Saturday, October 31, 2009

Headstand Progress!

Tonight, I did Solar Flow. I was feeling up to a challenge, and afterwards, I felt invigorated.

The highlight of my practice though, was the Shoulder Opening series of the Solar Flow Yoga Matrix, which culminates in shoulder stand. My husband was home tonight, so when it was time to pause the DVD and attempt shoulder stand, I enlisted his help. I'm timid about trying with 100% effort with no one there to spot me, so having him there tonight allowed me to try harder than before with being afraid.

I'm still not able to do it on my own, but with guidance from him, and a decent amount of help, I was able to into and out of the pose several times.

It was a great learning experience too, because just like in class, I learned that what feels right to me isn't actually the right form. What I thought was completely vertical was actually nowhere near straight up and down, making it impossible for me to get up and balance. Since I practice without a mirror, having him there to tell me and to correct me was a huge help!

I feel like I made more progress tonight that in all the other nights combined, and I'm excited about the prospect of practicing again tomorrow!

Namaste

Friday, October 30, 2009

Back to my Headstand Challenge

Ok, so tonight, I was feeling pretty good, so I returned to my headstand challenge. I practiced on my own, mostly pulling from the Power Yoga tape, since I have that routine memorized, and adding a few things that I like.

Towards the end, I did some of the preparatory poses for headstand, and then tried to get up into it, knowing I wouldn't, but at least exercising the muscles. One side is definitely stronger. If I try to lift up with my left leg first to establish the stance, I get closer, and feel more stable than I do on the right.

And just like I said yesterday, I feel like limber, strong version of me is trapped inside this other version. The gymnast of my youth and runner of my early twenties is there, egging me on, showing me that I can do it in my mind.

I'll keep trying, until I can do it in reality!

Namaste

Thursday, October 29, 2009

There's a Yoga Master Trapped Inside Me!

Yup, that's how I feel today. Like there's a Yoga Master trapped inside me, dying to get out. Today I am feeling impatience. When I close my eyes and listen to the music, I can picture my body doing things that it just can't do yet. In my head, it seems natural and fluid. But the reality is not so, not yet at least.

Patience, patience, patience. And perseverance, right? I need to be patient and persevere and work towards my goals.

I find it strange that yoga offers instant gratification in that you feel better immediately. But there is no instant gratification when it comes to what I want. And I'm sure that's a good thing, because it will be so much more meaningful and valuable when I've earned it.

That's all for my musings today. My practice was light, and I focused on standing balance poses because my arm is still a little out of commission. More than anything, tonight's practice was a mental exercise to not judge myself, to not push myself, and to try to keep my mind in the right frame of mind, since obviously I'm feeling a little impatient! ;)

Namaste

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

I love Twists

Tonight was another 'easy' practice. I had my flu shot today, and a Pneumonia Vaccination. One arm feels fine, but the other doesn't feel fine at all! So I'm giving them a break.

I chose to do a practice that focused on breathing and relaxation, and incorporates one of my favorite things - supine twists. I love the feeling of breathing in and out while dropping my knees to one side and then the other. It unravels all the tension in my back, and helps me breathe deeper.

It was the perfect practice to end my day. I love when that happens!

Namaste

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Trying to Enjoy Abs

Today, I read my mediation earlier, and it was about finding joy and contentment in the activities of daily life. All day, I worked on this.

When I was vacuuming, I considered how lucky I was to have a nice home, a great vacuum cleaner, and two wonderful dogs to clean up after. When I was washing dishes, I enjoyed the actual dishes, because they are simple and plain, and make me happy. I cleaned appliances and focused on the fact that I have the time and energy to do this, as a stay at home wife.

I wasn't perfect. I slipped into negative thinking a lot. But I continued to recall my thoughts, and focus on the positive.

When it was finally time for yoga, I did yoga for abs, which is still my weakest practice. It was an opportunity to focus on the challenge, on the opportunity to strengthen my core, and recognize how lucky I am that other facets of my practice come easily.

And even though many things didn't go 'right' today, I feel like it was a good day. A happy day.

Namaste

Monday, October 26, 2009

Holding the Pose

I think I've mentioned it before, that Tree is one of my favorite poses, one I can relax in, and truly quiet my mind.

Today's Meditations from the Mat talks about meditating in the pose, letting thought drop away, and breathing into every cell of your body. The author recommended Warrior 2, but to start with this, I chose Tree.

