"OMMMMM," OKAY.

"if I'm losing balance in a pose, I stretch higher and god reaches down to steady me. it works every time, and not just in yoga."

-t. guillemets

well guys, another week has started and like most weeks, I wasn't quite ready for it. the weekends are just too amazing these days. this past saturday, I left mitch alone to study for finals and went to the beach with a few friends. even though I technically live on a beach, I am such a baby about sand that I rarely ever get out there. but this weekend, I did and I got gloriously sunburnt. it's so weird, but I can really appreciate a good sunburn. dermatologists everywhere probably really dread patients like me. sunday, we had some friends over for dinner who have finished their time on the island. it was a very bittersweet moment. bitter for us because we will miss them dearly, sweet for them since they'll be with their family once again. there is a certain amount of isolation that comes with living on a caribbean island even amidst all of the beauty and sunshine. the rest of the weekend was spent unplugged, which resulted in no blogpost yesterday. but how was I supposed to say no to time with a certain husband of mine? believe it or not, he was actually in the mood to shop. I just hope he holds onto that feeling until we arrive in the states next week :) but seriously.

last week, I wrote to you all about my running journey and how much I cherish every mile now that I've figured out a few tricks of the trade. in conjunction with that, something that I would recommend to every runner, experienced or not, is doing yoga to compliment their running training. for my first half marathon, I incorporated yoga every step of the way. I even taught a class on campus two nights a week in order to keep myself committed. but as I graduated and moved away, my yoga practice stalled and in all honesty, I didn't think anything of it.

until last september when my running progress took a slight detour--I had to enlist in physical therapy in order to get some knee pain sorted out. you know the kind of pain where you can't walk up hills or stairs without that constant reminder that there's something wrong with you? it resulted in me sort of walking up stairs normally with one leg and swinging the other one up separately. needless to say, I totally felt like a pirate. naturally, I went to have it checked out. at first, the physical therapist thought it might be a torn lateral meniscus, which would pretty much mean undergoing a costly surgery and quitting endurance running for at least a while. but I went into a state of denial and insisted on a second opinion. a few days later, I went to see a sports medicinist a few towns over and after evaluating movements that hurt and movements that didn't, he was positive my pain was due to an iliotibial band issue, which is actually fairly common in runners. 

at first thought, I had no idea what I had done to cause this sort of reaction from my body. nothing had really changed during my training. I was on my feet the same amount of hours, running the same amount of miles, but my knee wasn't holding up the same. one night, as I was counseling with my husband over the issue, he suggested that maybe it was yoga. for the entirety of the time I was training for that first half, I was practicing yoga religiously. now, I had all but forgotten it. sure enough, the physical therapist recommended thoroughly stretching that it band out every morning and every night to relieve the problem. and luckily, I was able to forego surgery and run my second half-marathon just in time. 

it may sound silly, but I am so grateful for yoga. I am grateful that it is able to cure musculoskeletal problems the easy way. I am grateful for the power that it inspires and for the transformation it has given my body since I have started. I have seen my muscles tone and have felt my mind calm. I would encourage all of you to find a class and give it a go. be present, be on time, and just relax. yoga goes hand-in-hand with running 100%. your knees and hip flexors will thank you tremendously. here are some ways to get started at home ::

wishing all of you a happy tuesday and hoping all of you are enjoying your final month of summer!
love, arielle
**photo found via pinterest and is one of my absolute favorites.