G’morning & Happy Thursday, dolls!
Catching up and sharing Days 9 & 11 + explaining why I’ve chosen to skip Day 10 in our #LetsGetFlexy Yoga Challenge.
Hoping everyone is having a wonderful week! xx
Day 9: Tortoise Pose
I don’t come into Tortoise Pose often, or ever, actually, but I do sit in this wide-legged FF about 5x a week. I LOVE this stretch and feel it from my pelvis all the way down to my ankles — Amazing!! This is such a great stretch after a good run and/or leg workout.
In any FF, make sure you move/extend from the hips, folding with a long, flat back/spine. If your looking like a hunch back in a fold, chances are you shouldn’t be folding that far forward. ;)
If your working toward Tortoise Pose and brining arms underneath your legs, but feel discomfort try bending into the knees which will create more space in the hamstrings & for your arms. Still feeling discomfort? Then this pose isn’t for you…
Day 10: Inverted Staff Pose
I’ve choosen to skip this pose because it doesn’t serve my body. I tried to get into the pose to take a pic for the challenge and it honestly hurt like hell. My back is pretty tight and this is a seriously deep back bend that just doesn’t feel good to me.
I sent a text to my beautiful friend who is doing the challenge with me to share her photo of Inverted Staff Pose with you all! She’s pretty amazing, right!?
Yoga is about removing the ego and honoring your body. This pose does not honor my body — it does the total opposite. If I got into this pose, it would be all about the ego and simply to get a pretty picture to post. (that actually wouldn’t be so pretty, haha)
One of my favorite instructors always makes it a point to say in class, if you always feel the need to do something, why is that? Easy example, if you always feel the need to move thru chatruanga rather than just push back to down dog, why is that? Some days, I head into a yoga class already tired & sore from previous workouts, already feeling fatigued in my shoulders. I’ll move thru a few chaturangas in the beginning of class but will start to skip them as the class goes on. If I’m tired and my form is shitty, the proper thing to do is take it a little easier, skip chaturanga and simply push back to down dog. Moving thru chaturganga would be purely out of ego.
Just a little something to ruminate on… :)
Day 11: Warrior 3
You can take Warrior 3 balancing like I’m doing here or grounded.
I like to come into this pose with my standing leg slightly bent until I feel stable, then extend fully. Lifted leg is just as active/turned on as your standing leg. Try to keep your hips squared off, flex your foot towards your shin and turn toes down to the floor. Keep abs engaged to stabilize yourself + protect your back.
Balancing Variations: Prayer hands, arms reaching forward/overhead or with a bind (as I’m doing)
Grounded: with or without a block (ego?? there’s nothing wrong with using a block — I use one all the time)
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