We are excited to announce the winner of our November Two Fit Moms yoga challenge on Instagram!
Congratulations to @frenchie63 for successfully completing all ten days of the challenge. Please contact kate@twofitmoms.com to claim your Gaiam Sol prize package that includes: a DryGrip Mat, two blocks, a yoga strap and a free download, from the Gaiam.com website, of our Yoga Rising series!
Thank you all for participating, and for a sneak peak of the December challenge poses, click HERE.
Our December yoga challenge has not yet been announced on Instagram, but you know we like to give our @TwoFitMoms followers a sneak peak of what’s to come next month. Here are the 10 poses we will be covering starting on December 1.
You may be wondering how to develop a morning yoga practice if you aren’t a morning person. We’ve mentioned it in the past, and we will say it again—baby steps are the answer! Rather than setting your alarm clock 90 minutes earlier than usual, start by taking baby steps. Set yourself up for success by setting attainable goals. Perhaps a 5:30 am wake-up time will never fit your lifestyle, but a 6:30 am wake-up time may be palatable and sustainable. Even thirty minutes is enough time to set a daily intention, take a few deep breaths, stretch the body, raise the heart rate, and start each morning feeling peaceful and accomplished.
A few rounds of sun salutations, a series of core-strengthening exercises, and a number of warrior poses that fire up the leg muscles are a great way to stretch the body and break a sweat in a short period of time. Try each of the strengthening poses below, and once you are familiar with each of the poses and can hold each pose for five full breaths, repeat the sequence at a faster pace. Remember to practice the sequence on both sides of the body.
Down dog
Although it’s often called a “resting pose”, the entire body remains active in downward facing dog—Fingers grip the mat, biceps roll forward, shoulder blades move down the back, quadriceps pull up and away from the knees, and the core is engaged.
3-legged dog
For the most effective hamstring stretch, flex your top foot, and make an effort to keep all five toes of your lifted leg pointing down toward the ground. If you find your toes pointing to the side, lower your raised leg, and focus on keeping both hips equidistant from the mat.
Core Exercise
This effective exercise will strengthen the core without the need for a single sit-up or crunch. From 3-legged dog, bring the right knee to the right tricep, and round the upper back. Return to 3-legged dog. Repeat this exercise by bringing the knee to the nose, back up to 3-legged dog, and then across the body to the left tricep. Complete the core sequence by ending in 3-legged dog.
Warrior 1
From 3-legged dog, step your right foot forward between your hands. Rise up to Warrior 1. This fundamental yoga pose is accessible to yogis of all levels. Adjust the level of difficulty to suit your needs. Build up the strength to be able to hold this pose with a 90-degree angle in the front leg. And build up the flexibility so that both hip points are turned to face the front of the mat.
Warrior 2
With the hips facing the side of the yoga mat (rather than the front), most students find the alignment of Warrior 2 to be a bit easier than Warrior 1. Remember to breathe deeply, keep the core engaged, and resist the urge to lean toward the front of the mat. Keep your shoulders stacked right over the hips.
Reverse Warrior
Continue to strengthen your legs in a warrior pose, but add a side stretch to loosen up the intercostal muscles that run between the ribs.
Modified Side Angle Pose
Enjoy the benefits of a feel-good side stretch in this modified version of side angle pose. While the full expression of the pose bring the fingertips to the floor, this less intense modification allows the forearm to rest on the front thigh.
Triangle Pose
Triangle pose will feel like a welcome relief after holding so many poses that require a 90-degree angle in the front leg. Enjoy the stretch.
If you would like to practice with us and try our full 20-minute Good Morning Flow, CLICK HERE!
Welcome to Day 10 of the November #YogaWithTFM 10-Day Challenge! Today’s pose is Scorpion or Vrschikasana. 
See the video below for a tutorial on how to get into Scorpion Pose, and keep in mind these three tips:
1. Do not force yourself deeper by dumping into your low back. Keep your abdominals engaged and move slowly.
2. As you curl your legs to scorpion, start to drop your chest as a counterweight.
3. Always think about bringing your head up to your feet, not your feet down to your head!
Please remember to warm up before participating in any challenge. If you would like to practice with us, download our 24-minute Backbends Practice class here.
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Welcome to Day 9 of the November #YogaWithTFM 10-Day Challenge! Today’s pose is One-Legged King Pigeon or Eka Pada Rajakapotasana. 
