Habits, that make a difference

In January I reflected on habits.

First a definition: A habit is something we do on a regular basis that lasts let's say under 5 minutes, often it's shorter. It's quickly done. It can have a huge influence on one's life. There are positive habits like getting up early and negative habits like smoking. Sometimes one must be a detective to find these little habits that are often performed unconsciously.

One of my favorite habit is to take an ice cold shower in the morning after the warm shower. It's so refreshing. I cultivate this habit since decades.
One of my habits that I wanted to eliminate is to buy a magazine when waiting in line in a grocery store. It costs me so much money and I don't have the time to read all that stuff.


Back to my yoga practice: I wondered if I have habits relating to that practice. The yoga practice is more than a habit. It deserves the name activity. It last longer than just 3 minutes. Much more energy flows into that action.

To dedicate the practice to someone can be a habit in the beginning.

A habit that motivates me is to write in a calender when I've practiced. It's so satisfying to write it down. To fill in the months of my calender with A1 and A2 (Ashtanga first series and Ashtanga second series) is such a little tiny action with a huge influence. I want to decorate the months with my A1 and A2. This tiny habits motivates me to practice.

Salabhasana A and B

My idea yesterday was to practice second series as usual, till I reach the back bending asanas. If an asana feels weak, I wanted to add exercises. At the end of these exercises I wanted to repeat the classic form. I was curious if the performance would be better.

The first exercises aims at opening the chest. The second exercise supported the legs to come up. Shalabasana strengthens the back. To build muscles is always good. It's surely not my favorite asana, but I think it's a good beginning. It's getting harder from now on. 

 


The picture at the end allow me to go deeper into the pose. The additional exercises, the repetitions make sense.
Of course there are many many other exercises. I find it helpful to know in advance what exercises one wants to perform. To make decisions during the practice weakens the mind. It's exhausting enough to keep practicing all the asanas.

After the twists 90 minutes were over. My yoga week has started before breakfast.

Bringing mind and body together

So many fantasies cross my mind. I feel over motivated. When I don't practice I search the Internet for additional asanas that could help me to master all the challenging back bending asanas. The mind considers a second practice every day to reach again the level before my back injury.

Yet I so know that when I'm on the mat again, the body seems lame in comparison to my mind who is greedy to accomplish the goals. More. Faster. Again. This is the mind. Yet the body needs time and love and understanding. Be patient with me. Give me time, it whispers.

My online doctor from New Zealand warned me not to inflame the back again. Avoid pain is the advice. This means not overdoing things. Being patient is important.

It reminds me why I practice yoga. I always wanted to practice something that I can do till let's say 100. Life needn't aggravate when getting older, I heard once from a famous yogi in the community. Staying strong, staying flexible is the goal (but not doing handstand or reaching my calves when doing urdhva dhanurasana). Perhaps it's possible. Yet the modest goal 'to stay fit till the end' is difficult to measure.:Yoga shall help me to stay young. I'd like to live an active life as long as possible.

I got up early. Sunday is the second series day. For me it translates to focus on back bending. I usually practice till after the twists. Last week I bought two new blocks. They have a different height than those that I have already. They are heavier.

Enough said. Time to start my practice........

Key words

Key words when learning a new or old asana.
These key words also help to understand an asana.
They can give hints on which part it makes sense to work.

1. Weight.
I don't want to focus too much on that topic, even though it's important. Some asanas are only possible, when I have a certain weight. It's easier to pick me up when preparing the vinyasas and and and......

2. Strength.
Strength can be exercised isolated. In order to come up from laghu vajrasana I need strength. It's the same for many other back bending asanas

3. Flexibility.
It makes sense to differentiate. I stretch the front of my hips when I practice forward split. The chest can be opened with different exercises.

4. Technique.
To keep strong legs all the time is the trick here. In order to give the body an impulse it makes sense to move the knees inwards. It's rather to move the hips forward than upwards.

5. Repetition.
To repeat asanas helps to get deeper.

6. Daily practice
It's an open secret. If one wants to be flexible one has to practice daily.

7. Duration
I think to hold an asana 5 breaths is often not long enough.

8. Checking the progress via pictures or movies
This can help to avoid mistakes. Realizing that asanas improved is a huge motivation to keep practicing.

These key words are hints how to learn an asana. It's not only the what that is important, but also the how.

At home I can focus on asanas I want to learn. This is a huge advantage.
Perhaps even more important I can adjust the practice to my needs.

It was great

Today I could move into poses in a way which has not been possible for a very long time, almost over a year. Trikonasana was such a pose. I see this as a good sign. Perhaps my pain system has unlearned to produce pain out of fear.

Practicing asanas feels good. The inner organs get a massage. Doing inversions relieves the heart.

Lately I realized again how important it is to develop a 'I can' attitude. It's too easy to say I'm old now, it's too late. Injuries are an excuse, too. The consequences if one gives in to these lazy excuses are awful. Life becomes boring, life aggravates with every year. It can mean to schlepp oneself through decades. One gives up one dream after the other. The less challenged the body and the mind is, the less it's able to do.

A few days back I could even move my legs behind my head.
Today back bending felt excellent.

One must find out what works. This is very individual.

After the back bending asanas I wanted to release my back. Side splits work for me. I sit in front of our shelf to have resistance. When I move the body closer to the shelf the legs move apart from each other. As crazy as it is, this relaxes the back muscles. After this exercise I'm able to stand up absolutely pain free and fresh.

Amazing how good I feel. I feel so optimistic.

Tomorrow is Friday and I'll practice primary.

My new year starts today

It is difficult to practice when travelling. I'm prepared, that is my yoga mat travels always with me. But when the rooms are not warm enough, I don't want to stretch. These days I want to feel unobserved when I'm on the mat. I want to focus on my body without any distraction.

Last night I couldn't sleep. It was the early morning, when I finally slept. Of course I didn't get up at 6 am. I can also practice yoga in the afternoon. The body is more flexible later of the day. Shall the beginning of the year be soft.

It feels good to be at home again. Almost two days we were in the car and my lower back didn't complain. This is a good omen.

It's Thursday today and back bending is on the schedule.
I'm so motivated to practice as I know that the practice betters my life. I exercise to focus on the breath and not on the stories that the mind creates all day long. To stop thinking gives so much relief. To interrupt the stories that are created by the mind all day long need a break. Stories are nothing but stories. We confuse them with the truth.
To practice yoga, to breath, to gaze at my toes or at another point of my body, reminds me to bring the mind to the presence. All stories are fiction. They might bring joy or the opposite, but they are stories. To practice yoga reminds me of that fact.

Contentment can be found when breathing consciously. It can be found when everything is calm and peaceful.

2018 will be a back bending year

I went out to stroll around. The destination is often the wild lake that is very close. Three boys were there. I greeted them with a 'hello'. I asked them if they were up till midnight. Yes, they were, I looked into three pairs of sparkling eyes. We were up till 3 am, they explained. So much enthusiasm radiated from their words.  I remembered that I wanted to go to bed at 10 pm yesterday.
To stay up till after midnight costs nothing. I've forgotten how much joy it can bring.

This enthusiasm of these boys was so contagious. Don't forget to this feeling, I thought. After this encounter I searched  a tree for my first back bendings of the year 2018. Here we go.