Yogini style

I write about running and figured it time to write a post about the other side of the coin; power yoga. What’s power yoga? To me it’s taking the calming effect and unity of mind, body and soul that is what you think of when you hear yoga and amping it up.
That’s if you don’t think loosey goosey and incense. I am definitely not an incense kind of girl. So add to that a bit more emphasis on body with powerful, limb-stretching poses and you get a good idea.

For me it's great counterpart to running. This makes me feel long, lean and oh so flexible, especially good as I can be as coordinated as a newborn duck on land. I remember clearly the instructor saying there is no ego in yoga..sorry but rocking those poses make me feel like a gracious goddess and even more when I hear others grunting and I’m thinking ‘makkie’. On the flipside I regularly think ‘no, not a third round of childbirth’ (hey, 12 and a half hours each and a good memory) and I can’t do the basic boat with anything else than a pained face and under-breath cursing. Here’s to hoping no one from the class sees this post..

All kidding aside I look forward to it. I dub those stretches with an extra pair of helping hands the best backbends as I’m innerly puuring (at least the ones where I’m not thinking release slowly if you want to keep your jaw). Once again I hope no one from the class sees this post. 

My back sometimes cramps and movement is stiff if not absolute agony. When I do the deep stretches it helps me elongate from way too much time behind screens. Same said for my legs, my calves feel long again where they feel powerful but tight and stocky from running. A great feeling because a look at myself in the mirrors and around the class and I’m thinking is there anything less lean and sexy than this roomful of contorted people? Need I say not for classmates eyes this post.

I feel loose during and after, not just in body but also mind. My mind doesn’t shut down during class. In fact it’s amped up and racing with all different thoughts but they just swim about. Once drifts forward and then away. Pretty much nothing seems too important where in my regular life everything is and I feel like I’m running a race to a funhouse door because it always seems to move further away when I get close. I might sound a bit loosey goosey here but I often feel like I’m sitting on my lotus just drifting smoothly with the breeze. Trust me that is a good feeling.

The moves can be intense but at the same time it’s not all power which is my forte. It’s breathing and depth. Both together make the moves not just doable but as comfortable as it can get with your foot balanced in a crack or navel. Finding and holding on to peace, which means letting go and just breathing deliberately is for me as hard for some as generating the physical power aspect. That I need this to do the moves, that I work on this and hopefully get there is what makes power yoga important in my week. It’s a big part of the reason I meditate everyday even when it’s late and I just want to sleep, why I now prefer the run paths in the quiet close to nature where I can look and breath and why each run is started with a bow and soft namaste. All in all, it grounds me by lifting me up. Life can be serious, tough and painful and this reminds me to be the willow and the oak; strong and flexible.

That being said, I’m still a magpie for the pretty and designed, so here’s a little yoga wish list round-up power style;

• I usually wear leggings but often fiddle with them to get into the pose, so I’m interested in trying a looser pair. This harem style from Mango please, especially since I most often go in a short leather jacket. This is so my look!

• The only essential is the mat and this mat from Liforme is divine, sustainable and handy with placement indicators because I don’t always notice my alignment.

• A good top is one where it does not flounce down into my face revealing said contorted tummy during a pose. This tight fit mesh one from H&M.

• I don’t need my full-sized gym bag because the mat doesn’t fit but trudging my keys, napkins and lip balm about in my hand is also not great. In comes this purpose-built clutch from Live The Process.