(cough. sputter. Well, ummm, yet.)
But I am getting ripped...And it's not from lifting. Or from doing TRX. or kettleball. or CrossFit.
It's from doing yoga.
I'm going to admit something here. I always thought yoga was a wimpy girl way to keep in shape. I knew it was good in terms of gaining flexibility and helping you to breathe deeply and ohmmmm and stuff. But it wasn't anything I thought might be challenging enough to actually shape my body. I assumed yoga didn't break you down and make you suffer--and, well, I only really have respect for things that break you down and make you suffer. (I'm kidding. I have respect for reading, for example, and that doesn't break you down and make you suffer, right? Actually, I suppose that depends on what you are reading....)
I wasn't that wrong about yoga. Yoga doesn't break your body down, and though sometimes you are required to dig deep--even suffer--it's not the same as the suffering and digging deep involved in racing triathlon.
However, what I've learned is that yoga is not easy. It's not easy, and it's challenging me in ways I need to be challenged. It requires emptying my mind; it requires focus, balance, control and strength.
Adding to its merits is that it doesn't mean anything in terms of triathlon. If I can ever manage to do, say, firefly pose, triathlon doesn't care. I will not be a faster triathlete if I can do firefly pose. However, I might become a stronger triathlete if I keep trying to achieve firefly pose. For those of you wondering, this is firefly pose:
And there it is. Yoga is not measuring how far I've come. I need to be averaging 1:15 pace for my threshold 100s in the pool by April if I want to get close to swimming one hour for the swim at Lake Placid. But if I can't do firefly pose by April, it doesn't matter. It only matters that I keep trying to do firefly pose, because doing so will force me to work on my focus, my balance, control (oh... that is a big one for me) and strength.
Isn't that beautiful?
Not only that, but I also really dig chivasana at the end of class. I love it so much I've tried to do chivasana at the end of all my workouts. So far the closest I've come is floating silently in the water after a swim. I'm sure it thrills the people waiting for a lane that I feel the need to float instead of just getting my ass out of the pool.
More on the MBTI stuff in my next post. You have all been awesome about responding. Thank you. If any of you have NOT taken the test or have not told me your type, then do so! I am still collecting responses. Gracias.
21 comments:
That firefly pose is crazy! I love yoga and have been doing it for awhile, but I can honestly say I will probably never be able to do that pose!
I love the relaxation part at the end too. It's so calming.
I used to think yoga was for weenies too. Then started doing it more as the tri training picked up, and it really helped. Sure, some of it totally kicks my ass, since I'm about as flexible as a brick, but it's all good, and I have been getting better. And you know, I think it DOES make me a faster athlete.
Reading can make you suffer. One of my book clubs was on an Oprah kick for a while and gawd some of that is awful. Then there's Dan Brown. I'd sooner do an Ironman on no advance notice rather than read another of his books. His writing is real suffering.
I am just dipping my toes into yoga alongside marathon / triathlon training and I think the mental approach is EXTREMELY helpful and extremely hard.. Which means it's probably something I should be working on.
yoga is cool but ... 1:15 with how much rest?
I stuggle with yoga only because I think I have workout hyperactivity disorder--I feel like I have to be going going going.
Firefly is pretty cool~would like to be able to pull that trick out :)
So I went back to the post about the MBTI test and took that~
ENFJ
the test revealed that I was extrovert. hmmmm-imagine THAT! lol
I have friends who do yoga and they have the best looking arms. Glad this is working so well for you!
i so so so want to do yoga and incorporate it, i just can't seem to get committed
yoga - waaaay harder than it looks. I'd like to get better at it but I suck so bad that I'll have to defer training it for another day. There is only so much time in the day.
It's on the bucket list though.
I love it! In so many ways I feel like yoga is the opposite of triathlon (in a good way). The teachers are always saying how it doesn't matter how good you are at it, as long as you're doing it.
George loves to quote a cheesy Bryan Kest DVD where he says "If you're doing it, you're doing it perfectly."
The other yoga quote I like is "the pose begins the second you want to get out of it" - it forces your brain to clear everything out and focus - not on going faster, being stronger, etc, just on *being.*
But in the meantime you are getting ripped.
Rotund belly - ha! I think not! :)
I would definately break something if I attempted that pose. And my problem w/ yoga is I'm afraid I would get the giggles...and be seriously disruptive. I wish we lived closer b/c I would love to go with you. Except now, you're a pro. :)
wow, i am always so jealous of people who yoga.... flexible and able to relax. not me, not me at all.
I love yoga. The spinerval class is at the Tenx club n Canton on Saturdays at 10:30 am. I'm scared. If I can find the test I'll take it.
I'll bet you anything that you will be doing firefly pose by next Christmas.
enfj, just like everyone else. hmph!
oh, i'm craving some yoga now.
Okay, you've convinced this totally inflexible (no joke, can't even touch my toes) to give the yoga class at the gym a go.
And oh, yeah. ESFJ!
So funny that you decide to do a post on Myers Briggs personality types. I did this EXACT quiz a month ago and was thinking about blogging about it. Then my real life became CRAZY and my digital life died. It's probably time to resurrect it.
Anyway -- I was curious to see if the test would come out the same since I think I was far enough removed from the original one.
YES -- exactly the same. ENJF. Good thing it validates my teaching career choice! :)
i hate chavasana. all i do is sit there and think about all the shit i need to get done.
one of my teachers rubs lotion on your shoulders after class so i wait for my turn!
try HOT YOGA.
oh and planks - does jen make you do them? OB has us do one minute planks. i got it down to 3 in a row.
Yoga is the best thing I've ever done for my running. It's made me so much more flexible and strong than I ever thought it would. The hardest part for me is to remember that, in the words of my wife the yoga instructor, yoga is not a competition. It's about where you are today, and only today. Not easy for us ESTJ types to remember. :)
i keep hearing this from yoga converts and i'm soooo tempted to try but i really worry that i wouldn't be able to sit still for that long....
Off-topic, but ENTJ. Which makes sense, because ENTJ's lead their partners on "creative lovemaking adventures."
http://www.personalitypage.com/html/relationships.html
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