Guest Post: Why do I love Yoga? Let Me Count The Ways.

Hi fellow bloggers and wonderful readers! I’m a busy busy girl for about the next two weeks and I put out a request for some guests posts and a few of you came through for me which I truly appreciate! If any of you would like to contribute a guest post for me–about anything…a recipe, exercise, fashion, cooking, a passion of yours…whatever, please just email me at Soonerliza@gmail.com and I would love to have you on my blog!

I’ve got a lot of tests in the next two weeks and I’d like to keep my A’s in my classes so this will be my first guest post. This is from Angela, a great friend I’ve made in the blog world. She wrote a post about finding her true exercise passion. I think finding what you enjoy doing is the most important thing in exercise and it helps so much in keeping you healthy and happy!

With that said, I introduce you to Angela.

Hi all, my name is Angela and I publish two blogs, Lawgirl and Fattie Fatterton.  I have been reading I’m an Okie for some time now and Miss Lisa is such a wonderful person. She was kind enough to let me do a guest post while she’s busy wrapping up her school term.

Last year I started my journey to getting healthy.  I’ve been searching for that perfect physical activity – the one that you love to do and keeps you coming back for more.

I tried swimming, walking, and TRX Suspension Training.  I enjoyed all of them, but not to the point that I wanted to go to the gym as much as possible to do them.

Then I took my first Yoga class.  And I’m hooked.  It was love at first Sun Salutation.

Why do I love Yoga?  Let me count the ways:

1. It doesn’t matter what size you are or what shape you’re in.  Yes, because of my own size, I have to make modifications to the poses.  But I still get an amazing workout and I’m still building my muscles for when I can do the poses full out.
2. It’s a full-body workout.  You use every single muscle in Yoga (and you will feel it until they become accustomed to the new direction in which you’re taking them.)
3. Depending upon the type of Yoga you are taking, it can also be a cardio workout.  If you are moving quickly between positions, you will definitely feel your heart rate go up.  Ashtanga Yoga and Power Yoga are examples of this type of Yoga.
4. There is little to no recovery time. If you run, your body is tired from the effort.  If you lift weights, you need to give your muscles time in between to heal.  With Yoga, you can do it everyday – actually, you can do it all day.  I know folks who take more than one Yoga class per day.
5. Yoga heals your body. I have had some pretty rough back issues for sometime – in fact, if they could do a full spine replacement, I would be all over it!  Since I’ve been doing Yoga, my pain has reduced dramatically.
6. Yoga can prevent injuries. Because of the way you are developing your muscles, especially your core, you are giving your body the tools it needs to avoid injuries.  It will support you through all of your activities
7. Yoga is a great anti-depressant.  Amen to that.  I have to say, within a week I was saying, if everyone did Yoga, we wouldn’t have any wars.  You just feel SO good afterward.

And those are just the benefits I am finding now, at the beginning of my Yoga journey. 

There are different types of Yoga classes.  I suggest looking for studios that use a heated room, as this is much safer for your muscles.  I am sensitive to heat, but I have become more and more used to it.  The rooms I’ve practiced in are generally kept between 82 and 90 degrees.

You will sweat it out!  When you first start, you will need a lot of water to keep going.  However, as I’ve continued in my practice, I find myself drinking water less and less during my actual sessions.  Most instructors will actually discourage you from drinking water, as it cools down your body and that is counterintuitive to Yoga.  But do what is best for YOU.

I am lucky in that my gym, Lifetime Fitness, provides quite a few Yoga classes each week and they are all included in my $65/month membership fee.  And, because I’ve been unemployed for some time now, I have been able to go to Yoga 4-5 times per week.

If you don’t belong to a gym, you can Google Yoga classes by your zip code.  In my area, there are some that have a drop-in fee of $15 per class.  Or you can buy a pass for a certain amount of time.

A lot of my enjoyment of Yoga has come from my instructors.  In the classes I’ve taken, I have only come across one instructor with whom I didn’t click.  If you find one like that, don’t give up.  Try another instructor.

I hope that this brief overview has inspired you to try Yoga, if you haven’t already.

Peace and love, Angela.

Have you ever tried Yoga? I don’t do Yoga regularly, although I’m sure I should. I enjoy stretching and I have never tried the more intense versions of yoga. My grandmother has actually been a Yoga instructor for about 30 years so I definitely grew up around it!

Have you found that one type of exercise that keeps you coming back for more? I’d say mine is lifting and quick intense cardio! Nothin like getting that heart beating fast!

Tagged as: yoga