exercise | My So-Called Yoga Life

So over the last month we have had temperatures as low as -30 degrees and even though the heat is on in the house and I have a space heater, it is difficult to get my yoga practice going in the morning sometimes. I feel almost like the fact that my life has called for some evening practice times has been a godsend even though I am really more of a morning person, lol. So I thought it would be a good idea to share some of my tried, tested and true motivation methods to get on that mat in the early morning during the dark and cold winter months.

1. When you open your eyes in the morning, drink a large glass of water as soon as your alarm goes off to make you wake up! I keep my water bottle beside my bed so that I pop up and drink it when I turn the alarm off. This helps to get me up, get my digestive tract moving and overall the habit of doing this helps prime me for getting out of bed. It helps that in the next 15 mins, I will need to use the washroom as well, lol!
2. Once you are up, turn the space heater on in your practice space right away so it can start to warm things up from the get-go. I always find that when I do this, I feel happy to step on my mat next to the extra warmth already going. It’s akin to having a car-starter for that morning drive! It just makes things that little bit easier, which actually goes a long way!
3. Wear some extra layers that you can peel off as you warm up. I like to practice in leggings and a sports bra. It isn’t fun to put this on early on a cold day and get to practicing yoga. I wear a long sleeve top and after my surya namaskara, I am usually ready to take it off. Wear whatever makes you feel comfy and able to move without feeling unnecessarily chilly. Even with my space heater, I am acutely aware of the temperature difference as it occilates from left to right.
4. When it’s cold, sometimes I like to try and talk myself out of doing my whole practice. This is actually okay because as you warm up, your mind will change because you will feel that beautiful feeling of your muscles waking up and lengthening as you warm and strengthen. This is one of my favourite parts of practice. As a home practitioner, it is commonplace to have this internal dialogue of doing just standing poses or primary series for me. I relish the end of my practice when I finish the entire thing and actually enjoy doing some of my more difficult poses because I am more aware of how much more fluid and connected I feel as I practice compared to before I started or how I would feel if I didn’t practice. In fact, the memory of this endorphin high is what helps motivate me each time I feel like giving in to my desire to stay in bed. Over time, it has become a serious motivator so that now I am able to get up at 4:30am when I need to start home practice as early as 5am so that I can fit it into my day.

People have gasped in disbelief when I tell them the schedule I have and even more so at the schedule I had before I had children. As a dental hygienist working down in the city, I would have to get up at 3:20am to fit practice in at my shala before heading to work for 7:30am. I know it sounds crazy, but when something changes your life the way practicing yoga has changed mine, it is really a no brainer. The priming of practicing at early times and the feeling in my body after each time I practice continues to serve as a serious motivator for me to continue. Don’t get me wrong, there are still days where I have had REAL trouble, but knowing that my feeling will return if I push through has allowed me to get past the initial inertia many times.

5. My final tip is to plan for a delicious cup of coffee and breakfast after practice. I often think about what I will do and how I will feel after I am done to motivate me to get out of bed when it is most difficult. I also remind myself how upset I will be if I do give in and stay in bed. There is just too much to gain from getting up and doing my asana and breathing through each pose. It really is such a personal time, to connect and feel into me before I spend the day as open to what the day may hold as possible. It is a way to regroup and collect myself, and each time I am able to will myself onto the mat and do my practice is another proof that I am the master of my destiny. It sounds cliche, but I enjoy the ability I have to help myself be my best self each time I am able to do so. I feel confident, I feel strong, I feel capable and most of all, I feel ME. It is what keeps me motivated, sane even. My practice is one thing I can count on, whether it is only standing because my son wakes up or I’m able to do my whole practice. I am there, everyday, contributing to the betterment of my physical, mental and spiritual health. I am my own master. I am the director of what I am capable of doing and it feels fucking awesome.

So be your master. Kick your butt out of bed for a meditation, a run, yoga, anything that helps you reset yourself and find YOU before you begin your day. It will only bring joy, happiness and confidence and who wouldn’t want that??

Be your best self, hug yourself and look in the mirror today- smile and tell yourself you are amazing because YOU ARE!!

Much Love,

Lisa xo

So I am currently doing an instagram yoga challenge with my kids! It is so much fun to do the different poses with them. I started thinking, I should write about how to do yoga with your kids! Simple, easy ways to bring yoga into your lives that can be as good for you as it is for them:)

Think about this…

As adults, people come to yoga for many reasons. A big one is to get healthy. What does being healthy mean? For some it might be losing weight. It might be finding a way to do exercise with a body that has limitations or health conditions that make many other activities uncomfortable. Once we start doing yoga and noticing the physical benefits, suddenly we begin to notice some unexpected bonuses. The deep breathing and calmness that comes from connecting to our bodies illuminates a new way to find stress relief and some head space. As we do yoga more and more, it shows us that by simply connecting with the body, we can become more aware of the state of our physical, emotional, mental and even spiritual well-being.

The physiological benefits of deep breathing alone have been proven scientifically. Yoga brings focus, stress relief, physical activity and helps us to connect with our bodies. What an amazing supply of tools we can share with our children!

