My Yoga Blog

Storage paid

2012-02-01T17:06:00.002+01:00

This early afternoon I paid the storage for my pictures here: 5.95 USD they want for storing my pictures, lol. They is Google.
A friend to me: I thought it's free.
Me: For the average publisher yes, but not if you publish as much as I do. lol.
(I know you love my pictures........:))

Brrhhhhh was it cold when I picked up my books from the post station. The vegan cooking book "Candle 79" arrived today. It's a collection of the recipes of the NYC restaurant Candle 79. A lovely book.
Shall it help to solve my "weight problems", lol. I enjoyed too many restaurants with my E last month. It's all perfect as it is.
In February I focus on something else than weight: Handstand and pincha mayurasana in the middle of the room. I'll face my fears to fall in February. Ha,........(as if Idon't know how it is to fall.......I used to stand up afterwards, that was it.)

Mysore classes start one hour earlier on Wednesdays. To be precise we start at 8am now and I appreciate it a lot. It seems as if I've more time. I want to ban my yoga to the mornings. At 12pm, it shall be done. To get up at 6am is good, too.
I enjoyed my practice this morning. The new pose was already a tiny bit better. Kapotasana a tiny bit worse. Hahaha, it all entertains me.
First it's important for me if I have practiced according to my potential and I have. I had access to my energy and I was focused. Breath was even and deep.
Second important is the performance of the asanas. There is always something to improve. So it's much more satisfying to focus on point one.

Tomorrow I'll practice at home, primary. Something relaxing......how good.

You won't stay the same.......

2012-02-01T06:42:00.001+01:00

This challenging asana practice of Ashtanga yoga will change you and your life. This is why it's more but doing crazy poses.

Let's face it. There are a few very talented bodies who are able to learn all the asanas very fast and with minimum of practice. Young bodies learn faster as well. But in general I'd say in order to master the asanas of the Ashtanga series a daily practice is required.

This alone is life changing. One has to find solutions how to make the practice fit into the life. This might mean to get up earlier or to change the job even. The night life might change as one goes to bed early due to the practice the next morning.
It requires discipline to practice daily.

Very soon one finds out that it's much easier to do the asanas if one is slim. One might question eating habits that are not so healthy and finally one might change this.

These few points alone show the possible influence of the Ashtanga practice on the life style in general. If the asana/vinyasas were easier, it wouldn't have this influence on our lives.

Julie, who created the www.ashtangi.net side recommended a book on Google+. It's "Ashtanga yoga - stories from beyond the mat" by Jason Stein. I bought it and I start loving it. In the chapters of the book Jason describes his experiences with Ashtanga yoga.

This post was inspired by his chapter "What first series taught me" (page 37 ff.)

I agree that Ashtanga yoga is more but crazy asanas, it has life changing potential. It's seductive to discuss only the technical aspect of the series, i.e. how to get into handstand and how to jump through. But there are more aspects: discipline, healthy eating habits, perseverance, simple life-style, awareness, calm mind and focus to mention only some aspects.

Yep, the practice of Ashtanga yoga makes strong and flexible. That the body becomes beautiful is a side effect, too.

With time one can realize how many aspect Ashtanga yoga has. Like the asanas, discipline can be learned, also a positive attitude can be learned. Setbacks decorate the path.
Indeed, a dangerous practice, because it has the potential to change all your life. Take care.

I wish it were easier......

2012-01-31T17:48:00.000+01:00

Right now I wish it (= the new pose called vasisthasana) were easier, but it isn't.
I had to try it today, of course. To bring the one foot up to the hand is the challenge.
In order to stay optimistic I practiced after a while the pose without lifting the one leg. It's still a balancing pose, but so much easier. It will take some months till it's a joy to lift up the leg. It seems doable.

It was not so my day today. I practiced the sun salutation, the standing sequence and some asanas. This is sometimes so. It goes either up or down, always, I know this already. Sometimes energy is slow and heavy. It doesn't shatter me. I observe and wait for tomorrow. Lol.

Tomorrow I'll go to a Mysore class again. We start at 8am now on Wednesdays. I'll be very early in bed today.

Third series?!

2012-01-31T08:10:00.000+01:00

I knew that he would start teaching me third series this year. That it would be so early in 2012 surprised me.

Yesterday M showed me vasisthasana, the first asana of the third series. :)
First he wanted to show me the next two asanas. lol. No matter what asana it is, I start very stiff and perhpas even akwardly. So he must have thought, one new asana is enough when he saw me performing it because after having seen me and I also repeated it he said: Enough. And it is enough. Something new is on my plate, I love it. It's a balancing pose that requires a lot of strength. and flexibility, too.

I searched the internet yesterday and I found some additional tips how to do it: hands need to be very firm on the floor. The derrière is supposed to be engaged so that the hips don't move backward when lifting the leg to grasp the big toe.
Laruga has published a video to vasisthasana. Yeah, as always this is inspiring to see how she is doing it. For me it's absolutely OK to lift the leg bended and to stretch it when I hold the big toe. This is the easier version to get into the pose.

Today a home practice is on the schedule. The heater is on already. It has minus degrees outside.

Afterwards

2012-01-30T22:55:00.000+01:00

A pictures says more than thousand words. It was a lovely evening in a Thai restaurant with my E.

Up, but tired

2012-01-30T08:08:00.000+01:00

Yes, tired, but from today on I'll go to bed on time again: 10pm. It was boring this time this program: "I'm a celebrity, get me out of here", so boring.

My week starts with speed:
- Second series in the morning in a Mysore class.
- In the afternoon I want to see the movie on yoga.
- In the evening I'll meet E downtown.

It's cold here now, they talk even about Siberian weather.

Oh, I must hurry........

A title?

2012-01-29T10:40:00.000+01:00

Yesterday was my day off from yoga.
I planned a practice, but I plan a lot, hahaha, this does not necessary mean that it also happens. It was a relaxing Saturday. It started with a late breakfast with E. In the evening we met a friend for dinner at Happy Fildjan. The program "I'm a celebrity get me out of here" ended the day or should I better write it ended the night? I was in bed after midnight. I'm so glad that this "jungle camp" how we call it here is over. It was broadcasted too late and often I was in bed after midnight during the last 14 days. I prefer to get up early, which also means that I have to go to bed earlier. To get up at 6am is good for me.

Today I'll go to a led class in the late afternoon. Primary is on the schedule. My focus will be the vinyasas. I'll try to lift my body up as high as possible when floating backwards. The abdomen have a lot to do here. Then it's shifting the weight. How? This I've to explore. This is the point where I'm stuck. One needs momentum. But it's not only momentum.......

My yoga week starts today. :)

Shall I also write about deleting blogs?
I blog now since more than 6 years. I've seen a lot of blogs coming and going. In the beginning I was very disappointed when someone stopped writing. It felt as if someone was leaving the community. It was as if the community was not appreciated. A gap appeared. I missed this person.
Some yoginis/yogis delete their blogs after a while, others simply don't write anymore or they write a few times a year only. Then there are those yoginis who threaten: I stop writing. They get comments that they should go on writing. A few posts follow sometimes then. Then they want to stop writing again. These are the moody yoginis/yogis who also express their moods. Some also stopped practicing yoga.
It's like in real life, too. Everything has an end one day. I'm relaxed now if someone stops blogging. Shall she, I think. Perhaps he/she has better things to do.
I go on, because my writing supports my yoga practice and my English (sorry for my mistakes). I enjoy to be part of the Ashtanga yoga community. I got friends around the globe via my blog. My readers give me even advice and push me in a direction they think it's good for me to go.They seem to know me very well, hahaha. I'm a reliable person. Not every day I've something to say, but I write anyway. Not all my practices are so awesome, but I practice. This is in my opinion a secret to progress.
Readers like to read a blog regularly, it's perhaps a habit in the morning to check blogs. They miss it if nothing is written.
It's on the other hand one of the big mistakes to write too often. I've learned this from a very successful blogger Darren Rowse. Too many posts every day shoos subscribers away. Too many posts is the main reason why readers stop reading. This is one of the reasons why I wrote only 499 posts last year. lol. The proceeding years I had over 1000 posts every year. I feel that I want to publish more often. Something comes into my mind and then I want to express it. A day later some thoughts are seen in a different light or I've forgotten about a topic. I consider to get back to write more often. This is a warning and please feel mercy with me if I seem to be too intrusive.

Enough now. It's time for a late breakfast.

We were out yesterday

2012-01-28T10:22:00.001+01:00

It was a good-bye party of one of E's colleagues where we were invited yesterday night. Location: cocktail bar. I cannot remember anymore when I was together with so many beautiful and smart people. We were the oldest ones there, I believe. What an honor that we were invited.

