Week 5 - Part Two

The fifth and final week of the first cycle was really great. The schedule this week was slightly different from previous weeks. It was:

1. CrossTrain and HardCORE

2. Cardio

3. Strength and HardCORE

4. Mountain Pose Series

5. Gentle Yoga

6. Yin

7. Sun Salutations

The Gentle Yoga class was amazing. After being pretty sore from the first three days of the week, this slow yet constantly flowing class was exactly what Gio and I needed and has become our favorite class yet. We cant wait to add it to our routine for cycle two of The Ultimate Yogi. The class gave our muscles the time to repair and heal themselves while also helping us reduce our stress levels. We really enjoyed the slow pace of the class which helped introduce us to some new poses and motions. Throughout the class, the instructor kept us focused on alignment as well as our breathing techniques as we explored the variety of yoga poses we were experiencing. Here is clip on what this class was like:

Mid-week, I went to a park near my neighborhood, found a really peaceful and beautiful spot right next to a lake, and practiced some yoga moves in the sun. I usually do yoga in a dark room so this was a very different environment but it was really great. I had the best time and felt so calm and happy. Below are some pictures from that day:

Feeling the warmth of the sun and taking in the beauty around me made these Warrior poses truly special. In the first picture I am doing Warrior II, the second is Warrior III and the third is Reverse Warrior. I love doing these poses as a sequence because it helps me lengthen my spine, stretch my ribs, burn my quads, and challenge my balance and core. With this first cycle coming to an end, being at the park practicing poses on my own was a great way to celebrate my accomplishments. Speaking of accomplishments, since losing weight was one of my goals from the start, I'd like to share that I have lost a total of eight pounds throughout these first five weeks of the program. Here's a before and after picture to see my progress:

I am loving watching and feeling my body change. Everything is becoming tighter, my arms, core and legs are becoming stronger, my balance is greatly improved, and I am getting more and more flexible each day. Gio is loving the benefits he is gaining through this program as well and his new found flexibility is really helping improve his mixed martial arts performance. We have both acquired a new sense of calm which is making us much happier overall. With the first cycle of The Ultimate Yogi done and gone, we enter cycle two with high hopes and determination and are ready to take our yoga practice to the next level. I would like to leave off with this beautiful quote from Caroline Adams Miller, as we say goodbye to cycle one:

~"Your life is a sacred journey. It is about change, growth, discovery, movement, transformation, continuously expanding your vision of what is possible, stretching your soul, learning to see clearly and deeply, listening to your intuition, taking courageous challenges at every step along the way. 

You are on the path exactly where you are meant to be right now. And from here, you can only go forward, shaping your life story into a magnificent tale of triumph, of healing, of courage, of beauty, of wisdom, of power, of dignity, and of love."~