So although I've been practicing for the past four years, I've only managed to nail padmasana (lotus posture) in the past 10 months. It's getting easier, very slowly mind you, but it is, the hips are working more on their own accord to move the knees closer together, feet staying on tops of thighs. I was in class today and B noticed that he'd never seen me do kukkutasana, although I've recently been doing garbha pindasana (only the rock and roll bit) in padmasana.
Why have I never even attempted kukkutasana? It's just never been part of my so called "full" primary series! So B demonstrated how to slide the arms through. He said that sliding the arms through diagonally also makes it easier. So I gave it a go and managed to get both arms through quite easily, albeit with my leggings on, think I will have to start wearing shorts now, (damn, note to self - must start shaving / tanning legs more) and wetting the arms for an easier entry, as it were! Apparently kukkutasana is a great posture for releasing the hips but protecting the knees by keeping the pressure off with the arms inside. It kind of makes sense. It felt a bit strange but great at the same time.
Backbends are getting deeper all the time, the drop backs definitely speed up the process somehow. Today I managed to move my hands in towards my feet three times, about 2.5 hand spans. I came up onto my toes, but it felt right to do that, like it gave me more momentum to come up on the inhale. Bendng the knees sure helps too when you walk your hands in. I will have to play with that on my own, I've only managed coming up once on my own, haven't given it much time since. Whilst I love the morning practice, I still feel like I'm rushed, even though I have a good 1:45 if need be. I might try Sharath's led DVD tomorrow morning. That's if I can walk by tomorrow morning....
Yesterday I went to a dance mets yoga workshop where the woman was getting us to prance across the room in a style which was akin to the warm up we had to do called "corner to corner" at gymnastics when I was young. My body is not used to doing things like this. It didn't like it and by the end I'd pulled my right calf muscle badly and my left shoulder!! I am also bruised head to toes from rolling around on the floor like I was ten. Safe to say I don't think I will be partaking in any further yoga meets dance performances, even if you do get to perform at the Olympic torch ceremony in Birmingham in July! I've been hobbling around all day like old man Steptoe. Great.
Sunday, 29 January 2012
Thursday, 19 January 2012
Shoulder blade bandha?!!
Along with finding my sitting bones this week I have found the wonder which I call the "shoulder-blade bandha"!!
Now, I don't know whether this is actually a bandha, but, the impact on my posture by engaging this bandha has been incredible!
Ever feel like your arms are just floating in warrior II? Squeeze shoulder blades together, it opens your heart and you feel the benefit!!! Ever had your teacher come behind you whilst in upward dog and roll your shoulders back? Answer: Squeeze the shoulder blades - engage SB bandha! How a simple engagement can transform certain postures never ceases to amaze me. Forward bends, especially the Marichi sequence - engage the SB bandha. It opens the heart completely, "turning on the lights of the posture", as RF likes to remind us.
Talking of Richard Freeman, I see he is starting an interactive pranayama course. It's quite reasonably priced also, I might sign up, although it's at 2:30 am GMT, so I'd have to watch the recordings, but think it would be really helpful given this year in the BWY course, we have to do a pranayama diary. AND I've felt my breath being quite shallow recently, so anything that can build my breath to access the full range of it would be so helpful.
Now, I don't know whether this is actually a bandha, but, the impact on my posture by engaging this bandha has been incredible!
Ever feel like your arms are just floating in warrior II? Squeeze shoulder blades together, it opens your heart and you feel the benefit!!! Ever had your teacher come behind you whilst in upward dog and roll your shoulders back? Answer: Squeeze the shoulder blades - engage SB bandha! How a simple engagement can transform certain postures never ceases to amaze me. Forward bends, especially the Marichi sequence - engage the SB bandha. It opens the heart completely, "turning on the lights of the posture", as RF likes to remind us.
Talking of Richard Freeman, I see he is starting an interactive pranayama course. It's quite reasonably priced also, I might sign up, although it's at 2:30 am GMT, so I'd have to watch the recordings, but think it would be really helpful given this year in the BWY course, we have to do a pranayama diary. AND I've felt my breath being quite shallow recently, so anything that can build my breath to access the full range of it would be so helpful.