Each generation is different. When I was in my early twenties I wouldn't have dressed up like the ladies did at that party. I preferred to be dressed in dirty jeans and a t-shirt. It was simple and an understatement, even though I wouldn't have used this word that time back. I also wouldn't have had the money to buy clothes. No lipstick of course tried to draw the attention to my lips. It was also a life concept not to focus on beauty, especially not as a woman. This has changed, haha. I'm glad now that I had this time where I enjoyed not to care at all.
A former friend of mine, a fashion designer used to say that young people always look beautifully. After 50 one has to well-groom oneself, she was convinced. I thought to start with 40 is better. Colors in the face pleased me a lot very soon. Once a lover gave me a pink lipstick as a present. Oh, I appreciated it a lot. Most people won't start caring for their appearance with 50 if they haven't cared by then, I think. But who knows. I've changed, too.
It was amazing how these young people had already developed such a good taste. I enjoyed it a lot to see these lovely faces and fancy clothes.
It was a very international party. I could speak English, yepeee.

Water was my drink yesterday night. I enjoyed it twice: yesterday and this morning. I feel good, well-rested. After midnight we took a taxi to get home.

Here I sit now with my second cup of coffee..........what next, I wonder. First I'll pamper my bf with a breakfast........

Friday evening

2012-01-27T21:15:00.000+01:00

This morning E and I took a taxi to E's car. It was parked close to the restaurant where we've been yesterday night with colleagues of E. "I'm still tired", I said when I leaned back in the taxi. This was the sentence the taxi driver seemed to have waited for. "Since I started swimming again I need only 6 hours of sleep", she said. Enthusiastically she described how well she feels since she's moving again. I know, I know, baby, I thought.

Yeah it feels good to move. No matter what it is.

In my last post I've forgotten to mention 2 points that I realized while going through the poses of primary.
1. When I want that my neck is in line with my spine I have to move the chin towards the chest, actively.
2. Having a slight smile on the face would be good.

Time to dress. We're invited to a party in a bar downtown. I've never been there. It starts at 10pm, a bit late for yoginis like me, lol. I shoo away the thought that I hope to be in my bed before midnight. Am I my own grandma or what??????.........and my grandma would have danced till the morning hours.

Primary series, a summary and setu bandhasana

2012-01-27T14:52:00.001+01:00

Let's look back. This month, the first month of 2012 I took pictures of all the asanas of primary Ashtanga series.
Have I learned anything?

I think I know now what are the next steps here:

1. Most asanas look rather beautifully, don't you think so? Hahaha.....Some need still a bit more love, like upavistha konasana, urdhva dhanurasana, supta parsvasahita.
2. Much more attention need the vinyasas. I saw the importance of it much too late. I think I'll do extra sessions to learn finally to jump through, back and forward.
3. The breath: I realized that I get out of the pose in the middle of the last exhaling. Am I in a hurry or what? hahaha. Yeah, I can eliminate this sloppiness. Good that I realized this.

4. What I'll do next time is to put a block in front of my feet when practicing the forward bending asanas. I realized that it's not parallel to the wall. I must get a feeling again how it is when it's 100% parallel. These are details, but details count.
5. Dristhi? I will surely pay more attention to it. Sometimes I don't even know it.
6. I studied again the book by Lino Miele and P. Jois "Astanga yoga. I learned that the practice can be practiced with full vinyasa from the beginning to the end. I use this book as a bible when it comes to full vinyasa.

7. Astanga yoga is a life style. In the book by Lino Miele and P. Jois I read sentences like this near almost every asana (this quote is from page 26): "This group of asanas (prasarita padottanasana, remark of the author of this blog) reduce the accumulation of fat deposits around the waist and increase the strength and tone of the mucles of the legs and back."
For me this is more a pointer to eat healthy. A slim body makes things, at least the asanas and vinyasas, easier.

Setu bandhasana (see picture): When the body is weak or not engaged all the weight is on the neck and this can cause neck pain. If the body is engaged the weight is everywhere and this pose can become even relaxing. Being strong and flexible is the secret to perform these crazy asanas and to love them.

Once is not enough.

2012-01-26T15:54:00.002+01:00

I tried to practice primary and second Ashtanga series in a row, but with not so many vinyasas. I wanted to practice like the first yogis practiced when they were in Mysore. After having done primary I had enough. I was not yet sweaty. It can of course also be that my practice was spoiled due to my taking pictures. However. For the time being I think it's better for me to practice primary on one day and second series the other day. I still need strength and I want to work on the vinyasas.

Once is not enough, but for the time being it shall be enough.

Purvottanasana (see picture): To myself: Not to give up too early is always worth it. I found a solution to take a picture of this asana in my tiny yoga room.
Press the index finger in the floor, M uses to say. This helps to lift up the body, it opens the chest. This pose is a counter pose to paschimottanasana. Strength is needed. It's one of the few back bending asanas of primary.

Yeah, it was a bit disappointing today. I prefer the shorter, but more intensive practice. Next time I'll practice again primary with full vinyasa from the beginning to the end.

Janu sirsasana C is another asana I've not yet talked about in 2012. The position of the foot is important. In the meantime my leg touches the floor. When the balls of my foot is in position, I shift my weight forward and to the knee. The heel is a bit below the navel. It shall massage the inner organs. I think this pose keeps the toes flexible. It's also a not so loved pose. It's a pose that prepares another pose of 3rd or 4th series. In that pose the toes even show backward. Many poses of primary prepare of asanas to come. If one knows this one is more motivated to practice intensively.

So time to move on............

Supta hasta padangusthasana

2012-01-26T08:47:00.000+01:00

Supta hasta padangusthasana is another important pose of primary. It's a forward split, only that one lies on the back. I add forward split, upright, when I practice at home. Being able to go deep into the pose helps later for pincha mayurasana i.e. It's not necessary to swing so much which has always the danger that one swings too much. If being able to do a good forward split, one can simply lift the one leg and the other can join. Hahaha.......

When practicing full vinyasa, this is a pose on it's own.

When practicing half vinyasa supta parsvasahita follows immediately after supta hasta padangusthasana. It's a neglected pose for me. It's important that the hips remain on the floor. The one hip tends to lift up when the leg is stretched to the side. This pose prepares the first pose of third series.

It's interesting that the last shots of this asana goes back to 2009. It's a pose that needs room, this might be the reason. Sometimes I've to be creative when I want to take nice pictures.

What do I want to practice today?
Oh, primary is on the schedule, it's Thursday. So I want to practice primary and second series in a row, but how the yoginis and yogis were taught in the old years (with not so much vinyasas, but both series). Perhaps I take pictures of the missing asanas of primary.

How to navigate through life?

2012-01-25T13:56:00.000+01:00

A car has a break, windshield wiper, safety belt, back mirror, seat heater, accelerator pedal, route guidance system, parking help, blinker, different lights and and and......

And what tools has a human being to navigate safely, but relaxed and with fun through life?

I have my writing (journal and blog). It's like a windshield wiper. It cleans the sight, it clears the view and I can see the next steps. My writing can also serve as a back mirror. Seeing clearly helps me to speed up my life as if I push down the accelerator pedal. It guides me. It makes me stop every day only in order to adjust the direction I want to go.

My yoga practice speeds up life. It gives orientation like a route guidance system. It's also like a seat heater, it relaxes me enormously. It keeps me healthy and warm and I stay interested in life. It shows me new dimensions.

Of course I fill my body with healthy stuff so that it can be at it's best. We don't fill vinegar in a car, it won't move. A body needs vegetables, fruit and water to give it's best.

Ah and not to forget friends, knowing what pleases me and to give time for it are tools that make life a joy. Encounters with people I love, my interests are my seat heater in life, for sure. It makes me burn.

Do you know your tools that bring you through life - healthy and with a good portion of humor?
It's worth thinking about it.

Upavishta konasana B, the vinyasas are important

2012-01-25T07:59:00.001+01:00

Yeap a wonderful pose at the end of primary. One moves from upavishta konasana A to upavishta konasana B as elegantly as possible, that means one swings the stretched legs up. For this the hands leave the toes and grap them again when they are up.
Again and again I realize how important the vinyasas are and not "only" the asanas. The movements between the asanas, these little knots between the pearls count. They require strength.

