Barefoot & On the Mat 5/17-23: "Nothing in life is to be feared...."

[toaster]

Paine, yes, today has been more chill.

I tried a YT yin class today that was an hour but only did about 45 minutes b/c I got a bit bored with it. I hope that isn't an indication of anything since I did sign up for the yin training! I haven't really started the training modules yet, but I took the 2 pre-test assignments and got 10 out of 10 on both; it's nice to feel like a good student.

[cyana]

Today:
Walk - it was humid even though it wasn't terribly hot. To use Jessica Smith's terminology, I was seriously "sparkling" when I got home!
Essentrics work-out with Gail (recorded 5.20.2020 and posted to FB - a public page so you don't have to have an FB account) - I had intended to do the live work-out with Sahra today at noon ET, since the email said you didn't have to subscribe to Essentrics TV, but I couldn't figure out how to access it and Gail's work-out was fine.
YT - Mood Lifter - YoQi. This is a nice 15-ish minute qi gong practice that I hadn't done in a while.

I may do some yoga this evening.

Today must've been unofficial work out with your cat day - Gail's cat was sleeping in its bed during the Essentrics video and there were at least 3 cats outside the windows in the YoQi practice.....all while my trusty feline was stretched out on the floor making sure I wasn't slacking off!

I came across this link to a 5 minute bed yoga practice earlier today: https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/22/healt...ess/index.html . No rocket science here - just 5 minutes of nice stretching and twisting and I think most people could squeeze that in even if they don't have time for a full work-out.

Paine - Was that Backyard Beginners with Erich? Yet another feline visitation from his cat, Fig, in that video. You mentioned dreaming about studying for exams - my then-roommate and I used to joke about learning by osmosis, as we'd be studying late before a big test and would end up falling asleep with our books near/under our heads! Before one of our final exams, we were driving to class and Carol King's "It's Too Late" came on the radio. We all looked at each other and went "Oh crap!" Fortunately we all passed!

Beth - I like the shark funny. You'd mentioned having to bail on the yin practice. When I first started doing yin classes, I frequently wanted to jump up and run out of the room, but after sticking with it, I realized although there were times those 5 minute holds felt like 5 hours, I walked out of there with my head and body in a much better place, so then it was practically addictive. I was so sad when my much-beloved yin instructor moved away.

Anny - Hope your son continues to feel better.

Waves to ALL!

[Paine]

Beth, good job on your Yin training pretests!

Cyana, yes it was Schiffmann's Backyard Beginners (starring Fig! ) that I did this morning.
I saw part of Sabra's live workout and it looked good (I started watching late so missed the first half). I just clicked the link in the email to watch.
Oh, that's a funny final exam story from college, LOL!

[toaster]

cyana, good point! I tend to think of yin practices as more relaxing, yet this one was a bit more intense (think long holds of dragon, pigeon), so that's probably why I was more "bored" haha. That little pre-bed practice looks nice.

Paine, I love Erich's shoulder stretches from that practice; I incorporate many of them into my teaching.

[Anny]

Paine that Erich Schiffmann yoga sounds like it would be good one- I like any practice or workout with the word Beginner in it! As Adriene from YWA is fond of saying, it is good to return to beginner’s mind.

cyana it must be getting humid where you are. I envy you because it’s been getting colder here so I know winter is coming and I am not a good winter person. Walking work yesterday I needed my woolly scarf, leather jacket and umbrella.

Beth congratulations on the test scores! I hope you enjoy the training.

It’s Saturday morning and today I have some marking to do and I am also going to visit a book store, as more stores are opening up with social distancing. I’m thinking of continuing with my Ellen Barrett theme in workouts. I just have to decide which one to do today!

[toaster]

LOL, I mentioned the yin pretest scores b/c I will take any bit of good news I can get these days! It is good that I do know something about yin before getting started though. The class materials look really good, but I've been waiting until I finish my last week of work next week before really delving into them.

Anny, I don't remember--have you tried any of my YouTube yoga practices? They are all designed to be beginner (or beginner and beyond), and I'm always interested in feedback from others as to whether the practices are appropriate for them. Here is a sequence from Baxter Bell that shows some of Erich's shoulder stretches (although Baxter is standing and Erich does them seated):
http://yogaforhealthyaging.blogspot....-sequence.html

[Anny]

Beth thank you for sharing that link - I’ll have a look!

I’ve done three of your practices (so far) on YT: the 30 minutes Gentle Active one (I had a headache and this was a good practice for me, not too hard or lots of up and down to the floor); the five minute Just Sit (after a busy day and it was incredibly hard to just sit!); the ten minute Wandering Mind practice (so helpful).

The reason I haven’t done many is because I use my tablet to view my digital or YT workouts and for some reason the sound quality on my tablet for your practices is not great, very quiet. It’s probably because the tablet is very old as I have no issues hearing you on my phone. I just don’t use my phone for workouts unless I am desperate- too small a screen. I could try my laptop, thought, as it’s screen is maybe double my tablet size (I have a small Microsoft Go as a laptop).

[toaster]

Anny, thanks for your feedback, particularly for telling me about the sound quality! It's fine on my laptop but I recognize that others use different devices. I might invest in a wireless mic, but only if it looks like I won't be able to teach live again in the foreseeable future.

[Anny]

Beth I’m sure it’s just my old tablet! I really should replace it one of these days. It’s just so convenient for my online workouts in general.

I hope you can go back to real life teaching as well. I have enjoyed your calm manner on the practices I have completed and appreciate you putting them out there for free.

[toaster]

Thanks again Anny! I will probably continue filming occasionally (I've been thinking about doing some sort of short "how to" series), but not as regularly as I have been.

I did film a new meditation today, using a mudra:
https://youtu.be/3rFnZ6PZI3c