Wednesday Wisdom

"Move your joints every day.  You have to find your own tricks.  Bury your mind deep in your heart, and watch the body move by itself."
~ Sri Dharma Mittra

xoxo

Foxy

Image source:  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/12/yoga-health-benefits_n_4768746.html

Erin Motz Bad Yogi 4-Week Challenge - Week 4 - Day 4

Today's session was a calming one as it focused on meditation.  This was a very welcome practice as I needed the quiet time.

I have incorporated alternate nostril breathing into my practice before, but this session reminded me of how beneficial it truly is.

The practice reminded me to get on my mat more frequently and find some space to be at peace with myself. 

xoxo

Foxy

Thursday Pondering

No winter lasts forever;  no spring skips its turn.
~ Hal Borland

xoxo

Foxy

Erin Motz Bad Yogi 4-Week Challenge - Week 4 - Day 3

Today's session focused on using yoga and breathing to alleviate the pain of a headache.

I didn't actually have a headache when I did this, so I can't attest to its effectiveness, but the process of learning to relieve a headache felt really good.

I need to remember to try this when I have a headache.

xoxo

Foxy

Erin Motz Bad Yogi 4-Week Challenge - Week 4 - Day 2

This session was a flow-based practice with the aim of finding crow pose at the end.  It was quite enjoyable and well worth doing, particularly as I'm so tight in my back, hamstrings and hips.

I have not been able to find crow pose properly and have been working on it for a very long time.  It's a lack of ab strength and tight hips that are mainly to blame.

This is definitely a pose that I need to be patient with and keep being patient with myself.

xoxo

Foxy

Erin Motz Bad Yogi 4-Week Challenge - Week 4 - Day 1

Today's session was a pose breakdown.  Pigeon, seated forward fold, and stepping forward from downward dog to warrior one were the poses focused on in this practice.

These are important stretching poses that I always enjoy because I know they work my hips and hamstrings.  Practising the movement of stepping forward from downward dog helps your flow feel more smooth and comfortable;  spending some time focusing on this has improved my practice.

xoxo

Foxy

Erin Motz Bad Yogi 4-Week Challenge - Week 3 - Day 7

All the practices this week focused on flexibility, and this session brought together the work done during the week.  I definitely felt this practice loosen me up and I feel stretched and lengthened.

This is a great practice to start your day and put you in a reflective, quiet state of mind.

xoxo

Foxy

Workout Thurs 9 April 2015

Despite continued low levels of motivation, I dragged myself to the gym.

Programme for today was upper body and went as follows:

Workout time: 2:30 - 4:00 pm

1. Elliptical trainer - 10 mins - 0.90km

2. One-arm dumbbell row - 6 x 12 - 7 kg

3. Seated tricep press - 3 x 12 - 7 kg

4. Alternate hammer curl - 3 x 24 - 2 x 5 kg

5. Tricep dumbbell kickback - 6 x 12 - 3 kg

6. Dumbbell curl - 3 x 12 - 2 x 5 kg

7. Seated bent-over rear delt raise - 3 x 12 - 2 kg (one of my least favourite exercises)

8. Bench press - 3 x 12 - 10 kg

9. Seated cable row - 2 x 12 - 22.5 kg

Completing this session made me feel better than I have in a while, and, in a small way reminded me why I lift.

xoxo

Foxy

Erin Motz Bad Yogi 4-Week Challenge - Week 3 - Day 6

I felt epic during today's practice.  This session was about building flexibility and strength and incorporated some of the work we did yesterday.

I felt better in pyramid and in the forward fold than I have done previously.  I was able to push myself deeper into the posture and was able to cope better with the usually painful stretching sensation in my legs.

Push yourself, yogis.

xoxo

Foxy

Erin Motz Bad Yogi 4-Week Challenge - Week 3 - Day 5

Today's practice involved a pose check on Warrior I, Triangle and Pyramid.  I see that these poses are often done incorrectly both in my own practice, and when I sneak a peek at the mirror to take a look at the other people in the class.

I was able to make sure I really feel each pose in the right places and it gave me time to check that my alignment was correct.

Well worth doing this session.

xoxo

Foxy

Tao Te Ching Wisdom

"If you want to shrink something,
you must first allow it to expand.
If you want to get rid of something,
you must first allow it to flourish."
~ Tao Te Ching

From a Veronica Krestow video called "How Letting Go May Be Keeping You Stuck"

xoxo

Foxy

Erin Motz Bad Yogi 4-Week Challenge - Week 3 - Day 4

Today's practice involved shoulder and upper body work.  Because I have been stiff and tight in my shoulders, neck and back, this was a much-needed practice.

While I was in meditation at the end of the practice, I felt that I could relax and let go of the anxiety that has seemed to take hold over the last few weeks.  The anxiety was probably mainly caused by work and the lack of regular exercise.  I have been worried about how challenging it would be to get back to the gym and to get back to yoga.  I have been worried about losing all the progress I have made in my bodybuilding journey over the last 6 months.

I need to push myself to get back into my routine and find my groove again.

xoxo

Foxy

Quick Update

Life has been a bit chaotic over the last few weeks, and thus my level of motivation to go to the gym and do yoga has been at a record low.  Combined with exhaustion, sleep deprivation, visits to the chiropractor and an oncoming flu, last week left me wanting to hibernate for a while.  I have been guzzling tea, hot water with a honey-cinnamon mix, and home-made butternut soup.  

I went to my usual yoga class on Sunday and really felt the effects of a lack of yoga and exercise.  I definitely needed that practice and I'm so pleased that I attended, despite the terrible cold and rainy weather.  I felt refreshed and relaxed afterwards.

This week, the focus is to return to the gym, get back into regular exercise and yoga practice because I hate the way I have been feeling lately.

I have bigger goals which I would like to work on, and need to go about finding help to do this.

xoxo

Foxy

Unhappy spine

I visited the chiropractor again yesterday and she said: "lovey, your muscles are as hard as my floor boards". For a bodybuilder, this would ordinarily be a compliment, but alas this was not the case here.

She expected my back to be a bit out of sorts because of my recently chaotic work schedule and long hours, but I think the state of my spine and its muscles was worse than anticipated.

The always excellent doctor did some acupuncture and pushed and cracked me back into place to get some movement, as she calls it. But because she is not yet completely happy with the range of movement and the tension in the muscles, I'm booked for another session next week. I am thus not to do anything stupid or extreme with my yogi body this weekend.

My back, neck, shoulders and trapezius muscles are all so sore.

I miss my yoga.

In addition to all the pain, because I'm tired and my immune system is run down, I'm catching a cold. I went to the pharmacy earlier to stock up on flu medication - only going to the doctor if I feel like the situation is antibiotics-level serious.

It definitely feels and looks like autumn outside, which ordinarily I'd love. And it's a long weekend, and it's Easter, and my birthday soon. Many reasons to be thankful and cheerful.

Trying to remind myself of this while I find some crafty projects to keep myself busy and make this a productive weekend.

xoxo

Foxy

Erin Motz Bad Yogi 4-Week Challenge - Week 3 - Day 3

The focus of today's practice is to open the hips.  I always find these sessions challenging, but I definitely needed the practice.  I felt all sorts of hip clicking and lower back clicking as I did this.

I am obviously still tired from the weekend's events, so I'm getting back into yoga slowly.  It's these sessions that I may find more difficult than usual that remind me to be patient with myself.

xoxo

Foxy