Namaste!

I've mentioned before that I'm taking a yoga class. One of my resolutions this year was to get some exercise, and after going through physical therapy in February for an ailing back, yoga was highly suggested.

So every Tuesday, my hubby picks up his sister after school (she's in 10th grade) and she watches the boys while I go to my class with two of my friends. It didn't cost all that much to take the class, but I'll tell ya - I'd happily pay twice what I'm paying just for the quiet and relaxation once a week.

The stretching and core strengthening exercises have been really good for my back and after just three classes, my posture is better, too.

I never thought yoga would be such good exercise! I thought it would be some stretching and some "ohm-ing". I guess, though, if you consider what you weigh (and I'll be 100% honest here - these days I'm around 155) and you learn how to move your body to have lesser-used muscles of your body support that weight, well, those lil' muscles get quite the work-out.

I was originally concerned that I wouldn't be able to bend my body into some of the positions. But we were about 15 minutes into the first class when I realized that downward dog, cat and cow are all things we did as kids when goofing around in front of Saturday morning cartoons. And yes, its a bit harder for me to do something like the plow, but any good beginning yoga instructor will show you how to work your way up to the full posture without hurting yourself. (If you go watch the video of the guy doing "plow", I feel I shouldn't really have to tell you I don't look as good as he does when I do it. I somewhat jerkily hoist my feet up over my head, and then, one at a time touch the very tippity-tip of each toe to the floor behind me one at a time for about .36 seconds each. I feel this is a huge accomplishment.)

I guess the biggest thing I get out of yoga, though, is time to myself. Since we've had kids, my hubby and I have chosen to work shifts opposite each other so that we can be at home with our kids. And that's great - but its hard, and it can be very stressful.

That's why my yoga classes are the subject of this week's "Moments for me Monday". They're that little something I start to think about on Sunday nights when I begin to dread going back to work in the morning.