A new discovery

I was flipping channels a few days back and came across an interesting show title:  Nasty Yoga.

 

Ok, you have my attention.

 

Turns out it’s Namaste Yoga, which is something ENTIRELY different than what I thought I had seen.  Nonetheless, I found myself watching for almost 5 full minutes.  It’s similar to the Nature Show Trance, but I think this Work Out Show Trance is more unique to guys.

 

It’s a typical workout show—three super hot chicks stretching and doing whatever they do in spandex—centered around Yoga.  I had never seen yoga in action for any length of time being performed by actual yoga people, only fat chicks at the YMCA, so this was somewhat interesting.  Plus, after this particular portion of the show the girls’ hair was all a mess, their faces were a little flush, and there was the slightest hint of rushing endorphins—the total soft-porn workout package.

 

The movements were measured, repetitive, and very balanced.  Each movement looked like it took a tremendous amount of flexibility, but also muscle control and strength.  And it was nothing particularly astonishing, either.  Stretch your arms up high, bend at the waist and touch the ground, walk your hands forward (downward dog), down to your knees, lift one leg way high (ok, that, coming on the heels of “downward dog” sounds funny as shit), then upward dog (which is basically you back bent inward while you’re resting on your hands or elbows), then reverse it out by walking your hands back to the downward dog position and finally upright.  Very simple, very measured.

 

So, a couple of days later I tried at least part of the positions I saw and discovered that I have a tremendous amount of tension right in the center of my UPPER back.  Not the lower back, like I’d have expected, but the upper.  As soon as that particular knot is stretched out, I might take a greater interest in yoga.  I hear it’s excellent for maintaining flexibility for both bikers and runners, and, as I understand it, a lot of back pain can be linked to poor flexibility rather than musculo-skeletal problems.