I kept my practice simple - mostly sun salutations. And then I stayed in tree for a while on each side, softening my gaze, relaxing my breath, and feeling my body without analyzing. It's difficult - my mind wanders easily. But since I already find Tree to be an easy pose for me to center in, I was able to take it a step further.

I didn't work on my current challenge today - headstand. But I'll get back to that soon.

Namaste

Sunday, October 25, 2009

2nd post for the Day

So since I didn't practice or post yesterday, my numbers will be off, and that will confuse me. So I'm splitting today into two posts. One (already done) about yesterday's events and forgetting to practice. And another (this one) about today's practice.

Today's practice was a short power yoga session. I felt weak, but it felt good. Like it was just what I needed, and just enough. My neck was feeling strained though, and I don't know why. It was probably that I slept too much last night when I didn't feel well.

So today is day 70, even though I've only practice 69 times. But I do intend to double up one day soon, so that when I reach 365 days, I'll have 365 practices to show for it, even if it wasn't truly daily. Not perfect, like I mentioned in my other post, but still the best I could do, and that's good enough for me.

Namaste

I fell off the Yoga Wagon!

This morning, shortly after I woke up, I realized I didn't do yoga yesterday, and I was very angry at myself.

Here's what happened. Yesterday was a packed day. I started out early dropping my husband off at work, and then ran errands all morning. There was a command beach party, and I spent the entire afternoon and early evening at that. I even commented that I needed to get home in time to make dinner, feed and walk the dogs, and do yoga before going to bed.

But then things got off track. I ended up getting take out because we stayed longer than planned. And then, I got sick. Blah. I laid down with every intention of getting back up. But that just didn't happen. I was only up when I was sick, and yoga was far, far, far away from my mind.

I didn't choose to skip it... I just got sidetracked and completely forgot. And boy was I disappointed in myself when I realized.

So my plan today was to do yoga twice. Two full practices, to make up for yesterday. But I'm still feeling a little weak. So I did one short power yoga practice, and that was it. Then, I read in meditations, "Is it possible that judgement or distraction are like the rain, and you are like the earth? The rain comes and goes, but the earth remains."

And then I didn't feel so bad anymore.

The perfectionist in me is screaming, "Do it all the way, do it completely right, or don't do it at all!" And yet, after practicing now for 70 days, and studying the path of yoga, I know in my heart that my inner perfectionist is wrong. We hear it all the time, that we need to honor our bodies, forgive ourselves, recognize where we are... but it is so easy to slip out of that. So I'm not perfect. And my year of yoga is now not perfect. But it's still worthwhile, and still worth the effort. Distraction and judgement come and go, but me and my commitment remain.

Namsaste

Friday, October 23, 2009

Practice is Practice

Today, I went back to Power Yoga. I was tired, but felt like it would do me some good. I think I've been relying to heavily on the easier practices lately.

I went through it, and it did feel good once I got going.

But I realized... sometimes Practice is just that. Practice. I think yoga should be more than that, more than just going through the motions. Days like this though, I am very grateful for the habits I'm forming, so even when I'm not getting more than that out of it, I can at least still go through the motions, and keep my momentum going.

Namaste

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Some days...

Some days, it just doesn't work. Today I've been struggling with my blood sugar levels, and tonight, when I went to practice, they were really  high. And when they are high, I feel funny - lethargic and antsy all at the same time. Unable to get comfortable, cranky, and impatient - that's me.

Normally, I settle in to do yoga, and immediately start to feel at ease. But not today. I just couldn't get with it. I'm having an off day. I decided that was ok, and ended my practice early.

I read somewhere, maybe in Meditations from the Mat, that yesterday's practice is a reminder of the potential for today. Tonight, I'm thinking about it a little differently. I'm not going to get discouraged by today's practice, because just sticking with it gives me hope that tomorrow will be better.

Namaste

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Relaxing, Day 2

Tonight, I practiced Yoga Nidra. I haven't tried Yoga Nidra in a long time, and I think it went pretty well. There was one glaring area of my body that I couldn't relax. My big toe. I find that comical, but it's true.  As my body relaxed, and I felt as if I was sinking down into myself, my big toe seemed to throb even more, and rise away from my body as if to shout, "hello, pay attention to me!"

I guess that means I need to pay attention to my toe! ;) I had surgery at the base of that toe years ago, and it's never been 100% ever since. I'm not sure if it took a certain level of relaxation for me to notice, or if it would have stood out like that tonight no matter what. Either way, I'll be giving it some loving in the form of comfortable shoes tomorrow.

