Yoga - Building Chaturanga

I haven't been able to go to as many yoga classes as I would like in the past few weeks because my schedule has been so busy but when I do go I love it so much.  I'm glad my fitness class has a day every week that's set aside for pilates and yoga so I can get a little yoga in even if I can't make it to a class.  It's my favorite workout of the whole week. 

One thing I am still having trouble with in my yoga practice is chaturanga.  For some reason I can't seem to lower myself properly.  I did pretty good in all of the other poses we did in class yesterday but this one always gets me!  When I got home from class I decided to see if I could find any helpful videos so I can practice at home.  I found this video posted by Courtney.  She teaches at Black Swan Yoga where I have taken a couple of her classes so I was very interested to see it. 

I'm going to work this exercise on the days I don't have a class and hopefully soon I'll be a pro a chaturanga!  :-)

Do you practice yoga?  Are there any poses you have struggled with?

Happiness is...Yoga

Well, I'm getting my Sunday Happiness post a little late but it's still Sunday!  It's been a busy crafting day for me.  I didn't get a lot done but I'm happy with it.  :-)

Today is about looking back on the week and reflecting on something that made me happy.  I recently started practicing yoga and it makes me very happy.

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About a month ago I started a fitness class at Lockhart Mixed Martial Arts and I love it.  It feels so good to make time to take care of myself.  I get so caught up in my to do lists sometimes that I forget to take that time. 

One of the days during the week in fitness class is dedicated to yoga and pilates.  I've been wanting to try out yoga classes for a long time now so I was very excited.  I loved it!  I wanted to do more!  My friend Linda and I tried out a yoga class at Black Swan Yoga in Austin.  We went to a class and it was hard!!  I'm hooked!  I was ready to go back the next day!  I didn't because I was so sore that I could barely even move, but I wanted to!  ;-)  We went back the following Saturday.  

Another yoga studio called Yoga Yoga in Austin is having free classes at Barton Springs every Saturday morning in May so we're going to that for the next few weeks.  I loved having yoga class outside!  The weather was beautiful and when I started to get really hot a breeze would come to cool me off.  

If I didn't already have to wake up at 5:00 in the morning this is how I would start my day.  This is a video by Lilyana Heimberg.  She is one of the instructors at Black Swan Yoga.