Six Word Memoirs on Life Stories

lovelylizard says,

I love yoga and need to get back to practicing also. It's good for your body and your head. Enjoy! I think you've inspired me.

canadafreeze says,

Saves the day for me - body and mind.

illuminatrix says,

Discovered yoga as a college student. My instructor was a German immigrant in her forties who looked like she was in her early twenties (she taught yoga 3/4 times a day!) and projected comfort and energy all around her. Been self-practicing ever since. But I need to motivate myself as well, make it a daily routine. Good for anything and everything. If you do a really good session, then sit in some manner of lotus/indian style, put your hands on your hips or knees, and you will find yourself meditating with zero effort, swooning with simple good feelings and unplagued by unimportant shit.

Just a side note, the reason why many poses are named for animals is (this is probably obvious) because they actually do that same pose in actuality, but for instinctual and important reasons. The circulatory system obviously has a pump and thus is constantly defying gravity, bringing the good stuff where it needs to be. However, the lymphatic system and the fluid contained within, the CSF in the spine, and others have no pump and are completely gravity-bound fluid systems. Translation, they don't get near enough circulation. Cats and dogs stretch like they do to circulate those fluids (among the other reasons that anyone stretches, of course). And a side-side note. The very mild head rush (doctors call this orthostatic hypotension) from inverting upside down and right side up repeatedly works perfectly in tandem with the initial minor discomfort of stretching because it acts as a very mild temporary intoxicant during yoga, easing the discomfort with a very minor lightheadedness. After starting, the stretching just gets more and more pleasurable. Genius.

Level1 says,

That's a great explanation on the stretches. I will keep that in mind when my 50 year old body protests. It's only been a month and I am still as stiff as a board but I noticed last night that, ever so slightly, my body was starting to respond.