As you can see, I've changed Saturday's post from "Something Different" to "Stretch and Flexibility." I keep harping about how important it is to stretch, yet I don't post many stretch or flexibility workouts. Well, today that changes permanently!
I've posted before how important flexibility exercises are and the benefits of doing them.
Here's a challenge for you...I challenge you to not only do proper stretching after your cardio and/or strength training workouts, I also challenge you to do a workout at least once a week that is dedicated solely to stretching and flexibility--they will be easy to find because I will be posting one every Saturday :)
Because I teach 3-4 classes on Monday, I tend to this type of workout on Tuesday because my muscles are usually pretty tight and also need a break. Do this workout on the day after your more intense workout--your muscles and your brain will thank you.
So, this past Tuesday I was scrolling through my YouTube channels and came across this yoga class from Namaste Yoga with Melissa West. I posted another one of her workouts in the past, but this one really caught my eye. It is from her Cultural Conditioning series and it's called Obsession with Thin (there are 10 videos in the series). From her website:
"Cultural Conditioning is the social process in which authority figures such as parents, professors, politicians, religious leaders, peers, and the media define our cultural values, beliefs, ethical systems, and ultimately the way we perceive ourselves in the world. Advertising is a $200 billion industry. We are exposed to three thousand advertisements a day. They are quick, cumulative and they appeal to our subconscious mind. Consciously we believe we are not affected by these media images of the ideal body that tells us who we should be, but they are designed to affect us at a subconscious level thousands of times a day."
I don't know about you, but in my profession I feel like I do have to look a certain way. How would it look if the fitness instructor doesn't look really fit? I struggle with this a lot. I did have some weight issues when I was in my teens and I still never seemed to be happy with where I was weight and size wise until it was too late.
I see pictures of myself when I was thinner and I can now say, "Hey, I didn't look so bad," but that's not how I saw myself then. I'm am just now starting to except me the way I am and I can confidently say that I look pretty good for a 52 year old mother of 4!!! More so, I feel stronger than ever--and a lot of that comes from yoga.
This workout is different from some of the other yoga workouts I've posted--and actually most of the ones I do--I tend to do more athletic yoga. This one is more meditative and reflective--and it is awesome. It is not a flow-type yoga, these poses are held quite a bit longer--there are actually only about 6 or 7 poses in total. In this type of class you are called to reflect and meditate on something and to feel your body's response while you are holding the poses.
As I said, I did this class on Tuesday and felt great--my body got some greatly needed long stretching and opening up and I was able to reflect about the way I feel thinness is portrayed in the media and how it affects me and my job.
Again, the subject for this class is: Obsession With Thin
She recommends that you have a bolster, yoga block and strap. I used 2 pillows stacked for the bolster, you can use more pillows for the blocks and I used a belt for the strap.
One note, once you are in Reclined Goddess pose on the bolster, stay there while she talks and just listen to what she is saying. She'll let you know when it's time to get up.
Also, when she does Cow Face, make sure you switch your legs (she does end up doing the same leg twice, but she does switch her arms correctly).
Here's is a link to her website: Namaste Yoga 173
It has in print everything that she reads while you are lying down. It also shows each of the poses that are done.
Namaste
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