On Wednesday morning I did a yoga podcast on my iPhone in my living room. Apparently I have been under a rock, because I have never done a workout podcast before. It is true that I have a gym to visit every morning, but this day I stayed home to practice yoga.

I did Power Yoga with Dave Farmar, a 60 minute class for all levels. I chose this instructor because I am familiar with his style. I realized that it is definitely important to know what the pose names are and how to do them if you do a podcast because it’s not a video, and you can’t watch a neighbor.

Here is my story of why I started yoga, stopped yoga, and am now in need of yoga.

At the end of 2006, the office I worked at started offering after work beginner yoga classes in a conference room. I had never done yoga before, was scared to jump into any studio to try it, so this was perfect! And no commuting necessary. I loved the instructor with her perfect yoga voice, and later followed her to a studio in Dallas. She taught Baptiste style Power Yoga, and I loved it. I didn’t know a darn thing about vinyasas or warrior poses, couldn’t do a wheel pose, and rarely stretched. I knew this was good for my body, so I continued classes once/week.

Then I moved to the big leagues of a real studio and went one or two times per week. Also a Baptiste affiliated studio heated to around 85 degrees. It was a great workout, and I always left feeling calm and stretched out, just what yoga should do.

When I moved to Houston, I took weekly classes at my gym, but they weren’t Baptiste style, the room wasn’t hot enough, and I wasn’t sweating puddles. I didn’t want to join a separate studio, so my yoga time was dwindling and I was enjoying it less. At the same time during my practice, I realized that I was plateauing in my strength–I had improved at some poses, but still couldn’t get others, like crow and handstand. (Somewhere in there I had figured out headstand, which I am still proud!)

So I stopped yoga and sought a more intense strength class. Enter CrossFit.

And now with all my aching muscles and chronic leg pains, I am adding yoga back to my routine. Today’s podcast was not the sweatiest workout, nor will it make it hard to sit down, but that isn’t the point. I really needed the stretching, and I know I’ll be adding at least some poses back to my routine if not full classes. Pidgeon and Half Moon anyone?

Breakfast Overnight Oats:

After my podcast, I had a great breakfast to go at work.

The night before, I mixed 1/3C Old Fashioned Oats with 6 oz. Plain Chobani, few shakes of cinammon, a splash of vanilla, and big pinch of chia seeds.

Then in the morning, I added a drizzle of honey and a banana.

I actually had not had plain Chobani yogurt before! I am a vanilla person, but wanted to try a true blank slate and add flavors to it. The flavor was fine with my added vanilla and cinammon, but man is that yogurt so much thicker than vanilla or the fruity ones! The oats definitely made it even thicker. A really filling breakfast of oats, yogurt, and a banana beefed up and served in a new way than classic oatmeal. Still under 350 calories with my calculations.