Last month, before the big game….we covered How to maintain your practice during the Super Bowl – this month the question is for us, New Orleans yogis, how to maintain our practice during Mardi Gras?!?  Most of us would like to spend time on our mats and on St. Charles Avenue to watch the parades…so how do we manage to do both? Easy, just requires a little balance, exactly what we’ve been working on, right?

Whether you’re riding in, marching in or watching parades this year, you can always sneak in a little practice. Try tadasana (no one will even notice, especially if your friends are drunk). You can even try a little tree stand or

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warrior 1. If anyone looks at you kind of strange, just wink, smile and practice a little non-attachment by handing over your best catch of the day. That solves that.

If you happen to find that you’ve overindulged, or, far more likely, that you just so happen to be dehydrated, then a restorative practice might be just the thing for you. A restorative practice could include Legs up the Wall, gentle hip openers,

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child’s pose and savasana. Follow up with a hot bath with sea salt and eucalyptus essential oil and you’ll be good as gold, black and gold, that is.

Enjoy the next few days having the best of both worlds the Yogi World and Mardi Gras World!!

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Heather Ryan is a strength trainer and certified yoga instructor in New Orleans. She trains clients at Ultimate Fitness and teaches at NOLA House of Yoga. You can also find Heather cooking on The Herbivore Next Door show.