I Can’t Believe I Do Yoga

When Dr. Jess Goodman, the developer of Iheart (get your free one here www.exercisemd.ca ), told Mary and I how our internal age would improve by adding Yoga to our regular routine of exercise, diet and less stress, I wasn’t sure I could pull it off. Memories of modern dance classes at college where I was constantly told I had no flexibility, combined with a history of muscle tears (ruptured both my Achilles) and the ongoing pain in joints and muscles from past injuries, made me doubt the advice.

Mary was encouraging, however, and signed us up for 5 weeks of private yoga classes, meeting once per week. She was a pro of course and could master all of the required stretches and techniques, where I was encouraged to “use the wall to keep your balance if you must.” In short, it was brutal. Because we pre-paid and I had always told my children to finish what you start (worked in T-ball for them), I stuck it out, but was quite sure my Yoga career was over. After 5 weeks, we reviewed what Dr. Goodman had told us to do, and I again started to try a type called Kripalu Yoga. It is a very gentle and forgiving breathing and stretching program that I can actually do with minor pain and discomfort. Because we live in a rural area and have no official Kripalu Studio here, we found this excellent video that guides you through a 30 minute Yoga session. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1WpAX6TaPk

Now here is the thing. It still isn’t very exciting (a lot like the cardio I do), but when you finish, the change in how you feel, I guarantee you will be noticeable. The instructor on this video is very kind and forgiving so you don’t have to push yourself beyond your comfort zone. You also will notice that most of it is about deep breathing, not so much the physical aspects of stretching. It is very relaxing. Wearing a monitor, my heart rate dropped to 58 BPM while doing a session. My Iheart age is now approximately 20 years younger than my actual age. In short, if I can do this, you certainly can. Find a quiet private spot, get the video from YouTube, and get started. I still can’t believe I do Yoga. Next week I’ll explain my other new found love for lavender. That’s right, I said lavender……