First and foremost - a word from the man himself - DDP
haha - OK, well that was a shameless plug, but I had to show it off a little!
So - DDPYoga workouts are intense. They’re an all-in-one cardio, strength, and flexibility workout that will put you in the best shape of your life with minimal joint impact. In other words - you get a kick-ass workout with no pounding to your joints (like running, etc.). NORMALLY - a 45-60 minute DDPYoga workout from one of his DVDs is enough to grown man cry. It’s hard, it’s intense, it’s packed full of sweat and leaves you feeling like you did a 3 hour workout. BUT - in Mexico - there were no standard 20, 45, 60 minutes workouts. OH NO. There was more of a 2-2.5 hour standard workout….and then you did it again in the afternoon.
I was actually very nervous about the workouts and the amount of time that was set aside for them. I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to keep up and that I would look like such a novice compared to the DDPYoga veterans who have been doing it for years. I don’t know what happened, but I did it. And not only did I do it - I DID THEM ALL! Perfect attendance to all the workouts giving each one everything I had. Now that was surprising. The saying YOU ARE SO MUCH STRONGER THAN YOU THINK couldn’t be more accurate. Here’s what I learned from the workouts in Mexico:
- I have triceps. Yep - I found them. They may have been hiding for the last 37 years - but they are here now & here to stay!
- I can do pushups - a LOT of them. I can’t do them all perfectly without dropping to my knees - but I can do A TON more than I ever thought I could. Thanks to the Yoga-Doc & my new buddy Jim - I actually do them in proper form now!
- I can push myself harder. When I started the workouts, I quickly worked up to the advanced schedule so that I could get the most bang for my buck. But now - 1 or 2 workouts at a time is just not going to cut it. Now - it’s the toughest workouts, as often as possible, until I can nail them. And then - I challenge myself & make it harder.
- Practice. Practice. Practice. The 3rd workout we did was awesome. DDP asked us what “positions” we wanted to learn, showed us how, and then went one-by-one and gave us each some personal instruction. The first time I tried the headstand - I couldn’t even get one foot off the ground. By day 3 - I could get BOTH feet of the ground and balance on my triceps for 10 seconds. It’s all about practice and not giving up. I WILL be able to do a headstand in the very near future! Oh, and by the way - DDP will tell you that ‘Poses’ are what you do in traditional yoga - ‘Positions’ are what you do in DDPYoga workouts. The difference? DDPYoga isn’t yoga - its workouts for athletes.
- Don’t compare yourself to anyone else. To quote DDP - “We are all in our own personal hells”. At the time, this was in reference to the core/ab exercises we are doing for what seemed like an eternity. But in the grand scheme of things, I believe that it means to give it everything you’ve got and challenge yourself. Don’t compare yourself to others because everyone has a different background. Some have injuries, some have medical conditions, some aren’t as committed or may be really committed. Just be the best version of yourself.
Here’s a video from our first AM workout - 2 hours in 2.5 minutes, some Lexi says punches, and some more awesome pics from the retreat!
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