Yoga and pets

Many yoga poses are named after cats and dogs....so it's not a surprise that my dog thinks some poses are an invite for him to play with me. But he weighs almost as much as I do and he's a leaner - so I have worked hard to teach him to be quiet and watch as I do yoga...

This "training" usually works in the summer as outside is much more entertaining than watching me - he has the neighbors convinced he lacks for food and attention :- ). But sometimes he just needs to be right at the edge of my mat watching....especially if I lie still on the mat [it's called corpse pose for a reason]

I've tried telling him that yoga will keep me around longer so he need not worry that I am actually going to expire - but he doesn't always listen - and when he worries himself enough - he lies on top of me or hits me with his paw.....The cat also sometimes decides that we can "share " the mat...and when she tries that - the dog also wants to "share." And - as It's a normal sized yoga mat - guess who loses her space and can't continue doing her yoga?

It's fun to do yoga with pets around - it teaches lessons that I'm guessing the yogis probably never intended :-) or maybe they did?

When not on my yoga mat this is where they are:-)

Sam in his usual summer spot

And Sheba in hers:

Ducks and Yoga

I have been doing yoga for decades but still can't do this for very long....these two did!

Pre New Year

This week I got back into doing more exercising. Admittedly, I am one who takes exercise out of my schedule when I get busy knowing that is BAD for me! It's usually bad for everyone - but most of us stop exercising when we have other things to do.

I started feeling more tired even tho I get sufficient sleep - so I felt too tired to get to the club and then of course the cycle continued. I was getting there for a cycling class but doing "serious" exercise only twice a week is not the best for me and it led to the tired feeling.....

So today I added yoga back into my schedule. In the summer I do yoga at home to the tapes I have - but as soon as it gets cold - which it did on September, my floor is too cold to stand on with bare feet - and so out went the yoga.

What finally got me back was the realization that we are entering celebratory season - and I love parties. So figured I'd beat the New Year Resolution crowd and be in great shape before January 1...besides I have a birthday coming up in January and I'd really prefer being in a whole lot better shape, and a few pounds lighter, than last year...which was not that bad a shape - but we can always improve on our health and I started on improving mine today..

And I really want to get back to playing squash before my D.C. friend comes in late December - so I don't look like such a dork on the squash court when we play!

Never too old for yoga

Most everything I have been doing of late is working at tightening my muscles...cycling, walking, playing squash....

That's not bad as I am losing inches - but I was beginning to feel a bit crampy at times...and that's not good.

I do yoga at home with my videos - but like most - on my own it's a short session and not frequent : -) and so I am going twice a week to a low-key yoga class....and I feel the difference immediately...

We all need to keep ourselves flexible...and oddly enough, by adding yoga to my life - I have suddenly lost weight!

As we age, that flexibility is important - the stretching and working at staying more "moveable" is good for all bodies.

An old saying [I can't find the origin of] is: "whatever the question - the answer is more yoga."