A daily practice is the secret

This morning I started my practice in front of the mirror. I freed my stomach from the clothes, because I wanted to see how it looks like when I pull in the stomach. I bowed the knees stemmed my hands on the knees, exhaled completely and before the next inhaling I locked the throat. This prevents that air is coming in the lungs. The stomach simply moves inwardly when trying to inhale with a locked throat. This technique is easier with an empty stomach, the morning seems to be the best time for this. Oh and how far the stomach went in.

Standing sequence: I added some poses, only to see if I can still remember what I've learned yesterday. I can. I surely will integrate some modifications in my practice, i.e. when doing utthita hasta padangusthasana I will use both hands to pull the leg to the head. At home I will no more grasp the toe, but the outer side of the foot. This helps to correct the foot position, it is possible to go deeper into the pose. And after prasarita padottanasana D I will separate my legs more for hanumanasana, side split. To learn hanumanasana is something I like to do. Otherwise my ambition goes till kapotasana, perhaps pincha mayurasana is on my list. More I simply don't want to do.
To add more poses on a daily basis is really difficult as I do not have much time for all the poses of the series. How shall it be possible to add more poses? Nevertheless to do some variations is helpful.

To try some 3rd series poses yesterday made me modest. It is not within reach and I am busy with so many other poses, this is really enough for me. This is nice to see. There are limits and I am absolute in peace with them.
Why not experimenting with the body. Not every body is the same. To use the series for the own purposes, to modify them if necessary should be allowed. Who will forbid it.

Important is to understand a pose. Each pose aims at something. Some poses open the chest, others open the hips, some poses exercise balance, others strength. It is so exciting.

I looked out of the balcony doors this morning. Rain was coming down, heavy rain. Don't start the day judging anything, I told myself and I shooed away the thought that the angles are crying because it is Monday morning.........

I will focus on the breath today, inhaling, exhaling. Yes, I am tired. So what.

The highlights of the second day with Danny Paradise

He showed us picture of a man, age 72 who does asanas that are so advanced that I can only dream of doing them. This man started doing Ashtanga yoga with 44 years. It is a prove that Ashtanga yoga is not only something for young people as so often stated.

The older the wilder. This is at least true for some Ashtangis. Smile.

Oh, I got a wonderful adjustment for laghu vajrasana. My hands should be on my upper legs. I got help to come out of this pose. Oh, I can feel my muscles already, tomorrow I will be sore.
Workshops surely give the opportunity to try something new, something one does not on a daily basis. I wasn't able to do everything. But I tried kapotasana to get a feeling of this pose.

Yoga is exploration of oneself. So one should allow oneself to be flexible. Sometimes we have to modify our practice because we are injured, sometimes because energy is low - or especially high. Why not use the yoga practice for the own needs.

A fantastic workshop. 3 hours I practiced today. I am done..........

Yoga and the mind

I have almost forgotten something important to write that was mentioned yesterday in the workshop by D. Paradise (I simply love the word paradise.): Yoga calms the mind.
Ok, but why is this so wished to have a calm mind?
We are usually so distracted by the inner chatter of the mind, by it's judging, conceptualizing that we are no more able to perceive what is around as: the singing of a bird, the wind that moves the leaves of a tree.

And Mr Balsekar writes in "Let life flow": Take a break from the mind: Follow the breath. The constant awareness of the breath will detach you from your mind. The energy that usually moves into thinking will move into witnessing.

That way life becomes richer and more joyful.

Oh, my morning cup of coffee and my cake were sooooo good.

What else can Ashtanga yoga do for us?

This post is inspired by the workshop with Danny Paradise:
Yoga, the body work, the asanas can free us from the past. All events, injuries are stored in the body, it is said. Through the asanas the body can become open again, transparent and free.
Does this make sense? I think yes.

The lungs: Doing yoga the capacity of the lungs increases. With this the life force increases.

I practiced uddhiyana bandha, 3 sun saluts A and 3 sun saluts B. Then I did pranayama nadi shodana. And finally I sat down for meditation. After 5 min I stopped. In some books I read that one should start meditation for only 20 min. For me 20 min are an eternity.

