Thursday

[muck_a_luck]

Yoga Journal Step-by-Step: Disc 1: Foundation Poses

Considering how long it's been since I did any yoga, I'm sure I'll be feeling this one tomorrow.

As promised by zats_clear, an excellent instructional video. A good refresher for me, to remind me the precision I should be trying to bring to vinyasa practice. An interesting learning experience for me, too. I practiced upstairs today, on the hard floors, and MAN does it hurt trying to roll over my toes. Which I didn't use to do, but which I have clearly incorporated into my practice over the winter. I went back to my old habit of resetting my feet between the postures, and it *definitely* impacted how I performed Up Dog. And ugh. Chaturanga. I am much closer to doing this pose right, a testament to the improvement in my upper body strength over the winter, but it is still almost the suckiest pose. Right behind Extended Side Angle, for which at this moment I have a new hatred. But again, a pose that I can tell is much easier now that it was when I last did a good instructional video, waaaaay back at the beginning. My front leg doesn't collapse anymore, but naturally rolls out against my shoulder.

As we all know, yoga is about balancing the effort of the postures with the ease of your breathing and the calm of your mind. I am definitely feeling that right now. And also very awake and envigorated. Tomorrow, I'll be a grandma, but that's for tomorrow to worry about.

Feeling slightly gipped that I didn't get any seated postures in, but I don't have time, so they will have to wait. Maybe tonight I can sneak them in before bed.

Haha! Monday, I was all kitted out to exercise, but just being Husband's friend before he left for wor - which is our usual weekday morning. I usually work out after he heads out for the bus. Well, we were sitting there, him eating breakfast, me folding laundry, and we had the science channel on. And it was this thing about body clock and how ONE SHOULD NOT EXERCISE in the first three hours after one wakes up, because of the huge increase in RISK OF HEART ATTACK!!!!

*glares*

Now, to hit the showers. You can all send up a prayer to your respective deities, and you athiests just think me a well-wish, that I don't have a heart attack or stroke in the shower.

Oh! And the old belly button didn't even twinge! Considering the blowout came during Triangle, I have to call that a successful repair!

Comments

[zats-clear.livejournal.com]

Yay! I knew you would like that video! Yes,her precision is amazing and really has made a difference in my ability to do certain poses I could not do before. Who knew that lining your front heel up with your back arch can make such change in your sense of balance in one pose, while moving it mere centimeters to line up heel to heel is necessary for the following pose?!

glad you are back to working out again!

[muck-a-luck.livejournal.com]

Who would have thought that foot placement was SO KEY to balance! :D It's glaringly obvious once the thought occurs.

I'm plotting trance dance for Saturday morning.

[(Anonymous)]

I wish you well always. :) -Bunny

[sorry, at work so not logged in.]

[green-grrl.livejournal.com]

And it was this thing about body clock and how ONE SHOULD NOT EXERCISE in the first three hours after one wakes up, because of the huge increase in RISK OF HEART ATTACK!!!!

No way! Dammit! I was just talking with a friend--she treadmills every morning before work, because it wakes her up. I was sharing that my best semester in college was the semester I took an early morning aerobics class. I lived around the corner from the gym, and just rolled out of bed in the morning and shlepped over in sweats, then was alert the rest of the day. Okay, I guess I wasn't so much at risk when I was 20.

Also, yay belly button!

[muck-a-luck.livejournal.com]

I wonder how the increased risk balances against the overall benefit of regular exercise. People who exercise in the morning are more likely to maintain a regular exercise routine.

I also wonder if the envigorating rush of morning exercise comes from the bloodpressure effects. A healthy person doing a routine in the morning will either maintain blood pressure or slightly increase it, while the same routine later in the day actually lowers blood pressure.

Apparently, in the morning right after you wake up, three factors make exercise dangerous. First, your arteries are constricted. Second they are less flexible. Third, your blood is kind of thick. All of which contribute to a higher risk that choloseterol plaques will get knocked loose and cause problems and blockages.

On the flip side of this story, exercise in the day does not have to be very vigorous to have blood pressure benefits. Even an afternoon stroll can be helpful.

[green-grrl.livejournal.com]

Hmmm. My blood pressure tends to the low side of normal to begin with, and I drink water right before bed and upon waking up. Can't do much about the constricted/less flexible arteries, though. I walk home from work, so I get that in, but it's the morning alertness that would be nice. If I were disciplined enough to wake up enough to exercise before work....