Yesterday night I tried a very soft version of the rishi series. I started with a few handstand against the wall to warm my body up. It's better to do the sun salutations. Then I set the timer for 4 minutes and did dandasana, then a sun salutation, then paschimottanasana. Oh, oh, to hold this pose that long was a challenge. It's concentration that is needed. The 3 min seemed to be an eternity. I think it's important to practice this with care as it was indeed possible to go deep into the asana with the potential to overstretch. That was just a feeling. The sun salutation after having hold paschimottansana that long was weak. For me this rishi series is good.
It is a possiblilty to improve the asanas and to exercise concentration with this rishi series. And it's such a calm practice.

My yoga practice was a photo session yesterday. I'm glad that I go to a Mysore class today. Second series is on the schedule.

Oh time to shower, in half an hour I must go........

Dandasana and my rishi series variation

2012-01-24T18:08:00.001+01:00

It started very well this morning. After the standing asanas my Ashtanga yoga practice became a photo session. It is as it is. Asanas happened. Balancing, forward bending, twists, back bending, I had put my body in all these asanas. I didn't work on my strength.

Dandasana: During the first years I was so happy when I was finally in dandasana after the sun salutations and the standing asanas. Finally I can sit, I thought. But also dandasana is an active asana. Legs and abdomen are engaged. Heels lift up from the floor. Feet are parallel. Hands push slightly into the floor. One should appreciate these "easy" asanas, too. They allow to focus on the breath without being too much distracted with performing the asana.

If it's possible to lift the heels also the vinyasa of supta kurmasana should be possible.

On the rishi series: To be honest I don't want to count all the time. I usually feel it how long 5 breaths is. It seems even a bit neurotic to me to count and to count and to count 1 2 3 4 5 till 50 and again.It seems to be compulsive.

I just counted once how many breaths (inhaling pause exhaling) I take in one minute. It's 10 breaths. I'm sure I need more when I'm in a challenging asana. 5 minutes would equal 50 breaths, about. To set my timer for 3 minutes could be a good start. With time I can prolong this. If 10 asanas are too much, 5 will do, too. Afterwards I can add pranayama and 10 min meditation.

Being a yogini is a life style. I was not too lazy today and I prepared a healthy salad for myself.

My 50mm lens arrived. :)
I'm very curious how this one is. :)
Hehe, picture will follow, tomorrow when I'll have light again.

Nauli wakes me up

2012-01-24T08:41:00.000+01:00

Nauli wakes me up in the morning. Like in trance I usually get up early. Blindly I find my way to the kitchen. On my way to the kitchen I switch on my PC. Coffee first. I take this small cup from my grandma with the golden and light blue rim, fill it with water and pour the water in the water cooker. Then I take a paper filter and put it in the plastic filter that fits exactly on the cup. 2 teaspoons of coffee are enough. Quickly the water is boiling, I pour it over the coffee. Nauli now, came into my mind, till the water is through the filter. I bended my knees, leaned forward, my hands on my knees. Exhaling, then I locked the throat and then inhaling. My belly moves inward so much that I think the ribs move inward, too. It's better to start it slowly, after one round only I had to cough. I moved the knees one after the other forward and backward in order to role my abdomen 5 times clockwise and 5 times the other way round. Imagination is possible. The belly was in, but nothing moved clockwise. I didn't want to cough after each round, so I did it modest. This felt better. Is it that I hold the breath that wakes me up?

Thinking, thinking, thinking........what shall I practice today? Second series is on the schedule. I also wanted to try to practice primary and second in a row without so many vinyasas, like in the old days. But I need some more pictures, too. In sum this would be all too long. I'll practice second series. Point.

A Monday practice

2012-01-23T16:14:00.000+01:00

Oh, it was difficult this morning. I know the reasons. To have only one night between two practices is felt by my body. I just remember the first yogis and yoginis who practiced with P. Jois. They practiced twice every day, in the morning and in the evening. So it seems to be possible. Perhaps I'm a weak sister.

The practice yesterday was wonderful. I tried to lift up my body higher when I did lolasana. This helped me to swing my legs through my arms a bit further than I usually am able to do. This is the direction. Higher, higher, higher, the abdomen have to do this work. Also the other asanas of primary were great. I even had the thought that it might be possible to come up from urdhva dhanurasana. I was very otimistic. This usually gives energy.

My E had picked me up after yoga. He waited for me at the bar in the café Voilà. He invited me in his fav Italian restaurant. We shared our starter. The waiter brought us 2 plates with similar portions on it. I prefer the variation when we get 2 empty plates and the starter on an extra plate in the middle. Then I usually take less and eat less. Then the duet pasta and the dessert and the glasses of wine. Lol. We went to bed late in addition as we wanted to see another day of "I'm a celebrity, get me out of here". In the morning we had to get up early.

So I was a bit later on my mat as usually in the Mysore class. I suffered. I only wanted to bring it behind me, not sloppy, but I knew it would be difficult to practice. It was. Humiliating it was. Of course I had forgotten to have a slight smile on my face. The breath was not forgotten.

The nap was needed this afternoon. It's 4pm now. Must I hurry again to take some pictures during day light?????

The herbal tea is delicious. I sip it with awe and make new vows that only I know. lol.

Tomorrow I'll practice second series at home.
Next months I'll give it a try and I'll practice first and second in a row how they did it the old days.

Yoga-expo, planning my first rishi session

2012-01-22T10:20:00.001+01:00

Today is the yoga-expo in Munich. I won't go. It's about 2 hours commuting time in sum.
I wonder what I can expect?
- It's surely great to meet all the yogis and yoginis who come to Munich also from other towns.
- Let's face it: A fair is very interesting for people who are new to yoga and who want to find their yoga style. In my case I can say I've found already. I focus.

For me it makes more sense to practice the rishi series i.e. than to spend time and money on a fair. Of course, if I want that events like this exist, me too I have to go. But I've been there already. Perhaps next year again. But then I plan it and I'll make appointments with yogis, yoginis I know.

My plan for today is cleaning and going to a led class. I want to take some pictures.

Watching the program "I'm a celebrity, get me out of here", makes me stay up late. It's after midnight when I'm horizontal finally. It was the last time that I watched it. The excitement is no more there.

Here my plan for my first rishi series practice. These 10 poses I want to hold for 50 breaths or 4 min:
1. dandasana (lol)
2. paschimottanasana A
3. ardha baddha padma paschimottanasana
4. Janu sirsasana A
5. marichyasana A
6. marichyasana C
7. baddha konasana A
8. upavishta konasana A
9. supta hasta padangusthasana
10. supta parsvasahita

This is something for next week, something for a calm evening.

The rishi series

2012-01-21T16:45:00.001+01:00

I found this on Anthony's blog. Finally I've the information what the rishi series is. It sounds very interesting. I must try it. To hold an asana for 50 breaths equals about 4 min in my case. I don't like to count so much. I'll set a timer.

Dear Adrian,
Nice to hear from you and I am glad that you enjoyed the workshop...so did I.
Doing a practice of 10 postures for up to 50 breaths is a method of preparing for "advanced series" after one has learned 1st and 2nd. It can be done once or twice a week. One does the "salutations" and then starts going thru the series, holding each posture for as long as comfortably possible. Notice which postures could be held for 50 breaths. The next time you practice this way, the postures which you could hold for 50 are omitted and new ones are added at the end. One gradually works thru the series, dropping and adding asanas, still doing 10 asanas per session. I have gone all the way thru 1st and 2nd this way several times over the years and have found it beneficial.
Then, once one has mastered all of the asanas, one can practice "the rishi series", the most advanced practice. One does the 10 postures that one intuits will be the most beneficial and appropriate for that day, holding each posture for up to 50 comfortable breaths.
I hope this is clear. Please feel free to ask further questions.
All the best to you.
Yours in Yoga,
David (Williams)

I went.....

2012-01-21T13:55:00.000+01:00

I went to the dance and yoga shala downtown. And I'm glad now that I went. Of course. Hahaha....
The shala is indeed the most beautiful one in Munich. It's in the fifth floor, above the roofs of Munich. One wall is a mirror. Two walls consist of huge windows. Snow fell down and rested on the roofs there. The view at the towers of the churches is special. Light was in the room. What a space. We looked towards the one wall that was painted. That way the mirror didn't seduce to look at oneself again and again. This would have spoiled the practice.

The teacher and owner of the studio is such a friendly person. I loved to be there. Of course I was curious about the feed-back and the adjustments she would give me.

