It’s time for Fit Fridays again! After a long (but somehow so short!) summer of traveling, I thought what better for Fit Friday than my beach loving, urban yogi, traveling wanderluster to teach us a couple of moves you can use anytime, any place! Jennifer Pierce is my lovely friend who happened to take umm the coolest sabbatical last year and became yoga certified in Thailand. Her colorful Instagram feed will have you booking a beach vacation in no time!
JP as she’s known to a lot of our friends is simply pure joy! It just sparkles out of her. She is simply a joy to be around. And lucky for you, she’s sharing her favorite yoga moves, how to create a great space for yoga anywhere, best post-workout bites and sips with us today plus an awesome playlist!
JP has been all over the world doing her yoga thing and exploring this lovely planet we call home! She is such an inspiration to me! Especially when it comes to eating healthy and maintaining a workout routine while traveling. Seriously it is so much harder than you think when you’re on the road for weeks at time. JP gave us some tips about working out anywhere, including your hotel room!
I am so thankful she decided to do this interview so I am going to kick it over to her now!
What kicked off your love of yoga?Black Swan Yoga in Austin is where I fell in love 5 years ago. I was running, boxing, and doing triathlons. I needed a slower paced (yin) type of workout, but I didn’t have the language at the time to know was it was or to say it. I was terrible at first. Something kept me coming back for more, and now I look back and my practice has ebbed and flowed with life – but there has yet to be a time that I’ve regretted getting on my mat.
Do you prefer to practice on your own or with a class?
If I have more time, my preference is to go to a class. I love the group energy, and I can always learn from taking classes with other teachers. When I am short on time, I roll out my mat in the living room. Sometimes 15 minutes of movement is enough to shift your mood! Who doesn’t have 15 minutes?!
What’s your favorite post-yoga food or drink?
This depends on what time of day it is!
If I am taking an early AM class, I’d whip a veggie and egg saute when I get home. Chop up whatever veggies you have around: carrots, bell pepper, onion, garlic, zucchini. Saute for 3-5 minutes. Add an egg or two, cooked to your liking, with salt & pepper. Don’t neglect the side of coffee!!!
For after an afternoon class, I’ll grab or whip up a fresh smoothie or juice, depending on how hungry I am!
How often do you do yoga?
Teach: 2-3 days a week
Take: 3-4 days a week
What are your tips for beginner yogis?
Look for unheated beginner and fundamental classes. Years ago, I had to leave my first hot yoga experience only 15 minutes into the class! I sprawled out on the cold tile in the hallway to cool myself off! Definitely transition into warm classes then hot! Also, the teacher matters so much! If you are not feeling it, don’t give up. Try a new studio, try a new style, try a new teacher.
Give us a few tips for trying some yoga moves at home or our hotel room!
These four sequences/moves can be done anywhere – home, office, hotel room, beach, etc!
1. Sun Salutations (specific series of movements linking postures with breath) – Start with 4-5 rounds of sun salutations to bring awareness to your breath & to warm up the body.
2. Eka Pada Rajakapotasana (Sleeping Pigeon Pose) – This is a lovely & horrible hip opener! Think of your hips as the spaghetti bowl of human anatomy: hundreds of tissues, ligaments, tendons, and muscles all convening in the same spot. So much tension, stress, and emotional weight is carried in our hips, yet we neglect this area of our bodies in other workouts.
3. Supta Baddha Konasana (Reclining Bound Angle Pose) – Open your heart & your hips! For this pose, you will need a block, dense pillow, or even a foam roller to place vertically along your spine. Lay back on the block, allowing your shoulders to fall heavy on either side. There is always the option to place a small pillow under your head. Bring the soles of your feet together, and allow the weight of your legs to pull your knees closer to the ground. Breath here for at least 5 breaths, but the effects of the posture will only be enhanced with a longer amount of time.
4. Savasana (Corpse Pose) – Everyone’s favorite! End every practice, no matter how long or short, with a few minutes of savasana! This is the posture where you reap the benefits of your entire asana (postures) practice. Don’t cut it short!
Do you have some tips for creating a calming space or how to make any room great for yoga?
What I love about yoga is what I love about running. You just have to show up. Maybe a mat could be useful, but many people practice without one. You don’t need tons of special equipment, but a block or strap could assist with posture alignment and a deeper stretch. You don’t need a special place, but many yogis have flowers, Ganesha statues, mala beads, incense, and important words in and around their space.
It boils down to – everything you need is already inside of you. You just need you – to show up for yourself. When you feel like it, and when you don’t feel like it – yoga will be there.
Check out JP’s awesome playlist here, you can listen for free!
————————————————————————————————————————-
If you want to check out more tips and recipes, hop over to JP’s blog: jenniferpiercehealth.com.And if you live or are ever around Pensacola, FL you can catch JP teaching classes at URU Yoga.
Leave a Reply