Beginning Power Vinyasa Yoga - Core Power Yoga

OK. So I have done yoga on and off for over twenty years. Why would I choose a beginner video??!!!! Because I was a beginner in Core Power Yoga for one and secondly, I still needed to be careful with my back.

I realized I missed yoga, but still could not afford the luxury of going to a yoga studio once or twice a week and by getting used to the Jillian Michaelsvideo, I discovered I really liked the ease and low cost of working out at home. It was about this time that I was shooting a somewhat regular gig at a glorious place called Rancho La Puerta. This is a spa in Mexico and I’m lucky enough to do photography for their marketing materials.

I was down there for a week of shooting and my client told me the Core Power Yoga people were there that week. I had never heard of Core Power but was curious because I knew building my core was essential for continuing my quest to end chronic back pain. I didn’t have the chance to try a class while I was at the ranch but discovered a Core Power studio near my home so tried it out.

Sheesh was it hard. Nothing like any yoga class I had ever been in. We even used weights. I liked it, but needed something a little less intense and didn’t want to commit the time and finances to going to a yoga studio every week so I bought their Beginner Power Vinyasa video taught by Lisa Richards.

LOVE it and still do it to this day. It’s an amazing full body yoga workout and really does work the core. I’ve found over time that Lisa dwells a lot on some of the positions because she is teaching, but I’ve done it often enough that I know how to cut it down to about 45 minutes and still feel I get a terrific practice.

Read on to discover a trick to committing to exercise almost every day!

Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred!

Now that I had lost 25 pounds, I wanted to keep it off and really wanted to lose ten more. I was stuck again and terrified of re-gaining.  I needed another change-up. Increasing my exercise was what I needed to do!

It was about this time I went to visit my parents for the holidays (almost one year into my weight loss program) and I saw my 70+ Mother doing a Jillian Michael’s video. I don’t watch TV so didn’t know who Jillian Michaels was and that she was associated with the show “The Biggest Loser” which I had heard about but never had seen. My mother told me that there were three workouts on the video and that they were only 20 minutes each. I LOVED that idea and it seemed to be helping my mom stay in shape too.

Jillian Michael’s 30 Day Shred!

I bought the DVD and loved the idea of losing another ten to twenty pounds in 30 days! Alas, I could not keep up with it six days a week for thirty days and my weight didn’t budge, but I was gaining strength and endurance so committed to doing it at the various levels (depending on my energy level) two to three times a week. I also continued to run errands on my bike, walked with my husband and bought a Core Power Yoga video so I could alternate exercise, keep it interesting and stretch my poor muscles!

Read on about building in a regular exercise program and the importance of doing what’s best for you and keeping it diverse!