Day 4: Yoga X

So before I begin talking about Yoga X, I first have to say that I LOVE yoga and have been practicing it (not super regularly but a few classes a month) for several years. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE yoga. It's so healing.

Alright, so I have a few bones to pick with P90X's yoga. First of all, what's with the push-ups in the middle of our sun salutations? Push ups are not yoga. Also...(and I suppose its ok) this workout uses a lot of different KINDS of yoga. On the plus side, it's a great workout really. everything from Level 1 yoga to super advanced things like the Half Moon Twist, Crane, and Wheel. Awesome. I was drenched in sweat (attractive, I know) by the middle of the moving sequences and I just felt amazing. Totally focused, limber, flexible and open. It was like all the bad tension in my body from the last couple of workouts and the creaks in my bones worked themselves out. The only bad part was during Frog pose...again, immense pain like I experienced in Ab Ripper X. Going to the doctor tomorrow morning to get that sorted out. I refuse to put my life (and yoga) on hold!

Overall...okay, so not at all like being in a yoga class and Tony Horton isn't by any means the inspirational, motivational calm force like my yoga teachers have always been (like when he's shouting at the P90Xers during the Ab sequence: calm down dude! he wrecked the chi) . Actually, that was my other big problem with Yoga X. I can't believe he did that during yoga belly 7. The philosophy of Yoga is to HEAL your body through breath and through a focus on mind, body and spirit. It's a belief that you accept your current ability and embrace it. You don't focus on the ability of others, it's all about your own personal ability and growth over time. Therefore...weightroom-esque shouting to "get higher!! get higher!!" totally interrupts the calm flow. It was just so weird when he did that because the whole time he was emphasizing the "storm beneath the calm," which IS true and important: in yoga you work, work, work but it's all focused on one part of the body. The rest of your being is supposed to be calm and relaxed. Oh well...it IS P90X, and he means business.

Can't wait for Yoga X next week (and maybe I'll just turn off the voices) :)