Back in the days when I did full Primary Series three or four times a week I used to think of yoga as exercise as well as a moving meditation. These days as a Viniyoga teacher and practitioner, my practice has become much slower, more meditation, more healing. It stretches and tones, it calms and heals, it makes me breathe more evenly, but it doesn’t really make me sweat!

So, as my health begins to take an upturn I have begun Project Fitness. I’ve written myself a programme to allow myself to gently and slowly raise my fitness levels (one of the best things about being a trained fitness instructor is one doesn’t have to pay a personal trainer – I just shout at myself whilst I’m on the cross-trainer instead!), because I am determined to get better. My health has become too much a part of me and I know longer want to be defined by my health. Fibromyalgia is not who I am, it is merely a word.

So this morning I did:-

20 minutes on the x-trainer (3km, heart rate of 160)
10 minutes of weights
15 minutes of stretching
Short swim
Lounging in the jacuzzi (this is the best bit).

I’m hoping to do this twice a week, and then take a two mile power walk outside the other three days.

I’d forgotten how much I enjoyed a good workout. I’ve missed it. I’ve missed feeling like this. I’m so happy to be rediscovering my fitness levels (which really aren’t as bad as I thought). A good workout is meditative and healing in it’s own way — and I think the balance between a yoga practice and a cardio programme works well.

Plus as yogis we know so much more about the importance of stretching and releasing the muscles, so hopefully the muscle aches will be at a minimum!

Namaste

Whatever your religious/spiritual beliefs, this time of year is perfect for new beginnings. As the birds lay eggs, the trees sprout blossoms and flowers come into bloom it’s a great time to change, from giving up an old habit or taking up a new hobby to turning over a whole new leaf of your life.

Over the last few weeks things have been coming together healthwise for me so my new beginning for after the Easter break is to get back on the cross trainer and work on my aerobic fitness. Slowly but surely I hope to be able to get back into running relatively short distances over the next year. I’m really excited and have been working on a new fitness plan that allows me to work in stages whilst pacing myself and making sure I’m not doing too much. Combining this with my yoga practice and enough rest and I’m hoping to get myself better

Sometimes something bad has to happen to us for us to make a change for the good. Sometimes we have to see even those bad things as a blessing, because without a Good Friday there can be no Easter Sunday.

Have a wonderful day yogis and yoginis!

Namaste

I’m having a good day today. One of those days when everything just falls into place. Most yogis of my acquaint admit these days don’t happen as often as perhaps they ought to, but when they do happen they are a joy to behold.

We’re still staying with my parents so my morning yoga practice was in their front room — usually when I practice in a new space things don’t always feel quite right, but this morning my practice and my breath flowed into one another and my time on my mat flew by!

After breakfast, we went to the morning showing of The Boat that Rocked. I love the morning showings as the cinema is always empty! We shared the screen with just two older women who were overheard afterwards talking about the memories the film brough back. It’s about pirate radio in the 1960s and about standing up for what you believe in. It’s also very very funny and has Rhys Darby in it, a current hero of mine

Now I’m curled up on the sofa with tea and books and my family around me and all is well with the world.

As I said, these days don’t always happen — but surely the key is to always remember that they *do* happen. And on those bad days, when we’re panic-stricken or sad or bored, we can remember that sometimes everything does just click, and maybe by remembering and visualising those great days we can make them more frequent.

Namaste