Sunday, 15 January 2012
6 day a week morning practice..one month in....
I haven't written for ages, but I've learnt so much this past month, so I thought I'd share some of it...
So that morning practice is going really well. I have stuck with the program, bar one morning when I had to swap practice with A&E after a minor car accident and a sore neck. (I think I can excuse myself on that one :) The dedication and knowing that the morning practice is there to be done is really important to me. It's changed my outlook on the way I'm living my life, I have more time in the evenings, decisions about my spare time are easier to make, it gives me focus and I don't find myself beating myself up about not doing practice, I just do. It's working out for me.
Recently I have found my sitting bones.
Hidden beneath my buttocks funnily enough ;)
So in one of my last posts I mentioned aswini mudra, the contraction of the anal sphincter muscles to give a deeper forward bend.. especially in the konasanas. Still working well for me btw. But I've worked out that it's more than just the mudra, its contracting those muscles but at the same time pushing the sitting bones into the floor. Can't believe for the past 4 years I have not been planting them into the earth, seems so simple, I just don't know how I have missed it?!! Guess that's the beauty of ashtanga research. Pressing down on the sitting bones grounds you, activates apana vayu and from there allows you to rise up and out of your pelvis, straightening the spine to its full potential. Feels so good.
Its improved all of my forward seated bends. The konasanas. Ubahya padangusthasana, urdva mukha paschimottanasana. Unbelievable.
But yesterday, REVELATION!
I've been struggling with navasana since I started practicing. 4 years later and I'm still in exactly the same place as I was when I started. How crap is that..? But now I've got all this time to practice I decided to research navasana. See whether there were other postures similar in the series which use the same muscles and try and work out why it is not working for me. So I tried ubahya pandangustasana (with newly found sit bone press and bandha engagement, stayed a breath or two in it to engage the psoas, released the grip, pointed the toes and......OMG it worked! Legs straight, feet a bit more pointing towards the ceiling Kino-style than eye level, but got it, Navasana - DONE!
Can't rave enough about a daily practice. And awareness. And body RESEARCH. It's all about the research! Research on!
So that morning practice is going really well. I have stuck with the program, bar one morning when I had to swap practice with A&E after a minor car accident and a sore neck. (I think I can excuse myself on that one :) The dedication and knowing that the morning practice is there to be done is really important to me. It's changed my outlook on the way I'm living my life, I have more time in the evenings, decisions about my spare time are easier to make, it gives me focus and I don't find myself beating myself up about not doing practice, I just do. It's working out for me.
Recently I have found my sitting bones.
Hidden beneath my buttocks funnily enough ;)
So in one of my last posts I mentioned aswini mudra, the contraction of the anal sphincter muscles to give a deeper forward bend.. especially in the konasanas. Still working well for me btw. But I've worked out that it's more than just the mudra, its contracting those muscles but at the same time pushing the sitting bones into the floor. Can't believe for the past 4 years I have not been planting them into the earth, seems so simple, I just don't know how I have missed it?!! Guess that's the beauty of ashtanga research. Pressing down on the sitting bones grounds you, activates apana vayu and from there allows you to rise up and out of your pelvis, straightening the spine to its full potential. Feels so good.
Its improved all of my forward seated bends. The konasanas. Ubahya padangusthasana, urdva mukha paschimottanasana. Unbelievable.
But yesterday, REVELATION!
I've been struggling with navasana since I started practicing. 4 years later and I'm still in exactly the same place as I was when I started. How crap is that..? But now I've got all this time to practice I decided to research navasana. See whether there were other postures similar in the series which use the same muscles and try and work out why it is not working for me. So I tried ubahya pandangustasana (with newly found sit bone press and bandha engagement, stayed a breath or two in it to engage the psoas, released the grip, pointed the toes and......OMG it worked! Legs straight, feet a bit more pointing towards the ceiling Kino-style than eye level, but got it, Navasana - DONE!
