Welcome to yet another primalburgher.com blog post! Today, we will not be talking about kettlebells. I know. SHOCKING! We WILL be talking more so about my recent experiences with a form of yoga known as Ashtanga Yoga. I know. EVEN MORE SHOCKING! I don’t typically look like th yoga type as my physique is fits the mold of someone who lifts a lot of heavy stuff, but I have come to appreciate this art of yoga in my life now as I have found it great for building extra strength, endurance, and not to mention, the bonus of added flexibility.
I have been spending a lot of time with Davie Pierce of Asthanga Yoga Pittsburgh (who I will now refer to as “Yoga Dave” for the duration of this blog post). Yoga Dave is a really good friend of mine who has repeatedly taken the time out of his busy schedule to meet with me for private yoga sessions. I became interested in yoga after hearing Yoga Dave talk about the benefits of his particular style of yoga helps boost athletic performance. As someone who is constantly pushing themselves to new physical achievements, the boost in athletic performance caught my attention.
So, what is all this Ashtanga Yoga n’at? In short, Ashtanga Yoga is an athletic version of yoga that is designed to increase your cardiovascular endurance. IIt is also designed to open up your spianl colum and increase our flexibility. It has all the added benefits of increased lung capacity and increased joint mobility, but the kicker for me is the level of strength you can gain with this style of yoga. Speaking from personal experience, I can honestly say that my session with Yoga Dave are intense. Ashtanga Yoga IS DEMANDING AND DIFFICULT! You are constantly in motion going from pose to pose and the level of strength you must have to suspend yourself in some of the poses is immense. Dave is currently teaching me how to work my way up to do headstands (though I admit I cannot do them at the present time) as well as other yoga poses. Now, I am NOT a yoga expert, but I can tell you that after my first few weeks with Dave, I can already feel my endurance increasing to new levels. I can now handle 8 minutes of kettlebell snatch work and still having energy for more (not joking either. This is awesome! THANK YOU DAVE). As for the increase in strength, I am still working on this area but one day, I hope to be strong enough to do amazing things like Yoga Dave. Check out this video below to see what I’m talking about.
For more information on Ashtanga yoga and how you can get involved, visit this site. Also, if you are in or around the city of Pittsburgh, please be sure to contact Dave Pierce of Ashtanga Yoga Pittsburgh by visiting his website here. He’ll be happy to hook you up with an awesome Yoga session! Dave is a bad ass of a different kind, but a bad ass nonetheless!
That about sums it up for me! Remember to always eat smart, train hard, and enjoy your life!
Love Always,
Janelle