1. Lolasana: "Why do you not lift up your body higher. It's a pity, because you're able to do it", she said to me. I should engage my abdomen more. It was possible to lift myself up higher. This might be another tiny step closer to the jumping through.
2. I did navasana 3 times. As always. It's enough for me, I think. I was recommended to practice it 5 times, because these 2 last navasanas might bring the necessary strength. Dristhi is a bit higher as I do it. Looking a bit higher makes it easier to keep the chest open. I love it if someone takes care of the details. Dristhis are important.
3. I added two more navasanas and got the friendly feed-back to keep the face relaxed. This is one of my intentions to stay cool, with a tiny smile on my face. It seems to be forgotten quickly during a practice where I try to get to my limits. It's important in my view to have a relaxed face. It shows joy. Being relaxed supports the practice. It supports the attitude "let it happen".

Because of these points it was worth already to go.

4. I got an adjustment in urdhva mukha paschimottanasana, see picture above. I could go very deep in that pose. Then she left me alone and I could balance. It felt great.

I enjoyed my practice in this shala above the roofs of Munich. I also got some ideas how to take pictures of the missing asanas of primary. The mirror gave me inspirations. A few times I saw myself. What a tiny person I am. And so resilient. :)

Then I left the shala: What came from heaven was very wet snow. My umbrella was at home. I was too optimistic re the weather, I had hoped it wouldn't snow again. Nevertheless I stopped at the French bakery on my way home to get a breakfast for E and myself. I wanted to pamper him.

If money wouldn't play a role I'd go regular on Saturdays to that awesome shala. But money counts. From time to time I'll show up there for sure.

What next? I must clean, I want it. Yes!

Reluctant

2012-01-21T08:34:00.000+01:00

I feel tired and reluctant to leave the house. The plan was to go to that yoga and dance studio downtown. They offer a Mysore class at 10am. The practice room shall be more than beautiful. I wanted to have seen this at least once. I also want to know what's going on Ashtanga yoga related here in Munich.

I feel lazy and not motivated. Or is it only that it needs more energy to do something new. I just gave my mind a task: Find out why I love it to go to that class!!! lol

I did nauli in the kitchen. Wow, this warms the whole body, but so quickly. T role the abdomen is more imagination. Many things start first as a thought and later they manifest.

My tiny breakfast is eaten. When I shower now, I can leave my home on time....................

Baddha konasana, it's Friday evening.....

2012-01-20T20:54:00.000+01:00

It's one of my favorite poses. I wonder why this pose is so easy for me. My explanation: I usually sit in half lotus pose on every chair. My knees fall to the side and this is very comfortable to me. This might be the reason.

It's a core pose of the first Ashtanga series. I enjoy that I've at least one pose that is easy for me. It's cosy for me to do it.

There is baddha konasana A, B and C. The picture shows A, B is with a rounded back and the top of the head is close to the feet. C is sitting upright.

The 12th man and kukkutasana

2012-01-20T14:39:00.002+01:00

When soccer player speak of the 12th man they talk about the spectators. The spectators can indeed give power.
In yoga the other yogis and yoginis are like the 12th man for me. I was in a Mysore class this morning. I was thankful for all the yoginis who had schlepped themselves to the shala. It was a cold and rainy morning here. To practice in a group allows me to have access to my strength. My focus is so much better, too.

Kukkutasana (see picture):
I want to start with a quote from the book by P. Jois and Lino Miele with Sharath as a yoga model, page 62:
When practicing this asana Mulabandha andd Uddiyanabandha should be released. The rectrum (Guda Nala) must be relaxed and the practice of Nauli performed. Nauli is the movement of the rectus abdominus muscles, firstly in a circular clockwise and then anticlockwise direction, while the lungs are empty. This cures constipation (Malabaddata). Additionally urine problems are allieviated and the urethra cleansed. The muscles of the arms and shoulders are strengthened.

So far I haven't practiced nauli, but I will. I simply didn't know that this is part of this asana. A reader commented and sent me a link to nauli. Thank you.
Only one yogini in our class is practicing it. She's doing it very well. I will ask her how she learned it and how long it lasted till she was able to do it.

I'll practice nauli in the morning when my water is running through my filter with coffee. I want to have an empty stomach for this exercise. This morning already I realized that this tiny exercise can wake me up and it can warm the entire body.

There is a lot to learn re the primary.

When practicing full vinyasa, kukkutasana is practiced on it's own.

I'm curious. Who is practicing nauli when practicing kukkutasana?????????

Kurmasana

2012-01-20T07:37:00.000+01:00

Oh, the heels are up. This is achievement from last year. The trick is to point the feet and to press the arms to the floor. It might also help to role the thighs inward. If a pose is difficult one has to exercise patience.
By now this pose doesn't feel so good. There is a lot of pressure on the chin. With time this will become better hopefully. 5 breaths is not so long either.

After kurmasana, without vanyasa comes supta kurmasana, this core pose. This is the first leg behind head pose. Usually one gets an adjustment here. One shall go into the pose via dwi pada sirsasana. These are all poses that usually need some years of practice. Those with long legs and arms might learn it faster.

I'm up and tired. We watch every night "I'm a celebrity, get me out of here". It's late when we're in bed. This program still lasts 8 days. I want to go to bed at 10am again. I enjoy the mornings. My coffee shall wake me up. I'm so happy that the Mysore classes have started again. I'll practice second series again.

My plan for the next days:
1. Today second series.
2. On Saturday I want to go to a studio downtown. They offer a Mysore class there, too. I'm curious. I'll practice primary, half vinyasa.
3. On Sunday I could try Nancy's version (see last post). I want to see how long it lasts and how it feels.
4. Monday second series again in a Mysore class.

Ha, I remembered to do nauli before having my breakfast. Oh, oh, this woke me up. It's best to do it with an empty stomach. I stood in the kitchen, hands on my bended knees and exercised this breathing technique, lol.

My intention for my practice today: Not making a fuss out of the poses, just doing them, breath by breath.

Confused.....

2012-01-19T20:10:00.001+01:00

Confused.
This afternoon I read Anthony's blog. He quoted Nancy Gilgoff who was one of the first students of P. Jois. She described how she learned the first 2 series and how she was taught to practice. With this I've the third version of how to practice.

The different versions of Ashtanga yoga:
1. In classes usually yoginis practice half vinyasa, but vinyasa between sides and between different poses. It's in my view the most boring version as the first series has sooooo many rather similar forward bending asanas.
2. I usually practice full vinyasa, that is I practice full vinyasa during the middle part, when I practice on my own or in Mysore classes. Lately I studied the book by P.Jois and Lino Miele again. I realized that full vinyasa is supposed to be done during the standing sequence and the closing sequence, too. I tried this and it makes sense. It feels so much better. It requires more time. This might have been the reason why one switched to version 1.
3. The third version is now the one that Nancy described in her article. Here it is. I want to have it on my blog, too. I will try it. It makes it possible to practice primary and second series in a row.

Especially the 5th series is very interesting, see below.

Urdhva dhanurasana came after the second series. Again I'm reminded of all the nonsense in the community to stop people when they are not able to come up from urdhva dhanurasana and this pose is done after all the forward bending asanas of primary.
In my view one has only a balanced practice if one practices primary AND second series. To practice means to exercise.

Finally I'm glad that I found this information. It gives me a lot of ideas how I can vary my practice.

Ashtanga yoga how it was taught in the old days to Nancy Gilgof and David Williams

STANDING

Three each of Surya Namaskara A and B,

Standing postures through to Parsvottanasana,

Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana etc. and Ardha Baddha Padmottanasana (added after learning all primary).

(Utkatasana and Virabhadrasana added in 1980s).

SEATED

Jump through to Dandasana.

Paschimottanasana

Purvottanasana

Vinyasa (?)

Ardha baddha padma Paschimottanasana ( No vinyasa between sides).

Vinyasa (?)

Tireng Mukkha Eka pada Paschimottanasana (No vinyasa between sides).

Vinyasa (?)

Janu Sirsasana A, B, and C (Done together, no vinyasa between sides or variations right side, left side of A, right, left of B, right, left of C).

Vinyasa

Marichyasana A, B, C, and D (done together no vinyasas between sides or variations).

Vinyasa

Navasana x 3

Vinyasa

Bhuja pindasana

Vinyasa (?)

Kurmasana

Supta kurmasana

vinyasa (?)

garbha pindasana

Kukkutasana

Vinyasa (?)

Baddha Konasana, Upavishta Konasana, and Supta Konasana (No vinyasas between sides).

Vinyasa

Supta hasta pasdangustasana

Supta parsvasahita

chakrasana

Ubhaya Padangusthasana and Urdhva Mukha

Paschimottanasana (done together, simply change the hand position).

Setu Bandhasana,

(continue on in to..)

