Workout Wednesday: Yoga

I've been making an effort this year to be more consistent with my yoga practice.  I know...we're just 7 weeks into 2013.  But I find I perform better when I take in yoga on a regular basis.  For work, I find that yoga helps minimize my stress level...and a clear mind is a sharper mind.  For running, yoga keeps my hamstrings stretched and I notice that I perform better on my long runs.

But the hard part is finding the time and a teacher I like.  For the past couple of years, I have enjoyed the classes taught by Jen or Kristen at Inner Bliss.  I recently tried an instructor at a studio in Lakewood.  She was so nice, but I just didn't click.  There was a student in class who asked questions about every 5 minutes and I found it so distracting.  I think it's important to feel comfortable with the instructor to ask questions about whether you're in a pose correctly, but the volume of questions was just so distracting.  And her music just didn't work for me.

Music is an important piece for me.  I love getting lost in a good song.  I remember being in one of Kristen's classes when she played Eddie Vedder's Breathe about half way through and it just felt right. 

I then tried a class near my work during lunch.  It was convenient and priced at $10 a class.  The class was actually not bad, but the music was a bit too spiritual for me.  Just not feeling it here either.

Tara Stiles has been getting a lot of buzz the past couple of years so I checked out a few of her YouTube videos and I'm hooked.  I like her voice, the flow of movement, and I especially like how her videos are geared toward athletes and tight hamstrings.  I found one that's just 7 minutes long and easy to do in the mornings. And best of all, it doesn't cost $10-15 per class.

Hope you're enjoying your workout today, whatever it may be.

What I'm Loving: Tara Stiles

Women's Health magazine featured a 2-page yoga workout developed by Tara Stiles in their September 2010 issue. The workout consists of eight poses to "tone up and slim you down." Each pose must be held for 5 breaths cycling through the workout twice. You move through plank, down dog, down dog split, down dog knee to forehead, low lunge, high lunge, high lunge with twist, rotated triangle. It's geared toward building strength and I can't believe how exhausted my arms are! I'm hoping that the cycling, yoga and physical therapy exercises will keep me conditioned enough for a nice return to running!

I'm on the waiting list at our local library for her Slim Calm Sexy Yoga book. I like that she's no-nonsense and all about strength without the new age crap. Can't wait!