This morning I had a very special partner for my yoga practice – my dog, Oppa.

Today I went with a beginner Ashtanga Yoga class from Lesley Fightmaster.

I was reading up on the various types of yoga out there and Ashtanga sounded right up my alley based on my goals:

Ashtanga yoga metaphorically focuses on eight limbs. Considered a form of power yoga, Ashtanga is fast-paced and intense with lunges and push-ups.

• Purpose: To help improve one’s spiritual self
• Benefits: Relieves stress, improves coordination, and helps with weight loss
• Good for: Fit people looking to maintain strength and stamina, and those who want to get in touch with their spiritual side

Dailycupofyoga.com has a great breakdown of 5 common styles of yoga which you can find here.

I found this practice pretty challenging since parts of me were a lot tighter than I realized.  I’ve decided to rock this practice out every other day until I can nail every pose just as Lesley does in the video.  Oppa is a natural and was breezing through the whole routine, taunting me the whole time.  I would have been upset, but how can you get mad at this face?