Wellness Wednesday...Relax

I have to admit, exercise is really not my favorite thing. When I was a kid, everyone in my family was athletic, except for me. While my brother and sister played softball and baseball and my parents coached and managed their teams, I was the one drawing pictures in the dirt with a stick, turning my school box into a tiny house or dressing my dolls. I had no interest at all in exerting myself and getting sweaty. Yuck! So, a few years ago, when I discovered yoga, I knew it was a perfect fit for me. Slow and steady movements, balancing and holding a pose, remembering to breathe in and breathe out- yep, this was my kind of exercise!

Really, though, it was more about exercising the mind, rather than the body. When you are in the middle of a downward facing dog pose or balancing on one leg in tree pose, you're not really worrying about that awkward conversation you had the day before or your plans for work the next day. You are noticing how many times your back popped going into that downward facing dog pose or how hard you have to focus on the end of your nose in order to stay in tree pose! You have to be in your body, not in your mind. And for me, that is a very good thing.

Having choices is a big thing for me, as I tend to get bored very quickly. And this is especially true when it comes to exercise. So, as a result,  I have built up quite a little dvd library. But, honestly, most of the time, I end up going back to a few of my favorites. I've shown these favorites below, along with a link to the website where you can purchase them. 

Be well :)  Juli

 
Click here for Rodney Yee's website

One of my favorites, by far. Five different routines to choose from for each day of the week. My favorite- 'Twist'.

This is my favorite for the weekend, when I have more time. One 55-60 minute session.

And this one is great when you don't have much time. Most of the sessions are 15-20 minutes long. My favorite from this one, 'Yoga for the upper body'