Wednesday, November 7, 2007

Wellness Wednesday - Yoga

OK, I have to admit, I was meandering through all the posts and comments of the last few days - trying to let it all sink in - and I realized, Holy Cow!, it's Wellness Wednesday! And I'm part of that.

I haven't written much about my yoga practice, but it's an important part of my wellness program. We have the most incredible teacher here in Polson. Debra believes in adhering to the spriritual principles of yoga as well as the physical. So we always have a teaching up on the board and we always chant to begin and end each practice.

Although my budget has been diminished dramatically in recent weeks, I made the decision to purchase a 5-class package and a new mat (Kisster chewed up the old one) while I still had one full paycheck coming. I feel this was an investment in my wellness over the coming weeks. The more time I spend on my mat (and you gotta have one to spend time on it), the more I will be contributing to my overall mental and physical health. I could've gone to Wal-Mart and bought a cheap mat, but I chose to really invest in my yoga practice. It's something I love, something I'm committed to, and something that is a real benefit to my life. So, I bought the "Transformer Mat" and absolutely pranayama'd into the investment.

Besides the physical, spiritual and mental benefits of yoga, it's also a chance to connect with other people of like mind. When I went Monday, after having been away for several weeks, I was greeted with so much love and welcome, that it nearly brought tears to my eyes. Then Debra started working us and all I could think of was the practice.

9 comments:

thailandchani said...

I love yoga, too, even though I am very new to it. It's the whole package. Of course, I do it with tapes in my livingroom.. but, just the same, it's a definite addition to my "wellness" routine. :)

Anonymous said...

You DO make it sound tempting...glad to see you blogging again!!!!

love,c

Julie said...

Now I know I have to give yoga another try.

Angela said...

Thailandchani,

If you can make it to an actual class, I really recommend it. A teacher makes a big difference and the community is a great bonus.

Kelly said...

This is such good self-care. It is always so satisfying to see another taking good care of herself.

Jane said...

I'm glad you spent the money on your yoga. When money gets tight, it's still important to try to find the money for things that really heal our souls. It will pay itself back many times over in the long run.

Annie Z said...

I love the words in your photo. What do the top words mean?

I also do Yoga once a week. I love it so much. But my knees have trouble with it. So, I take it easy for the moment and hopefully will gradually build up again.

A
x

Pallav said...

i'm wondering if a mantra to shiva is appropriate for yoga and meditating, it could be, any mantra is good, but shiva is generally the destroyer...

ask your teacher for Gayatri mantra if you haven't already...

Yoga...humnn...i'll stick to jogging and push-ups :)

Cheers!

N

Angela said...

Nothingman,

That eye is really freaky! And once again, shivaya is not the same as Shiva.