Today I started on DVD # 2! I did two sections: one on “spinal health” and the second on “hips.”
I’m delighted that, for the most part, I can still keep up with what the teacher is asking me to do.
Exceptions are –
- when she asks me to sit on the floor with my legs straight and spread out as far from each other as possible, and then to bend the top of my body from my hips toward the floor in front of me. OOOH! Do I feel THAT stretch! She tells me, though, that as long as I’m making the attempt – and breathing into the stretch – eventually I’ll “open up.” I just hope I don’t crack and break first…
- the other position giving me some trouble is starting on your hands and knees. Move one leg forward as far as possible while stretching out the other leg behind you…
- lying on my back and relaxing. It takes me a minute or two, pushing my low back down to the floor over and over, before I can do this.
- I feel a tightness across my back right beneath my shoulder blades that complains when I’m doing some of the poses.
Tomorrow I’ll try the “legs” section and the last one, which is called, “overall flow.”
My eventual goal will be to do DVD # 1 one day, and DVD # 2 the next.
So far, even though I’m trying all this for the first time EVER – my body is feeling ‘looser.’ It’s a vague feeling at this point, but I feel less tight in my hips and back, and I’m feeling my hip bones when I walk, separate from my torso, if that makes any sense. I’m more aware of different parts of my body and am consciously pulling my shoulders down away from my ears.
I’m not kidding myself. I’m doing a lot of really good stretching and deep breathing that are really good for me, but I’m not doing anything like standing on my head against the wall or folding myself up into a pretzel shape. I may never get to that, but what I’m doing is really good for me and I’m grateful that I found this 2-DVD set called “Gentle Yoga” (for people 60 years old and up).