INTERMEDIATE

Pashasana. (No vinyasa between sides).

Shalabhasana through Parsva Dhanurasana, (Done together no vinyasa in between sides).

Vinyasa

Ushtrasana through Kapotasana (Done together no vinyasa in between)

Vinyasa
Suptavajrasana x 5 , (no hold on the last one just the first)
Vinyasa

Bakasana

Bharadvajasana, (no vinyasas between sides).

Ardha Matsyendrasana, (no vinyasas between sides).

Eka Pada Sirsasana to Yoganidrasana, (no vinyasas until Chakrasana after Yoganidrasana).

Tittibhasana A B C

Pincha Mayurasana, Karandavasana, Vrishchikasana (done together).

Mayurasana

vinyasa

Nakrasana

vinyasa

Vatyanasana

vinyasa

Parighasana, (no vinyasa between sides).

Krounchasana, (No vinyasa between sides).

Gomukhasana (no Vinyasa between sides).

Urdhva Dhanurasana
dropbacks

FINISHING

Paschimottanasana, Salamba Sarvangasana, Halasana, Karnapidasana,

Urdhva Padmasana, Pindasana, Matsyasana,

Yoga Mudrasana, Padmasana, Tolasana

PRANAYAMA

Originally there were five series: Primary, Intermediate, Advanced A, Advanced B, and the fifth was the “rishi" series (Choose 10 postures and stay for fifty breaths in each).

Bhuja pidasana, the underestimated asana of the first Ashtanga series

2012-01-19T15:13:00.000+01:00

Finally something new, hahaha: the vinyasa is totally different. The feet jump around the arms. Best is when they don't touch the floor.
When I remember well, during the first years, I put my hands behind my feet that were still on the floor. This is surely also a possibility. The earlier one challenges oneself, the earlier progress can be seen.

Also in the book by Lino Miele 2 versions are described. It's easier, but possible to put the front on the floor (feet are high), or and this is the advanced version, one tries to bring the chin to or towards the floor. It's easy to blame the proportions of the body that it won't be possible. Most of the time one can compensate.

The exit is via tittibasana A. It's not held, it's a transition. In second series it's a pose on it's own. To give it some energy is recommended.

To go from tittibasana to bakasana is something I'm still working on. I found out that the hands need to be close together. The heels move outward, the thighs inward, the hole body forward. To engage the abdomen helps. It's within reach, perhaps even this year. This transition comes later again.

So the first series has a lot of stuff that is needed for further series, too.

Ah, taking pictures spoils my practice. But I'm also learning from my pictures.
I started with the CD by Sharath and practiced with it till navasana. Oh, I've not yet gained back the strength that I had at the end of the last year. I will regain it.
I stop now. I've other things to do, too. This counts as a practice. Yes.

Thursday already, primary is on the schedule, nauli

2012-01-19T09:03:00.000+01:00

It's still dark here, hahaha......

Today I'll practice primary.

Was it worth to reflect on the asanas of the primary series again so far. Have I learned something already?
1. I realized that when I want to have my head in line with the back, I have to move actively the chin to the chest. It's not only letting the head hang down when doing the standing forward bending asanas, i.e.
2. In my case my focus of learning can shift more and more to the vinyasas (connection between the asanas and correct number of breaths).
3. I studied again the book by P. Jois and Lino Miele and discovered full vinyasa. Also the standing sequence and the closing sequence can be practiced so. And it feels very good. The advantage if one practices full vinyasa till the end also when practicing second series is, that one can exercise jumping forward as it is done in the first series.

My plan for my practice today:
1. Before starting my practice I'll exercise nauli. You shall see why very soon. Nauli is a cleaning technique. Here is a link for more information.
2. I'll practice with the CD by Sharath till buja pidasana to exercise this even rhythm. Then I'll take some pictures as I'm only have through of the series. Buja pidasana is underestimated. It's the next pose I'd like to have a closer look at.
3. Will I have time for pranayama and meditation?

Navasana and first Mysore class this year

2012-01-18T13:56:00.000+01:00

I had in mind that the first Mysore class for this year should be in the middle of February. This was obviously wrong as we received an email by M yesterday that the first Mysore class starts today.
E and I had an appointment in the morning, so I couldn't be on time. E drove me to the shala, but suddenly I was in a bad mood, very bad mood. I don't know why. I felt lousy and considered to go to a café to have a cup of coffee there and to stare holes into the atmosphere. Then I heard a voice: Look through the window who is there. Then you can turn around. I went to the backyard where the shala is and looked through the window. The room was crowded. What?, I thought, they are all practicing and I hang up so lazy. No. The front door was still open. I entered the holy rooms and went to the changing room. I was one hour later as usually. The Mysore class goes from 9am till 12 am. Usually I need 2 and a half hours for second series. Till 12pm I had 2 hours. Shall I do primary, I wondered? I wanted to do second series. I knew what this meant. I had to practice consequently without any dawdling, without breaks to recover and thinking. Wow, I had an excellent practice. I flew through the series. I felt like a snake without a spine, so flexible. I also felt strong like a bear when I needed strength. I balanced like a cat. Karandavasana was great.
Yepeeeeee, the Mysore season has started.

On the picture is navasana: I've a lot of fun with this pose. This is the pose, the only one that I practice with my E when he's at home and when I practice primary. OMG. Lol. I feel so strong in comparison to him. I really motivate him to hold this pose. It's hard work, he's not so convinced. He gives up so quickly. Sometimes I think he's only doing it for me. Hahaha. His back hurts when he's doing it. In my case the legs are challenged.
How to take this pose to the next level?
As a preparation to these posts I check the book by Lino Miele and P. Jois "Ashtanga yoga". Re this book this pose is done once. Usually yoginis repeat it 5 times. Of course 5 times is good to develop abdomen. I usually do it 3 times. Hahaha....sometimes I want to have it a bit easier.
Between this asana one lifts the body up to lolasana. To make it a bit more challenging one can swing the legs through the arms and then one can come back to the pose.

The light is great outside. I feel like napping first. I'll set a timer. I don't want to sleep my time away. But I've to be fit tonight and getting up so early today was not so easy.

Finally a twist......mariychasana C

2012-01-18T06:51:00.000+01:00

Finally a twist in the primary Ashtanga series.
Once I practiced in a shala and I complimented my neighbor yogini after the class because she was able to do this pose so easily. She assured me that she was a bloody beginner in yoga and that this pose was not at all a problem for her as she had long arms.

Two main factors influence our practice (our lives): our genes, our conditioning.

- I've relatively short arms (genes) so this pose was not so easy for me. I remember that I was very happy when finally the finger could hook. It's easier if one tries to bind, however, a bit higher on the back. If the binding is done, one can move the arms down easily.
- I don't give up so quickly (conditioning), so also I learned this pose. Nowadays I can bind always and I reach the wrist always. I work on getting fast into this pose so that I can practice re the correct vinyasa count.

Twists neutralize poses, it is said. They feel indeed very good. The spine stays young, so it feels.

Engaging the bandhas helps to twist.

Picture: Hahaha, my foot was behind the reflector so I could also cut the picture a bit more. The foot of the stretched leg is supposed to be parallel to the floor.

Today the Mysore classes start again. I've forgotten this. I've an appointment in the morning. I'm not even sure if I can be there on time. Time flies.

I feel like writing......

2012-01-17T20:06:00.000+01:00

Marichyasana B is also a wonderful pose. It prepares for the legs behind head series like marichyasana A. Here too, when my one hand has reached the wrist of the arm, I stretch both arms and then I move forward into the pose. This allows to go deeper and to use the arms as a leverage.

The longer one practices the more one also must learn to learn on one's own. Teacher might move, classes might be overcrowded and beginners need the most attention. One can indeed learn to learn.

Here are a few of my favorite ways of learning:

1. I search youtube videos. My fav online teacher is Laruga. I look how she's doing an asana/vinyasa and then I try to imitate it. This has changed my practice already for the better.

2. I take pictures of myself. Filming would be even better. A pose looks differently than it feels.

3. A lot of books are available with great tips.

4. I check my breath via a watch, inhaling shall be as long as exhaling.

5. Sometimes I practice with the CD of Sharath. It helps me to find an even rhythm, it helps me not to take these little breaks between the asanas. I also hold some poses as long as it is supposed to be, headstand at the end i.e. When I practice alone I'm too quickly bored here and I move on.

6. Repetition, repetition, repetition......is always best advice.

7. Developing a positive attitude.

8. Eating well.

9. Writing about the practice.

10. Having measurable goals with a deadline. Even though I think it's equally important to enjoy the practice, the path, the moment.