I am continually surprised at the wide range of realizations that come to me during the different types of practices I try.  66 days of yoga has brought me up, down, and all around. And as usual, I am excited to see what comes next!

Namaste

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Relaxing

Yesterday I worked towards a new challenge. Today I focused on trying to relax. 

It was a go, go, go kind of day. Lots to do, lots to think about. So when it was time to slow down, I chose a relaxing practice. And I add a little doggie time in before My dogs love when I pull out the yoga mat, because they know that means I'm coming down to their level, and I'll usually give them some attention after. 

Today, I gave them attention before. I know it's a proven fact that dogs help their owners de-stress, and tonight I capitalized on that. By the time I was ready to hit play on my DVD, I was already in a much better place.

After the practice, and the quality time with my four-legged friends, I'm ready for a quiet end to the night, and a good night's sleep.

Namaste

Monday, October 19, 2009

Time for a Challenge

One of my goals when I started this daily practice was to be able to flow through Sun Salutations from plank to chaturanga to upward dog to downward dog with strength and grace. And guess what? After 64 days of yoga, I can. Ok, well maybe not with grace, but I can do it without struggling.

It's funny that today is when I noticed that I'd accomplished that goal. The timing was perfect for my next challenge.

A friend asked me today if I did the 'kind of yoga where you stand on your head'. I had to admit, that no, I do not. Headstands have always intimidated me. Even as a kid in gymnastics, I enjoyed handstands, and shied away from headstands. Maybe it came from my chronic headaches, and my fear of ever putting pressure on my head. Either way, it stuck with me, and even now, I avoid headstands at all costs.

I know now that it's actually about arm strength, core strength, and balance. It's not the pressure on the head and neck that scared me as a kid. But I still avoid it.

With one challenge overcome today, I think I'm perfectly poised to make headstand my next challenge. I worked on a few prep poses today after a series of sun salutations. I've been instructed on how to do them before, though I didn't give it my full effort. Now that's going to change! I am excited for the day that I can come post that I've overcome this challenge too!

Namaste

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Fine Tuning

Tonight I did my own thing again. My 'yoga mix tape' in my head. I'm really enjoying learning enough to be able to do this.

What really stood out to me tonight was just how many fine tuning cues I've picked up by going to different classes and using different DVD's, CD's, books, and magazine articles for guidance. My mind seems to automatically list off various things to check in with for form, breath, and focus.

This makes me wonder just how many cues there really are, and how much fine tuning can be done. It seems the more I learn about yoga, the more I realize there is still to learn. This seems to be true with just about anything worth learning in life, and now I'm seeing it in yoga too.

I imagine some things will eventually become second nature, and I won't even need my mind to list them off in a mental check list. For now, I'm enjoying the fine tuning, and the journey of learning.

Namaste

Saturday, October 17, 2009

Another Day of Vinyasa Flow

Last night's practice felt great, but I didn't want to push it too hard tonight. I can definitely feel the workout in my legs, and while it's not painful, I thought I should be cautious.

So tonight, I did the same Vinyasa Flow DVD, but back to my old level. 

One thing that I noticed tonight was how much I tune into the cues about opening the collar bone, especially in Warrior Two and Triangle Poses. This is not a stretch that comes naturally to me. I curve forward naturally, and probably make it worse by sitting in front of the computer and the TV. So to stretch my back, and open the collar bone feels wonderful. I definitely need the cue to remind me to do that. This is the only DVD I've ever had that includes that cue in these poses, and that's a really relaxing and beneficial tweak to the pose.

Namaste


Friday, October 16, 2009

Good Workout Tonight

Tonight, I did the next level up on my Vinyasa Flow DVD, and it was a great workout! I feel energized.

Most notably, this series added a high lunge pose with arms extended overhead that I found very challenging, and it also incorporated Stage 2 of Triangle pose, which really deepened the stretch for me.

Towards the end, my legs were starting to feel worn out, so I was very content to reach the twists and then Shivasana.

All in all, my practice was 50 minutes long, but it was so engaging that it really didn't feel that long at all. I love when I can really get into it, and not feel the minutes ticking by!

Namaste

Namaste

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Headache Relief

I'm sure I've posted about it before, but it really made an impression again today, so I'm writing about it again. And 'it' is using yoga for headache relief.

Today was another long, full day. Nothing went wrong, but it was full of tasks I don't exactly relish. I recognized that I was letting tension build, but after 3 hours at the vet, I couldn't seem to reign it in.

