Simply Belle

This particular outfit that I am wearing in the picture has been in a bag that is meant to be taken to Salvation Army or to be shipped home –which one happens to pop into my mind first. I had it shoved away in the closet for 10 years, and since I gained 10 pounds over the years, I had no choice but to let go of it to give room to the new wardrobe (not that I fancy buying clothes these days when I have two girls in college) how painful it may be. I like this particular ensemble very much because of its comfort, plus it cost me an arm and a leg to buy it brand new.

Anyway, this afternoon, I was in a mood to do yoga in the comfort of my living room. I thought I would have my husband take pictures of my yoga moves just for fun. It took me a while to find a comfortable yoga outfit from amongst the pile in my closet. And since I haven’t done my laundry, I couldn’t find an outfit that suit both yoga and the kind of weather we have. They were probably all in the laundry pile.

So, out of desperation, I turned to the plastic tucked below my wardrobe that is awaiting to be tossed away , and retrieved whatever I thought would fit me. I found this gray outfit. I tried it on, and it wasn’t bad at all, except that the blouse might have shrank a bit over time. Hey, last time I put it on, it was a bit snug, and my number 1 fashion critic, my husband, totally despised it. “It is showing your derriere a little too much,” he quipped. I grunted and snarled at him back., grrrr!

I have been doing yoga for the last 3 semesters, and I love every minute of it. The poses that I am going to be posting here may look really easy, but trust me, if you haven’t done yoga, it is not a piece of cake. In yoga, it is all about proper alignment, moving gracefully into a pose, holding a pose for a while, and getting out of the pose gingerly in order to get the full benefit. So far, and 3 semesters into it, I have progressed quite astonishingly but I think I have a long ways to go before I can handle hard poses like the acrobatic type of moves that you see in magazines. Or I may not even succeed in getting that far considering my age. But one thing I am sure of is I have become quite flexible. Certain challenging work moves that usually gave me discomfort or pain, now I can do with ease and confidence. It seems like I am gradually getting my youth flexibility back.

At first I was a bit apprehensive in taking yoga because how it is possible to lose weight without vigorous exercises like walking, running or doing aerobics? But as I learned more about it and got deeper into the world of yoga, I started seeing results. I have more flexibility, I am leaner without having to run on a daily basis, and I am calmer. As we get older, we are limited to what we can do like I used to be able to run, but after I hurt my knee, running is now out of the question.

Anyway, let me show you some poses that my husband took.

Picture 1:  I was trying to put the soles of my feet together but I couldn’t.  I need more training.

Picture 2: I was getting ready for a triangle pose, trying to stretch my body sideways as far as I could without feeling uncomfortable.

Picture 3: Downward dog pose. This pose is named as such because it resembles a dog when it streches itself out. This pose helps strengthen, stretch, and reduce stiffness in the legs while shaping and making the upper body stronger.  Holding this pose for a minute or so helps stimulate and restore energy level and regular practice of this pose rejuvenates the entire body and stimulates nervous system.

Picture 4:  Triangle pose. Not an easy pose to do as you have to make sure the body is perfectly aligned, avoiding twisting, to get the full benefit.

Picture 5: Bend over pose keeping both feet straight.

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