YAY! One Year on Substack!
Yoga for Writers, Readers and Creators!
Happy 1 year anniversary to me and Athlete in Balance newsletter! I love it here on SubStack. I have loved every day here and it feels like I finally found the platform that I enjoy. This was the first post of my newsletter about “Yoga Flow to Glow. Know Better, Do Better”. It is amazing how much there is to learn and share about yoga. Sometimes, I think I will run out of subjects but so far I keep learning more. With SubStack being platform for publishing our work, I wanted this posted to relate you and me as a writer.
Practicing yoga for many years, I have gained a self awareness in how my body is taking on extra tension or my position is getting tired which causes slumping in the chair. Having that awareness makes me want to move as much as possible but I also want to sit and write. Most of my adult life was spent in front of a computer sitting for ten hours a day. This resulted in tight, shorten hip flexors, weak glutes and low back pain which were about to do me in on running and yard work. Once I began practicing yoga consistently, my strength and range of motion got better. Adding in strength workouts along with yoga was a game changer. Lifting two days a week with bodyweight to start and gradually over a couple years increasing to lifting four days a week. This gradual increase in workouts was easy to incorporate into my day. The workouts would take between 30 and 45 minutes. The results were no more back pain, improved posture and improved stamina in running and yard work. I wasn’t ready to give into the commonality of ‘getting older so I can’t do what I used to do’. That’s not my cup of tea. I wanted to get stronger than I had ever been. No way was I ready to throw in the towel. I love the adventures that running and hiking brings. Being in nature is my therapy and where I find solace. I know many eighty year olds who are still out there hopping through the forest. These are my heroes and I love seeing them on the trails. Keep doing what you love and find the tools that keep you healthy in your pursuits.
Prolonged sitting is inevitable sometimes. Most writing is done seated. I have tried the stand up and it works fine for a a few minutes, but for comfort sitting is the best option to let the creative juices flow from the fingertips to the page. Adding in a stand up break every hour can help with the stiffness of prolonged sitting. It is hard to break the concentration or the momentum by walking away from the page even for a few minutes. Adding the habit of movement every hour could actually be beneficial in writing once I got used to it. When coming to a pause in writng, I stand up look out the window. Walk to the kitchen for another cup of tea or coffee. After each paragraph or chapter, I stand up for a quick stretch and without taking my eye off the page, then sit right back into the flow.
This week as I celebrate one year on Substack, I think back to how it started and the reasons for staying. As a member of A Writing Room, I learned about this being a platform for writers to self publish their work. Once I opened Substack and looked around, I was hooked. I could publish my blogs and read newsletters by others related to my varied interests. I have found authors who motivate and encourage writing, publishing, creating art and fitness. Along with these interests I have found several writers who share interesting points of view on nature, wildlife, music and sports. It is a social platform that I look forward to opening each day to read, engage or write. This is the first platform I have found that makes me smile rather than cringe. I look forward to being here going forward and meeting new writers, teachers and influencers along the way.
In honor of this anniversary, my contribution is a short yoga practice after sitting to do your work. I hope it finds you well and the postures are good for your body. The poses should be brought to your unique body and not the body to the pose. Move in a way that is comfortable and safe for you. In every yoga pose, you should be able to take a full deep breath with ease. Yoga gets the joints moving, lubricated and provides body awareness so we know the signs of our posture weakening.
Link below will take you to YouTube for a 6 minute yoga flow for writers. Perfect after sitting at the desk creating or writing and in need of a good stretch to start moving. Keep moving forward and keep creating.
Link for Yoga For Writers a 6 minute video.
Thank you for reading and being part of this community. I look forward to engaging with you in comments and chats.
Disclaimer: Please consult with your medical professional before starting any workout program. Yoga is not a substitute for medical attention or treatment.
Nice yoga video, thank you!
Agree yoga has so many benefits... and along with lifting weights is perfect!!