When I finally got home, I settled in for a 50 minute headache relief practice, and it was absolutely wonderful. My neck and shoulders feel spacious, much of the tension is gone, and most importantly, the pain is fading.

Yoga = Relief (in so many ways!)

Namaste

Oops!

Yesterday was a busy day. I practiced early in the day, for about an hour, because I knew it was going to be a long night. When the day was finally over, I crashed into bed for a heavy night's sleep.

And totally forgot to blog! Horrors! ;)

So, to sum it up a day late... I did a "wake up" practice meant to get the body going, and it felt great. I read the last entry on Aparigraha in Meditations for the Mat. And when my errands went awry, and I was really building up steam and about to blow from dealing with our health care system, I asked myself what I was really angry about. What did I need to let go?

The answer was glaringly obvious. I was really angry that I had no control over how others do their job, or how the government makes things as simple as allergy medicine into very complicated tasks. I was really angry that nobody that I ran into cared even a little bit about how ridiculous the problems were, and that they weren't willing to help even a little bit if it wasn't required. I was really angry that I felt powerless and abandoned.

And I needed to let that go. So I did. And today, with a fresh start, I got my medicine, and I got the appointments I needed. And I was able to smile at the pharmacist when she marveled at how well my persistence paid off.

It's good to let things go, let anger go, and smile at the end.

Namaste

Monday, October 12, 2009

Simplicity

Simplicity has been my theme today, even before I realized it.

I am a relatively neat person, and I'm not fond of clutter. While picking up around the house today, I was thinking about the surfaces, and if they had too many things on them. Obviously, the concept of Aparigraha is sticking with me.

Then I opened the kitchen cabinets, and was struck by how many glasses I have. There are only two of us, and we've never had more than 6 guests at a time, so why do I have over 30 glasses? I certainly don't need that many. Time to clean out the cabinets, and donate.

Later, I was thinking about how I could really use some more streamlining in my organization, to keep it simple. It's not always an easy task, but once it's done, every day chores are easier.

I really do love simplicity. It makes me happy and content.

For my yoga practice, I chose Lunar Flow again, the Shiva Rea CD I recently purchased. It is one of the most simple practices I do, with a series of Lunar Salutations that repeat over and over and over. First with cues, then just with the mantra, and then just the music. As simple as it starts out, Shiva takes it a step further, stripping away one layer and then another, until it just you, your body, and the music. Simplicity.

Then I read my Meditations from the Mat entry. It started with Lynyrd Skynyrd lyrics, "All that I want for you, my son, is to be satisfied. And be a simple kind of man, someone you can love and understand..."

And that sums up my day, doesn't it? I want to lead a simple, satisfied life full of love and understanding. I think most people do, but not so many realize it. Even fewer know how to do it. Recognizing how much simplicity satisfies me is a step toward that goal for me.

Namaste

8 Weeks are Complete!

I am so excited that today marks the start of my 9th week of daily yoga. 8 weeks of practice have brought me far, and I am so happy that I have made this commitment, and stuck to it!

Tonight, I practiced on my own. I mixed basic Sun Salutations with a few things pulled from a variety of the DVD's I own. I basically made a yoga mix tape in my head.

It felt great to indulge in only the things I really enjoy, only the things that feel exceptionally good to my body. One of my favorite moves is from Rodney Yee's Power Yoga. Lying on your back, you rock back and forth up to sitting and back down gently, and then you expand the movement to rock all the way from Plow to Seated Forward Bend. It feels wonderful. I hear a lot of popping and cracking, but not in a worrisome way. In fact, I think my back might be realigning itself the way the chiropractor would!

To end, I used some of the breathing and restorative exercises I've been doing a lot of this last week. That wrapped my practice up in a neat little bow, and now I'm feeling really good. Strong but relaxed - that's the goal, right?

Namaste

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Back to the Heart Opener

Tonight, I went back to the restorative pose series with the supported heart opener that gave me so much trouble earlier in the week.

I've been thinking about it since then, and tonight, I didn't have any of those same flashback thoughts. I think I relaxed a little more into the pose, trusting myself enough to open a little more. Mentally, I had no problems this time, but physically, I could feel my muscles pulling back, not wanting to give in and release their tension.

This doesn't surprise me. I have that kind of posture, the rounded kind with my shoulders caved in. That lends to tension in the small muscles between the front ribs. I had a massage therapist once who told me I had chains of tiny little knots running between my ribs like a rosary. She tried to work them out for me, but I found it much too uncomfortable.

