The Practical Person’s Guide to Yoga

It’s time I write something about yoga. I’ve been practicing for over 25 years now (maybe more) and I’m pretty sure it’s one of the main reasons I’m still mentally and physically upright. For the longest time I only practiced once a week. Since last year, have added a daily 30 min yin yoga practice that gets me ready for pickleball that day.

How many times have I heard, “Oh, I don’t do yoga because I’m not flexible.” Honestly, that’s like saying, “I don’t do weights because I’m not strong.” And yoga is not just an exercise… it’s a way of life (more on that later). Did you like the recommendation of Downward Facing Dog for relieving Plantar Fasciitis pain? (see last Wednesday’s blog post)

There’s a saying in yoga: you’re only as young as your back is flexible. It tracks. The whole idea is simple: move your spine. Forward, backward, side to side. Twist left, twist right. Nothing dramatic. Just reminding your body it’s still allowed to bend. You don’t want to land the role of Quasimodo later on, do you?

I’ve also been thinking about how it helps us in everyday life, and how it keeps us independent for longer. Who wants to be a burden. So I’ve renamed the following yoga poses for their functional names. Perhaps more motivating to keep it up.

Let me know if you have any to add to the list!