The title is telling the truth. I have tried yoga several times over the years. I have never been able to get into a groover where it is concerned. I have a handful of reasons that aren’t important. The only one that is important? I never told myself I had to follow through. Until now.
I found an awesome yoga plan a few years ago. I was watching Youtube and I ran across a story of a man named Jared who was completely broken down. He had been in the armed forces and had jumped from airplanes so many times that his legs and back were messed up. He was in constant pain and had tried everything he could think of…except yoga.
Then a familiar face popped up on the video I was watching. I used to love professional wrestling in my younger days. One of the more charismatic guys was Diamond Dallas Paige. Here he was on the video talking about a yoga program that he led Jared through. Jared went from walking with air canes and being morbidly obese to very trim and fit and able to run. This was a feat that his doctors had told him he would never be able to do again.
I originally purchased the yoga program (DDP Yoga) back in 2018. I tried it for a while, but didn’t stick with it. I liked it, but I didn’t quite know how to fit it in to my overall approach. Who am I kidding? I didn’t have an approach. I didn’t have a plan, so I floundered.
When I started my 100 Day Strong journey (today is Day 76), I made a plan to lift weights 3 times per week and walk every day for at least 30 minutes. After a few weeks I felt like I needed a bit more to my workouts. This is where yoga reentered the picture. I still had an active subscription to DDP Yoga and logged in and set up a program that fit in with my overall routine. Guess what? It actually worked.
Am I super flexible now? No. Am I more so than I was when I started. Yes. I can tell that the yoga sessions are working well. I am now able to make it all the way through the different workouts. They are challenging, but I am finding myself up to the challenge. This has made me very happy.
I have found a couple of unexpected benefits from doing DDP yoga:
1. It has been a really good way to wind down my day. I do my yoga routine right before bed. By the time I finish the 30+ minute routines, I am stretched out and content. I am able to get in bed and relax much quicker.
2. The primary thing I like about Diamond Dallas Paige’s approach is that he meets people where they are. He encourages all throughout his workout videos. He tells people to make the workout their own and even demonstrates modifications himself. He keeps the routines fun and approachable.
3. I really enjoy yoga as a part of my overall workout plan. I think the issue I have had in the past is that I didn’t want it to be my entire workout. I like lifting weights. I like getting out on the road to walk. However, as a part of a comprehensive program, yoga has been very good.
My 100 Day Strong journey has showed me a lot of things. I am glad that it revealed yoga as a practice that I need to pursue. The benefits are becoming obvious and I look forward to continuing on.
David Willis 