Liberate your Lower Back (Liberate Liberate Liberate!)

This past week was a big hustle, hanging up what I referred to as 1500-3000 posters, but was really 675 (which, believe me, is still QUITE a lot of posters to hang around town). A lot of walking and riding around the city, followed by a weekend in the Washington Cascades for a wedding and a day in Seattle. It's easier for me to fall for places than for people, and I think Washington state officially makes me a floozy. This place seems to have it all. I mean, look at this (!):

It brought me back to my New Mexico days of Hike A Mountain Every Day. I mean, look at this place! How can all of us not live here?

However, after a solid week of walking and carrying weight, plus the 8-12 hours of travel each way, my lower back was sore and inflamed. My fitness group for our trip across Newfoundland got in touch about where we are in our training goals, and someone mentioned the need for more yoga. YOGA! YES! I haven't practiced in months, even though I still have classes left on my Amazing Yoga pass (same can be said for kickboxing, but…). So this afternoon, I unrolled my mat and put on Rodney Yee's Power Yoga Full Body. I didn't realize how tense I've gotten over the past few months. I am, umm, not as good at this as I used to be. There were muscles that I didn't realize could even get tight. I finally related to my friends doing Broga with me in my living room a few years ago, wincing and screaming during half moon or full bow. I was happy I could still perform everything, and equally happy I didn't get bored half way through and stop. I know I need to make yoga a daily part of my life again, and that these great aches are just the stretching and heating of scar tissue. My back still hurts, don't get my wrong, but I'm looking forward to a week from now when it feels great and I can put my leg behind my head again.