So I'm going to keep at this position. Maybe not every day, but with some regularity. I'm going to keep telling my body to relax through breath, and see if I can get some of that tightness to release on my own.

I'm still in the Aparigraha stage of Meditations from the Mat - it's all about letting go. So I'm going to try to let this inner defense mechanism of curling in and guarding my heart go too.

Namaste

Namaste

Saturday, October 10, 2009

Pranayama

Today, I focused my practice on Pranayama. I've been struggling this week with not feeling well - low grade fever, stuffy nose, queasy stomach, blah, blah, blah.

I realized that my breathing was suffering from this. Laying back and working through various breathing exercises combined with supine poses really helped me feel revitalized. I was worried my nose would be too stuffy for it, but it didn't pose a problem.

The best part of tonight's practice was breathing while twisting from side to side, every movement synchronized to the inhales and exhales. I felt like all the stiffness from spending so much time resting was getting squeezed out of me, like wringing a wet rag. And the movement really seemed to increase the depth of my breath naturally, and I think that's exactly what I needed.

I'm still feeling under the weather - after all, yoga is not a cure all. But I am feeling much improved after my pranayama practice, and I think that's an awesome result.

Namaste

Friday, October 9, 2009

Drawing a blank

Today, I'm drawing a blogging blank. I did Vinyasa Flow tonight, and enjoyed it, but I really just don't have anything to say about it.

So I'm wondering if anyone else wants to share what they did today. Please feel free to talk about your practice, or how you're living yoga. I'd love to hear it. Maybe you'll bring me some new inspiration!

Namaste

Thursday, October 8, 2009

A Gentle Reminder

Today, I did an "Evening Revival" routine, which is a gentle routine meant to open the shoulders, back, and hips. I know I've mentioned it before, but I was again amazed at how difficult I find the simplest poses when I need to hold them for extended periods, and really focus.

I hold stress between my shoulder blades, and this routine focus on the upper back much of the time. What the DVD claims to be a release of stress feels much different to me in this area. It's not painful, but it's very uncomfortable, and makes me feel uneasy.

Standing with my feet wide apart, arms extended out to my sides, and twisting around, I could feel that my upper back just did not want to release. I'm taking this as a gentle reminder from yoga that I need to be more mindful of my stress. I need to let things go as them come up, instead of storing them away in the tense muscles of my back.

And most of all - I need a massage! ;)

Namaste

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Lunar Flow

More goodies came in the mail today! Yay! My new Manduka mat, 2 cork blocks that are more stable than the foam one I had before, and a new CD "Drops of Nectar" which is a guided Lunar Flow practice with Shiva Rea.

I tried out the CD tonight, and marveled at the difference between Lunar Salutations and Solar Salutations. The poses are so similar, but with the rhythm so much slower, the outcome was very different.

At first, I had trouble keeping my breathing in line with the movements at that slow of a pace. But after the sixth or seventh series, I was getting better at it. I also found that moving so slow allowed me to pay more attention to my form coming out of Cobra and moving into Downward Dog.

I'm excited to have another tool in my Year of Yoga Toolbox!

Namaste

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Aparigraha

At this point in Meditations from the mat, I'm reading about Aparigraha, which is the final yama, and means nonpossesiveness and nonhoarding.

I think I'm somewhere in the middle of the road with this yama. I'm really good about cleaning about my possessions. I'm quite the opposite of a hoarder. And I think I'm OK in the mental aspect of Aparigraha too. I can let go of preconceived notions in a lot of ways, and I think I'm very open minded.

But I know there are areas that need work. I don't keep a lot of things for sentimental purposes, but what I do keep, I have a fierce grip on, and can't imagine letting it go. Pictures, tokens from my Grandfather, old letters... these are the only things I truly hoard. If I lost them, I would be devastated. I realize that an attachment like that to material possessions is a waste of energy, but yet I still cling to it.

I also know that I have beliefs about myself and the way things *should* be that I hold on to, even when they present challenges in my daily life. And here's where things get complicated. I don't know if I believe that I should necessarily let them go. What dictates which beliefs are worth holding onto and fighting for, and which are holding you back? In a previous section of the book, the author asks, "What are we defending, and why are we defending it?" He was speaking of National Defense, but I think that is an appropriate mediation for figuring out which of our beliefs are worthwhile.

