“Om” at home
Someone was up sick all night last night :/
After her canoodle sesh with the Pilot, we all went to bed and she woke up throughout the night. The Pilot took care of her since it’s hard for me to get in and out of bed right now, and this morning she’s walking around with her tail tucked. If she’s not back to her sassy Bella self within a couple of hours, it’s off to the vet for us.
Breakfast:
Blueberry oats and two eggs
I actually cracked an egg underneath the pan and basically into the fire- it was fun to clean up 😉 Yes, it’s that kinda morning over here… and I’m definitely going to hit up a relaxing yoga podcast later this afternoon.
There are a lot of great podcasts and other at-home yoga options. Since we’ve already gone over favorite at-home workout options I thought it would be fun to talk about how to “om” at home.
When we lived in Valdosta, it was the most consistently I’ve practiced yoga, and we didn’t have a single yoga studio.
(practicing with my favorite downward dog)
So we converted one of our extra guest rooms into a yoga/workout room, with a space heater, TV with a DVD player and cable- we got the FitTV channel in there, which I loved. My friends and I could do our Insanity and Turbofire DVDs in the workout room, and it was also the perfect space for a good yoga practice.
Here are some of my favorite at-home workout options:
1) Podcasts: YogaDownload.com is my favorite (I just wish they would add some new ones), and iTunes is a great resource. Yoga to the People and Dave Farmer are other ones I’ve really enjoyed. Gaiam TV is pretty new, and has SO many fantastic options- it’s $9.95 a month for unlimited access, which is much less expensive than a gym membership.
2) DVDs: The yoga DVDs I’ve tried are Eoin Finn (amazing), Core Fusion, Yogalosophy and Shiva Rea. I also used to do the Rodney Yee ones back in the day, and they’re a great option for beginners. Core Fusion and Yogalosophy are most yoga-inspired than traditional –they add in some fun toning movements and isometric exercises. Shiva Rea is incredible, but may be a little intense for those who just want a workout and not necessarily the spiritual aspect of practicing. (Like when she told me to “massage my womanly buttocks” I lost it- was cracking up and had to switch to something else)
3) TV: FitTV and Exercise TV both include a variety of yoga programs. The only one I’ve tried is Namaste Yoga, and I really enjoyed it. Some of the flows are pretty challenging, too, especially when I was first getting started.
Some tips for practicing at home:
– Attend a live class so you have an idea of proper form for the basic postures. If you’re doing a DVD or podcast, I recommend watching or listening to it first so you know what to expect and can determine whether it’s a good option for you.
– Don’t do anything crazy at home that you’ve never tried with a certified instructor. I asked the Pilot to spot me in headstand once and almost ended up slamming into the tile. Be careful!
– If you don’t like a particular podcast or DVD that you try, give another one a chance. The beauty about yoga is that there are so many unique instructors,, types and practices out there- you’re bound to find something you love. It’s a perfect component to a traditional cardio and strength program, as it promotes flexibility, prevents injury through stretching and is good for sanity, too 😉
What’s your favorite at-home yoga option?
Do you practice at home or in a studio?
If you’ve never practiced yoga before, I’m challenging you to try out a class this January- you may find a new workout love <3
I’m off to cuddle a sick pup.
See ya later today with a Family post!
xoxo
Gina
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Hope little Bella will be better soon…
Maybe it’s because she can sense, that there are changes coming, and that she won’t be the “baby i the house anymore.
You know, dogs even can sense earthquake days before humans…
All the best 😉
Kirsten, DK
Hey Gina! Love your blog!
I absolutely love doing yoga at home via podcasts! Dave Farmar and Yogadownload.com are some of my favorites too, but some other really great ones are: Power Yoga with TeriLeigh, Live Love Teach Yoga School, and Yogajournal.com also has a few great 20 min flows. Check them out 🙂
Take care!
my husband for my birthday made me my own yoga room!!! I downloaded Shiva and listen to it on my ipod while practicing.. it’s almost like being in a class
Hope you didn’t have to take Bella to the vet. Poor thing!
HOW did you make those blueberry oats? They look delish!
Poor pup!
Be sure and send something home from the hospital withe baby smells on it. She will get to know here before you come home.
Home yoga I’ve tried:
Seane Corn DVD are better then her workshops, I think.
Check out Ana Forrest too.(she is all about CORE)
Maya Group has great Pilates and Yoga DVD,
I did a TT with Shiva Rea and her pre-natal DVD’s …. she is the same there. With anything you take what works for you and let the rest go … .or FF.
I tend to appreciate vinyasa flow over Bikram….but will be caught in hot yoga ever now and again. Something about getting the heat/sweat not to disrupt you is great practice.
My teacher, some offerings on You Tube. She has a wonderful seasonal approach with Ayuvera mixed in. Ever try any of those remedies/diet suggestions? I’m fascinated by it.
I don’t do yoga at home too often because my apartment is tiny and there is furniture everywhere. May have to set up a little yoga corner when I move in May!
I love the P90X yoga with Tony Horton. I feel so relaxed for the entire day after that workout. I’ve done the Jillian Michaels yoga DVD as well and it’s alright, she throws some cardio-style intervals in there so it’s not truly yoga but a good workout nonetheless.
poor Bella, I hope she feels well soon. I like yogatoday.com. I found that site years ago when I was looking for free yoga classes and had never done yoga before. Now it’s a paid site but the classes are worth it in my opinion. It’s definitely for the true yogi and not just someone looking for a stretch session.
It’s great you highlighted yoga at home! That’s all I do anymore as I haven’t found a local class yet and want to ensure I find one that uses the sanskrit names (since my Japanese isn’t very good yet). The base only has 1 class that isn’t restorative/relaxation and its at a time that work conflicts.
