Anyone who follows me on Instagram will see that on top of my love of dancing and being a mum I also practice yoga. I’m nearly halfway through a 200hr yoga teacher training course ( more on that later ) and taking every opportunity I can to practice practice practice. I’m also figuring out how the wonderful world of social media works. Instagram appeals to me most for the simple reason that I predominantly work visually. I love photography and how stories can be portrayed through them. It’s wonderful to watch people’s journeys, from all over the world, unfold through photojournalling.
There’s a lot of ‘discussion’ on the portrayal of yoga via platforms such as Instagram, snapchat, periscope etc etc ( again more on that another time as its a subject that intrigues me ) but as with anything in life, I need to experience how something works personally before I can pass a judgement on whether it works for me or not. So I’ve been throwing myself into #yogachallenges from a variety of hosts and in all honesty I’m having a wonderfully fun time at present. As hubby is away a lot, there is a limited amount of actual classes I can attend so home practice is very important. I would generally consider myself a motivated person, but that doesn’t mean that everyday I’m raring to bounce on the mat and follow another online class. I’m also aware that I need to start sequenceing my own practice in an intelligent way readying me for teaching. The yoga challenges give me a daily starting point of a posture to lead up to, or area to work on. I’ve learnt so many asanas so far and it challenges me to find a way to prepare every component of my body needed to maximise the posture. Before I know it I’ve done a 45 minute Hatha yoga practice which has required an intelligent approach.
One of my favourite accounts for inspiring me to push through my boundaries in a safe way is @cyogalab . Every post has a detailed description of how to safely achieve a posture from Carmen and it is followed by suggested warm ups and modifications for whatever stage of your practice you are at. Every month she works on a new area, be it hips, back, balance, core.
Another inspirational account for me is @kinomacgregor she has been a target of a lot of critism for bringing ashtanga yoga online in such a way that it has made her an online celebrity. But I adore her posts which are filled with honesty ,hardwork and dedication. Introducing people to the idea that yoga is way more than just physical poses. ( the philosophy behind it is fascinating and eye opening, I really look forward to learning and sharing more ).
Being a mum of a toddler of course throws in new challenges for home practice.
I become an upside down climbing frame, often decorated, while in a posture, with paint, hummus, soil… Anything he can get onto his sticky little hands.
The piggy backs are a big hit too. We make lots of games out of my time on the mat which alleviates a lot of the ‘mummy guilt’ I get when trying to do ‘Me ‘ things.
I’ve recently started following a new account called @meddyteddy they’re the creators of an amazing new yoga teddy bear designed to stretch into all sorts of poses to help introduce kids to yoga. We’re a bit too strapped for cash at the moment to buy one for Elijah but when pennies aren’t so tight I think he’ll love it. We’ve been taking part in their yoga challenges though which has created many moments of cuteness and built new connections.
I was very excited and honoured to be announced a winner for the latest challenge #motherearthyogis 😀, hosted by @studioartyoga @boonandboys @yogachikitsa @ erincunninghamyoga @humblebeginningsyoga @yogibuffcakes @altruisticyogini @yoga_rockss and @meddyteddy (these are all such inspiring mothers and I recommend you take a peek at their profiles ….)receiving a prize from @plexusyogawheel. As funds are running low at the moment this is a very welcome help and I am so grateful 🙏🏻☺️
I’m aware that this is a fairly ‘shallow’ post from me on the subject of yoga, but I had a rare moment of calm while at hairdressers so thought I’d quickly scribble my thoughts of that moment. There really are so many different levels to explore and my passion for all elements grows as my practice does, but we all need a starting point. These are very early days into my journey so I have a lot to learn and discover. I’ll post soon about what drew me to yoga in the first place but in the meantime feel free to join in my journey here and on Instagram @barefootkerry .
barefootwonderlings 