The most interesting aspect of today's entry in Meditations from the Mat was this statement about the effect of practicing Aparigraha: Yesterday's definition of a man or a woman, a race or a religion, a blessing or a curse no longer has any power over us. We can begin to trust our perceptions of the truth in the moment.

Trust your perceptions of the truth of the moment - that is a very appealing concept, and makes the practice of Aparigraha appear very worthy of the effort.

Namaste

Monday, October 5, 2009

A Surprising Outcome

For today's practice, I did a "Restorative Poses for Relaxation" sequence. This is one of the sequences from the Yoga for Relaxation DVD that I hadn't tried yet.

While I was settling into a supported chest opener, memories came popping into my mind that I hadn't thought of in a long time - hurtful memories, vulnerable memories. I recognized them, and then set them aside, and focused on breathing. But I wondered 'why'. Why were these random memories popping up? The scenes that ran across my mind were ones that had no connection to my day, or even my life anymore. They were moments I hadn't thought if in a very long time. They weren't awful things, but they were things that I find unpleasant to think about because they hurt my heart when they happened.

A few minutes into the pose, the teacher said that the pose could be more difficult than expected, because opening your heart, and elevating it about the rest of your body is a very vulnerable position. She said that people who had been hurt in the past, and who were still guarding their heart would have trouble relaxing in this pose, holding it for an extended time, and keeping the mind quiet.

I was taken aback. Here I was wondering why these memories were resurfacing, and then here was the answer. And the answer was upsetting. Am I really still guarding my heart from the low points of past relationships? That idea is unnerving.

I'm not sure what to do with this. Should I just recognize that I have issues (who doesn't), and then keep going? Is acknowledgement enough? Or should I address these old hurts, and do more to work through them? Should I seek out more heart opening poses, and use yoga to work on this issue of self-guarding?

I'm not used to feeling uneasy AFTER yoga. I'm used to using yoga to feel more calm. Tonight's outcome was very unexpected, and I'm just not sure what to think about that.

Namaste

Sunday, October 4, 2009

I Kept My Promise

Today, I kept yesterday's promise to myself to take it easy. It wasn't hard to do, because it was a long, full day and my body was tired by the time I got home.

I did a short, light practice on my own, with no music or video. I pulled mostly from a practice I learned when I lived in Georgia. I took a weekly yoga class there that was largely filled with retired women, and I still have it memorized.

The relaxing aspect must have worked, because before I knew it, I fell asleep! I just woke up and realized I hadn't finished everything for the night, so here I am blogging, and now I'm going back to bed. I'm not sure what tomorrow holds for practice. I need to check in with my body and see if one day of rest was enough.

Namaste

Saturday, October 3, 2009

Shaky, Shaky

The title pretty much sums up my yoga practice tonight. Shaky, unbalanced, and incomplete. I'm not sure what's going on with me today, but I couldn't stay in my poses, and I couldn't finish the hour long routine I had selected. I fell out of triangle, and even wobbled around in forward bend. My legs are sore, my arms feel heavy... and the most frustrating part is that I don't know why.

I don't think I've been pushing it too hard. But just in case I am, tomorrow I'll honor my body. I'll acknowledge where I am right now, even though I don't understand it, and choose a much more relaxing practice.

Moderation is key to living yoga, so I'm going to moderate my practice a little bit to see if it helps.

Namaste

Friday, October 2, 2009

Be Flexible

"Be Flexible to Be a Better You." The truth in that statement astounds me. Obviously in yoga, flexibility helps to deepen our practice. In other sports, flexibility helps us avoid injury, and allows us to accomplish more impressive feats.

But in real life, every day life, flexibility is essential to joy. As a military wife, I've found that if you go with the flow, take on each change and challenge, and make the best of it, you can be happy anywhere, in almost any situation. If you fight the changes, dig in your heels, and refuse to bend with the currents, you will find yourself to be miserable. Often.

I don't know about you, but I want to be happy, joyful. So I work on my flexibility, not just physically, but mentally as well. Thank goodness for yoga to help me do that!

Namaste

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Dancing Warrior

I played with the matrix on Solar Flow again today, and added "Dancing Warrior" to my practice. I loved it. I'm finding that for vigorous yoga workouts, I much prefer upbeat, rhythmic music, as opposed to the traditional soft, slow music. When I was at a local concert a couple weeks ago, listening to native music with percussion performed on huge gourds, I closed my eyes and imagined doing a vinyasa flow routine to that rhythm. After today's wonderful practice, I think I'll pursue that idea, and go looking for some new music to practice to.

Namaste