August 10, 2006 This was no boating accident!

Plans were made earlier this week with my co-workers to have a little get together after work today. So I had every intention of getting up early to take a quick run around Prospect Park.

At 6:00am the alarm went off. I hit the snooze. 8 minutes later the alarm goes again. I hit the snooze. Another 8 minutes another smack on the snooze button. Another 8 minutes another smack on the snooze button.

You get the picture. Shortly after 7:00am I got out of bed, there would be no run around the park this morning. So, what could I do? I could jump on my clothes hanger also known as the Nordic Track, but that would require moving clothes, a door, a cat, some other stuff. That's far too much for me to think about upon waking, so I decided I'd do a little yoga.

I found this handy little diagram a long time ago and I keep it around so I remember the poses.

In my little living room, I go through these poses:

1. Mountain Begin by standing in Mountain pose, feet about hip width apart, hands either by your sides or in prayer position. Take several deep breaths.	2. Hands up On your next inhale, in one sweeping movement, raise your arms up overhead and gently arch back as far as feels comfortable and safe.	3. Head to knees As you exhale, bend forward, bending the knees if necessary, and bring your hands to rest beside your feet.
4. Lunge Inhale and step the right leg back	5. Plank Exhale and step the left leg back into plank position. Hold the position and inhale.	6. Stick Exhale and lower yourself as if coming down from a pushup. Only your hands and feet should touch the floor.
7. Upward Dog Inhale and stretch forward and up, bending at the waist. Use your arms to lift your torso, but only bend back as far as feels comfortable and safe. Lift your legs up so that only the tops of your feet and your ahnds touch the floor. It's okay to keep your arms bent at the elbow.	8. Downward dog Exhale, lift from the hips and push back and up.	9. Lunge Inhale and step the right foot forward.
10. Head to knees Exhale, bring the left foot forward and step into head-to-knee position.	11. Hands up Inhale and rise slowly while keeping arms extended .	12. Mountain Exhale, and in a slow, sweeping motion, lower your arms to the sides. End by bringing your hands up into prayer position. Repeat the sequence, stepping with the left leg.

It's not without a few drawbacks. My big cat (this one here)

thinks this is the perfect opportunity to try and climb on my back or lie on the yoga mat. When he lies on the mat that is particularly awful because the mat is kind of tacky and he leaves a bunch of hair on the mat. And all that hair some how ends up on me!

The nice thing about doing this series of poses is it gets the blood going, loosens up the muscles and there's a bit strength training in there (try to do a Plank and not activate some upper body and core muscles).

Well that's all for this day's workout.

JP