Yoga

I have done a 10 minute yoga session twice this week. My family are all out and about, so I felt I was able to hog the carpet and get some stretching done. I have had upper back pain for a few months now and it has been getting me down. Despite my physio cracking me back into shape each month I see him, the pain and tension continues, It has become bad enough that, combined with some lower VO2 readings from my running watch after I had covid, I was wondering if I had a lung problem.

I like doing yoga and it is definitely something I could get into doing more often. Finding 10 minutes in the day to stretch and relax is possible, so I should do it more often.

I use an app called DownDog which allows you to tailor the moves to suit your level of experience and what exercise you want to get out of it. I opted for some Restorative stretches without standing poses to get started. It has been just over 1 year since I last did any Yoga, so I need to make sure I ease myself back in gently.

I am ok at the poses, but not too flexible. I am quite tall (6’2") and have never been able to touch my toes. The tight, hard, steel metal cables where my hamstrings should be prevent anything from bending correctly. Hopefully over time, that will improve.

One annoying thing about using an app is that, until you learn the moves, you have to keep glancing up to see what they are doing. There is some direction about which leg or hand to move, but I often get into a position where I can’t tell if I am doing it correctly, so have to life my head up to look, ruining the moment. It is probably easier to see if you are doing more standing poses.

I was wondering this morning what a “celebrity yoga” teacher does with their clients. What sort of shape the celebs they work with are in when they start, compared to after a year. It would be nice to have 1-on-1 tuition. A video or an app can only get you so far. I suspect, to get the most out of it, you need someone there to point out where you are going wrong. In my minds eye I am keeping my hips over my knees when doing the table pose, but I might be all over the place. I bet small modifications make a big difference.

Namaste