A short practice à la Paradise

A short practice à la Paradise consists of "uddhiyana bandha". I don't know if this word is correct. It is if one pulls the belly in and up, after an exhale. It is a good massage for the inner organs. After having attended his last workshop I did this in the beginning of my practice, I gave it up, but I will do it again from now on.

1. First uddiyana bandha.
We didn't chant. The whole practice is a prayer.
2. 3 sun salutations A.
3. 3 sun salutati0ns B.
4. And finally sitting down in lotus pose or what is possible for a final meditation.

These few poses are always possible. And I will do them after having written my journal. The workshop (part 2) is in the early afternoon.

A workshop with Mr Paradise

Danny practices 30 years Ashtanga, traditional in the first 10 years then more freely. And the variations he showed us today were great. I did poses I've never seen so far. This was a challenge. I want to add some poses from time to time to my daily practice. "If the picture of your guru hangs on your wall and he doesn't allow you to do additional poses, then turn the picture around while you practice them", he suggested, "then you are free". Yeahhhh.

He repeated what I hoped he would repeat: With yoga it is possible to stay vital while being in your 50th, 60th, 70th, 80th and 90th. Not necessarily life has to become worse and worse while you get older, he told us. So it is, I am a proof of this. (Oh am I arrogant today.)

Soft adjustments were given. It is the daily practice that brings success and not the pushing. Ashtanga yoga needn't hurt. A daily practice is what I am doing and I know that this is a secret of becoming better and having a relaxed and joyful practice.

I loved to practice in a group, in a nice room with a "master of the masters", with only 15 people, what an exclusive circle of beings.
And tomorrow the second part for me. And now penne al'arrabiate with a glass of red wine. Ohhhh.

This is so true........

Ramesh Balsekar in "Let life flow" page 17: "Dualism means.........- in short, the pursuit of health, wealth, and happiness to the absolute exclusion of sickness, poverty, and pain. This can only mean frustration and disharmony more often than not. The principle of polaric duality, on the other hand, means the willing acceptance of the interrelated opposites as the very basic of both the universe and life therein."

Yes, yes, yes, not wanting the impossible gives peace.

External events

My book "Let life flow" by Ramesh Balsekar arrived yesterday.

In one of his first chapters he wrote about the influence of external events on our mood and happiness. Even 3 pairs of sunglasses or winning the lottery has a positive influence of the well-being of a person for only about 3 months. Then this person falls back to a genetically determined mood level.

Page XV: "Each factor may make a person a little happier, but it has a minor impact, compared with the individual's characteristic sense of well-being."

Page Xii: "The only way you could have this lasting feeling of hating neither yourself nor anyone else - always being comfortable with yourself and with others - is when you are totally convinced, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that no one, neither you yourself nor anyone else, could ever be the doer of any action; that all action can never be anything done by anyone, but a happening that simply could not have not happened according to the universal cosmic law."

That's it. And then a peaceful state is achieved, whatever happens in life, might it be joyful or sad.

Fashion at the company

Yesterday I saw a woman dressed in dark red boots till below the knees - naked legs - a tight black skirt and a dark brown top with long sleeves - around the hips was a red thick belt. I loved this outfit. In a company with 45 % women there is always something to look at, especially the sales people dress up, business-like and sexy at the same time.

Not without having done my sun salutations

I don't leave my cosy home without having done my sun salutations. I overslept today. I cannot remember at all to have heard and switched off my alarm clock. My eyes opened when it was bright day already here. "Oh no, how late is it", I wondered and I saw the disaster when I looked at my little black alarm clock on the window sill: It was 5:40, 40 min after time. It was 10:40 when I was in bed yesterday. My body and mind need 7 hours of sleep at a minimum and they simply make it happen to get it. It is OK.
At 10 to 7 I had finished writing my journal. Time to greet the sun, I thought. To give the body at least a few stretches is good. It is Friday. My energy tank is almost empty. I know this. It is time that the weekend will come.

I will put on my only blue jeans today. Why not. I make this Friday, this cold and rainy Friday to a casual Friday.

Wobbling today

Yes, yes, yes, to start my daily post with yes is something nice. Yes, I was on my mat. I got up on time, but I was on my mat a bit too late. There was time for the standing sequence (wobbling poses today) and the finishing sequence. Not a single pose was sandwiched. It is OK, yes. Let it happen, I think. Accept what is. Don't fight. Enjoy what is.

