when the yogi needs yoga

i may have had a lot on my plate last week. i think i was stressed. my son was starting spring sports (dos sports this year). my daughter was having tubes put in her ears (4th set). i was going back to work after 2 months off for my treatments. ok i was definitely stressed. then the catalyst..i spilled sony's ear drops.

at that point profanities definitely came out of my mouth and tears spilled forth. breathe in...breathe out... i needed meditation or yoga. a quick glance at the clock and i knew i had just missed the morning session at my local studio The Yoga Tree. thank goodness these days there are yoga/meditation options when you find yourself in just such a jamb.

publications

i subscribe to Yoga Journal. there are always a few yoga poses to try, sequences to follow right in your own home. sometimes just reading an article in that magazine is enough to relax the mind and start me on the path of de-stress.

apps

i just downloaded an app called Daily Yoga. it consists of training sessions (some free, some for $), a pose library, yoga music (for the freestyle yogi) and more. i also have an app on my phone for meditation. it's called Simply Being. you choose the length of time you wish to meditate for and other specifics like whether you want music to accompany the voice that guides you or perhaps nature sounds. both you can find at the app store.

podcasts

podcasts only provide you with an audio, but it's easy to listen and follow if you are familiar with yoga poses and terminology. my girl julie and i would do 20-40 minutes of yoga at lunch together. she had these great podcasts from yogadownload.com and they were just perfect for a quickie yoga session.

this is where i am transported to when i do yoga!

online

now you can do yoga anywhere with a teacher! you can get unlimited yoga at yogaglo.com and myyogaonline.com for a very low monthly fee. both you can try for free for a trial period. at doyogawithme.com you can view and practice for free! not only is it free but i'm actually quite fond of the site. i find it easy to navigate and usually find exactly what i am looking for.

on this particularly stressful day last week, still with tears in my eyes, i rolled out my mat, flipped open my laptop and looked to doyogawithme for the cure. i chose "reclaiming your joy" and it was perfect. the practice is led by nicki jones and she does a phenomenal job at guiding you through hip and heart openers. nicki also has a kind and believable voice that is easy to focus on throughout the practice.

at the end of the 60 minute session i smiled to myself, happy to be me, happy to have given myself the time to practice. i felt warm and blissful. the stress from 60 minutes prior was a distant memory. yoga is so much more powerful than stress.

namaste - j