Most of the time I do Dave Farmar, some YD, and often my own flows. My instructor on Guam was very much a Baptiste style instructor (very similar to Dave) so between those two guys, putting together flows has become easy!
Hope Bella is doing better!
I’ve always wanted to do more yoga…particularly yoga at home. For some reason I feel goofy doing it at home…like I don’t know what I’m doing. I’ve been to several classes, so I’m pretty comfortable with technique, but I can’t get over the silly feeling. I definitely think I should try out some podcasts to get me started!
i love all of shiva rea’s dvds – she’s such an awesome teacher and her practices are always infused with creativity.
thanks for sharing! hope your little one feels better soon : )
cailen
http://www.lifestylemaven.org
Get well soon Bella! Keep us posted! I agree with other posters, I suspect this is in some way related to the little one on the way. If you haven’t already, you may want to get some “Bella” gifts to save so when everyone visits you with gifts for the new baby, Bella feels special too ;).
that’s a great idea- we’ll need to make a little petsmart trip
I love doing yoga at home! I prefer it, actually. It’s much more peaceful and easier for me to get in touch with my spiritual side. My favorite resource is http://www.yogayak.com! Their videos are all free and they have some really fantastic ones! 🙂
Aww poor Bella! I hope she’s feeling better!
I’ve done a few yoga classes at my school’s gym, but I found them too basic, so I started using Yoga Download to do them at home. I haven’t done yoga in ages though!
Thanks for those at-home yoga options! I’ve been wondering where to find some good options like these!
I hope Bella feels better soon!
Yep, Bella is having some sympathy illness, I believe. Sweet girl! Feel better love!
I LOVE yogatoday.com/.
The instructors are amazing and the scenery is beautiful. Can’t complain about following a yoga practice with Sedona in the background………just wish I were there.
Poor pup! I hope she’s feeling better – I hate it when my dogs are feeling under the weather :-S
I just signed up for a new yoga class this coming Saturday – I’m really looking forward to it!
My cousin had her baby girl this evening and I thought of you. She was in the hospital less than 1 hour…not that’s efficient!
I love shiva rea also, and have been looking to try the new core fusion video.. If you have never tried YOGAGLO online, it is amazing.. you pay only 18$ a month for unlimited classes with great teachers and can filter by time, level, teacher, etc….
I you are looking for another new yoga dvd to try, check out my new XenStrengthYoga DVD on my website
http://www.xenstrength.com.. give me a shout and i can send you a link to download it..
I’ve been selling them like crazy, and collage video just put in their second order!
ps- we used to have a dog that looked EXACTLY like yours and her name was BELLA also!
How’s Bella? I’m hoping the little love bug is feeling better!
hi gina,
About bella- i strongly believe that our pets can sense change way before we can. Something tells me u are gonna pickle in a day or two..esp with bella not feeling well 🙂 u r on my mind everyday….goodluck girl and can’t wait to meet the lil nugget.
I love to practice at home! I have been living in apartments for years, and have always used the excuse that practicing on carpet is impossible. Your picture helps me remind myself that it will just give me a better core workout!
Baby is almost here!! Bella definitely knows 🙂
Because of my schedule and area that I live, I end of doing yoga at home. I was able to work with someone in my hometown when I was visiting and have worked with a few friends when they were visiting. It is nice to stop and roll out my may without traveling anywhere.
Hope Bella is feeling better soon!
Poor Bella. And poor YOU, I hope she comes right. Nothing makes me fret more than when one of the animals is sick. It’s just so hard to know how serious it is! My favourite cat, Razzy (er.. I love them all of course, but only one lets me cuddle him like a teddybear at night), was acting just a bit ‘off’, wouldn’t come inside, wouldn’t eat. I took him to the vet and he was on the verge of death by kidney failure! A small inpatient procedure fixed him, but I’ve been permanently turned into a hypervigilant cat mama.
At other times they seem very ill, and it turns out they just ate something and have a tummy upset that comes right in a day. Knowing Bella’s propensity to eat all sorts of human food, it’s probably that.
that’s the worst part- you can never tell if it’s something horrible or no big deal.
and yes, bella loves people food and she’s a petunia when it comes to her stomach.
I prefer practicing in a studio so I can get help with form, but I’ve been practicing at home a lot because I don’t have the money for studio passes. Yogadownload.com is fantastic, you can get a lot of 20 minute classes for free to “test the waters” before you commit to purchasing a video.
Local libraries often have a few decent yoga DVDs as well. If you’re like me and you get bored with the same DVD then that’s a good option.
The one nice thing about practicing alone is that my focus definitely is a lot better. There’s no one to compare myself to or get distracted by. If I need extra time to work on a posture I can pause the tape and won’t get left behind.
It’s been a little while since your last update! In labor yet?! (:
i wish, but here i am 🙂
Have you ever heard of Kristin McGee? She did some yoga DVDs for MTV a while back and now does her own. She’s an amazing kick-ass yoga instructor but who still celebrates the relaxation part of it. If I’m stuck at home or don’t want to go to the studio I always pop one of her DVDs in – she’s the one who got me passionate about vinyasa. Love her flow!
You’ve inspired me to want to start using my yoga DVDs! I bought them a year ago and never opened them, lol. Go to a yoga studio regularly now, but sometimes it’s nice to be able to do it at home.
My friend just told me about Tara Stiles – http://tarastiles.com/ She has yoga videos up on YouTube that only last about 5 to 10 minutes and you can squeeze in a little yoga each night! Definitely going to start doing this from now on!