When it comes to happy little things, I’m pretty easy to
please—fun food, pretty notebooks, and, of course, books, all make me happy. Today
I’m going to share one of my happy little things that’s just a bit bigger: yoga
asana practice. Asana is what many
people think of when they hear the word yoga: the physical postures. (There’s much more to yoga, and you can read
about it here if you’re interested.)
I’ve included a gentle and basic yoga practice in my
exercise routine for more than 15 years, since I first discovered a class at my
gym. After class I drove home feeling as if my shoulders were about six inches
lower than before class. I was hooked. Since then, I’ve sampled yoga DVDs from
my library and bought a few to have at home. I usually do Rodney Yee’s AM Yoga
before I go to ride Tank, and I also love Suzanne Deason’s Stress Relief Yoga
on the same DVD (All Day Yoga for Beginners). Other favorites include Yoga for the Rest of Us and Yoga for Weight Loss. And just recently my
subdivision has started a yoga club, with a weekly meeting/class taught by a
resident. A group of us meets in our clubhouse to breathe and stretch our way
through an hour-long routine and learn a bit about the benefits of yoga.
Nothing I do makes me feel as good afterward as yoga does.
It’s definitely a simple pleasure—and sometimes an adventure, since I’m not
terribly flexible, and some poses are quite challenging. But with this new
weekly class, I feel myself getting stronger and more flexible, and I always walk out relaxed and serene when I’m done.
What little thing is making you happy right now?
And now...
Looking for an Adventure?
My friend Laure Ferlita has just announced the next location for Imaginary Trips Made Real. Winter Interrupted will take place in January of 2015 in St. Petersburg ,
FL.
