I almost did this workout last night at 11 pm, because I’d had a really busy day yesterday and didn’t have time to work out until after the kids went to bed, but I decided against it because I had to get up so early to take the kids to their dads’. So instead, I’m going to do 2 yoga workouts today! One now and one later this evening. The first video is called Flow, and it’s 30 minutes long. For this video, I think he’s going to put all of the moves learned in the previous 3 videos together and move fluidly through them more quickly rather than holding the poses.
Before 3-Week Yoga Retreat Day 4 – Flow: It’s 1:24 pm! I’m feeling sleepy because I didn’t sleep too well last night and had to get up super early (for me. I usually wake up at 9. haha). My son woke me up in the middle of the night for a while, too, so what I’d really like to do right now is go nap, but I’m determined to do 2 videos today to catch up. The backs of my legs are feeling a little sore from previous yoga workouts, and my upper back is hurting a bit between my shoulder blades (because who even knows why), but my lower back is feeling good today, so that’s something!
WORKOUT TOOLS:
1. Yoga mat. Yoga is really, really difficult to do without a mat because it’s much harder to stabilize yourself and hold the poses without one. I learned this from doing PiYo in the past, so if you don’t have one, I really recommend getting one.
2. Optional yoga block. This is handy to have if you aren’t flexible or have poor balance and could use the extra support. I don’t have one and it’s definitely not required.
3. Towel or sculpting band. This is really only needed if your legs are tight or not flexible enough to touch your feet from a seated position with outstretched legs. The strap/towel goes around your foot to help you lengthen into the stretch. So if you’re flexible, you won’t need to use a towel or band.
After 3-Week Yoga Retreat Day 4 – Flow: That felt great! It was challenging and somehow relaxing at the same time. I really enjoyed the Flow – Breathe sections especially. I have a hard time sometimes knowing when I’m supposed to be inhaling and when I should be exhaling during workouts, and that section flows perfectly with the breath so there’s absolutely no guesswork, and the movements feel good to do. I also realized during this video that I have been doing upward dog wrong for as long as I’ve been doing that pose. haha. The correct way is much more challenging. I decided to do sort of the modified version, Cobra, because I didn’t want to strain my lower back. I want to make sure I get the muscles strengthened before I do anything too challenging when it comes to putting strain on that area.
Overall, I loved this video and I’m loving this program so far. It’s both challenging and relaxing, and I always seem to feel good afterward. Tonight, I’ll be doing “Flow on the Go,” which is only 20 minutes long, so it’s a great video to do when you’re shorter on time. I’m excited to see what it’s like!
As always, thanks for reading! Check back later for another post for my 2nd yoga video of the day! If you’d like to give Beachbody’s 3-Week Yoga Retreat a try, let me know, and I can help you get started!
April Kolesar
Independent Beachbody Coach