I haven't eaten all the pies, I'm just getting the hang of this #snowga; 2 pairs of leggings, 2 pairs of socks, 3 body warmers, 1 jumper, boots, ear warmer, leather gloves and voila 💪Don't say I never give you all tips 😉 And yes that is my Christmas jumper and socks 😂 Its like Christmas here in Ireland, I'm eating like it's Christmas anyway 🤔 #snowday

How to : press to handstand using blocks 🤔 Before I begin i should start with one major disclaimer; I am nowhere near ever being a handstand press expert so please don't expect this to be the yoga bible page! Yoga police can chill out now 😉 What I am trying to share here is what I've learned through learning these skills myself. If you want expert advice then go read a book. 😜 Straddle press to handstand was and still is a struggle for me. I swear I can do it no problem once a day at the very beginning of my practice when I'm not warned up, if I'm remotely warmed up then it just won't happen. To be fair I am a very lazy presser I don't give it the time it deserves.... I love when it happens and I couldn't give a hoot when it doesn't. 😩 Anyway someone asked me what my thoughts are on using blocks under the feet and my honest answer is it never worked for me. I know why it didn't - because I lack flexibility. I rely on upper body strength for pressing. You can even see when I press that my hips aren't as stacked as some tutorials would make you bekeiev they need to be. If I was flexible then they would stack. Hence why I prefer the strap for learning to press. My advice is if you're flexible then this is a great approach and if you're not then give the strap a try. 1. Using a block or even something higher under each foot. I have my blocks about shoulder width apart. Squeeze thighs to belly. 2. I have a weird cue that helps me here, I dip low with my arms and pretend I'm going under something first and then scoot hips as high as I can coming on to tippy toes. 3. I round the upper back as much as I can and then I try to stuck my butt out behind me as I get as high as I think I will get and as far forward as I can go without falling on my face. 4. I take a big inhale and then exhale to lift up. You'll always see me catch my breath about halfway up. That's me saying holy crap I'm up now relax and get all the way up now 😂 Hope this helps someone out there. L❤X #catspresstips #catshandstandtips #yoga #questforthepress

I've seen girls doing yoga in thongs in the snow(yes really😩) and I'm sitting here 4 hrs after taking this quick pic waiting for my hands to thaw enough just to be able to type this caption 🤔 #Snowga #novicelevel 😂 #beastfromtheeast

Beginners guide; Pick up and jump back😭 So..... I am 100% no expert in this area! But I'm just sharing whats worked for me to get me to where i am right now. Which is jumping back with socks 🤣 If you're looking for the super duper jumper backers you're on the wrong page 😭 But hopefully the tips I have so far will help🤗 After my 8 weeks of sloth life I really wasn't sure I would even be able to manage this so I surprised myself to be honest. And it is worth pointing out that I didn't lose any sleep or no one died because I couldn't jump back so really it's not a life changing transition. But it sure is fun to work on and if you ever join an ashtanga class they do come in handy (if you're allowed use props 😩) But at least knowing how to approach/attempt it will help. Using socks or blocks or both here will help 😉 1. Cross your legs at the shins (not ankles) lean back, flex toes(I find pointing them makes my legs too long to pull back between my arms and trust me I don't have long legs 🤣) Round the back and protract shoulders. Keep hands wider than hips. 2. Press hands into the floor just front of the hips. Draw knees tightly into the chest. 3. Lean forward and pick up hips. Kick feet out in front of you first then draw feet back under you. So what if you're feet skim or even rest on the floor. You're only learning so just do what works until you get stronger 4. Lean chest forward, keep lifting hips. Here's where I cheat- I rest my right side hip on my right elbow. It lets me pause a little to leverage that kick back. Not sure if this makes sense but it's a game changer for me. Let me know if it makes no sense and I'll try and explain it. You'll notice I always twist a little when jumping back that's where I'm cheating 😉 5. Then kick back the legs by lifting hips as high as you can. 6. Throw chest forward and legs back. 7. Finish in chaturanga. Like I said I ain't no expert but hope these tips help. If you're using a block make sure it's not too high because it makes the pick up part so much harder😩 #yoga #jumpback #catsjumpbacktips #ashtanga

