#Doga Fun With Warrior I and II

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

Warrior I and II are great poses that work many muscles, while also challenging your balance. As you get comfortable with the balance, adding your toy-sized dog to your front leg increases the challenge, helping you get more out of your workout, all while you enjoy a nice cuddle.


If the balance is coming hard for you, don't stress out over it. Try these tips:

• Making sure your back foot is turned out, also put emphasis on practicing balancing your weight between the front and back feet. Mastering this will aid in eventually getting your pose a bit closer to the ground. You'll find more Warrior yoga tips here.
• Lift up through your chest and head, keeping your shoulders down and aligned with your hips.
• As you begin to feel comfortable with balancing your weight between your feet, try adding your pint-sized pup to the mix. If you don't have a little one like my Oliver, you can use other props that add weight and challenge to your practice. Don't forget to always include your bigger dogs also. They like being a part of this activity,
  
  joining in whatever you are doing. You can call Fido to you and talk to him encouragingly.

By keeping the #doga in your yoga workout, you'll find it less stressful and feel a bit closer to your pup at the same time. That's our goal!

Namaste,

If you're new to Doga or Yoga, please be sure to do these three things: (1) Get your doctor's permission to start this or any other workout, (2) Check with your vet to make sure your dog is able to participate in simple Doga exercises safely, and (3) visit our introductory post where I've outlined a few tips that will help your experience go more smoothly and enjoyable. Keep in mind that you can always stop if a pose is uncomfortable, returning to a more relaxing pose for you.

Woofing Warrior II: Doga Pose 8

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

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Total Engagement; Love It!

I'll be the first to admit that the day of this workout we had a breakthrough. This was the first time that both dogs were actively participating in some way. Woohoo! Thankfully the camera was clicking away. What seemed like 600 shots into the shoot, I found a few gems. Enjoy:

If anyone deserved a reward, it was certainly Tanner. He has been the most patient Doga partner imaginable. Since more of my practice to date has been appropriate for involving Oliver, Tanner has simply sat and watched. And yes, he has almost fallen asleep on a few occasions, but not today. I had a treat in my hand as I was working on Warrior II, and Tanner realized it. I'm glad I had a chance to pay him off for all his patience. What fun!

Now it's your turn to enjoy this wonderful, empowering pose:



Relax now, and let's use this time to grab a little yoga wisdom from the Yoga Journal:

When you contract and stretch muscles, move organis around, and come in and out of yoga postures, you increase the drainage of lymph (a viscous fluid rich in immune cells). This helps the lymphatic system fight infection, destroy cancerous cells, and dispose of the toxic waste products of cellular functioning.

Our first six poses, published earlier, are at the following links, as well as at our dedicated Doga page. We hope you enjoy following along and that you'll offer your comments and ideas for incorporating your dogs easily and safely into your practice, either here or at our special Facebook page, just for our Doga enthusiasts. The comment link is always open at the bottom of my posts.

• Easy Seated Pose to Enjoy Dog Massage
• Wide-Legged Seated Forward Fold with Fido
• Yoga Push Ups with Your Dog Companion
• Cobra Pose and Upward Facing Dog
• Downward Facing Dog
• Forward Fold with Fido
• Woofing Warrior I
• Woofing Warrior II

Namaste,

If you're new to Doga or Yoga, please be sure to do these three things: (1) Get your doctor's permission to start this or any other workout, (2) Check with your vet to make sure your dog is able to participate in simple Doga exercises safely, and (3) visit our introductory post where I've outlined a few tips that will help your experience go more smoothly and enjoyable. Keep in mind that you can always stop if a pose is uncomfortable, returning to a relaxing pose.

Woofing Warrior I: Doga Pose 7

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

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Don't Try This With Your Dane!

We're just humming right along with these Doga poses. Nikki B wasn't a big fan of "flying", but she and Jess worked that out quite nicely. Just as I am holding Oliver below, Jess ended up holding Nikki B. That got me to thinking ahead about introducing Tanner to the workouts, and I'm now working on newer poses that incorporate him. He's doing very well as a replacement for a block, and as a balance aid. He's my rock!

As you watch today's video, don't push yourself too hard. Remember to always warm up first. I'm learning that lesson well, as I forgot a couple of times and was a bit too stiff later.

Also, I sometimes have to remind myself that stretching out as much as Jess is not necessarily the goal. The goal is to enjoy the ride, and bond with the dogs. Keep that in mind and remember the positive self talk is all important. You'll find some nice quotes and sayings on our Facebook page for All Things Doga. Enjoy!


I'm returning to my quotes from the Yoga Journal, as the benefits of our standing pose this week are explained so nicely here:

Your head is like a bowling ball--big, round, and heavy. When it's balanced directly over an erect spine, it takes much less work for your neck and back muscles to support it. Move it several inches forward, however, and you start to strain those muscles. Hold up that forward-leaning bowling ball for eight or 12 hours a day and it's no wonder you're tired. And fatigue might not be your only problem. Poor posture can cause back, neck, and other muscle and joint problems. As you slump, your body may compensate by flattening the normal inward curves in your neck and lower back. This can cause pain and degenerative arthritis of the spine.

Oliver and I Enjoy this Version of Warrior I

Now that I've typed and read that quote from Yoga Journal, I'm starting to look at my own posture and wonder if I was leaning forward just a tad. Sometimes photos of yourself are the best way to assess your posture, so I'm finally realizing there's a reason for taking these pics of my yoga poses. Check--I've added posture to my list of things to work on. Another day, another lesson.

Our first six poses, published earlier, are at the following links, as well as at our dedicated Doga page. We hope you enjoy following along and that you'll offer your comments and ideas for incorporating your dogs easily and safely into your practice, either here or at our Facebook page where we can all support one another. The comment link is always open at the bottom of my posts.

• Easy Seated Pose to Enjoy Dog Massage
• Wide-Legged Seated Forward Fold with Fido
• Yoga Push Ups with Your Dog Companion
• Cobra Pose and Upward Facing Dog
• Downward Facing Dog
• Forward Fold with Fido

Namaste,

If you're new to Doga or Yoga, please be sure to do these three things: (1) Get your doctor's permission to start this or any other workout, (2) Check with your vet to make sure your dog is able to participate in simple Doga exercises safely, and (3) visit our introductory post where I've outlined a few tips that will help your experience go more smoothly and enjoyable. Keep in mind that you can always stop if a pose is uncomfortable, returning to a relaxing pose.