21 Days of Yoga: Day 11
Just getting here? Check out the beginning of the challenge to get caught up!
It’s the last day of 2011, and also Day 11 of my 21-day yoga challenge. What better way to bid farewell to the year than with some yoga? I’ve been sitting in front of my computer for a good part of the day, drafting and editing and re-editing my look back at 2011 and goals for 2012. So, I enjoyed the opportunity to get up, stretch and do something healthy and productive for myself before heading out for New Year’s festivities.
The Day 11 practice focused on backbends, which I love. Incidentally, they are also a great counter to all the sitting I’ve done at my desk today. This practice was pretty intense, but I enjoyed it a lot. Most of the backbends were subtle, like virabhadrasana I, reverse warrior, and lots more of my favorite (not), utkatasana. Towards the end, the practice shifted to some more intense bends, like dhanurasana and several great versions of salabasana. At then end, there was also variation of wild thing, one of my favorite poses whose Sanskrit name means “the ecstatic unfolding of the enraptured heart” – how could that be anything but awesome? I finished the practice feeling a bit shaky, but also fantastic.
Making time for this practice before a busy and likely overindulgent evening was a great way to end the year. We’re spending the evening with good friends – I can’t think of a much better place to be. I am looking forward to all that 2012 has to offer in my yoga practice and life in general.
So tell me, what are you doing to ring in a great year of yoga in 2012?
Ready for more? Check out Day 12!
[...] didn’t post yesterday, I actually did get up early to do my practice for Day 18. Like Days 4 and 11, this was a practice designed to build stability and alignment, with this particular one focusing [...]