I
love my phone! I use it for just about everything. I use it first thing in the
morning when the phone alarm wakes me up, to the beeps that remind me
throughout the day to change my laundry and take my vitamins. I look up
recipes, read blogs, email family and friends, take pictures of my kids, and
listen to my music. I use it to read books and have books read to me. My kids
play games on it (so do I). I follow the news, check the weather, and even
watch movies and tv shows. But I have recently discovered the one use that has
made me fall in love with my phone all over again. It is a daily Yoga app, and
I got it for free in my phone's App Store.
Last
summer shortly after I had the baby I found a community yoga class. I was
shocked to find it since the area where I live in is much more rural than
urban. I immediately dragged my sister to class with me, and we fell in love
with it. My sister was a yoga fan from her time in a large west coast city, and
I had always been jealous that she was able to attend a real yoga class.
Now
I am not a big fan of being "athletic:" I don't like the feeling of
sweat, I do not enjoy competition, and I don't like being in a big stinky gym
where I am uncomfortable in my own skin—my own skin in lycra spandex! But yoga
was different. We had a great instructor who taught us that yoga was about the
practice and loving our bodies and being grateful for what they could do, not
what they could not do. I love the peace and the quiet and the strength. I
think I enjoyed the way it made me feel mentally more than the way it made me
feel physically. I certainly didn't start to have a supermodel body.
But
the end of summer rolled around and soccer started. Wouldn't you know
it—practice and games were on the same night as my yoga class. Then it got to
be dark sooner, and I didn't want to go out, and then I was out of the habit,
and before I knew it, I no longer missed attending my Yoga class.
Which
brings me to the discovery of the Yoga app on my phone. I was browsing a while
back in the App store, and listed under one of the categories of recommend apps
was this Daily Yoga app. Well, I downloaded it immediately because I should be
able to reap all the benefits just by having it on my phone... right? It has honestly sat there for months and never
been opened. I have good intentions because I haven't deleted it when I go
through and delete all the games my kids download onto my phone, but I had yet
to use it. Then a few days ago, I
decided I would explore it—now mind
you, I wasn't about to USE it, I was
just going to look at it a little. There were lots of programs that I could
download and access: ones for relaxation, or weight loss, or back pain. So I
downloaded a few of them. I even picked one and started to listen to it. (Isn't
that ridiculous, I sat on the couch and listened to it, instead of doing it!)
But
Monday it was sunny outside, and after the rain and the long winter it just
feels good to be alive. I decided I would get out my yoga app and use it. I
chose the 14 minute sun salutation because I figured I could sacrifice 14
minutes of my day to exercise. At first it was a little goofy, my son giggled
at the words the instructor was using, "delight in your breathing.” I
giggled, too. And the cat came and tried to take a nap on my yoga mat right in
the middle of my downward dog. My preschooler tried to do some of the moves,
but it wasn't bouncy enough for him and so he left.
But
after I finished my 14 minute practice and as I lay there on my mat, I
meditated (was thinking) about how
truly beautiful it all was. My body is strong and useful; I can do so many
things to provide for my family and help others with it. How joyful I was
surrounded by the people that I love and who love me. How grateful I was for
the sunshine and the coming springtime and to be alive and breathing.
And
then, when I was done, I set a reminder on my phone: "Do Yoga! - Remember
how much you love how you feel after."
**
For those of you interested in "free yoga," all major phone markets
have free apps, as well as all major tablet markets. If
you are on a computer, YouTube has some wonderful ones also.
