Yoga with Adriene
Today I’m taking a slight departure from knitting to talk about another thing that keeps me sane in life. Sure, #knittingismyyoga but I also try to do actual yoga several times a week. I don’t practice for religion; I practice for flexibility and movement. I want to be able to move when I get older without hurting myself and I think yoga will help with that. And as with all my workouts, I’m all about doing my yoga at home. And Yoga with Adriene allows me to do that. In an awesome way.
Yoga
I never appreciated yoga until I took a class at our work rec center. The teacher was phenomenal and I learned to move in ways that were not fast or breathless, but were still powerful and dynamic. Yoga quickly taught me that, no matter how much I thought I knew, I didn’t know much of anything. Humility is an awesome, powerful thing.
Unfortunately, my favorite yoga teacher stopped her classes at our rec center and I didn’t like her replacement, who we nicknamed, “The Drill Sergeant.” Yoga was not meant to be drilled.
Yoga with Adriene
About this time, I stumbled upon a YouTube sensation – Adriene Mishler, who leads a weekly yoga practice on her YouTube channel for free (and has over 6 million subscribers). Her motto is “find what feels good.” She has a practice for everything: beginner’s mind, lower back pain, runners, swimmers, service industry workers…. But every practice can be done by a novice or veteran yoga student. Adriene gives you options for every level!
The best thing about Adriene, however, is her attitude. She is not a stuffy yoga teacher. She will burst into song at the drop of a hat or make silly pop-culture references when trying to get you into a pose. She encourages you to not take yourself too seriously because yoga is all about feeling good. And I love that. Also – she lives in Austin, Texas!
And we must not forget about her faithful furry companion, Benji, who often sleeps through her practices. So cute!
30 Days
For the past 6 years, Adriene has led a 30-day yoga journey in the month of January. Every single day, she gives you a new practice. My first 30 day journey was Adriene’s Revolution in 2017 and it was phenomenal. This year’s Home was even better. After being so busy in December, these 30-day practices are a great way to re-center and commit to your own goals of health and mindfulness.
If you like yoga but have fallen out of practice, I highly recommend Yoga with Adriene. And if you’re an experienced yogi, Adriene offers a pay site, Find What Feels Good, with more advanced practices. But for me, the free YouTube videos are just what I need. I usually do one after work and after a stressful commute to help calm me down and stretch out my poor, tired muscles after a day of sitting. And it’s always perfect!
