it was quiet! I totally zoned out. This was the first time I have ever been able to really zone out and feel like I was truly relaxing. No voices…no music…nothing.
The child’s pose is SO amazing for my sore back and shoulders. It is unbelievable how stiff I get from baking all day.
Sketchie makes me giggle. He is definitely the weirdest yoga instructor around!
hahaha!
For whatever reason, when I do downward dogs, he HAS to walk underneath me. It’s like he’s challenging me to stay up longer! I warn him that I could fall and crush him at any given moment, but he doesn’t seem to care.
Might I add that my body is sore from yoga? It most certainly is a hard workout. My arms are really sore this morning from all the downward dogs I did yesterday!
Demonstrating the yoga block!
It adds a few inches to my arms and allows me to keep a better form than if I had to put my hand all the way on the floor. I wish I knew about these blocks last winter! They are a real confidence booster for beginners like moi.
I finished off my evening yoga by really challenging myself- I tried the CRANE!!!
I have only done the crane successfully 2-3 times in my life. It is the ultimate challenge for me. I knew I had to try it out after seeing Alex and Krissy rock one out the other night.
After a few attempts, I did it!!!! I guess I found the ‘right’ spot because I held it for a good 8-10 seconds. I yelled for Eric to take a picture but he missed it. :( You’ll have to take my word! It was awesome. I felt so good and I was just beaming with pride! The only thing is this crane pose really hurts my wrists. Is this just because I am not used to it, I wonder?
I highly suggest printing the pose guide and trying some poses out on your own. It was so calming for me. I will certainly be doing some solo (DVD free) workouts today and this week.
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Do you use any fun yoga equipment?
I am so happy I bought the Align mat and block. For one, I was slipping all over the carpet with no mat, and two the block helps my form so much. Both worthwhile purchases in my opinion!
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See you later for a GLOWING and energizing lunch and the winner of my 1st year Blogiversary giveaway!
Enjoy your Tuesday everyone. :D Make it glow…
Don’t forget to enter Krissy’s Glo bar giveaway! Last chance to enter!
“Keep these concepts in mind: You’ve failed many times, although you don’t remember. You fell down the first time you tried to walk. You almost drowned the first time you tried to swim. . . . Don’t worry about failure. My suggestion to each of you: Worry about the chances you miss when you don’t even try.” Sherman Finesilver
ahhhh isn’t that amazing? Gives me chills!
I don’t have any yoga “supplies” besides my mat. Sometimes I feel like yoga shouldn’t be all about the stuff, you don’t need it. But I like to use a strap sometimes to get a better stretch since I’m not very flexible in some asanas. Glad you’re liking yoga. You need to get yourself to a class!
I was going to ask what this ‘crunch yoga’ you speak of was! I taught yoga for 4 years, but have not done much lately. I really want to get back into it!
so glad youre lovin yoga! i’ve been doing it a lot lately, and its been absolutely amazing. i bought a new jade mat and the difference is phenomenal!!
Before you know it we are going to be Yoga Guru’s!! I love it!! I found that printable pose guide really helpful too – I’m glad you liked it!
Woah, I can’t believe you were able to do the crane! I find those poses mind-boggling! But that quote is spot on: you have to try! I was so scared of doing shoulder stands (thought I’d break my neck) but I tried it and actually succeeded!
I love yoga :)
Good for you for doing the crane! That’s a tough one!!!!
I love my YogiToes Skidless Towel for my mat, it really helps with slipping. If you find yourself thinking during yoga try to really concentrate or breathing and say Let on the inhale and Go on the exhale. It works every time for me!
ohhh great tip…I will try that! let…..go……..
I’ve been meaning to try yoga for some time and I was planning on joining Leah’s challenge but I never started. I may try doing it once or twice per week, on the days I don’t go to the gym!
Congrats on doing the crane!! I haven’t perfected that one, yet.
I really need to get a yoga block already. I think it would really help me to have an extra couple of inches in certain poses. If I could ever do a crane for even a few seconds, I would be so impressed with myself! Congrats on your new found love for yoga. :)
I have used Yoga Downloads audio programs before but I never thought of just printing out the poses and doing it on my own. What a great idea! I’m going to try that now :)
I only have a yoga mat and no other supplies.
Really had to laugh about Sketchie – one of my (two) cats always comes and sits in my lap during meditation at the end of my practice. I think she is under the impression the only reason why I sit on the floor is for her to curl up in my lap and purr VERY loudly – so much for meditating ;-)
hi
i went to the yoga show on fri in london and it was fabulous.
if you get the chance go on youtube and search on simon low yin yang yoga. he was at the show and i went to his workshop and it was excellent
he did yin yoga the day i was there which is great for stretching, The yang yoga is more like power yoga. <3
I am totally inlove wit yoga too. xxx
You’re totally motivating me to do more yoga now that the marathon is over! I took a great class yesterday and am thinking I might have to sneak in a bit during my lunch break today. It really is a great workout – my arms and legs are sore!
