This is me, Day Two!

Day Two is done. I spent a bit more time on my practice last night. I listened to some music this time and it paced me a little bit slower. I was a massage therapist for several years and have heard very varied 'relaxing' music. I prefer the music I like, at a pace that is just right for me-a slightly elevated heartbeat rhythm. I am a fan of Reggae music and feel that it is well suited to Yoga. Listen to what you like, however. There's nothing worse than listening to music you don't enjoy. ;) I listen to this: 

                          I did about the same routine last night as the first, with a few variations. I studied some Sun Salutation routines I found online and modified what I was doing, a little bit. I'm not so much concerned that the order I put my poses in is correct. It is more important to me that the flow makes sense and feels natural to me and I encourage you to do the same. I'd much prefer get into a routine that I can memorize and change at a whim than be looking at something as a reminder during my practice. When in doubt, revert back to Child's Pose and go from there! ;)

Child's Pose. You can alternately rest your arms to your sides on the floor. I like to roll up onto my head from here if I am planning on doing inverted poses.

I did my Sun Salutations about 4 times, then moved onto the floor for my leg stretches. I added the Pigeon Pose into my floor routine to open up my hips a bit more. I have an ongoing issue with my left hip that needs a bit of extra attention. 

Pigeon Pose for hips

"Dead Bug" is also a great hip opener

I spent some extra time working on my nemesis: Seated Forward Bend. 

From here, I went back in to Downward Dog, back to Mountain Pose and started some standing poses for balance. I feel like I have really good balance. I can easily stand on one leg, steady, for several minutes at a time. Generally speaking, I have good balance. I like to work on it, though, because it makes me feel stronger and more centered. 

You can start from Mountain Pose, then go into side bends (these really get me in the "muffin top" area) ;) 

Tree Pose^ is another favorite. This one starts with Mountain Pose, then bring your hands to your chest in a 'prayer' gesture ( hrdayanjali mudra meaning "reverence to the heart seal") while bringing your foot up toward the opposite inner thigh.^ Then you can raise your arms, hands over your head. A 'soft' eye is a great start, closing your eyes is more difficult than it looks. 

After some should rotations and stretching, I moved in to Eagle Pose

Which looks more difficult than it is, at least for me. You basically wrap one leg over the top of your bent, standing leg, then wrap your forearms up as well and attempt to hold this position for a few breaths. 

The Standing Stick pose is also great for the core strength and balance. This is also Warrior III and I should try to incorporate this in to my routine instead of doing it on it's own. 

I'm looking forward to building my practice again and getting back in to the flow of things.