SpEd Learner's Blog

Yoga Online…Really?

I have no time. No, really—I have NO time. I am married, raising 4 boys, have my 80-something year old parents living downstairs (although my mom has been in hospital for the last 6 weeks, and likely for 2-3 more, due to a full-on collision with her Alzheimers), I work full time, spread between two schools, and I’m doing my masters. Then there are the other layers of life: pets needing to be fed, walked and attended to, anxiety (which hides in at least 2 of the closets in our house, maybe 3), illness hitting at the most inopportune times, kids’ university applications and job interviews, chauffeur duties and extracurricular schedules, supporting my husband as he transitions out of a 27-year career into a new profession, and, this week, a death and a dog attack. I know I should really just do an assignment on something I’m already doing anyways (that ever-looming, always-ominous lit review), but I’m recognizing that my life is kind of in crisis mode, so while it feel s a little bit like I’m choosing “more work” , what I’m really trying to do is choose me.

Yoga online, done at home. That’s my goal. I figure I can squeeze in 30 minutes a day, first thing in the morning or last thing in the evening, or after school instead of that cup of tea that I never get through. I’m wondering how long it will take until it feels like it’s just part of the routine, rather than something else I want to fit in. I’m curious to know if it will really bring a sense of peace to my life. How will it impact my flexibility? My hips need opening, hamstrings need lengthening, mind needs calming and back needs bending. Yoga, 5 days a week, 30 minutes or more, done online and at home.

I’ve practiced yoga before—that hot and sweaty yoga—and I do like it. However, the classes are 90 minutes and the commute is 20 minutes, each way, without traffic. If I want a “good spot” in the room, which really just translates to me wanting to be near the door in case I decide to bolt, throw in another 15 minutes as insurance, plus 15 more for changing and showering. That adds up to a whopping 160 minutes (2 hrs 40 minutes). It’s no wonder I haven’t been there much in the last year. I’m hoping I can change all of that with online yoga.

I did a little research and found a couple of sites that come well recommended, one being “My Yoga Online”, a paid site (99 cent intro for the first month, and then $9.95 monthly after that) and the other one “Do Yoga With Me”, which is free! I have signed up for both in hopes I can figure out which one I prefer. I actually started today with a 30 minutes session following yoga instructor Raymond Yee on the paid site focusing on opening the hips. Let’s just say my hips are very closed and I don’t pretzel well. I’ve posted a couple of pictures here for your viewing pleasure.