There are some easy ways to start teaching children how to do yoga. Loose fitting or active wear clothing are best. You don’t even need a mat, the floor is just fine to do these fun postures. Bare feet is best to help feel into them and so it’s not too slippery;) There are 3 breathing exercises and 8 poses included here. As your child builds focus and concentration, you can begin with a few and work up to doing all of them. Do what works for your kids and go from there. Let’s start with some breathing!

Toy Ride Breath Exercise

Have your child bring their favourite stuffed toy and lay down on his back with the toy on his tummy. Tell him to take deep breaths slowly in through the nose and out through the nose. Kids naturally use their bellies to breath and they can watch their stuffed toy go for a ride on their tummy, up and down. If you get him to take 10 deep breaths, your job is done. If you do this with your child regularly, he will think of it as a fun activity and his nervous system will be soothed at the same time.

Bee Breath

Another fun way to get kids to breath is to practice the bee breath. Get her to sit with her legs crossed, nice and tall and take a deep breath in and then hum like a bee until the breath is all exhaled. This calming breath can help release strong emotions like anger, feelings of anxiety and stress. Try for 5 rounds, but I bet she’ll do more. The vibration of the humming on the head feels good and is a great way to stimulate focus and concentration.

Lion’s Breath

The lion’s breath is done by taking a deep breath in through the nose and then as you exhale, you let your tongue stick out and say “hhhaaaa!”. It feels silly and looks silly so it’s a winner! This breath is just another way to have kids focus on breathing deeply while having fun. My kids laugh every time! Do as many times as you wish!

Yoga Poses

Kids enjoy doing yoga poses, my 4 year old daughter takes her mat out all by herself to show me her downward dog, triangle and warrior 2 on the regular! Downward dog comes easily and kids like it. I get her to take 5 deep breaths in any pose she does. Triangle is a good one. The boat pose is fun because kids are literally trying to look like a boat when they do it, LoL. So I have a little list of poses and pictures to demonstrate them. Encourage your child to breathe deeply for 5 breaths in each pose. It isn’t important to try and find the exact expression of the poses, rather finding the general shape is good for kids, especially when they are just starting out. I have included some general points on form for reference. Do them with your kids and before long they will start wanting to do them on their own!

The Downward Dog

This pose is basically an inverted V. This pose strengthens the hands, arms, shoulders, calf muscles, back and core. The upper body is upside down and so it is calming to the nervous system too. Palms flat, press into entire hand. Relax the neck.

The Triangle Pose

This pose provides stretch and strength to the body. Another great benefit is that it activates the abdominal organs. Try for feet to be wider than hip width, front foot turned to the short end of the mat and back foot with toes facing the long side of the mat. Tip over at the hips like a tea kettle, with the lower arm resting along the front leg or extended down and the top arm up to the sky. Who doesn’t think it’s fun to be a triangle?

The Cobra Pose

This pose is wonderful for opening the heart and lungs. It strengthens the arms and shoulders. It gives a stretch to the abdominals, chest and shoulders too. Laying on the tummy, bring the hands next to the ribcage. Press the tops of the feet into the floor, press into the hands and slowly raise the chest up. Go up as much as is comfortable. Breath and enjoy!

The Warrior 2 Pose

It gives strength to the legs and arms. It gives confidence and focus to the mind. Kids feel powerful and strong! Feet apart further with the front foot facing the short side of the mat and the back foot facing the long side. When bending the front leg, the knee should be above the angle for stability. Arms are parallel to he floor, extend through the fingers. Feel the strength and power of this awesome pose!

The Butterfly Pose

This one helps to open the hips and thighs. It also reduces fatigue and releases tension. It is super fun to do too. My little yogi likes to gently bounce her knees like little butterfly wings when she sits in this one too. Sit tall, bend the knees to bring the soles of the feet together. If the knees are up higher, it’s okay:)

The Tree Pose

Great for balance and grounding! Start with the toes of the bent leg on the floor to gain balance and as concentration and focus grow, move the foot up the leg. Make sure to let the knee be free and rest the foot above or below as you get more balanced with this one. Having the arms out helps with developing balance, hands could be in prayer or reaching up like branches of a tree. Try closing your eyes once you get super grounded in this pose. Just a fun thing to try! Or keep your eyes open and find a to gaze at, helps you balance.

Bridge Pose

So fun to lift the hips and again open the heart! Keep feet hip distance and flat on the floor. Grabbing the ankles helps to be sure the feet are the right distance from your body. Gives tons of strength to the legs, helps grounding. It helps with stress and improves blood circulation. Try to keep the legs hip width apart as you lift your hips.

Happy Baby Pose

This one releases the low back, excellent to do after bridge pose. It stretches and soothes the spine while calming the nervous system. The legs are bent, knees point towards the floor, feet flexed and you can grab the inside or outside of the feet. You can try rolling side to side in this one for a little massage on your lower back too!

When you are all done, try laying down softly on the floor legs and arms softly next to you. This is relaxation. Close your eyes and imagine birds flying over your head and a rainbow shining over the sky above you. See how long your child will stay here, maybe 15 seconds or 5 minutes!

These breathing techniques and poses are a fantastic way to introduce yoga to your kids. There is a variety of poses meant to help kids focus, have fun, get strong, feel good about themselves and explore their bodies in a healthy way. Hope you have as much fun doing these at home as we do! It’s a fabulous way to have fun together!!!

My So-Called Yoga Life

Tag: exercise

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