Summer is in full swing - dare I say it is half over? Noooo! - and my routines are solidly in place, so it is time for a progress check.
I have fully committed to a Level 2/3 warm yoga class once a week at the studio I actually pay for. I have also attended yoga at 24 Hour Fitness sporadically, but I find myself getting irritated with some of the teachers there. Maybe I am too high on my horse and need to be humbled (from a lunge position, elongate the spine, clasp hands behind the back, then fold forward bringing chest to thigh: Humble Warrior) or maybe I am right, who's to say? But when a teacher gives unclear directions how to get into a difficult pose, or actually leads students through a flow with unsafe alignment for the spine or knees, I get a bit indignant and it does hamper my practice. Granted, I know enough to modify for myself and maintain safe postures and alignment, but I see otherwise fit people struggling, and I think: He could be more successful in that pose if he'd gotten into it differently or She could totally do this if she had been properly warmed up. And then I feel like just leaving the class and doing my own practice, and inviting those people to follow me. Pretty arrogant, I know, but that's what education brings, I guess. Sometimes ignorance really is bliss.
My own teaching continues with weekly Yoga in the Park sessions. I love the feel of the breeze and warm late afternoon sun on my body while doing yoga, and it is a blessing that others allow me to guide them as they enjoy it with me. I have had two people at each session, so it is rather intimate and personalized, which is nice! I get in a little bit of my own workout as I teach, but those 75 minute warm classes at the studio are where I really push my limits.
Walking and running have found their place in my schedule as well, usually alternating with yoga days, but sometimes occurring on a yoga day if it is a lighter workout - a walk as opposed to a run. And per my new yoga teacher's advice, I follow each walk/run with about 20 minutes of yoga to re-stretch those hamstrings and quads that I've just totally abused. Overall, it feels like a well-rounded workout when I am done, whether the bouts of exercise take place at 9 AM and 7 PM or all together in one 90-minute hurrah. I take a rest day once or twice a week, but often I will be enticed into a leisurely walk or bike ride with the family, so I don't feel too much guilt about taking it easy now and then.
One element that is missing is scheduling walks with friends. Last summer, that was a cornerstone of my multi-workout days, but this summer it has been tough to schedule. My one friend with two small kids now has to figure out how to bring both kids when only the younger still fits in a stroller. I also have other obligations - my stepson's drop off and pick up schedule, and a few hours a week that I am putting in on a summer curriculum design team - so any chunks of free time feel precious and few. I haven't yet been willing to risk adding something to the agenda that might cause a conflict or a time-crunch.
All this exercise is great for my strength and energy, but I'm not experiencing any weight loss, so I am starting a low-carb eating plan two days a week. There was an article in Prevention magazine about this plan, and it sounded very reasonable! So I started it this week, and I felt great, and it wasn't hard to manage. No carbs (or low carbs, anyhow) means no alcohol or sweets, so two days a week these temptations are off-limits. Carbs or not, I take in plenty of extra calories from alcohol and the occasion piece of chocolate or licorice that even if I ate moderate carbs the rest of the day, I would probably lose weight just cutting out those diet-destroyers!
I am still a work in progress, but I am feeling great about where I am right now. My new goal is to be able to do the challenging poses in my warm yoga class that I currently cannot quite do. My teacher said I have the strength (yeah!) but I need to work on flexibility in my hips and quads. So if you see me in the park after a run doing Dancer pose or King Pigeon, don't make fun - I am on a mission. I also know I need more core strength, but that's a topic for a whole 'nother day!
