In the last few weeks I've been beginning my daily routine with 20 minutes of yoga, rather than a run. It started because I was coming down with a cold and simply didn't have the energy to complete AM cardio.
Now I'm hooked.
There's something in the practise of yoga that causes me to love my body, to feel strong, confident and beautiful.
It does wonders for lower back ache too....
Now I'm recovered from the cold I'm definitely looking forward to easing back into my running routine (especially with an upcoming goal of completing a 10km race in under 48minutes!) but I can see this love affair with yoga being one that lasts a lifetime.
If you haven't ever tried it I seriously encourage you to give it a go. Yoga is a form of exercise that's suitable for everyone - whether you're male or female, 20 or 70, an elite runner or somebody who's never exercised in their life, or even if you've been told you're knees are so severely damaged you won't be able to walk again.....
Thursday, 18 April 2013
Monday, 15 April 2013
Friday 12 April 2013 - Early Riser
I distinctly remember my first experience of intentionally getting out of bed early. It was at the age of 9 when we were living in an apartment on the north side of Sydney. I walked up a steep hill for about 10 minutes each morning to get to the local primary school I attended. I usually did this at about 8.30am after I'd waved goodbye to my Mum when she boarded the train (I could see the platform from our apartment window); and had a quick dance around to my Roxette tape in the living room - as I hope every 9 year old girl in the 90's would have.
But one morning I woke up early and decided instead of going back to sleep until a reasonable hour I would get up before the sun had risen. I remember hiding out in the kitchen eating a bowl of cereal as quietly as I could so that nobody else woke up and thinking to myself. This is amazing. I am going to have so much extra time for activities! I felt like in rising early I'd discovered some sort of magical secret to life; and that I'd be forever better off for it. I made a vow to myself to make it a habit.
The next day I'm reasonably sure I had to be dragged out of bed well after sunrise, still half asleep. The habit never stuck.
Now that I'm older (and one would hope, wiser) I still believe in the magic of being an early riser; but understand that to gain hours in the morning you have to sacrifice some for extra sleep at night. I have spent the last week working to reverse an ingrained habit of staying up too late and missing out on that morning magic.
It has worked.
I'm typing this blog on a Saturday morning at 8am half an hour before I have to leave for work for the day. I have already completed a yoga routine, prepared three healthy meals as well as breakfast, worked on my chemistry assignment and written this blog.
Now I just need to find my Roxette tape so I can really make the best use of this extra activity time!
But one morning I woke up early and decided instead of going back to sleep until a reasonable hour I would get up before the sun had risen. I remember hiding out in the kitchen eating a bowl of cereal as quietly as I could so that nobody else woke up and thinking to myself. This is amazing. I am going to have so much extra time for activities! I felt like in rising early I'd discovered some sort of magical secret to life; and that I'd be forever better off for it. I made a vow to myself to make it a habit.
The next day I'm reasonably sure I had to be dragged out of bed well after sunrise, still half asleep. The habit never stuck.
Now that I'm older (and one would hope, wiser) I still believe in the magic of being an early riser; but understand that to gain hours in the morning you have to sacrifice some for extra sleep at night. I have spent the last week working to reverse an ingrained habit of staying up too late and missing out on that morning magic.
It has worked.
I'm typing this blog on a Saturday morning at 8am half an hour before I have to leave for work for the day. I have already completed a yoga routine, prepared three healthy meals as well as breakfast, worked on my chemistry assignment and written this blog.
Now I just need to find my Roxette tape so I can really make the best use of this extra activity time!
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