Mindstilling, Valkyrie Yoga, and 10k Steps
Sam did it again, just like with day 1 of Novice where I didn’t feel super challenged during the workout, but definitely was feeling it a couple hours later, day 2 is definitely being felt today. My hamstrings are tight and sore, and my thighs are tired, and if I’m being honest, my core is still feeling day one.
Day 3 of Novice is all about Mindstilling and getting in ten thousand steps, somehow. I don’t live in a house with stairs, so getting that 10k steps means a longer walk with Yrsa and staying on my feet. Meant to be a sort of rest day, but an active one.
Some of the bonus videos in Valkyrie Squad include a few levels of Yoga of varying degrees of hard, and since my hammies are so tight today, I decided today would be a good day for it. The beginning of the yoga practice is very similar to what I do when I feel as ancient as Amren, lots of prone poses for the back, the hips, the legs, and taking your time to breathe and hold each pose as you reach it. Not so much flow as it is move and hold, breathe, move and hold, breathe. Which is exactly how I do yoga anyway.
I said it a few days ago and I’ll say it again, Becca’s voice guiding me through the mindstilling practice is so soothing and yet doesn’t put me to sleep, she’s exactly how I think Gwyn would sound. Especially if you’ve been on The Micro Squad site and into Geek Gym where she does videos with Sam, the way they tease and make fun of each other- they’re absolutely Gwyn and Nesta giving each other a hard time.
Yesterday I received some of the best feedback I’ve gotten about this blog! A fellow Valkyrie told me that she loved reading my experience and that she “laughed, cried, and got pumped with me all in the span of 20 minutes,” and that sharing my story is doing some good in the world. My eyes welled up and I felt such a swelling in my chest from that, I am truly full of gratitude that I could make someone feel that way. If all the chaos I go through inspires, or motivates, or makes someone laugh, or just not feel so alone, it’s worth it.\
Photo by Monstera on Pexels.com
So I have all day to get in 10k steps. I know from my watch, that I average about 5-6k steps on a good, active day. I’ll need to step it up a notch for sure to get those steps in today. I wonder how many walks Yrsa will let me take her on? Yes, I say “let,” because she’s the spiciest, sassiest, dog ever. You don’t even know, she will harass me endlessly for no other reason than because she feels like it. Barking, yipping, bouncing her entire body off of me mid-step, pouncing at my feet like she’s going to eat my toes if I don’t spend all eternity petting her. She is a menace, and she often argues with me during our 4 puny laps when she’s ready to stop and go home and I keep walking. I guess I’ll have to report back later today on how she feels about doing 10k steps with me. I might need to find a new walking partner after this…
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