Backyard Yoga

It's no secret that Brian and I are proud of our backyard.  We worked hard all summer getting it in shape.  We added two beautiful banana trees that are have provided us hours of entertainment....those things jungle weeds--they grow and expand at an amazingly quick rate.  It sounds odd to say that watching a tree grow is fun, but it is!!

This year

Last year

Brian also undertook sanding and painting the backyard deck.  I think he did a great job!

BEFORE

BEFORE

DURING

AFTER

We chose to stain it with a Behr product we purchased at Home Depot.  I must admit I was a bit worried because I did my research AFTER he started staining and I came across several really negative reviews online about this particular product.  We live in Texas, and that deck gets blistering sun most of the day, but so far it is holding up great, so I have to wonder if some of those reviewers prepped their deck properly in the first place.  (Next year I really want to paint all of the trim on the house....I'm think of a light Terra Cotta color.  I'll have to start doing a color test soon!)

Needless to say, we are definitely enjoying the "fruits of our labor" and we spend quite an amount of time hanging in the backyard, watering, grilling, swimming and reading.  Today I had the house to myself and most of my chores done early in the day.  Although Brian and I went to a couple of yoga classes this morning, I decided to practice privately outside.  I have never done that before, but it was beyond AWESOME!

I actually started out just meditating in the sun, then sitting quietly watching two cardinals perform a mating ritual.  As I lay on my stomach on the cushioned chaise lounge, it just felt so natural to begin a series of postures.   Moving into cobra pose I found more space and length in my spine that I ever have in class.  I think practicing yoga solo allowed me to balance and align myself at my own pace before I moved on to the next asana.  It was such an enlightening thing!  I will definitely be adding the outdoors into my practice more often.

That's all for now...  

Namaste