Redneck Yoga🏖

It’s wild, I know. And I imagine it was quite the surprise when truckers or travelers would see me doing yoga at a rest or truck stop. On top of that, I often would need to get up on the flatbed of the truck since the ground would be wet or nasty. Could you imagine seeing my country ass, in a Warrior Two pose on the back of Ole Dually Girl?🤸🤭 That’s when I coined the term, Redneck Yoga.

I should begin by saying that I am in no way shape or form a Yoga instructor. If you want real instructions I recommend going to your local Yoga or exercise studio, or find a reputable source online.

Here’s Yoga With Adriene. She’s been my teacher since I stopped attending classes. And while I’ll often practice without instruction, I will follow along with many of her workouts. She has them organized by length, instruction level, and muscle groups. For instance, if you want a 20 minute routine for beginners that’s focused on neck, shoulders, and upper back, she’s your gal!

I’m sharing this with you for the same reason as I do my writing, because yoga has changed my life for the better. And my journey here started much like my writing journey did as well, with an off-hand comment to a friend.

Here’s a bit of history before we begin:

I’ve been practicing yoga for about 15 years now. It began during the short time I’d held a membership at one of the local gyms. I’d acquired the membership as part of trade in advertising and services with the business owner. In exchange for a member discount in my retail sporting goods store, my self and the staff enjoyed free gym memberships.

I’d never “worked out” before. I played golf in high school, and back then golfers did not go to the gym. This was before Tiger Woods showed us all that being in peak physical form was key. My favorite golfer in those days was John Daily. 🍻 Cheers!

So anyway, I’ve evidently got a torn and healed ACL in my left knee. It’s a tiny little tear that I didn’t even know about for decades, most likely from a skiing fall in my early teens. And it still gives me trouble to this day. But 15 years ago it was much worse. It’d plagued me for years. I lived in a knee brace at the time and was in constant pain. Finally fed up with it, I discussed surgery with an orthopedic surgeon friend on the golf course one day. But instead of recommending surgery, he showed me a couple of simple stretches that I could do anytime of day. As it turns out it wasn’t the ACL tear that was the problem — well, it could be the underlying problem — it was the IT band attaching the knee to the hip. The stretches immediately helped. And within six months I had graduated from the two simple standing stretches, to attending yoga class at the gym three days per week.

I was the only guy there, too. The class was filled with young mothers and retirees. But I didn’t care in the slightest because yoga literally cured me. I’ll take my yoga mat over a set of weights or a machine any day.

I found Yoga With Adrienne on YouTube after I’d runoft. And along with what I’d learned in those first couple years of classes, it has served me well. I love to sit in on a class any chance I get while traveling. But I have been practicing at home for over a decade now. And it’s become integral to both my physical and mental health. I try to practice a minimum of 15 minutes every morning. And if I skip a day or two, I’ll typically pay for it later.

The yoga routine shown in this recorded video is my base routine. My focus is on the core, specifically my lower back and hips because that is where I hurt. And by managing my aliment with these exercises, I have been able to avoid the prolonged use of medication. I will not go into the role that said pain has played in my addiction to narcotics, but you all can imagine I’m sure. I do still need to take over the counter meds occasionally rarely.

I’ll often add poses or switch it up a little, and at least once per week I’ll do a 45 - 60 minute full body routine. But I hardly ever stray from this basic group of exercises. They provide my foundation.

This, is Redneck Yoga.🤠🤙

• I’ll begin in a seated position. And I like to have my hips slightly raised, so I use a folded up towel to sit on(though I don’t have one in this video). This also helps to add cushion while practicing on ones knees.

• The first pose is a variation of the Caterpillar or seated Forward Fold. Only, I alternate left and right legs. This is a great stretch for the spine, stomach, kidneys, and sciatic nerve track. I’ll start with one set of six breaths, and follow that with two or three more sets of twelve breaths. Then I finish with a full Caterpillar fold.