Back to yesterday: I got breathing recommendations for urdhva dhanurasana. Drop back with an exhale, use the swing and come up with the next inhale. I will play with this now. Visualization shall help me.

My new mat: I use my new mat now (bought a year ago) when I go to classes. It is very sticky. I feared that I couldn't jump through anymore, because this sticky mat would stop me. My feet are touching the mat and slide through so far. But this is not the case. I like my new sticky mat. It is a bit heavier than my blue one, but it is worth carrying it around.
At home I have my heavy black one, very long and thick, made especially for Astanga yoginis.

Thursday, Friday, weekend: I got an additional task at work that I love: Writing something in English, a description of a task that I do - for my Indian colleagues. Soon they will do "my" task. Never before I experienced that we have a world economy. With this task I make myself redundant. My Indian colleagues and friends can do what I do and soon they will. They can do the same for less money.

Good, simply good

The office joke of today:
Me: I want to come up today.
My colleagues: Hahahaha in that company?
Me: No, from urdhva dhanurasana. Hahahaha

And again we laughed a bit too loudly.

But I didn't come up from this pose during Mysore class. When I practice till laghu vajrasana, I am simply a bit weak at the end. I need more strength. Oh, but laghu vajrasana was great today. Only a few centimeters more and my head would touch the floor and I come up again. I think it helps that I can arch back deeper than a few weeks ago. Pashasana is improving also. It was a wonderful evening.

In 5 min I must be in bed. Early in bed early up. My preparation for my morning yoga practice starts the evening before. This is not always easy for a night owl like me.......

Forward bending today

The sun salutations: Year after year I practice sun salutations but now I slowly start understanding these movements. For a life time one can work on them. To match the breath with the movements is still a challenge. Lately I discovered that the very little gap between inhaling and exhaling is not equally long. To finish inhaling and to pause then for a while, no movement, no breathing is a moment of still stand that can be enjoyed. It is the same when exhaling is done.

Paschimottanasana: I wanted to do at least one forward bending. It was paschimottanasana that I sandwiched today. I usually cannot resist to look at my belly when I do this pose. Still too much body fat, I thought.

Pranayama: 2 rounds of alternate nostril breathing today.........hahahaha.
Meditation: I wanted to meditate today, 10 min only. So I unfolded my Indian blanket, folded my legs in lotus pose, right leg first today and set my timer for 10 min. Suddenly I became very sad. You are still fighting I thought. Accept and let go. I felt how a drop of sweat was running down my back, like a thick tear and I enjoyed this.

The cold shower brought me in the here and now.
-------------------------
In the subway I look at the people (when I am not reading) and I think: each life is unique, no single life is like another life.
When I do yoga - then this is my life, when I work as an accountant - then this is my life, when I sit on my sofa reading a book - then this is my life.
Horror meeting today at 2 again. I know - to think of it is worse than to experience it.
And in the evening Mysore class, this is my humble life.

If nothing else is exciting and tingly,...

...my yoga practice remains exciting. I love my daily adventure on my mat. And as this is so exciting, my mind remained on the mat today. Nothing else seemed to be more attractive. I had focus and flow. The result was predictable: I feel amazing now. Smile.
Deep pashasana, no drop backs, but back bending were done. When I started the lower back seemed not to be in line. The practice helped me to give the body adjustments and this little pain disappeared.

I was loosing weight lately. I simply didn't feel like eating. To be thin is supportive. Each kilo plus makes a practice more difficult. And the other way round: Each kilo less makes a practice easier.

With my yoga practice the day simply starts great.
I wanted to omit relaxing pose. This is what you need, I told me, to relax. And so I laid down on the floor and enjoyed my exhausted sweating body for a while.

The breath: Last but not least something about the most important ingredient - the breath. I focused on the gap between inhaling and exhaling. I realized that sometimes the gap is very small, almost not existing, sometimes it is longer longer. To make it even long is the goal.

I am ready for the day. Mile stones are Wednesday Mysore class with B. and the Saturday and Sunday workshop with Danny Paradise. I see these milestones as an award for my doing a not so easy job.

PS: Does anybody know how to delete already moderated comments on blogger? Thanks.