Can't rave enough about a daily practice. And awareness. And body RESEARCH. It's all about the research! Research on!
Saturday, 31 December 2011
Basti, basti boy!
"Sitting in utkatasana, navel deep in water, insert a tube into the anus and contract the anus. This cleansing with water is called basti karma." (Hatha Yoga Pradipika - Verse 26, Chapter 2)
I began 2011 with a 3 session colonic hydrotherapy course, performed by a professional. The results were phenomenal. I had suffered from excess wind after eating *everything*, thought I had food intolerances, bloated when eating, just feeling that eating in general was a real bind, because the after effects were just hideous, ruining my social life and making me generally miserable.
I had my first colonic after Christmas. I felt amazing afterwards. My skin glowed, I could think more clearly, remembering more and felt more fluent in my speech. My 'wind' problem completely disappeared, the sole reason for me trying colonics.
I didn't realise until recently that colonic hydrotherapy was an ancient yogic cleansing technique which they called a 'kriya' and part of 'shatkarma' which is essentially cleansing the body from impurities before the beginning of asana, or yogic postures.
The HYP states that the by practising 'Basti' the appetite increases, the body glows, excess doshas are destroyed and the dhatu, senses and mind are purified. It completely washes the bowel and removes excess bacteria, old stool, threadworms and heat from the lower intestines. Most importantly it pushes apana vayu upward. Basti cures digestive disorders and is particularly effective in removing constipation, stimulating sluggish digestion, controlling nervous diarrhoea and strengthening the solar plexus. When the body is purified the chemical constitutions are in balanced proportion and the brain functions are simultaneously influenced and altered. when the body is pure the mind becomes stable, emotional reactions to external stimuli are altered and you will respond in a more relaxed manner.
I had my now *yearly* christmas / new year colonic yesterday and feel equally as good. I know it's probably not for everyone, although I always go on about it and probably in the most inappropriate of circumstances. i.e at the dinner table, but I confess... I'm a huge fan!
As a side effect, the colonic cleanse is an aid to kickstarting a more healthy diet and lifestyle for a lot of people. This year I gave up eating cheese and meat and it made a massive difference to my digestion. I recently started back on both but can feel the difference immediately and so I need to make tat choice again, to look after my colon. I don't care what anyone says, the colon is unbelievably important overall bodily and mental health, I completely believe in this. If you have any digestive problems just Google 'colonics' or 'yeast infections' or 'candida' and you may be amazed. I'll leave it there. I'm not saying it'll be great for everyone but if you have an issue that is ruling or ruining your life, then wouldn't you want to try everything to make that issue better?
Even if it means sitting in the middle of the Ganges with a piece of bamboo stuck up your arse??!!!! (I joke.. :)
I began 2011 with a 3 session colonic hydrotherapy course, performed by a professional. The results were phenomenal. I had suffered from excess wind after eating *everything*, thought I had food intolerances, bloated when eating, just feeling that eating in general was a real bind, because the after effects were just hideous, ruining my social life and making me generally miserable.
I had my first colonic after Christmas. I felt amazing afterwards. My skin glowed, I could think more clearly, remembering more and felt more fluent in my speech. My 'wind' problem completely disappeared, the sole reason for me trying colonics.
I didn't realise until recently that colonic hydrotherapy was an ancient yogic cleansing technique which they called a 'kriya' and part of 'shatkarma' which is essentially cleansing the body from impurities before the beginning of asana, or yogic postures.
The HYP states that the by practising 'Basti' the appetite increases, the body glows, excess doshas are destroyed and the dhatu, senses and mind are purified. It completely washes the bowel and removes excess bacteria, old stool, threadworms and heat from the lower intestines. Most importantly it pushes apana vayu upward. Basti cures digestive disorders and is particularly effective in removing constipation, stimulating sluggish digestion, controlling nervous diarrhoea and strengthening the solar plexus. When the body is purified the chemical constitutions are in balanced proportion and the brain functions are simultaneously influenced and altered. when the body is pure the mind becomes stable, emotional reactions to external stimuli are altered and you will respond in a more relaxed manner.
