Yoga Class Fun

If you follow my blog for sewing, you’ve likely seen that I sew a lot of workout wear.  It isn’t that I run, or spend hours at the gym because obviously, I don’t!  But I do love going to yoga class.  I’ve been practicing yoga for 16 years and besides walking the beach, it’s my favorite form of exercise.  Like anything else that you practice regularly, the more  you do it, the better you get.  I’m certainly not perfect, but it’s fun when I feel like I’m able to get deeper into a pose than I used to.  I’ve had some excellent yoga instructors over the years, and am happy that I’ve found a yoga studio with classes I enjoy, along with instructors and regular attendees who make me feel like I am part of a happy little tribe.

I’ve never been able to get photos while practicing, but all of the other “regulars” at Friday morning Ashtanga were on vacation, traveling, had work commitments, etc., so I was the only student.  Ashley, my favorite Ashtanga instructor 🙂 asked if she could take some photos as we did class.  I had to laugh when she said after class that she “felt like the paparazzi, trying to get all up in there, taking photos.”  Hahahahaha!  Since I am not some Hollywood movie star or otherwise famous, the paparazzi will never be taking photos of me, so I found this hilarious!

Ashley was discreet while photographing, so you’re not subjected to photos of my sweaty face, just my sweaty back!  Just for fun, here are my yoga photos:

It was super exciting to me when I was first able to get my head down on the floor during wide legged forward folds.

My elbows feel like they’re pretty centered and vertical when I’m in twisted side angle, I’m almost to the center of my chest.

There are so many variations of forward folds.

I really like this photo, the lighting was pretty.  Can you see the sweat dripping up my spine?  And can you tell that I never take off my cross necklace? 🙂  I need to work on getting my palms together though.

My Grandpa taught me to stand on my head when I was a little girl, so this isn’t a big deal, since I’ve always been able to do it.

It’s fun to be able to pike out of a headstand too.

If you’ve thought about trying a yoga class, I hope you’ll give it a try.  It isn’t all about being able to stand on your head.  It’s more about breathing, and learning to control your breath and your responses to the stressors in life.  It helps you build focus, along with strengthening and stretching your muscles.  As I’ve heard more than once, it’s a yoga “practice”, not a yoga “perfect”.  It is also a perfect time to pray.  I manage a couple of Hail Mary’s during the opening mantra, and an Our Father during the closing mantra.  Faith is an important part of life, and there’s never a bad time to pray.  I enjoy adding prayer to my yoga practice as much as I enjoy a quiet prayer while walking the beach.

Exercise, eat healthy foods, and take care of your body and soul.

If you’re curious about my workout outfit, the tights are the GreenStyle Super G’s, although I did hack the side pocket panels in this pair a little bit.  My workout top is the hack I did on the Stitch Upon A Time Titania Top, blogged here.  The Supplex, Powernet, and plush bra strap elastic were all purchased from Phee Fabrics.

This post may contain affiliate links.  This means that at no extra cost to you, I may receive a small commission/credit if you purchase through my links.  As always, I only give my honest opinion, because after all, it is my blog, which represents me! 🙂