See the video below for a tutorial on how to get into One-Legged King Pigeon, and keep in mind these three tips:
1. Props! Use a block if your hips are tight, use a strap to work the overhand grip.
2. Keep your abdominal muscles engaged to protect your low back.
3. Make sure to open up your quadriceps and front body before trying any of the variations shown in the video below.
Please remember to warm up before participating in any challenge. If you would like to practice with us, download our 24-minute Backbends Practice class here.
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Welcome to Day 8 of the November #YogaWithTFM 10-Day Challenge. Today’s pose is Wheel Pose or Urdhva Dhanurasana.
See the video below for a tutorial on how to get into Wheel Pose, and keep in mind these three tips:
1. Keep your feet parallel and thighs hugging into the midline.
2. If you are just beginning… Try pushing into your feet and lifting your hips first, then slowly push into your hands coming onto the crown of you head.
3. Keep your abdominal muscles engaged to protect your low back.
Please remember to warm up before participating in any challenge. If you would like to practice with us, download our 24-minute Backbends Practice class here.
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As busy mothers, yoga instructors and business owners, we are on the constant quest to live balanced lives. With young children to care for and multiple schedules to juggle, there’s hardly a moment in the day that isn’t pre-scheduled with children’s activities, meal preparation or work obligations.
At first glance, it seems counterintuitive to add a yoga practice to a seemingly never-ending list of daily tasks, but we realize that the intense focus required to maintain balance and 
alignment on the yoga mat is the same focus necessary to navigate life’s many challenges and obligations. Whether you have a pending deadline at work, an hour of traffic during your commute, or a house full of kids, your ability to manage stress and face the day will seem that much easier after an intense yoga class.
Practicing on the mat is perfect training for managing a stressful, busy schedule off the mat. Each balance pose requires an even breath and a commitment to focus solely on the current posture. A balance practice gives no thought to the poses that come before the present moment. Each balance pose, just like each life task, can be successfully performed with this strategy of focusing and dedicating one’s undivided attention to the effort. Test your own strength and hone your balance skills by practicing the seven poses below. Remember to breathe deeply, find a focal point in each posture to help maintain your balance, and practice on both sides of your body.
If you would like a complete yoga practice, the postures shown below are featured in our Downloadable Balance Practice class.
Tabletop Variation: Begin in tabletop position with shoulders stacked over wrists and hips stacked over knees. Slowly extend your left arm and your right leg. Engage your core, find your balance, and remember to breathe. Return to tabletop position.
Modified Side Plank: From tabletop position, begin to shift your weight into your left hand and left shin. Bring your right foot in line with your left foot. Once you feel stable, slowly lift your right leg so that it is parallel to the mat. Extend your right arm toward the sky, and remember to keep your hips lifted.
Tiger Pose: From Modified Side Plank, return to tabletop position, and test your balance with tiger pose. In Tiger pose, opposite hand and opposite foot connect for a feel-good backbend. If your flexibility allows, try an overhand grip!
Hand-to-Big-Toe Pose: After testing your balance on the floor, come to a standing position with your hands on your hips. Begin to shift your weight into your right foot. Bend your left knee, and lift it so that your left hip is inline with your left knee. Wrap your “peace fingers” (index and middle fingers) around your left big toe, and seal the grip with your thumb. Feel free to balance with a bent knee. If you feel stable, begin to extend your left leg. Roll your shoulders back, pull your left hip back in space, and breathe deeply.
Half Moon Pose: It’s not easy to stack the shoulders and hips while balancing on one foot. Be patient, move slowly, and keep your gaze downward until you are able to balance with ease. If you feel stable, challenge yourself by gazing out to the side or up toward your extended arm.
Sugar Cane Pose: This is a challenging balance pose that happens to also be a great chest-opener and hip flexor stretch. From Half Moon pose, bend your top leg, and catch the pinky side edge of your foot with your hand. Kick your foot firmly into your hand to create resistance to maintain your balance. Enjoy the stretch, and then slowly transition back into Half Moon pose before lowering your leg to the mat.
Crow Pose: Most yoga students begin their arm balance journeys with this pose. For a step-by-step tutorial, click here.
