When I got a new iPad (the mini!), I made a couple promises to myself. First, that I would use the new app that I primarily got it for (Texture by Next Issue, but more on that later), but second, that I would start doing more yoga videos. I recently wrote about taking more yoga classes in various towns, and while I still do and love doing that, once every couple of weeks isn’t really enough to increase my flexibility by much, build any real core strength, or get all of my mornings started right.
So, morning yoga. The thing is, I suck at going through a series of poses on my own. Most people do, I imagine, but I’m even worse in that I won’t actually get into anything that’s difficult, just what’s comfortable, or comfortably challenging (read: I’ll do planks, because I can feel the core work, but ignore a forward fold because I have no flexibility). I decided to use the new iPad to make myself start watching videos, and at first, I looked at some subscription services, but then after doing some research and stumbling on an interview with Tara Stiles over at Chalkboard Mag, I decided to give her stuff a try, and it’s been awesome (and free!).
While it’s not a workout, per se, it does give my day a good kick and I find myself much more excited about training, maybe because I’m a bit more awake. It’s only been a couple weeks, but I’m also noticing *slight* improvements in my flexibility. I’ve never done steady yoga for long amounts of time, so I’m interested to see how I progress from short but regular bursts versus occasional and intensive classes.
The videos I’ve been watching have been via Tara Stiles on YouTube—she has a great, full channel with a ton of yoga videos in different styles, from energizing to core strength to flexibility, ranging from 5 to 45 minutes. I like the 6-10 minute range for the morning, and it’s been fun to wake up to someone who’s as psyched on yoga and the day as she is! I normally dislike yoga videos, but hers move pretty fast through a good amount of poses, and if you’re looking for more challenging stuff, she has handstand flows and a few that I’m building my way up to. But for now, I really am loving this energizing flow: at 6:30 min, it’s fast enough that it doesn’t actually cut into my morning time, I just do it as soon as I roll out of bed.
Note: 18 months later, I still do this EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. I also added 5 minutes of planks beforehand, plus some squats after. It adds up to almost 2 hours of core work and yoga every week!
Watch my favorite Tara Stiles video here, and check out more of her videos here.
You can also read my interview with her and watch her cycling-specific yoga flow she helped me with here!
Do you guys do yoga as part of your training? If so, what kind?