I had my now *yearly* christmas / new year colonic yesterday and feel equally as good. I know it's probably not for everyone, although I always go on about it and probably in the most inappropriate of circumstances. i.e at the dinner table, but I confess... I'm a huge fan!
As a side effect, the colonic cleanse is an aid to kickstarting a more healthy diet and lifestyle for a lot of people. This year I gave up eating cheese and meat and it made a massive difference to my digestion. I recently started back on both but can feel the difference immediately and so I need to make tat choice again, to look after my colon. I don't care what anyone says, the colon is unbelievably important overall bodily and mental health, I completely believe in this. If you have any digestive problems just Google 'colonics' or 'yeast infections' or 'candida' and you may be amazed. I'll leave it there. I'm not saying it'll be great for everyone but if you have an issue that is ruling or ruining your life, then wouldn't you want to try everything to make that issue better?
Even if it means sitting in the middle of the Ganges with a piece of bamboo stuck up your arse??!!!! (I joke.. :)
The wonder that I feel is easy, Yet ease is cause of wonder...
My new daily yoga practice has brought to me such gifts within the past two weeks. Every day goes by and I practice. Whilst I practice I hardly notice what is going on second to second, but then something happens between those seconds which alerts me. This week I have experienced the revelation, the key to the konasanas, and it may be, but is too early to tell, the key to forward bends in general (I have not yet had chance to explore further, next practise maybe).
So I was told by my teacher D that in Baddha Konasana, the one where you lean forward, the key is to curl your tailbone under and reach forward with your belly. I've been trying this for weeks now and it has definately worked for me, getting me deeper into the posture. Yet yesterday, as I was reaching forward not getting much deeper with the tail bone instruction, I engaged the anal muscles and pushed the anus down into the mat and..... OMG.
"Moolabandha 'The Master Key'" by Swami Buddhananda, described the anatomical aspects of what I found. He calls is Ashwini mudra, the anal area including the sphincter, ani externus and levitator any which consists of the pubococcygenus, iliococcygeus and puborectalis, i.e.. the anal muscles are contracted. So it wasn't the whole moolabanda that needed engaging this time but Ashwini mudra! What a subtle difference but an amazing one! I then tried it whilst in the sitting straight up baddha konasana and my knees immediately touched the floor and upavistha konasana and I held my chest towards the floor without having to hold the feet.
The contraction of the anal muscles (ashwini mudra) immediately resulted in the realisation of apana vayu in the body, grounding the body but at the same time samana vayu (the vayu that unifies the two opposite forces of prana vayu and apana) elevated the heart upwards from the navel resulting in the lengthening of the spine. The two opposing forces were balanced for that moment.
I don't want to say much more because I'l love you to try it for yourselves and let me know what you think. But what I would like to say is that sometimes over-thinking postures can hold you back from, well, realisation I guess, and sometimes the ease of the posture that is the essence of Patanjali's yoga lies within the gaps between these thoughts...
... in the stillness
Between two waves of the sea (Litlle Gidding, T.S.Eliot)
So I was told by my teacher D that in Baddha Konasana, the one where you lean forward, the key is to curl your tailbone under and reach forward with your belly. I've been trying this for weeks now and it has definately worked for me, getting me deeper into the posture. Yet yesterday, as I was reaching forward not getting much deeper with the tail bone instruction, I engaged the anal muscles and pushed the anus down into the mat and..... OMG.
"Moolabandha 'The Master Key'" by Swami Buddhananda, described the anatomical aspects of what I found. He calls is Ashwini mudra, the anal area including the sphincter, ani externus and levitator any which consists of the pubococcygenus, iliococcygeus and puborectalis, i.e.. the anal muscles are contracted. So it wasn't the whole moolabanda that needed engaging this time but Ashwini mudra! What a subtle difference but an amazing one! I then tried it whilst in the sitting straight up baddha konasana and my knees immediately touched the floor and upavistha konasana and I held my chest towards the floor without having to hold the feet.
