For the Love of Cross-Training

What I love about cross-training — as you can see I'm NOT a yoga or ashtanga purist believing that I should only give myself solely to ashtanga/yoga (therefore I will never move forward as quickly in ashtanga but there are cost/benefits to everything, oh well) — is that it helps in so many areas of my life. And each practice helps and informs the other. The weight training makes step a breeze in my leg strength and plyo strength, it also makes my cardio output less burdensome. This also helps in yoga as it improves my core/bhanda control and strength, shoulder and back strength for arm balancing, leg strength in warriors and chair pose, and overall stamina in ashtanga. The cardio helps with ashtanga breathwork and lung capacity and the ashtanga breathwork helps in cardio keeping my breathing calm and even and less laboured. The leg extension machine and other leg work in the gym including Cathe's leg work, and the warrior postures in yoga are rehab to my knees and without it my knees would totally decompensate. And ashtanga gives me the focus, balance, and flexibility that makes me feel so lithe and fluid in my everyday movements and makes my muscles that much stronger and more tensile in weight training. So it's a win-win situation all around. So I will never be a purist in anything as I need a wholistic approach to stay young and my most best and vibrant me!

Oh, and a little tip for all you PMS'ing or peri-menopausing or pausing ladies out there and yah, even you gents, cardio is KEY for balancing those niggling, nasty, misbehaving hormones! Along with a daily dose of maca. lol! ;)

... so practice, in whatever makes you whole, and all is coming.