How to: Find some hang time. After 8 weeks of living the sloth life my handstands were crap! I had to start from scratch and if I'm honest all i did was work on pressing, it helped me with stability and control and it also helped re-condition my wrists. ♡Find your handstand shape♡ When I first learned a few years ago I found stag leg and scorpion the easiest for me to find balance in (nbr 1&2) Tuck and L shape(3&4) were impossible for me for a very long time and even now I get the least hang time in those shapes. Straight handstand seems to be my go to if I want a long hold. I can do an individual post on each shape as there are slightly different alignment cues for each. All the same set up as per my previous post👉 WARM UP - zilch 🙈 Its the truth... my best handstands & pressing happen at the start of every practice. I'm so unfit right now that after a workout the idea of a handstand is enough to send me back to sloth life 🤣 Perhaps the simple act of kicking up is enough to warm me up. It sounds like bad advice but I'm just being honest. Kicking to handstand is a lot of work for most so it's a decent warm up I guess 😜 SHOULDERS - Elevated & protracted FULLY! And continue to work on this even as you're holding. Whichever shape you choose push down as hard as you can to get that shrug in the shoulders and reach the hips as high as you possibly can! The biggest problem people have is keeping shoulders stacked over hands. (I say hands rather than wrists because no matter how hard you try, when you're learning there will be a sink forward) do try to resist this as much as you can. Obvs when you become super human you can do planche with your shoulders that way but for now try to keep them stable. 😉 HANDS: wide base with fingers spread, cambered hands - finger pads, base of fingers, base of hand pressing down, finger knuckles lifted. Start with a few seconds hold at a time don't hang out too long that you can't control the exit. You learn alot on the exit! So conserve that energy 😉 I hope this helps. I can't fit everything in one post so I've lots more to come 😘 #yoga #catshandstandtips #handstand #sorryabouttheessay 🤣

How to: Kick up to handstand 🤸 Kicking up to handstand is the easy part, staying up there may require a separate post 😜 If you're learning to handstand using the kick up method rather than the pressing method that I have suggested in the past then hopefully these tips might help ✌ . - Turn hands outwards slightly if your shoulders and/or wrists are tight. - Hands directly under shoulders or slightly narrower. - Eyes of elbows rotating forward. - Upper arms drawing towards eachother. - Shoulders protracted and elevated. - Don't even begin to kick up until shoulders are stacked over hands. - Gaze can be wherever you feel comfortable, I prefer between my thumbs or slightly forward. - Inhale to prepare and exhale to execute😉 . - . Next, choose your kick up method. Everyone is different and learns differently but these two methods are what works for most. People seem to freak out about banana backs when learning to handstand, to the best of my knowledge no one has ever died from a banana back! I doubt you'll be holding it long enough for a banana back to leave any lasting damage. But as you progress and learn you'll figure out how to improve your alignment. But first work out how you're gonna get up there then work on staying there. It doesn't have to look perfect while you're only learning so ignore the perfectionist rules and learn your own way! . 1. Stag leg kick up - This was my favourite way to kick up when I was learning. I felt I didn't need as much kick in my kick. When you kick up do your best to keep shoulders exactly as they are, don't let them go forward of your hands. Also start the kick up with the shoulders already set up and in place. And only focus on lifting from the hips. Relax the legs, don't worry about lifting the legs they will follow what the hips do. Think about kicking the butt with the heel. . 2. L shape kick up- This requires a little more activation in the legs but same rules as above applies. Lift from the hips and reach upwards with the feet. . Hope this is useful, any questions just ask . 😘Lx . #yoga #handstandtutorial #handstand 👉👉Tag to follow for more - #catshandstandtips 👈👈

I've had a good think about what I want to post from now on and I reckon sharing any tips that I learn along my way back to a full practice will hopefully be the most beneficial. . There's a lot of stuff I can't even attempt but strangely enough it's not bothering me one bit! I don't even know who I am anymore 🤣 I'm not jealous whatsoever of the superyogis of IG anymore 😱 Maybe I'm a real yogi afterall..... I'm off to drink my unicorn juice now😜 . I had a request to share some tips on jumping back from crow and since it's something I can still do then I thought this would make a great quick post for you all. 😘 Jumping back from crow should probably be renamed jump up from crow as the biggest mistake I see is people that just fire the legs back as hard as they can and they land on their bellies. But if you find a way to jump up first then back you'll nail it every time. 1. Start in crow, and if you're a total beginner then I suggest start with your hands slightly wider than shoulder width and hands turning outwards a little. Also keep knees midway on the triceps. Also try not to have the middle of the kneecap on the tricep just slightly inside the knee works really well if you're new to this. Ensuring elbows line up over wrists! . 2. Lower chest to floor by bending the elbows just a small bit. This is the most important step to allow for some buoyancy in your jump. Think push up. Lower then spring up. . 3. As soon as you lift, shoot legs back BUT don't think back, think chest forward. Think about the chaturanga position as you lift up you need your chest to lower forward and down. Your legs will follow. . So forget about jumping back think jump UP & FORWARD. Just watch what your chest does all the time. Strong stable shoulders to keep you from collapsing. . Any questions please don't be afraid to ask. I will upload a vid to my stories to go along with this too that may help visually. . L❤X . #yoga #jumpbackfromcrow #jumpback #tutorial #armbalance