The contraction of the anal muscles (ashwini mudra) immediately resulted in the realisation of apana vayu in the body, grounding the body but at the same time samana vayu (the vayu that unifies the two opposite forces of prana vayu and apana) elevated the heart upwards from the navel resulting in the lengthening of the spine. The two opposing forces were balanced for that moment.
I don't want to say much more because I'l love you to try it for yourselves and let me know what you think. But what I would like to say is that sometimes over-thinking postures can hold you back from, well, realisation I guess, and sometimes the ease of the posture that is the essence of Patanjali's yoga lies within the gaps between these thoughts...
... in the stillness
Between two waves of the sea (Litlle Gidding, T.S.Eliot)
Tuesday, 27 December 2011
In need of some shatkarma...
Oh my, I'm so full and have been for days.... why do we feel like we should eat soooo much at Christmas?! Yesterday I only had something small but it literally just filled me right back up to where I was Christmas day approximately 7pm....
I can't even bind my ankles in supta kurmasana.
The good thing is that my morning practice has not been let to slip. Oh no. This is it now, baby, forever...never question your decision to practice. It teaches you a lot. Make the commitment. You want practice to be harder? Eat and drink more, do it later in the day even, make it really hard for yourself! Punish yourself!! ..........I can't do it, just can't. I've punished myself too much over the years. Not now I've made this commitment to myself. To God? It's not going to be let to slip. The difference it has made already, in such a short period of time is too important to let go.
I need some shatkarma, kriya, some basti - colonic irrigation!!! That should sort me out!
I can't even bind my ankles in supta kurmasana.
The good thing is that my morning practice has not been let to slip. Oh no. This is it now, baby, forever...never question your decision to practice. It teaches you a lot. Make the commitment. You want practice to be harder? Eat and drink more, do it later in the day even, make it really hard for yourself! Punish yourself!! ..........I can't do it, just can't. I've punished myself too much over the years. Not now I've made this commitment to myself. To God? It's not going to be let to slip. The difference it has made already, in such a short period of time is too important to let go.
I need some shatkarma, kriya, some basti - colonic irrigation!!! That should sort me out!
Friday, 23 December 2011
The end of "dabbling" - 10 reasons to practice traditional Mysore style yoga!
Last Wednesday I decided that Thursday morning I'd get up at 5am and practice the full primary series. I can't even remember now what state of mind I was in when I made this decision, had I had a moment of insanity??! Nevertheless, I did it, set my alarm for 5am, got up, had a cup of tea, had a shower and hit the mat.
I guess that something in my life had to change. My practice has mainly been in the evenings for the past four years, but with me now teaching as well as cooking, doing paintings and yoga homework, watching Come Dine With Me etc etc, my evenings were ridiculously busy, leaving little time for any other life pursuits. I have been thinking to myself recently and for a while it seems, "Why not try an early morning practice?" But I didn't even entertain it until Wednesday.
Isn't it funny how sometimes you have to catch yourself at the right moment? You know?
And it seems that I caught myself at exactly the right moment, when it WAS going to work for me and I've now maintained the 5am start for a week, a whole week! It's a bit momentous I have to say, I'm still quite taken aback by the ease of my commitment, but all I can say is that it MUST have been exactly the right time to do this. BTW it has been found that people are more likely to keep up a change of habit, e.g. quit smoking, if they just do it and do not wait until a certain date, for instance the 1st January.
The other thing is I haven't even been practicing 6 days a week. I know, I know, what kind of yogi am I?!!
But again, it was just fitting it in! I've also been blaming it on getting back to fitness..my knee injury and all that... I've been practicing 3-4 days a week since about April to let my knee repair. 6 has always seemed a bit excessive....for my knee!
No more excuses.
I have realised recently that I hate people making poor excuses not to do things. Especially things that are without a doubt are going to benefit them. I think it annoys me so much because I used to be one of those people and now I'm overly aware when I meet those with the same excuses. I'm not saying I'm perfect, I know I'm not, but I am aware that I have to make changes to benefit my life.
