This month we are keeping it simple: I'm teaching a few great stretches that everyone needs. Do them, hold them at minimum a minute (which is no time at all once you're already down on the floor), and then you can switch from the floor to the couch, or wherever you spend your evening at home. For me, it's usually a quick series on the floor, followed by a migration to the sink to wash dishes or possibly then I'll go the bedroom to match clothes on the floor with hangers. I know. Don't judge. I work 7 days a week.

This week's stretch is everyone's least favorite yoga pose on the the floor: the uuggghhh Pigeon :) I took a super un-exciting pic of myself in the pose for a demo. This was done on a friday night before bed in my kitchen, just to demonstrate that it doesn't need to be glamorous or well timed. Whenever just counts.

I've found while I teach my classes that the consensus towards hip opening stretches is a feeling of miserable joy. Let me justify the discomfort we all feel in relation to these dominately negatively perceived moves. The majority of us spend our days in a seated position regardless of what we do. If we are well disciplined about staying in shape, we might get off work and go to the gym for a run on the treadmill, or a session on the bike. When you picture the movement pattern of your legs in that day, it's not particularly impressive. For hours of the day your hips stay in that flexed position while you sit, and then you might go the gym to move them more aggressively in the same direction.

Bam bizang!! Getting into that pigeon pose lets your hips discover an alternate situation from their daily mega- repetitive experience. As a side note, let me state the obvious, which is that normally anything which feels less than pleasurable is most commonly good for you.