It’s important to note here that one should never feel pain while attempting these exercises. If it hurts, stop immediately. And the breath is super important. Take slow deep breaths — really sink into the breath — allow it to dictate your pace. Notice how on that first bend of six breaths, I’m barely bending at all. Take it easy in the beginning. You can always go deeper or harder later on.

• I’ll then sit with my legs criss-cross-applesauce and do two slight twists before I transition into the Tabletop position. From there I’ll do a few rounds of Cat-Cow. Cow on the breath in, and Cat on the release. Six to twelve breaths. Feel free to move around a little within this exercise. We’re still warming up right now, so use it to your advantage. Maybe bump the hips left or right, or roll the head and neck.

• From there I’ll plant my palms and feet shoulder width apart, and raise my hips into Downward Dog. This is my transition position. I use Downward Dog to begin and end almost every other exercise. The trick here is to keep your knees slightly bent. And I like to petal the feet. I’ll usually stay here for twelve breaths the first and last time, and six breaths when in transition to another pose.

• Next I’ll walk or hop up to the top of the mat into the Forward Fold position. This is followed by my version of a Sun Salutation.

  Forward Fold then Halfway Lift for a breath cycle, back down into Forward Fold. Then roll up into Mountain Pose, and back down into Forward Fold.

  Once back down I’ll Halfway Lift again, before I plant the palms and hop the feet back into Plank position. I’ll hold that for one breath, then do four Push-ups before I lower into Baby or Full Cobra.

  From there I’ll lift back into Plank, then Downward Dog, before I walk or hop forward and repeat the Sun Salutation twice more.

Remember, all movements follow the breath. These exercises are slow and methodical, with full breaths in and out. Our focus should remain on the breath and the quality of the movements at all times.

Okay, so now I’m hot. I’ve broken a sweat, the heart is beating faster and it really feels like I’m putting in the work.

• I stay in Downward Dog as I finish my third Sun Salutation. And sometimes I’ll drop into a Child’s Pose or Extended Child’s pose to rest for six breaths or so. Back in Downward Dog I’ll drop one heal to the ground, and raise the other leg up high behind me, then pull it forward towards the same elbow on that side three times before landing the leg forward into a Lunge. I’ll then raise my arms in a big sweeping motion as I transition into Warrior Two for twelve breaths.

• From there I’ll move into a Reverse Warrior, followed by a Triangle pose and then lower into a Half Moon. And from there I’ll make my way into a Reverse Half Moon down on the mat. Then I’m back into Downward Dog before I repeat on the sequence on the right side.

This is usually where I’ll change the sequence up daily. I might add a Warrior One to the mix, or do some Lunges. Maybe work in a Chair or Pigeon pose too. The possibilities are endless.

• After that I’ll make my way back to a seated position, maybe throw in another Caterpillar before I lay down onto my back.

• In the video I do a Bridge pose, then go straight into nine Leg Raises and a dozen Bicycle Kicks. But I’ll usually work in a Happy Baby, Water Fall or Supine Spinal Twist here.

• I’ll finish the exercise in Corpse pose. And follow that with a 15 minute meditation.

• After I finish the meditation practice I’ll sit up and repeat the first two exercises, going deeper into the Caterpillar and seated Spinal Twist. As a finale, I’ll offer a prayer of thanks. Namaste 🙏

There you have it, Redneck Yoga.

Again, I’m not professional. And if you watch some of the video, you’ll no doubt see that I am an amateur. The purpose of this post is to show that you don’t have to be a certain sex, age, or dexterity to practice yoga. If my country ass can do it, so can you. Exercise doesn’t have to be weights or machines. And it doesn’t have to be complicated. Join a class locally, check out Adriene or one of the many licensed teachers online.

A twenty minute yoga routine paired with a twenty minute walk a couple times a week, will make a huge difference in your health. And if you’ve been thinking about trying some sort of exercise, I hope you’ll give it a shot.

Have a great life! -MJ

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Here’s one from the archive!