Congrats on crane pose, by the way :) I managed to do a slightly bent legged bird of paradise in class yesterday and couldn’t stop talking about it!!
I enjoy yogadownload.com because you can print out the poses and download the class right to your ipod. I can just put on my ipod and do yoga in my living room while my boyfriend plays video games. Can’t beat that!
Crazy Sketchy eyes! I am so happy that you are truly enjoying yoga, it really does wonders doesn’t it? Yogadownload is one of my favorites! I use it all the time when I don’t have the extra cash to go up to the yoga studio.
I’m doing Leah’s challenge and will definitely print off those guides – I felt a little lost last night without a video and was blanking on moves so I ended up doing a lot of child, hero and a couple of others that I’m now blanking on.
In child I could feel the stress and strain leaving my body…it was like a burn from sitting wrong all day at my computer!
– CJ
I’m such a yoga newbie that I use my wii fit game. lol I also used a DVD but I felt it was too advanced for me. Im going to download those poses, great idea! THANKS! :)
you never fail to make me smile with your energy. :) yogadownload is basically my yoga bible since i can only afford to go to the studio once a week. love that website!
congrats on crow – whenever i get into a new and difficult pose, i always feel overcome with excitement!
haha you are too cute with you homemade hot yoga! LOVE IT!
yay glad you’re loving yoga! i’m a newbie too and i’m quickly falling in love. i just won a sticky mat from a blog giveaway and i LOVE it. i love you makeshift hot yoga set up; i haven;t been going to bikram bc the studio is sooo expensive… so i may have to give that a try
Another fabulous post, Angela!! I think I’m going to order Crunch yoga today.I’m looking forward to my Glo Bars.hehe…
You really are inspiring me on my mission to relax and be healthy.It may take a year( hopefully not),but I’m determined to be comfortable in my skin.I was thrown off a little this past year with some health issues…I’ll get there:-) Thank you for all your support!! cc
Good job on the crane! That’s one I like to challenge myself with as well. I’m not great at balance poses, but I love trying to get them right! (Especially when I’m home alone so there is no one but my pets to laugh at me when I fall on my face- haha!) I find that the balance point for crane is further forward than I “think” it should be, so I definitely have to try it a couple of times before I find my balance. :)
i LOVE that you have found your ‘om’ love!!!! you can do anything you put your mind to!
Make sure you are stretching your wrists in the opposite way that they are in crane- counteract the stress of the movement!
Hi Angela! I am SO glad to hear that you are enjoying yoga. When you initially said that you were doing the P90X and Crunch dvds I was a little worried … only because I really LOVE yoga for everything that it does for me mentally, spiritually and physically. Those DVDs really seem to focus on the exercise component of yoga. You should consider downloading a few of the classes from yogadownloads.com. You can print off the pose guide that goes along with the narration (mine just downloads to itunes) and the talking is really only to guide you into a pose. All of the 20 minute classes are free, too! (I really like the Power Yoga and Yoga for the Core … Dawnelle is my favorite). Also, once you get more comfortable with the poses, you can just “flow” on your own! I LOVE to light candles, put on Coldplay, and do it on my own!!
straps are something that is also good for beginners. You might be able to google yoga straps and see what they suggest on how to use them. I really like to use a blanket in my practice for various things.
Dawnelle for Yoga Downloads is my favorite too she does a great job actually it has been quite a while since I did one of those downloads Maybe I’ll do one tonight!
With Yoga all over the internet map now I have been inspired to at least look into it! I cannot get down on the floor to do it…well actually down is not the problem….I get down very easily…usually accidentally….when I don’t want to (LOL!) It is getting UP from the floor that is the problem!
Anyway…for those like me I found some chair yoga and even found a class for that, that is not to far away! Now I need to fit that into my schedule.
I will check out those printable poses…there are probably some standing poses I can do.
Congrats on your crane pose!
You and Sketchie have such a gift of motivation and inspiration and it is so nice that you share it with the rest of us to move us toward a healthier attitude!
i LOVE your heat fan!
I have to chime in here with lots of the other comments. I REALLY like Yogadownload.com. I found their free 20 minute podcasts on iTunes and was hooked. They are great to do in a hotel room or in the house when I don’t feel like getting out to the gym. Dawnelle is also my favorite instructor. Her voice is soothing and she times the movements well. I really get both pumped and calmed (is that weird?!) from her power yoga classes.