Having written this down I got remembered that all these learning methods, all these exercises might finally lead to the understanding: Letting go and giving room that all this can happen is so much better than greedily wanting something and to stand in one's own way.

Yoga shall liberate.

Liberate from what?

Finally it liberates from the thought that we can do anything. It's all a happening. Enjoy.

Marichyasana A and preparation

2012-01-17T09:25:00.000+01:00

Ah, look the difference: These things are noticed. Details count. On the picture above my hands are held relaxed, in line with the arms and the fingers are together. On picture 2 the finger are spread. I blame my self-timer, it was too fast. The pose on picture 1 looks so much nicer.

What comes into mind when I see this pose:
1. The rim of the foot is in line with the outer side of the body (and not next to leg). I couldn't believe this first (8 years ago). For those who want to progress fast: this pose prepares the leg behind head poses.
2. Lately I learned how to do this pose a bit deeper. I jump forward, grasp the wrist and then I stretch the arms. This makes a difference. That way the shoulder move backward, the chest opens. The upper body lengthens. Then I move mainly the one shoulder to the stretched leg, which is engaged. That way the arms don't lie lazy on the back. They serve as a leverage to stretch deeply into the pose.
3. I see that my foot of my stretched leg could be a bit more parallel to the wall.
4. Also here the vinyasa is as interesting as the pose. The exit can be done a bit different here.

Yesterday I watched TV.

Preparation:
First I watched a program where a man visits restaurants. He helps the owners to make the restaurant successful. The restaurant yesterday was a nightmare. Even mice were in the kitchen. Wow all the chaos, mess and dirt everywhere.
- This was the first step to clean everything.
- The owner and cook didn't prepare anything. So the day was indeed very stressy. The coach recommended the "mise en place" method. That's also how I cook. This means first everything must be prepared, I cut all the vegetables, I put all the spicery next to my cooker. The cooking book is on the table, when I try a new recipe. Then I start. It's indeed a good recommendation for a relaxed day.
- The restaurant owner accepted everything and took action. It could be seen that it was not so easy for him. The coach even sent him to the shower. There he should think if he liked to change. To take care of the own appearance is also part of being successful. The restaurant was checked 6 weeks later and it was all so much better.

Preparation also makes my pictures better. It takes time but I think one can see the results. In the above case I used a reflector, I used also a white blanket to better my lousy light situation.

How to prepare a yoga practice:
1. I think it's good to plan the night before. Then the subconscious is prepared, too. To decide what to do the day before can make it easier to start the next day. This avoids long inner discussions what to do. Then the question if one shall practice at all is very close. Hahahaha.....
2. To take a quick shower and to dress something that one likes is also part of my preparation.
3. Is the yoga room clean and warm? This is part of the preparation, too.
4. Before starting I hang forward till I'm ready, but then I start.

Also today it will be a learning session, that means I'll repeat those poses that are not yet comme il faut. Leg behind head pose i.e. needs repetition. When I go forward I've to hold my leg again. It's not always progress that can be experienced. Sometimes a pose gets lost. One always has to pick up oneself where one is.
...and I want to bring it behind me. This sounds a bit negatively, it isn't. I want to focus, concentrate.
Focus is such a good skill, that can indeed better life in general. Ashtanga yoga teaches a tool how to do it. It's program to focus/listen on the breath and to gaze at a point and to keep the eyes calm. With this Ashtanga yoga also becomes a mental exercise.
I'm confronted with fear during my practice. I must finally do pincha mayurasna in the middle of the room. As soon as I'm a bit more away from the wall, I have difficulties to come up. I should go in the middle of the room at once. I should be able to do it. Thinking makes the pose difficult as soon as I'm away from the wall. The body is able to do it.

What do I want to focus on now, is a good question. Letting go is a topic in my life for sure. Focus is a method. There is not only clutter in the house, in the handbag or in the car. There can also be mental clutter. Complaining about the past is in my opinion such a clutter. Oh, how I admire Osho who has burnt all his certificates when he left the university as a professor. Yesterday a nice metaphor came into my mind. When I have a huge sofa in a tiny room it's impossible to put another new sofa in this room. To let go allows to let new things enter life. One can focus on new adventures. I know the theory very well, hahahaha.

Back to: "I'm a celebrity, get me out of here."
Why do I find the Australian jungle camper so boring?
I can also ask the other way round: What makes a person exciting?
- The tests are known now, the variations do not bring the excitement. Only the first time it's shocking when someone has to eat kangaroo testicles. This is used up.
- Also nakedness brings excitement for perhaps 2 days. Men might be different, but a naked body alone is not enough to make a program interesting.
I'm a bit bored so far, but I'll go on watching. Every evening I'm up till midnight. Perhaps some dynamic is still to come......

So time to have a breakfast.

Done, done, done, I'm through of all the asanas of second series

2012-01-16T15:40:00.001+01:00

Oh, the body was ready for a practice, but the mind was so distracted. So many little breaks happened during my practice. I also needed music.

Good was that I returned to my mat again and again and I didn't omit a single asana.

It's difficult to describe the feelings during a practice, as it's changing quickly from being surprised till being frustrated. Now I'm happy that I did a full practice.

I know my strength: I know how to learn, I'm rather self-disciplined, optimism.

I also know my weaknesses: back bending and concentration. Re concentration I consider to add 10 min meditation again.

Let's talk about janu sirsasana B:

I get to the point: The heel is under the perineum. The perineum muscles become flexible that way. There is not a body part that the yoginins don't keep flexible and strong. If the heel is exactly there it's not unpleasant, otherwise it is.
It's a bit more demanding to bend forward than it is when practicing janu sirsasna B. The challenges progress.

For me the asanas of the first series feel good. I love it to be in these poses.

Time to move on.......

Janu sirsasana A and a mushroom recipe

2012-01-16T08:22:00.006+01:00

This pose is one of my favorite poses till now.
It's another forward bending asana. Dristhi is the foot. It's not necessary to see it. One says it's looking toward the foot. When I look towards the foot my eyes are wide-open (front is relaxed) and this keeps me awake. Resting comes at the end. The eyes are calm, they don't move. This calms the mind. Yoga is a concentration exercise.

Vinyasa:
1. Jumping forward and backward without touching the floor with the feet is my goal. Also these jumps can be done controlled. It drives me crazy that I'm still not able to do it. I also know that when things are difficult the mind has a task. One can try to understand how it goes or one can even create additional exercises to learn it.
Re jumping forward i.e. I jump forward from downdog and I try to stay on my hands with bended legs.
Re jumping backwards I lift my body up and swing it through as an additional exercise. Momentum is the new word that I've learned.
2. The correct vinyasa count is also important. It helps to practice consequently without taking breaks. Finally this allows to experience flow. Here I got much much better when I practice primary.

On my plan for today is second series. My practice was so intensive yesterday. This is always a great joy for me. I hope now it will be so good as yesterday, but there is no guarantee. First preparations are done: The heater is on already, I need it warm.

The recipe of my mushroom-meal:
Ingredients:
2 shallots
1 leek
4 different sorts of mushrooms (I think this made the meal special): white mushrooms, brown mushrooms, Shiitake and "Limonenseitling" (couldn't fine the translation)
5. a fresh rosmary (not dried one): This made a difference. I put the stem in the pan with the other ingredients and removed it later.
6. parsley
7. vegetable broth
8. white wine (use the same wine for the sauce that you drink, not a cheaper one.)
9. pepper
Preparation:
I usually work "mise en place" means I cut everything first before I start cooking. I want to cook relaxed.
First I put oil in the pan, then the shallots and the leak. After a while I added the mushrooms. You can put water and wine in it, I think I used only wine. I put a cube of vegetable broth to it and pepper. Let it simmer till all the ingredients are soft. When the meal was on the plate I put the cut parsley on it.

We had a Parisienne with it (white French bread) and before cooking I had prepared a green salad with a simple dressing (olive oil and white wine vinegar).

Again we bend forward: tirieng mukha eka pada paschimottanasana

2012-01-15T18:13:00.000+01:00

I thought it wouldn't bring me so much to go through all the asanas of the first series. But I'm learning something.
1. I cannot emphasize enough there is the asana, which really flourished what I can see. But there are also the vinyasas and they need extra attention, still after so many years. The earlier one exercises them, comme il faut, the better.
2. The bending starts from the hips.
3. When bending forward the shoulders remain parallel. Pictures help a lot here to check if they are truly parallel. Feelings can mislead.
4. Dristhis help to focus. They shall not be neglected either.
5. To engage the bandhas when exhaling allows to go deeper in a pose.

