21 days of yoga

I love yoga, I really do. But I don’t do enough of it. It’s the thing that, when I’ve got too much on drops off the bottom of my fitness ‘to do list’. And then I regret it because it’s when things get hectic that I need yoga the most. Taking an hour out of the day to get on the mat, clear your mind and stretch your body is the perfect antidote to a busy life.

It’s also a perfect complement to marathon training. My legs are already feeling the after effects of the increased running. My calves and hips in particular are feeling tight. I know that getting into a regular yoga routine would really help with this and that my legs will thank me for it.

So when I heard that the lovely Charlie over at The Runner Beans was running a 21 days of yoga challenge through January I thought it sounded like the perfect thing for me. Apparently it takes 21 days to form a habit so by committing to practise yoga for 21 days during January I should establish my habit to see me through not just the rest of marathon training but into the rest of 2014.

I have a membership at Good Vibes which is where I’ll go to practice. They offer a fantastic range of yoga classes from strong dynamic Vinyasa flow through to blissed our candlelight sessions. Their studios are beautiful with infra red heating and SAD lights which makes it feel like you’re practicing outside on a lovely summer’s day when in reality it’s dark and cold outside.

But getting to a class isn’t going to be practical for me every single day. That’s where Movement For Modern Life comes in. Movement for Modern Life is a subscription based service offering online yoga through on demand videos. Their large selection of classes are available via their website and they charge a very reasonable monthly subscription that allows you to view videos whenever, wherever you want.

There’s a huge range to choose from, from total beginners through to some really challenging sessions. There’s also a section specifically for athletes and although none are directly aimed at runners the videos for cyclists and footballers target areas which are great for runners as well.

There’s currently a special offer running on annual subscriptions for over 50% off the usual monthly price. This works out at less than a tenner a month – great value when you consider the average price of a single class in London is around £15

So I’ve accepted the 21 day challenge and am now 3 days in. Days 1 and 2 were done in my lounge and bedroom. A combination of videos from Movement for Modern Life and some poses which I know are great for runners – pigeon in particular.

Today I went to a Yang and Yin session at Good Vibes which was just the perfect way to start a Sunday. My legs are almost feeling recovered from the 9 mile run yesterday.

There’s still time to get involved in the challenge if you want to. Just pop on over to Charlie’s website to read more or contact her on Twitter @charliedwatson using #21daysofyoga