In the words of the Editors, "If something needs to change then it always will". People should make the changes if and when they need to be made. I know it's sometimes easy to say it, but take the chances when they arrive, and when the time is right to make the changes you will know and the best thing is, is that it will be amazingly easy!! JUST DO IT!
So, back to my practice. This week has been awesome. I've learned a lot about myself in just one little week. I have discipline when I thought I did not. I am a morning person. I'm not completely stiff in the mornings. I enjoy going to bed early!
I thought I'd try and find 10 reasons to practice early morning Mysore style ashtanga yoga. (There might be more, there might be less, let us see...)
1. You have more time in the evenings to do other pursuits as you don't have your practice to think about.
2. You will feel energised for the day's work.
3. It gives a focus to your day which you will always achieve.
4. You will feel a sense of achievement even before your "normal" day begins.
5. You will change other aspects of your life so that your practice is easier, for example, eating earlier and different foods, getting more rest, running less after money, indulging less, basically being more mindful and watchful.
6. You will become less lazy. (Contraversial?)
7. It will increase your ability to make other commitments.
8. It makes you more grateful that you can practice every day.
9. You will actually be able to listen to the World Service and shipping forecast. (Clutching at straws here?) (But I like it :)
10. You are more likely to catch a beautiful sunrise........ (My favourite reason) x
I guess that something in my life had to change. My practice has mainly been in the evenings for the past four years, but with me now teaching as well as cooking, doing paintings and yoga homework, watching Come Dine With Me etc etc, my evenings were ridiculously busy, leaving little time for any other life pursuits. I have been thinking to myself recently and for a while it seems, "Why not try an early morning practice?" But I didn't even entertain it until Wednesday.
Isn't it funny how sometimes you have to catch yourself at the right moment? You know?
And it seems that I caught myself at exactly the right moment, when it WAS going to work for me and I've now maintained the 5am start for a week, a whole week! It's a bit momentous I have to say, I'm still quite taken aback by the ease of my commitment, but all I can say is that it MUST have been exactly the right time to do this. BTW it has been found that people are more likely to keep up a change of habit, e.g. quit smoking, if they just do it and do not wait until a certain date, for instance the 1st January.
The other thing is I haven't even been practicing 6 days a week. I know, I know, what kind of yogi am I?!!
But again, it was just fitting it in! I've also been blaming it on getting back to fitness..my knee injury and all that... I've been practicing 3-4 days a week since about April to let my knee repair. 6 has always seemed a bit excessive....for my knee!
No more excuses.
I have realised recently that I hate people making poor excuses not to do things. Especially things that are without a doubt are going to benefit them. I think it annoys me so much because I used to be one of those people and now I'm overly aware when I meet those with the same excuses. I'm not saying I'm perfect, I know I'm not, but I am aware that I have to make changes to benefit my life.
In the words of the Editors, "If something needs to change then it always will". People should make the changes if and when they need to be made. I know it's sometimes easy to say it, but take the chances when they arrive, and when the time is right to make the changes you will know and the best thing is, is that it will be amazingly easy!! JUST DO IT!
So, back to my practice. This week has been awesome. I've learned a lot about myself in just one little week. I have discipline when I thought I did not. I am a morning person. I'm not completely stiff in the mornings. I enjoy going to bed early!
I thought I'd try and find 10 reasons to practice early morning Mysore style ashtanga yoga. (There might be more, there might be less, let us see...)
1. You have more time in the evenings to do other pursuits as you don't have your practice to think about.
2. You will feel energised for the day's work.
3. It gives a focus to your day which you will always achieve.
4. You will feel a sense of achievement even before your "normal" day begins.
5. You will change other aspects of your life so that your practice is easier, for example, eating earlier and different foods, getting more rest, running less after money, indulging less, basically being more mindful and watchful.
6. You will become less lazy. (Contraversial?)
7. It will increase your ability to make other commitments.
8. It makes you more grateful that you can practice every day.
9. You will actually be able to listen to the World Service and shipping forecast. (Clutching at straws here?) (But I like it :)
10. You are more likely to catch a beautiful sunrise........ (My favourite reason) x
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