Welcome to Day 7 of the November #YogaWithTFM 10-Day Challenge! Today’s pose is King Cobra Pose or Bhujangasana (Toes to Head). 
See the video below for a tutorial on how to get into Cobra Pose, and keep in mind these three tips:
1. Don’t get discouraged if your toes do not reach your head! Do not push your body beyond its physical limits. You will still benefit from the deep chest-opening stretch.
2. Do not force your arms to straighten completely. Your ability to completely straighten your arms will be dependent upon your flexibility. It is safer to maintain a slight bend in the elbows than to force the arms to straighten and strain the back.
3. Create an even backbend throughout the length of your spine, and remember to breathe!
[KGVID width=”568″ height=”320″]http://www.twofitmoms.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/KingCobra.mov[/KGVID]
Please remember to warm up before participating in any challenge. If you would like to practice with us, download our 24-minute Backbends Practice class here.
Welcome to Day 6 of the November #YogaWithTFM 10-Day Challenge. Today’s pose is Low Lunge Pose or Anjaneyasana. 
See the video below for a tutorial on how to get into Low Lunge Pose, and keep in mind these three tips:
1. Keep your biceps along side your ears. Do not allow your head to fall back through your arms.
2. Feel free to lunge into your front leg as much as your flexibility allows. It is acceptable for the front knee to extend past the front ankle in this pose. Just keep the heel of your front foot rooted onto your mat to maintain stability.
3. Try to focus on creating an even backbend with your spine, and avoid collapsing into your lower back.
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Please remember to warm up before participating in any challenge. If you would like to practice with us, download our 24-minute Backbends Practice class here.
The longer I practice physical yoga poses, the more I come to the realization that yoga is a state of mind. It’s not just the Warrior 1 pose or the High Lunge or the Headstand that you can hold all day. It’s the stillness of spirit and peace in your soul that you can feel whether you are standing on a yoga mat or waiting on line at a department store. Yes, the physical yoga practice will train your ability to focus and find peace in uncomfortable situations, but don’t leave this valuable training on your mat. Begin to live your yoga by finding and creating peace in all aspects of your life. Create a yoga lifestyle.
The To-Do List
This week, build your yoga lifestyle by getting into the habit of creating a daily to-do list. In a previous article, I mentioned how important it is in my own life to create a to-do list before bed each night. By committing my list of tasks to paper, I remove the mental clutter and liberate my mind. This simple task of creating a list helps me sleep more restfully, and I close my eyes each night feeling organized for the coming day. Remember—If you are going to bother spending time on your yoga mat to clear your mind, it’s probably in your best interest to develop a few habits that will help you carry that peace and focus to other areas of your life.
Tips
Here are a few tips that I keep in mind when creating my list each night. See if you feel more organized, focused and productive as a result of creating a daily list!
–E-mail your to-do list to yourself. I used to be a big fan of paper lists—until I started forgetting my list at home. These days, I create my to-do list on my iphone’s notepad each night, and I e-mail it to myself as soon as the list is created. By doing this, I know that my list cannot be misplaced, and I can access it from my phone or my computer when I need it.
–Break down large projects. Do NOT write a task on your list that will take days to complete. Larger projects can be approached as a series of smaller tasks. If you need to re-organize your entire house, don’t write “re-organize house”. Instead, write line items like “sort and donate kids’ clothing” or “discard expired condiments/food from fridge”.
–Keep it short. Be sure that each item on your to-do list is a task that can be completed within 1 to 2 hours. Short, manageable tasks are most likely to get done. Don’t discourage yourself by listing a 5-hour task on your list.
–Include easy tasks. Include a few items on your list that you are sure that you can complete. These can be very simple tasks such as “make the bed”, “pack lunches for school” or “chop vegetables for dinner”. List those items first, and get them done immediately. It’s a great feeling to cross items off of your to-do list early in the day. It will give you a sense of accomplishment and motivate you to continue tackling items on your list.
-Prioritize. Get through a few of your easy tasks, and immediately tackle an important task on your list while you are feeling fresh and motivated. If you need to create a marketing presentation for tomorrow, do it early in the day. Don’t wait for your mid-afternoon slump to kick in.
-Start fresh each day. Even if you only get through a couple of items on your list during the day, take the time to create a new to-do list each night. The act of creating a new list is like a mental reset button. Tomorrow is a new day, and you will have another opportunity to get it all done.