Inspiration from Yoga - Day 14 - Hard CORE Yoga!

Tonight I gratefully undertook a reprieve from all the Up & Down Dogs (no Bad Dogs here!!!) and instead did a very core-intensive workout.

A great workout - the best part involving a minute of crossing elbow to knee bicycles (Well, I'm here to tell you that even if you think you HAVE a strong core, do that for a minute and I feel fairly certain you will feel the fire!) Also, a fun sequence that was quite Pilates-like in the alternating of leg raises with breath and bending knees, and the pointed and flexed foot positions. (I got a little confused when we reversed the sequence, but I think I managed okay!)

And so grateful to not be holding a low pushup position tonight that I can't even tell you! :) Really enjoyed the workout, though I think it was pretty intense if one was a beginning yogi just starting their practice. So I would rate the workout intermediate level - though he did offer variations of each exercise for beginner, intermediate and advanced levels, which was a nice option, and cautioned that you could rest at any point if it became too intense. I didn't have to pause, but at some points I had to watch my screen (difficult from a position on my back) to see what the exercise involved.

But at the end, the instructor said to take a moment thank your body. Thank your core for supporting you and holding you up, literally. Thank your abdomen for having the "guts" to do the workout (I admit I chortled a bit in Savasana!)

But, this rang another mental bell. So much time I spend berating my body, punishing it for all the things that don't go the way I wanted, punishing myself for mistakes. I wouldn't want to work for so cruel a taskmaster, yet this is what I demand of my body.

So taking a moment to truly thank my body for everything that it does for me. So often we take our mobility, our functionality, our simplest of tasks for granted - until that is taken away. When we injure ourselves, with heightened awareness we realize how crucial even the smallest pinky toe is, or take for granted how easily we brush our teeth with our dominant hand, or the ability to swivel our necks. 

So be grateful today. Maybe you have pain. Maybe you're working around injuries, arthritis, struggling to battle a physical or mental challenge, but there is ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS something to be grateful for.

With all my gratitude,
Sirens Echo