It's a lot of forward bending in the first series. It's good to move on quickly to the second series, too. So it was tought with P. Jois. My back bending is so lousy, because I started too late with it. We can only learn what we practice. End of yoga stories.

I'll cook again. My meals are most delicious and they make us lose weight (hahaha). Our dinner will be Thai inspired today. Time to start.

Typical me....

2012-01-15T14:56:00.001+01:00

I forgot indeed the first asana. It's not paschimottanasana, but dandasana. It seems to be a bit easy perhpas. There is no pose that is sloppy. In dandasana the legs are engaged, the verse lift up from the floor. I've strond calves, it's doable for me.

After paschimottanasana comes a counter pose: purvottanasana. I wanted to omit it as my rooms are too small for taking nice pictures of myself. But then I reminded myself how good I find the rule in Ashtanga not to omit an asana. Mainly one wants to omit the challenging asanas. But here learning can happen. I must be creative, and I will be creative. A picture of purvottanasana will come.
I don't want to make a life philosophy out of it (not to omit anything). The less concepts the better. Letting go of concepts frees the mind.

Nevertheless: Difficulties, resistance are opportunities to learn, to try something new, to change the view, to experience oneself differently.

It was easy-going to take some shots of myself doing ardha baddha padma paschimottanasana:

Important is to stretch first and then to move forward. The one shoulder moves to the bended knee. I see that I can work on this point. I repeat myself: the asana is only half of the rent. Interesting are the vinyasa, the jumping forward and jumping backward and the exact number of breaths.

Oh, the light is so wonderful, the sun is shining. We'll go out.

Nice encounter today: We've a new neighbor. Today the ring bell and he stood in front of my door. I had just finished my sweaty second series. I hid behind the door, showing my face only and stretching my hand out to say hello. He wanted to introduce himself. This is what I call good manners. A bit of politeness in daily life makes life looking so much better. He has already heard that we're a nice house community here and that we even barbecue together in the backyard during summer time. This man is a wonderful add, here.

PS: My mushroom recipe is coming.

Paschimottanasana, and a strong but rather unknown muscle

2012-01-14T22:00:00.002+01:00

There is a rather unknown muscle, but it exist. It is between upper body and legs, it's on the hips. I cannot explain it better and this muscle can help to improve paschimottanasana like all the forward bending asanas. Simple try to engage it to make the distance between legs and body smaller. That's it.

What comes after the standing sequnce in the primary Ashtanga series is forward bending, forward bending, forward bending. What shall I say: strong legs help to avoid injuries. Patience is more important than the greedy wish to want it NOW. Few asanas thighten the body. Paschimottanasana is stretching forward.

Engaging the bandhas help to go deeper. The mind can support the pose: "forward" might be a thought. With each inhaling I stretch, with each exhaling I lower the bodies from the hips. It's all about the hips. Too round backs are not so nice.

Ganesh sits on my back and adjusts me. lol. Shall he remove obstacle in business. This is his responsibility I've learned.

It was a relaxed day here. I cooked dinner: mushrooms in white wine sauce with parsley. When I asked my bf if he liked it he said: it was not enough. Hahahaha, he liked it.
Iwrote the list of the ingredients in my calender. On the backside of the page I wrote how I prepared this simple but astute dinner. This helps me to save time. On my way home I can stop at a vegetable dealer. I don't have to go out a second time for ingredients to prepare a meal. My yoga is time consuming. I always try to make life simpler.

Today I practiced the soft chandra krama sequence from the book by Sweeney. I enjoyed it.
It needs concentration to start with the left side always as I start with the right side always in Ashtanga yoga. This helps to wake up, to practice more consciously.

Tomorrow the second series is on the schedule!!!! My yoga week starts on Sundays.

I realized....

2012-01-14T12:53:00.003+01:00

1. I realized that I started breathing sloppily. This is, I often get out of the pose before the last exhaling is done fully. This makes it easier especially when the asanas build strength. Good that I realized this.

2. My pictures also told me that when I do a standing forward bending and I want to have my head in line with my spine I have to bring the chin closer to the neck actively. If I let my head lose it tends to fall a bit backwards.

Ah, it was so good to sleep another few hours. I got a breakfast when I was up, brrrhhhh was it cold outside. E prepared the coffee when I returned. We sipped from one big cup. :)

I love my current life.

My mother enrolled for a yoga class again. Subconsciously my passion has contagious potential. It's not Ashtanga yoga, but this doesn't matter. Better to get a yoga infection than a flu.

Moving the body is therapeutic, whatever it is. For those who are bothered by not so uplifting thoughts, I recommend: move, move, move. Go swimming or walking as fast as you can or clean the house from top to bottom. This can be like a therapy. Enjoy, wink.

Virabadrasana A and B, the standing sequence in general

2012-01-14T08:01:00.000+01:00

The bended leg is parallel to the walls and floor. The shin bone is parallel to the wall, the upper leg is parallel to the floor. The outer rim of the foot is on the floor, pointing forward. When moving to virabadhrasana B, it's parallel to the wall.
What I see in classes, most people stand too high. This makes this asana easier. Indeed, I thought I'd stay deep, but my pictures told me another story. I took pictures till I got the feeling how far the feet need to be apart so that I stay deep enough. To hang through is also not correct. Here one can see who is a hero and who is a wonna-be hero.

I always ask myself: what wants this asana.
- it builds strength, for sure
- it also opens the hip of the stretched leg. The hip are supposed to be parallel. As it can be seen on the picture I've to work on this. With this it prepares for the back bending asanas.

Remembering what I've written so far about the standing asanas I see that they build strength, if done correctly. The legs are usually engaged and strong.
The standing sequence are in addition mainly balancing asanas.
The asanas prepare for deep twists, back bending and forward banding asanas.

My rooms are too small for taking good pictures of the hero poses. One day when I'll be in a larger room I'll take pictures of virabhadrasana B.

I'm up early. I set the alarm clock. It was late yesterday when I went to bed, I watched TV. It's the sixth time that "I'm a celebrity, get me out of here," is broadcasted. I like this program for tho reasons mainly: the group dynamic and the tests that show what is possible. The tests are mental exercises in my view. This young model was great yesterday. How she drank this "blood", oh oh oh oh......

Yesterday my yoga session turned into a photo session. This spoils my practice. It's good on the other hand as I'm learning a lot when looking at my pictures.
Today is Saturday, my yoga free day. I consider to do the sequence from the book by Matthew Sweeney. It's good to know a series that is calm for the days of lower energy.

There is a bit show outside and I feel like going to bed again. Haha....yep, I'll do this.

Strength, strength, strength or utkatasana

2012-01-12T21:06:00.000+01:00

Utkatasana is another asana that allows to develop strength in the legs. And willpower. The deeper the more the leg muscles burn. This is it that brings strength. No pain, no gain.
Chair pose it's called this pose in English.

If one stands deep enough it also prepares for pashasana , the first pose from second series.

Utkatasana is an asana with an interesting vinyasa. One leaves this pose via bakasana.From bakasana one can go to handstand. If this is not advanced I don't know anymore what advanced is. For me, so far, only in my imagination I leave this pose via handstand. But this I do, I imagine it. I even put a strap around my arms and try to push me up into handstand. It's not yet possible. Who knows if it will ever be possible, but I try it.

What is really funny. I document now my asanas for years. Sometimes only the quality of the picture has improved. Not always this is so, but sometimes. Hahaha.......

Baddha konasana, the forth core asana of the first Ashtanga series

2012-01-12T14:12:00.000+01:00

Garbha pindasana, the third core asana of the first Ashtanga series

2012-01-12T14:06:00.000+01:00

What shall I say. The old yogis seemed to be creative.

Today I practiced primary, good old primary.

Marichyasana D, the first core asana of the first Ashtanga series.

2012-01-12T14:03:00.001+01:00

It's a deep twist. This pose is like a massage for the spine.

Kurmasana, the second core asana of the first Ashtanga series.

2012-01-12T14:00:00.001+01:00

Yeah, what can be seen is the body work of years! Not only the body is exercised when we practice Ashtanga yoga. It's the mind, too. Perseverance is what is required for most of us.

It feels good to be in this pose.

Ardha baddha padmottanasana or yoga makes optimistic in the long run

2012-01-12T09:30:00.000+01:00

This was one of the poses I thought I'd never be able to do. One day I could reach my big toe with my hand. I almost couldn't believe it.
More is possible than I think sometimes was my thought. This I experienced again and again during the years of my yoga practice. Practicing asanas has also an influence on the mind.

