Yoga & Exercise Routine

I can't stress enough how important and beneficial yoga is. I, for example, am in the best shape of my life, weigh less than I did in high school, have the best muscle definition I've ever had, not to mention feel great and am stronger and more flexible than ever; and I owe it mostly to yoga.

My steady regimen of crunch sets, Sun Salutations, 2-mile jogs, plus portion control and eating right have led me to this point. Not even when I was working out 5-days a week at the gym, doing weights and treadmill, was I as toned and light as I am now.

And I'm not even doing anything all that strenuous. Anyone can do it. You don't need any equipment or anything!

I usually rest my body one day a week, but the rest of the week I alternate day-to-day between jogging 2 miles (at a slow, even pace) and an hour yoga vinyasa routine, though even on rest days I do my crunches. It's a simple routine, though every once-in-awhile I'll try some deeper arm-balances like the afore-mentioned Dragonfly.

1. Start meditation in a seated position. When ready, come to all-fours.
2. Alternate Cat-Cow positions, flowing with your breath. Do as many reps as feels good. For ab-workout here: with a flat back, extend opposite leg and arm on inhale, then out to the sides for Awkward Airplane on exhale. Hold for a few seconds, then come back to extended on breath in and repeat. Do 3 reps. Extend opposite arm and leg again, this time lifting like in Cow pose on inhale, then curl in, bringing elbow to knee on exhale, curling back like in Cat pose. Do 3 reps then switch sides.
First Sun Salutation:
3. Come to Child's pose and even out breath, then go into Downward Dog, pedaling heels back-and-forth to stretch out calves. When ready, extend one leg up behind on inhale, bringing it between arms on exhale, slow and controlled. Remain on ball of back foot, bring arms up to Crescent for a breath, then back down and extend front leg back to Plank.
4. Now the Vinyasa: Hold for a breath then lower to Chaturanga, hold for a breath. Without touching the ground, glide up to Upward Dog (for an easier rep, lower to the ground then rise up to Cobra or Sphinx). Come back to Chaturanga, rise up to Plank, then back to Downward Dog.
5. Repeat 3 & 4 on other side, excluding Child's pose.
6. When in last Down Dog, bend knees, look up and walk or float up to a forward fold. With hands on the floor, on inhale extend spine, look up halfway, fingertips on the ground (try to get a slight bend in the lower back. For a simpler version, place fingers on calves instead of on the floor). Exhale to fold. Do 3 reps, then on inhale, straighten back, arms out to the side and rise up to standing, steadying breath in Mountain pose.
7. When ready, raise arms above head, slight back-bend at the top, then with a straight back, fold back down on exhale. Rise up to fingertips on inhale, then fold again. Do 3 reps, then plant hands on the ground, walking or floating feet back to Down Dog (note: if floating back, land in Chaturanga). Repeat Vinyasa, ending in Down Dog.
That's the end of the first Sun Salutation!
Second Sun Salutation:
8. Repeat steps 3-7 (excluding Child's pose again) except substitute Warrior One for Crescent pose. Don't skip any poses!
Third Sun Salutation:
9. Go through the whole thing again, except substitute  Warrior Two for Warrior One. While in Warrior Two, do your standing poses: Reverse Warrior, Side Angle (do the arm bind if you like), Prayer Twist, Triangle, and Warrior Three and Half Moon if you want to add some balance in there. Make sure to do both sides with a Vinyasa between.
10. When you've gone through the third Sun Salutation, instead of Mountain pose, come to Chair and hold for a minute. You can do the Chair Twist and arm-balances here if you want to challenge yourself. Otherwise just fold after Chair pose.
11. Come to Yogi Squat and open up your hips. Roll down onto back and bring knees into chest, rest. When ready, place heels flat on the floor, close to butt, and raise hips up for Bridge, hold. Lower hips slowly and raise legs up in the air. Raise arms too and try to lift both hips and shoulders for a lil' ab workout here. Place arms at sides and lift legs up above and behind head for Plow. When ready, place hands on hips, with elbows behind you and raise one leg then the other above for Candle. Rest.
12. Finally, lower knees beside ears, grab ahold of feet or ankles and very slowly and controlled, roll down into Happy Baby pose. Roll from side to side for a back massage, then lower both arms and legs to the ground, relax, and Sivasana!

*PHEW*

It's actually, not as much as it sounds. Depending on your pace and how long you hold poses for, it can take anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour and a half. Often times, I'll add my crunch routine (which is very simple: 2 reps of 12 normal upper ab crunches with legs in the air bent at 90 degrees,  2 reps of 12 bicycle crunches, and 2 reps of 12 double leg-lifts with hands flat under butt) before inverting Plow/Candle. You can also mix it up by adding some seated twists and a Pigeon or Lotus in there either before or after Sun Salutations.

See? Easy! =)

For explanations of how to do all the poses I mentioned, go here.

More Challenging Poses Every Day

On my first day of yoga, I was trying out a free trial membership with L.A. fitness. My then-roommate and I decided we'd check out the yoga class. The instructor taught an intermediate-style class forcused on breathing and deep stretching. Being my first-ever experience, I was floored by it. I've never beenthe most bendy of people and some of the simpler stretches made me laugh to think about attempting. When she asked us to try Dragonfly pose, I just about died of mental laughter!

After just a few months of steady practice, my body began to bend easier and I was able to stretch and extend to limits I never would have thought possible before. Now, after ove two years, not only can I bend and touch my forehead to my knees in a foreward fold, but I can balance without difficulty in both the Chair Twist arm balances, Crow pose, and (almost) Dragonfly. My problem with the latter is that I still can't do the splits, but I'm guessing that in another two years, that too will be no problem.

Yoga is amazing for pushing your body and testing your limits. As long as you try (but don't push yourself to the point of injury) your body will be able to do things you never thought were possible after just a couple days' practice. Give it a try. I dare you.