Hey everyone 🖑 How have you all been? I have to say thank you so much to everyone who sent me messages I literally got hundreds and feel so bad that I can't reply to everyone individually 🙈 But I read every one of them. I did wonder would anyone even notice I was gone so those messages mean alot, thank you! I've had eventful few months - heenia op, turns out that hernia op didn't go too well or rather I popped the internal stitches and got myself another hernia in its place! I then found out I have a hiatus hernia too (long battle with reflux finally answered) so looks like I may have more surgery in the future😭 The important thing is I feel great mentally, not 100% physically but getting there! Weirdly I enjoyed my break so much, I learned to be an expert sloth ( I could do a tutorial if you like, I have some brilliant tips 🤣) I didn't miss my practice nor did i miss Insta all that much either, except of course my amazing friends that I've met on here but I've kept up with most of you on Snapchat (yes I joined Snapchat, I'm that embarrassing techno phobe mother who doesn't really know what they're doing and gets so excited by new filters🙈 But I'm slowly getting the hang of it) Strangely i can say i've literally had the best few months of my life, as ironic as that sounds it's true, so much has changed for me in a positive way. And I guess stepping away from Instagram and all its negativity, focussing on whats really important has opened my eyes alot. I'm very grateful to Instagram don't get me wrong, it's opened some amazing doors, created incredible opportunities and met some amazing friends but man alive it's a consuming platform! I don't know if I'll ever get back to posting everyday but I know one things for sure I certainly won't be putting pressure on myself to do it! . Anyway after going back to work a few weeks ago I'm starting to feel a little urge to get back training but I have to go super slow, no deep backbends (not a problem for me 😂) or strenuous core work (again not a problem🤣) I do have some plans in the pipeline, my time away wasn't totally unproductive😉 Sorry for the essay, some things never change eh🤣 😘L

#1MoreShotAsana2 ✌ . 📸 | B A L A N C E  | 📸 | DAY 8 | . Aaaahhhhh sorry I'm so late posting but I really just haven't had a second to myself lately😭 Its been kinda manic 😭😭 . I tried my best not to make this day a snooze fest for you but all I can think of when I think of balance is a handstand and arm balance is the next best thing so here is my take on balance day on one arm and I won't lie this took one shot or more accuraty one screenshot after taking one very quick video 🤣 Screenshots are totally legit right 🤔 . I'm now way behind on the gallery! I sincerely apologise but promise I will catch up asap when I can try and finish work at a reasonable hour!!! I hate missing all your amazing posts I'm loving all the inspo I'm getting from you all even if I can't do half of what I'm seeing you're all amazing!!! . 💗Check in on my amazing co hosts posts for more ideas before you make your final choice ✌ @bowlingandyoga @catbradleyyoga @jeminajakin @pinkchampagne13 @stretchylexi 💗Thanking our generous sponsors; @aloyoga @infinitystrap

#1MoreShotAsana2 ✌ . 📸 | F O L D  | 📸 | DAY 7 | . Those of you that can do this sans wall..... seriously, you have to be missing some limbs! 😂 I am now missing half a head of hair, possibly missing some bones too and I think I may need surgery to remove my chin from my chest  after doing this one! Don't say I didn't warn you. I flipped up into shoulderstand so many times I was tempted to just say feck it and post a shoulderstand for fold day 😂 . I had so many ideas for today but how inconsiderate is time lately always running away from me 😭 Can't wait to see what you all create 🌟 . 💗Check in on my amazing co hosts posts for more ideas before you make your final choice ✌ @bowlingandyoga @catbradleyyoga @jeminajakin @pinkchampagne13 @stretchylexi 💗Thanking our generous sponsors; @aloyoga @infinitystrap

