Yoga Things

I was worried that yoga would end up on the back burner as things got a little busier. While I am still far, far, far from my previously normal level of activity, I am still pleased with how easily yoga has continued to fit into my daily routine. 

I'm going to start this entry by sharing a not-really-funny story from two weeks ago. It was 95 degrees when I headed to Emily's barn. I have been going there for years now and I consider most of the girls friends as well as clients. I mean, once you get drunk at the beach for your birthday with someone, the professional relationship blurs. Those of you who read the blog probably know that I have some body image issues, particularly when it comes to my legs. But, like I said, I know these girls really well, and it's disgustingly hot out, so I wore shorts to the barn since I wouldn't be riding. The shorts in question were Nike running shorts, the kind with the under liner, like this.

Emily was riding Shadow that day, and his owner, who I've never formally met, was watching. After Emily dismounted, this woman walks up to me and, without so much as a "hi, nice to meet you", she blurts out, "What are you wearing?"
I was honestly a little stunned and I stammered, "Um, shorts and a t-shirt?" I wasn't really sure what she was referring to. It's not like I was in a coconut bra.
"What is this little black thing you've got going on?" she continued, gesturing at my lower half. At this point, I was actively backing away from her because she wasn't wearing a mask and was getting to be too close to me.
"They're running shorts," I answered, while internally telling myself that I didn't actually owe this woman an explanation.
"Oh, from behind, I thought it was a thong." And with that she shrugged and walked away.

You guys, I was mortified. I frantically checked to see if my ass was hanging out, even though I feel like that's something I would have noticed (and Jess and Jocelyn both assured me that they would have pointed it out if I didn't). I wasn't even wearing a thong underneath the shorts, not that it's any of anyone's business.

So then I went home and did my daily yoga while wearing yoga shorts. For the record, these I would not wear out in public, even though I love seeing them on other girls.

I sort of accidentally did peacock pose, which surprised the heck out of me. I don't normally post yoga pictures on Facebook, but I was pretty proud of myself so I shared this one:

And then someone on IG, who I have never met, commented, "You need to work on your tan." Well, I tried and got judged for it soooo..

Anyway, my point is that it's 2020 and I was under the impression that we don't judge people for their bodies or their choice of outfit. Like, go to any given beach and look at the bathing suits that are on the market (and good for them!) Or go to any yoga page and check out the super cute body suits and sports bras.  It's literally none of anybody's business what I wear in my own living room! I'm tempted to post a picture of myself doing some weird pose actually in a thong with my ass facing right at the camera.

New rule, you're not allowed to judge my shorts unless you're in the pose I'm wearing them in. And even then, I don't want to hear it! Yeesh.

And now, some more yoga photos and notes.

Working on dancer's pose. I realized after that my hips are twisting way to the side, which they are not supposed to do. 

A much more correct dancer's pose.

And the long-term goal is to do this!! 

I am continuously working on getting more control in my handstand transition. I took gymnastics as a kid and even though it has been more than twenty years, that "kicking up" muscle memory is a powerful thing. 

Camel pose, which felt super good on this day! I'm hoping to gain some more flexibility in my lower back.

And then there's this...

Baby crow was a fun variation!!

I happened to accidentally do a half-assed flying crow in my PJ's. I have not been able to replicate this since.

I spend a lot of time hanging out in crow these days.

Eight angle pose is getting easier and more correct.

Eryca had me play with reversed wrists. The first several times I tried to do a push up in this position, I flat out fell down. I modified by putting my knees down and that did the trick. I was originally just doing planks and push ups this way, but then I had an aha moment with my center of gravity and started to play with peacock.

We did some more playing with binds and worked up to bird of paradise. I need to get my shoulders back and my torso more upright, but I was pleased with how much I straightened my leg. Also, my yoga face is even worse than my jumping face!

Dancer's pose with better hips. Herbie assists.

First attempt at working on splits. My blocks had not arrived yet. 

New type of headstand that forces me to go slow and engage my core. There's no way I can kick into this. I have to draw my legs up slowly. Yesterday I was able to do it all the way up without a spotter for the first time, and then stay there indefinitely which was cool.

I love sleeping pigeon. It feels so good.

I probably should not do this yet. My back doesn't approve.

Julio likes it though.

My husband is very supportive. Literally.

Blocks make all the difference. A full split is a lifetime goal for me.

Always working on a better forward fold. 

This was in April.

We were working on cow legs and I surprised the heck out of myself by actually touching my fingers! Just on one side, but it's a start!

This is another pose I really enjoy. It feels awesome.

Candy cane pose was new this week. I thought for sure I would fall over when I saw a picture. 

Mermaid pose!  Again, I need to open my shoulders more so I can sit up better, but I can't believe I did it at all! I do still need a block under one hip to get it. Meanwhile, my husband just casually did it without even warming up. -_- (Also, this is my "thong".)

Other people look much more elegant and graceful when they do it.

I'm pretty pleased so far. My first official class with Eryca was April 26th, and I'd only done a handful of videos before that, so I've only been doing this seriously for about two and a half months. While I still feel very much like a beginner, it's really cool to see the changes already. I'm definitely getting stronger, especially in my arms and core, and both my balance and flexibility are slowly improving. Plus, yoga is 100% effective at clearing up my back pain (which I can thank horseback riding for). 

One of the things I'm looking forward to the most is being able to do this with Eryca in person some day in the distant post-corona future...