I'm a Yogi...and not the bear, either

This morning I decided to shake things up with my morning workout. Rather than the Bosu DVD I've been using the last week (saying the word Bosu actually makes the pool of gelatinous mush that sits where my abs should be ache) I put in a video I'd picked up a long time ago. The series is called Budokon. The idea is that in a 40 minute workout you get a sampler of yoga, martial arts and meditation, and somewhere in there you sweat... a lot.

All in all, I thought the workout was fine. I'd say it was a little less intense than the Bosu disc, but I definitely got a workout. To my surprise it was the yoga that really pushed my limits. I found my muscles quaking as I attempted to hold positions like: Downward Facing Dog, Warrior Pose and Elephant Diaper Change (okay I may have made the last one up). I didn't realize that yoga could be so intense.

I always associated yoga with tree-hugging hippies. I figured it was just something to do between granola binges and peace rallies. It turns out that, despite the dangerous lack of iron that their vegan diets provide, those hippies are in pretty good shape. In fact, I'm thinking those hippies could probably beat me up if they were such dedicated pacifists.

Every now and then I'd be holding a pose and the instructor would say something like, "Be sure your heels are pointed towards the floor." While making the adjustment, I'd think to myself, "Now what's the point of th...HEAVENS THE PAIN!!!"

I used to think I was a pretty flexible guy. I can almost do the sideways spits, and, once upon a time, I could put both my legs behind my head. The guys in this video, though, they say things like, "Push your chest towards your hips." What does that even mean? Is that legal in Texas? Is the human body even supposed to do that? I'm going to ask a physician before proceeding.

When I bought the DVD, it was for the martial arts stuff. I'm a big fan of Bruce Lee and kung fu movies, so I figured it would make for a "fun" workout. In reality, standing in your living room kicking at thin air feels a little silly. Instead of feeling like Chuck Norris gearing up for battle, I felt more like that kid you gain YouTube fame for pretending to wield a light saber.

Tomorrow I'm going to getting up even earlier (is healthy living supposed to make you want to cry?) and going to the Summit. Living room workouts are fine, but it just doesn't have the same feel. Moreover, I want to step back onto the same scale and get a good idea of how far I've come in the last two weeks.