#1MoreShotAsana2 ✌ . 📸 | T W I S T  | 📸 | DAY 6 | . Twists are not really my thing at all, I do them as I understand their benefits but usually it's a fleeting moment in a flow. I never seem to get the whole enlightened organ cleansing experience that everyone else seems to experience in them though 🤣 I usually just feel like my intestines are being turned inside out🙈 I remember posting this variation early this year and I remember going totally OCD on not only the angles but also the editing! I defo took about 100 shots and then another 100 attempts at editing it. But this time I took 2 shots and hardly much editing at all 🙈 I'm either getting lazy or my OCD is not as bad as it used to be! I could easily have redone this one several more times but I figured it doesn't have to be perfect and being imperfect is just perfect. . Pose originally inspired by @heidiwilliams89 ☄ . 💗Check in on my amazing co hosts posts for more ideas before you make your final choice ✌ @bowlingandyoga @catbradleyyoga @jeminajakin @pinkchampagne13 @stretchylexi 💗Thanking our generous sponsors; @aloyoga @infinitystrap

#1MoreShotAsana2 ✌ . 📸 | BACKBEND | 📸 | DAY 5 | . How predictable am I 🤣 To be fair I had something totally different for today but it wasn't what I was trying to do so im gonna keep trying the thing I was trying and if I can't do it then I'll post the thing that I did when I was trying to do the other thing I was trying to do 🤣😜 Make sense 🤔 . As we all now know I wasn't born on bendy land planet so backbends need some serious warm up for me otherwise you'd need super powerful glasses and a major zoom lens just to see a micro bend in my back 😅 Anyhow luckily handstands take far less warm up so although the left one doesn't look like a backbend it is a major one for my upper back and shoulders and it's possibly one of my favs. The right pic makes me feel like I'm wearing a butt hat and it confuses me when I see the pic because i could swear my butt was on my head 🤣 Taking the feet off the wall is scary at first but I use my lower back to draw them gently away from the wall. I do NOT kick or push off the wall. So be careful if you decide to try this. . The gallery is amazing, your enthusiasm is so infectious! I'm loving this so much 😍 💗Check in on my amazing co hosts posts for more ideas before you make your final choice ✌ @bowlingandyoga @catbradleyyoga @jeminajakin @pinkchampagne13 @stretchylexi 💗Thanking our generous sponsors; @aloyoga @infinitystrap

#1MoreShotAsana2 ✌ . 📸 | ARM BALANCE  | 📸 | DAY 4 | . Wall to the rescue for giving me superhuman powers ☄😜 . It took me many many attempts to get that one armed flying crow mainly due to the fact I looked a little deranged in every shot 😂 I really don't suit that moody deep concentration look 😂 . Thankfully the bottom one was a little easier to capture🙌 . It's the weekend and I can't promise I'll be quite so on top of the gallery it's best I don't mix Instagram and wine you never know what might be said on your posts 😂 Have a great weekend everyone and have some fun with arm balance day. Really looking forward to seeing what you all come up with for this one 💗 💗Check in on my crazy co hosts posts for more ideas before you make your final choice ✌ @bowlingandyoga @catbradleyyoga @jeminajakin @pinkchampagne13 @stretchylexi 💗Thanking our generous sponsors; @aloyoga @infinitystrap

#1MoreShotAsana2 ✌ . 📸 | STANDING POSE  | 📸 | DAY 3 | . So these shots didn't just take a few shots they took a few DAYS😂 I really wanted to find something different and I just kept coming back to this one with a million different variants of basically pyramid pose (#Parsvottanasana )🤣 So I've jazzed it up using the wall and also using my son and dog for cuteness factor. Sorry I did try to find a baby and a puppy but these props will have to do 🤣 On the second slide which I took last weekend was with a fold and honestly this was hard as hell to fold into the leg while balancing on one arm I reckon one more shot of this and that arm was gonna snap right off 😱 . Looking at the gallery you all seem to be having a blast! And we are loving it! I was feeling quite smug last night cos I was totally on top of the gallery. If you haven't even had a like from any of us on your posts (we can't comment on every post as IG will ban us) but it may be because youre banned. If you're banned we won't see your posts under the tag so you will have to tag us so we can see your posts or just leave a comment on one of our posts and let us know and we will check out your posts manually 😍 This excludes those of course using our hashtag for the craic just to gain followers and not actually joining our challenge, we try not to like those so we can save our likes for those that  actually deserve them! 😈 💗Check in on my crazy co hosts posts for more ideas before you make your final choice ✌ @bowlingandyoga @catbradleyyoga @jeminajakin @pinkchampagne13 @stretchylexi 💗Thanking our generous sponsors; @aloyoga @infinitystrap

