Yoga is my favorite. If you’re one of my patients, I’m sure you’re tired of hearing me say this. Or, if you’ve read some of my other blog posts, this is definitely old news. But I just can’t stop, and the deeper I dive in, the more I LOVE it! The only problem is that I don’t live close to any yoga studios, and even if I did, having a toddler doesn’t allow me to have a flexible schedule to make it to all of my favorite classes.
It would be wonderful if I could have a studio right next door, where I could wake up at whatever time I wanted, mosey on over and have a class starting at whatever time I happen to walk in that day. My perfect class would only have about 10 people max, and we’d be at least 5 feet apart in all directions so that I could have my own personal little yoga bubble without feeling like I was going to whack someone with my hands or feel like my butt was in someone’s face during downward dog. But alas, this is not the case in most yoga classes that I have been to. While I really enjoy having the presence of a few other people to motivate me, and I love having a teacher that might be able to give me some cues on form, most of the time it just doesn’t fit into my schedule as a business owner and mom. So I’ve had to find a way to make it work for me.
I’ve always been a home workout video junkie – it started with watching my mom workout with Jane Fonda and Denise Richards. Then I became obsessed with Tae Bo – Billy Blanks really knew how to make me sweat while having fun and feeling strong. I used that VHS tape almost everyday and even took it with me when we went on vacation. Then came Beachbody – I LOVED TurboJam and Chalene Johnson and I had all of her DVDs. A few years later, P90x rocked my world and enabled me to build muscle like I had never done before. These videos were great, but most of them either lacked a significant stretching routine, or I skipped it because “who has time for stretching?”
All of those high intensity workouts, running and minimal stretching took a toll on my body in many ways. It was suggested that I take a break and focus on lower intensity things like walking and yoga. IT WAS HARD. It took me about a month to get out of my head, stop fidgeting and actually start breathing, relaxing and enjoying yoga. But once I was able to change my mindset, I felt INCREDIBLE! I had no idea how much my previous high intensity exercise and strengthening with minimal 20-30 second stretches had led to severe inflexibility. I had pain throughout my entire back and up into my neck when I did a forward bend. I couldn’t sit in butterfly pose at all. And I was a PT and telling people to stretch every day! I guess that’s what happens when we’re young – we feel invincible until something breaks.
The hardest part of making the transition to yoga was going from rolling out of bed and working out at home to trying to figure out a yoga class that fit into my schedule and was anywhere close to my house. I just couldn’t figure out a way to get to a yoga studio consistently – then voila, I found the magic of You Tube yoga! I can do videos as short as 3-4 minutes if I’m running low on time, all the way up to 1.5 hour classes, FOR FREE!
There are SOOOOOO many You Tube yoga teachers, and I’m sure I haven’t even touched the surface. I’m going to give you a list of my current go-to teachers (this tends to change when I find a new favorite, so be on the look out for updates). I am not going to list the instructors that I did not connect with, because who knows, you might love them!
- My absolute favorite right now – Kino Yoga. She is AMAZING! I have gained more strength and flexibility in the last 2 months that I have been doing her videos than in the few years before that. She gives great cues throughout the video to maintain your pelvic floor and core activation, awesome tips for proper form and gives a lot of modifications for different skill levels. She has many different series – including a 30 day Yoga for Beginners series. I would highly suggest purchasing 2 yoga blocks, because she has you use them in a way that has really sent my strength to the next level. She has a lot of free videos on You Tube, but once I get through those, I might seriously consider joining her subscription service, OmStars, which has over 3,000 yoga videos by many different teachers. If they are anything close to her caliber, they will be great!
- Yoga with Adriene – she is awesome for people that think that yoga is boring, because she is definitely NOT boring! She is an actress and has a very bubbly personality, which leads to yoga sessions that are anything but dull. She has TONS of free videos on You Tube and also has her own website: https://yogawithadriene.com/
- Cat Meffan – she is a rockstar. She is so strong and flexible and I love her accent! She is very motivating and gives really great cues. She also has a subscription program that I might check out one of these days: https://mysoulsanctuary.co/
- Leslie Fightmaster – calm and easy-going with little snippets of humor here and there. I feel like she has great cues and does well with modifications. I would not suggest beginning with her videos for someone that is worried about yoga being too boring, as they are definitely not as energetic and interactive as Yoga with Adriene. She has great 30 minute videos that are very nice flows.
- Five Parks Yoga with Erin Sampson. She’s a local Denver Metro girl that also does retreats and films videos in Costa Rica. I really like the flow of her classes and she does things slightly differently than a lot of other yoga teachers, so it’s a nice change of pace.
These are just the You Tube yoga teachers that I have connected with the most. Everyone has a very different style and like I said, there are so many videos out there that I have not seen yet – the You Tube yoga world is your oyster!
I hope that these suggestions help you to find your in-home yoga practice. Always remember to take it easy in the beginning and really focus on the form cues and modifications. Since there is no instructor at your home, you really have to be your own critic and make sure that you are not pushing your body past its limits or injuring yourself. If you have any questions, you can always contact me and I’d be happy to answer as well as I can. Here’s to feeling your best and living your best life!
For further questions, or to schedule an appointment, please email Dr. Lisa Wilcox at DrLisa@SolsticePhysicalTherapy.com, call (720) 369-7738 or contact through her website at www.SolsticePhysicalTherapy.com.
**This is not to be considered medical advice, please contact a physical therapist or other healthcare professional for more information. All content on lisawilcoxpt.com is created for informational purposes only and is not to be taken as medical advice, treatment or diagnosis.
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