Yoga and Me

Woo, two blog posts in the same month. This is a record, given my lack of attention to Pamamerican Perspective. It is hard to believe that June is right around the corner. Yoga has been my latest focus and it is awesome!

I am currently on day 8 of a goal I have that involves doing a yoga practice for 30 days. The practice can be 10 minutes or over an hour, as long as it is a practice. Some may call it a challenge, but I don't see it this way. Yoga is very enjoyable for me. I have learned a lot about my self and my body over a short time. I feel like I have become more mindful of my body and of myself. Some of this may be because of me practicing yoga on and off for the last 7 years, but I feel like I have already grown in the last 8 days.

Since we are on the topic of yoga, here are some things I have discovered about the practice throughout my experience. These are questions or comments I often hear from people who are curious about yoga but aren't quite sure where to start.

Flexibility is more than being able to touch your toes or fold into a pretzel. A good teacher will provide other options for poses that may require more flexibility than others. Props including straps and blocks, pillows, and blankets, are also great for helping somebody enjoy the benefits of a pose.

Yoga is about flexibility of the mind too. Over time you will become more physically flexible. You also will also gain more self awareness. I feel that the mental flexibility has taken longer in some respects than some of the physical aspects.

The key is to listen to your body. There is a fine line between exploring your boundaries and hurting yourself. This is where mental and physical flexibility come in. Honor your body and be curious about your body. You may be surprised what you can really do. Like life, we are all in different parts of our practice. Your friend next to you may be able to do a pose you hope to do someday; and it goes both ways. Honor your body and honor your limits.

Some poses are easier than others. Each day varies. No matter how many times you do a pose, even the most basic and easy ones can be challenging on any given day. It happens to all of us. Some poses are easier for some people than others. This may apply regardless of how long you've practiced. Again, the key is to honor your body and to not compare yourself to others. You're a rockstar regardless of your level!

Nobody really cares what you wear to yoga. Yoga clothes and the $78 pair of yoga capris are not going to give you any more yoga-zen powers than the $15 pair of capris you buy at Target. The same applies to pretty much any yoga clothing. What matters is how you feel in them. In general I like to look for clothes that are form fitting, flexible, and not baggy. Clothes that work for you can make a difference on whether you're focusing on your clothing or your pose in yoga. My pants in the picture fit almost all of the criteria. The only downside is that my foot slips on them, taking my focus away from some of my poses (see the balance picture above). They were $3 at a local store down here.

Yoga is for almost everyone. I am a believer in this and will be until I am proven otherwise. The practice can occur just about anywhere. Even airports are incorporating yoga rooms! If going up and down on the floor is not a great way to honor your body then try it in a chair. I practiced chair yoga with my mom in December. We both enjoyed our 20 minute session. Youtube is a great source for yoga classes, including chair yoga.

Our smaller dog guiding me into Lizard pose. 

This is me on my soap box today about yoga. As you can tell, I really enjoy yoga. Panama has provided us with so many opportunities, including the chance to rekindle with things we've enjoyed including yoga and hiking. I think Robert and I have changed a lot in the last two years since we moved here. We've become better people as a result. And that's what's going on this week!

A Recap of Us the Last Month

I've broken my promise of blogging regularly. I have not had a lot of motivation, since I think our lives are kind of boring. Not saying our lives aren't great, but are they really worth writing about? Here is what we've been up to since our last blog post in February.

After our trip to Bogota, we took a quick trip to Arizona. For those of you counting, we traveled internationally 3 times within a 7 week period. Arizona was fun, because I got a chance to see some old friends, including one I haven't seen in over 20 years. It was great catching up!

We've both been busy with work. I am writing blogs for a local company here. It is great, because it gives me a chance to do things I wouldn't normally think of doing. One example of this is visiting a bed and breakfast that rescues sloths. Sloths are not very well liked in Panama, and some think they are connected with the supernatural. As a result, sloths are often mistreated and killed. This bed and breakfast will try to rehabilitate the sloths and return them to the wild. There are two that wouldn't make it in the wild, and these are the ones we got to feed. Aren't they cute?

We've been on a frozen smoothie kick. It just seems so much easier drinking a breakfast than cooking something. Cereal usually does a poor job holding me over until lunch, so this is a great option for both of us. Our freezer is full of frozen frozen fruit including bananas, mangoes, pineapple, spinach, kale, and berries. We have a small freezer, 70% of which is devoted to smoothies. Add a little protein powder with chia seeds or walnuts. Yum!

Robert and I went for a hike with a group earlier this week. The hike was a moderate hike, but it was a lot of fun. Rainy season has officially started, and we beat the rain by about 15 minutes. Thank goodness because hiking downhill doesn't sound super appealing with monsoon like rains.

We've had high surf advisories lately, too. These are usually a surfer's delight, since surf advisories usually equal big waves and strong ones. We went out for the first time in over a year yesterday. It was a blast in spite of us both being a little rusty.

Other than that, there is nothing new going on. We plan on going for another hike with a friend this week. We are staying busy and loving life in Panama. I really will try to make an effort to post something every two weeks. I know I said that before, but I really will try to put forth an effort.