#1MoreShotAsana2 ✌ . 📸 | HANDSTAND | 📸 | DAY 2 | . Omg that gallery has exploded on us😱 Holy friggin moly after one day you're killing us and our thumbs 🤣  Slow down and let us catch up 🤣 Some crazy cool variations of planks that I've bookmarked so many to try so I'm loving that you guys are inspiring us! 💗 . Day 2 is our beloved handstand, and don't panic if you can't do a handstand, get those creative brains working and think outside the box..... if handstand is completely out of your reach even a supported one you could be very clever and just stand up and post your pic upside down 😉 How easy would that be! And savasana flipped can resemble a handy too so remember this challenge is not about what you  an or can't do it's about having some fun and getting a little creative ✌ . Once again I couldn't choose and I had taken a few shots with Stewie and didn't want to waste them even if I couldn't get a non blurry high five with my dog 😭 But after taking approximately 100 shots I felt I had to share one of them. The one handy at the wall is not as hard as it might seem I start in a normal handy with one foot resting on the wall then I lift the arm and then pull the other leg away from the wall. . Like I said above please have fun with today and don't take it so seriously🎉 💗Check in on my crazy co hosts posts for more ideas before you make your final choice ✌ @bowlingandyoga @catbradleyyoga @jeminajakin @pinkchampagne13 @stretchylexi 💗Thanking our generous sponsors; @aloyoga @infinitystrap

#1MoreShotAsana2 ✌📸 📸 | P L A N K | 📸 | DAY 1 | . Let the madness begin🎉 Day 1, round 2 of the best funenge ever! And we start out nice and easy as always with a straight forward plank pose, 😈  You can rev it up or choose one of my amazing co hosts versions or you can create your own monster! I took approximately 200 shots and I couldn't choose which plank to use! I mean I cant stand upward plank on the floor so what made me think using a wall would make it any easier is beyond me, I'll save you the trouble and tell you now that's impossible! And as for the flying plank well that's a whole other story but it's way more fun 🤣 . The rules are simple; 1. Have fun. 2. Stay safe. 3. Check in on the gallery. 4. Support eachother. 5. Smile! 6. Tell us the number of shots it took you. 7. Be as creative or as simple as you feel. 8. Post as many times as you like. 9. Smile. 10 and lastly SMILE 😍 ( I needed 10 rules 😂) . Here is the list of the bases poses for each day so you have time to prep some poses in advance and know what to expect 😉  1  Plank ✔ 2  handstand 3  standing pose 4  arm balance 5  backbend 6  twist 7  fold 8  balance pose 9  headstand or pincha 10 yogis choice 💗Check in on my crazy co hosts posts for more ideas before you make your final choice ✌ @bowlingandyoga @catbradleyyoga @jeminajakin @pinkchampagne13 @stretchylexi 💗Thanking our generous sponsors; @aloyoga @infinitystrap Go have fun and enjoy 🎉

There is no such thing as a bad f'ing handstand✌ Browsing IG with all the tutorials on how to perfectly execute a pose would have scared the life out of me if I saw them when I was starting out. I don't think I would have ever stepped on my mat! 😂 I was looking through some old videos I have and I was shocked to see that only 2 years ago I had a very inconsistent handstand hold. I had a pretty strong handstand practice back then but my handstand (to the purists) was crap but to me it was magic. I'm well aware my handstand still needs tons of work but who cares I'm more than proud of the progress I've made! I spent 5 mins a day dedicated to handstands, simply kicking up over and over. Doing cartwheels as slow as I could and doing lots of shoulder openers and push ups for strength. But honestly the simple action of just kicking up will build you the strength you need. I saw a post today from someone saying that people that do advanced poses are not doing REAL yoga🤔 Isn't it funny how judgemental those 'real' yogis are! How ironic eh. Handstands are probably considered advanced to most people but to me a simple forward fold or a hip opener is the most advanced pose to me so I wish people would stop being so judgemental of others practice and enjoy their own practice and if handstands aren't for them then don't do them. But you can still admire without being so judgemental😤