Rodney Yee and me

During my recent bout with the virus from you-know-where, I didn't feel much like exercising (I was sweating enough just sitting on the couch, coughing). Fortunately, exercise was not prescribed by the doctor. Instead, I got the usual "rest, take Tylenol and drink plenty of fluids" mandate.

As the days progressed, I slowly gained my strength back but a 40- minute stint on the treadmill was out of the question. My lung capacity still didn't feel up to snuff for heavy-duty aerobic activity.

Rodney Yee to the rescue.

Yee, for those of you who don't know, is a popular yoga instructor and the star of several best-selling Gaiam/Living Arts videos and DVDs. It is difficult to believe the man was born in 1957, which makes him just 2 years younger than me. His body is as strong and lithe as a 20- year-old's, probably due to his background as a gymnast, ballet dancer and, of course, yoga instructor.

I trudged upstairs to the newly converted exercise room and put in a DVD called AM/PM yoga. Clicking on the AM track, I allowed Rodney to put me through his gentle paces from the shores of Maui. Yee has a deep, resonant, meditative voice that could put you to sleep but he somehow manages to keep you moving through a series of non-taxing poses.

By the end of the 20-minute program, I was energized and relaxed. My sinuses were open for the first time in days! The stretches worked wonders for a body stiff from being inactive for so long.

For those of you who aren't quite ready for your debut in a real yoga studio, surrounded by rubber-band bodies in skimpy tank tops and practice pants, I highly recommend Rodney Yee's AM/PM yoga.

I'm back in the saddle (and on the treadmill) again, but I am making Rodney a part of my morning routine.

Namaste!