Angela – I’m loving my GLO Bars that arrived last week. I will email you about our fun airplane experience and your new convert.
I’m a new reader and really enjoying your site! I own a yoga studio and I think you are doing a fabulous yoga job! ;) And I’ve heard several people complain about too much talking on the yoga dvd’s. Good work with the print out.
And I must say that I love the yoga fan AND your tank top! Where did you get it?! Love that it’s customized….
Woohoo! You have had your first “yogasm”! It took me 6 months of doing yoga twice a week to get there since like you, I like my cardio workouts.
The Bikini Bootcamp book has good yoga poses and sequences as well as suggested music.
My favourite is playing my yoga cd, turning the lights down and lighting candles.
Enjoy!
Congratulations on doing crane! Thos balance poses are really tricky to pull off. If you are feeling pain in your wrists, its possible that your alignment is off. Arm balances and inversions are really all about alignment, and with most of them, I’ve needed an instructor to physically manipulate my body into the right position before I figured them out.
The first two things I would check: Are your hands pointing straight forward?–you want your middle finger pointing straight ahead. I also have a tendancy to collapse my shoulders in these poses, so you might check to make sure that you are really pulling your shoulders back. Good luck!
Angela, what an awesome idea about the heat lamps from Costco!! I really want to try doing some “hot yoga” with our space heater! Have you tried Polly’s yoga is yummy dvd or her mini videos at wwwyogaisyummy.net? I love her stuff!
I love my block, too! It helps especially in triangle pose. Putting my hand on my shin feels akward, but I can’t reach all the way to the floor – so the block works perfectly!
And what a great idea to use a space heater for “hot yoga”! I was going to run when I got home, but I might do another yoga session, just to try it with the heater!
That looks like the perfect guide! Thanks for sharing. My cat does the exact same thing, and any time my ponytail gets loose he starts batting it around as much as possible – definitely adds a distraction factor to doing yoga at home, at the same time it reminds me I want to be fluid like my cats who stretch and move their bodies seamlessly all the time.
love your idea of homemade hotyoga!
I normally go to the library and get different yoga dvds, it’s nice because it’s free so I can try them all :)
Congrats on your crane pose!!! Is it mostly upper body strength, or do you need that and experience with yoga? I want to build up to that – looks awesome :-)
So cool! Im glad you like Yoga! It is fun. I just started myself and and completely new at it. But am loving it so far. Thanks for posting those sites too. They look fabulous.
My cats are always walking under me or rubbing up against my legs while I’m doing yoga. Always makes me laugh. :)
And I agree – Sarah Ivanhoe is great.
Ooooh! I’m on the exact same page as you! I actually mentioned you in my blog post today because I really need to get back into yoga. I’m going to be printing a few things off Yoga Download today (thanks!!!) and I’ll be incorporating yoga into my daily routine. Even just a few poses will help!
I love using a block as well as a strap for deeper stretching or when my hamstrings are uber tight.
Glad you like yoga, I’m getting back into the groove too and it feels so good!
I love reading about your yoga journey, Angela! Crane pose (bakasana) – it’s CORE STRENGTH first, arms second.
I LOVE my black Manduka yoga mat – that’s my #1 yoga accessory. After that I really like my Hasta Pada Yoga Belt (vyanayoga.com) and my yoga MUSIC! The right music helps create the right mood.
The great thing about yoga though is that you really don’t need anything – just close your eyes and turn inward, listen, and your practice will emerge.
Congrats on getting the Crane pose!! I haven’t made it there yet ;)
The yoga block looks pretty cool & really helpful, I think I might have to pick one of those up!
I’m still ‘getting into’ yoga, but so far I love it!
I do yogadownload.com too. I was a bit skeptical as a newbie to yoga if I was going to be able to follow along. And I agree, it was so, so much easier than I thought!
As far as yoga equiptment goes. I don’t really have any. I am sure I’ll be adding some to my Christmas list :)
that heat lamp/fan looks awesome. haha i was looking at the same lulumon mat the other day, i might have to get it. i looked at that printable yoga guide last night, i think i’ll have to print that sucker out!
I love to see people LOVING yoga! And I think I am going to steal the heat lamp idea. We live in a 3-story house and I hate pumping heat through all of it for only a few rooms.
I just got a Costco heater this weekend!
Thanks so much for the link to the yoga poses – this is so great!
I love my block and strap. Due to my back surgery I can’t do things like the bow or dancer without a strap but I love them so I broke down and bought a strap.
I will totally be checking out that yoga download page. I want to be able to do yoga while watching TV (yeah I’m crazy) but I always blank on poses to do that flow together.
Your “hot” yoga idea is brilliant! I will need to try that this week. I have made it a goal to do a yogadownload once a week.