As long as I’ve had kids, I’ve been a yogi, or yoga student and practitioner.  Someone gave me a prenatal yoga video when I was pregnant with my first daughter, and that’s when my journey began, about 20 years now.

I have to admit, I am currently not super-disciplined with it. Now I manage to practice once or twice a week, even though I’ve tried to commit to it daily.  When I was going to formal classes at CorePower Yoga, I went three or four times a week.  That was easy to do when I bought an unlimited access membership, allowing me to take a class whenever I wanted.  But when I stopped working at a school close to Denver, I didn’t go to the studio as much.

For some reason, CorePower won’t build a studio on the west side of the Denver metro area, where I live, which has made it harder to go to their classes.  This change allowed me to practice at home with more freedom, but also less expectation.  It’s much easier to blow off practice when you don’t have a scheduled class to attend.  Aside from all of that, I continue to come to the yoga mat and allow myself to be present while moving and stretching my body. 

My yoga journey

More important, I also try to calm my mind and regain some sense of balance.  It doesn’t matter if my session is 10 minutes or an hour – I’ll get the benefits just the same.

Part of the reason why I slowed down my yoga practice is when I purchased DVD sets that had 90-minute classes.  I nearly always took 60-minute classes max, and even though 30 extra minutes is nothing in the scheme of things, I no longer enjoyed yoga for this long.  Perhaps I will at some point, but my mind isn’t there yet.

I have several online yoga resources that I use for practice, in addition to my videos.  Like I said with Peloton a few weeks ago, it’s great to have these resources because it keeps my routine fresh.

This is how I sometimes feel after I''ve practiced...like there's no limit to what I can do (Photo by Eternal Happiness from Pexels)

Peloton

No, I’m not being paid by Peloton to write about and publicize their content - I know I've mentioned them in previous posts.  But in addition to their fitness classes and meditation, they also offer yoga for all levels and all durations.  If I just want to do a quick 10-minute stretch, or I can go longer for 30 or 45 minutes, that’s readily available.  The six instructors, each with their own personalities, all give modifications with using props like blankets, straps or blocks, which makes this ideal for anyone starting a yoga practice.

Yoga Studio

The sessions on this app aren’t as updated often as Peloton, and they follow the same format as most DVD video courses.  They are presented in a blinding white background, so you can focus on the poses and instructor.  But the clips are solid in their instruction and ensure that you are engaging in correct posture and alignment.  They have classes that range from 10 minutes to 60 minutes, and even the more advanced ones feel doable, with modifications. 

Daily Yoga

With this app, I sometimes feel like I’m watching a travel video as well as practicing yoga, because some of the classes get out of the studio and features beautiful landscapes.  Just as the name says, you’re encouraged to practice daily.  There’s even a daily tracker to show your progress.  The only drawback of this program is the difficulty level of most of the classes, which are squarely in the intermediate to advanced realm.

There are also yoga videos that I’ve had for a while.  Some may still be available for purchase.  My favorites here include Shiva Rea and Baron Baptiste.  I think anyone can benefit from yoga, even if you practice just a couples times a week. Try it and see what happens.