Each pose can be improved: Nowadays I reach the toe without the help of the other hand. I try to bring the shoulder closer to the bended leg. A nice pose.

Also this pose had different aspects. On the one hand it's a balancing pose mainly. It's also a forward bending pose. In most cases the chest remains open when bending forward. The one shoulder moves backwards here and having flexible shoulders helps a lot later when practicing back bending.

Utthita eka padasana

2012-01-12T08:30:00.000+01:00

Yeah.
I realized that I started lowering the leg during the last exhaling. 5 breath one shall hold this pose, too, 5 full breath. It's so important to observe oneself. Now I lower the leg after the last exhaling.

This pose shapes the body.

It exercises the mind, willpower. (The face is relaxed.)

Strong legs are important, this asana helps to get them.
There is a muscle between leg and body, a hip muscle. Here one can exercise it. It's necessary if one likes to do the vinyasas. It's amazing how all the asanas are connected.

To point the foot helps. To breath deeply helps, too.

Utthita parsvasahita and the third series

2012-01-12T08:13:00.001+01:00

It makes so much sense to work precisely here, too. It's all about the hips, lol. They are supposed to stay parallel. Finally the foot shall be next to the body.
The first asana of the third series is called vasisthasana. Stretch the arm that is on the hips to the side and move mentally the body to the side till the hand is on the floor and here we go, it's almost the same pose. I tried it and I fell over. I couldn't balance. Why? Because the leg is supposed to be straight above the body. I don't know how I can exercise this.
An idea can be to lean against a wall with the back. M asked some yogis to do this to improve the pose.

This pose repeats during the primary series. Then I lie on the back and do the same. The hip of the leg that is stretched shall remain on the floor.
Usually I add hanumanasana (forward split) here. Perhaps exercising side split is a good idea, too.

I know now what my next steps are.

I've so much to learn, my interest on third series is on ice. It will return. When, stands in the stars and this is good. I'm absolutely happy with first and primary.

Utthita hasta padangusthasana

2012-01-12T07:52:00.000+01:00

My trip to Mysore has changed my practice, for sure. In THE shala the pose above was a pose that was always adjusted. The head had to touch the leg. Since then I can do it and I do it also as it is supposed to be.

Advanced starting: When I'm in samasthitih I stretch my arm first so that it is parallel to the floor. My fingers are waiting to grasp the bit toe. With the next inhaling I lift up my leg, straight (not bended). With the next exhaling I bend forward, the leg comes up a bit more as soon as I hold my big toe.

The next two asanas utthita parsvasahita and utthita eka padasana follow without returning to samasthitih also when practicing full vinyasa.

This pose is a balancing pose. At home I've the feeling that the walls hold me. In classes I blame the wobbling yoginis that I wobble, too, sometimes. I love to be challenged in classes. Bandhas, strong legs, a calm mind, an even breath help to balance.

Yeah, I'm up and it's Thursday. Thursday is primary day. I'll add hanumanasana and I'll take care of the vinyasas. I'll exercise handstands. Special attention will go to the vinyasas. It will be a practice focused more on learning but on performing. This means I'll repeat asanas when I think they need to improve.

It's nice to be up early. A bit after 6 I left the mattress. This gives me the feeling that I've time for all the wonderful things I want to do. Tonight I'll go to a photo vernisage. Photographers are a wild bunch of people. I'm looking forward to meeting new people and to see pictures.

Utthita parsva konasana

2012-01-11T22:21:00.000+01:00

The challenge is to keep the hips parallel (and the back straight). It's good to ground the feet first and to engage the legs before one moves forward. This was a difficult pose for me. It has still potential.

It's a forward bending asana, but at the same time the arm position helps to keep the chest open. The shoulders move backwards and create room in the upper body.

I read in the book by Lino Miele, Astanga yoga, page 30: "This asana reduces excess fat on the waist and legs and strengthens and tones the muscles of the legs."

(....always this excess fat, lol.......)

I added this pose in the first years to speed up my progress. The arms serve as a leverage that way and it helped me to go deeper into the pose. Take care here. I was a bit too aggressive once and overstretched my hamstrings. The variation is powerful.

The standing asanas are balancing asanas and shall build strength in the legs, which is so important for everything that comes later.

This is the last asana of the standing sequence if one practices the second series.

Oh yes, I enjoyed this day today. I could indeed spend as much time as I wished with all the things I consider important. Yoga was part of it and taking pictures, too. In the evening I prepared a salad consisting of tomatoes, green leaves, pepper and mushrooms. You remember the excess fat.......hahahaha......

Tomorrow primary.

The vinyasas are one focus.

Could I improve prasarita padottanasana A?

2012-01-11T21:52:00.001+01:00

This was my picture from yesterday. I realized that the distance of the feet is too large. That way I cannot go deeper in to the pose, the head is stopped already from the floor.

This was my attempt from this morning. I think it looks a bit better. The feet could put the feet even closer.

Sometimes on my pictures I see something that I can change at once for the better. This is of course not always so. Good is to know what one likes to improve.

Prasarita padottanasana D and how to be organized

2012-01-11T10:55:00.001+01:00

Also here, I see that it would be better to have the feet closer together. All asanas feel different as they look.

Taking pictures of myself is indeed one of my best learning tool. It's shocking sometimes. I had to get used to myself. These asanas I exercise for 8 years now every day. I know how I started 8 years ago. What can be seen IS progress. And there is no end in sight......:)

I'm happy that I've the entire day for myself. Energy is felt again. This accounting job would have distracted me again. Focus makes strong.

At the last party I started to discuss how to be organised. I told about my pomodoro, my timer and that I work 25 min and then I stop for a 5 min break, then I start again. I wanted to know how the others are organized. It amazed me that I created the impression that I don't like what I do. This was the feed-back. I couldn't find out how the others are organized.
I think we cannot not be not organised. But most people aren't organized consciously. Most people have a daily rhythm that guides them through the day but this rhythm is given from outside sources. I create my own rhythm.

How are you organized?
Is it your calender that helps you most?
Do you think your routines are fantastic?

Prasarita padottanasana C and ......

2012-01-11T10:38:00.000+01:00

It's possible to press my hands down to the floor with help. It doesn't hurt anymore. When I'm alone I've difficulties to bring them down.
I'm able to do the pose when I lie on my back. When I want to imitate this pose, I see that I've to have the feet further apart this time. The chin needs to be on the chest and the back of the head should be on the floor. Then it should be possible to take the folded hands to the floor. This I'll try the next time. As mentioned already, the distance of the feet is varying when practicing prasarita padottanasna A through D. This is why it makes sense to practice full vinyasa, starting from samasthitih and returning to this pose after each asana.

"When will you be at home?" I wrote him.
"Would you like to eat out? he answered. And I loved to eat out today.

That my job was cancelled provoced feelings that made me heavy, paralyzed. It depleted me. I think it's all perfect as it is. Nevertheless I felt so weak. I finished my practice after pincha mayurasana, a lousy practice it was. It was so bad, I could scarcely take my leg behind my head. Energy was missing. I finally ended it. I took a bath after my lousy practice and then I dressed something beautifully. I waited for E to go out. We had Thai food, it was delicious. I enjoyed the evening. Tomorrow I go back to plan B.
I let life happen. Accepting what is, is all one can do. I'm indeed happy with what happened.

Prasarita padottanasana B

2012-01-10T15:15:00.000+01:00

The same here like in B: the feet can be closer together.

Shall I not desperate. No, I don't.

2012-01-10T15:03:00.000+01:00

Finally the phone rang. It was the tax adviser and auditor. He was no more sure if I could do the job. If you're not sure, I'm not sure either I thought and said it a bit more elegantly. Perhaps we can start working together later in the middle of the year when the stress to do the annual accounts in a very short time is not there, I suggested. He liked my offer. Perhaps we was polite.
I experience it a bit embarrassing to tell everybody who think that I start working tomorrow that this again was a wrong alarm. But who cares? Bf, parents, friends, reader of my blog. Lol, the reactions will be so different like a box of Smarties. Deep in my heart I'm relieved, even though I had started already to look forward to this new job adventure. The word "adventure" is surely a word tax adviser don't like so much in combination with accounting. It's over.
I enjoyed the interview with these two smart and polite men in black suits.

I focus on my asana on the picture now (and I check my emails too often as I'm curious about the comment of E., my poor E.):
Prasarita padottanasana A:
When practicing full vinyasa, prasarita padottanasana A,B,C and D are performed separately. This makes sense for me as the distance of the feet is always a bit different.

I learn from my picture that it could be good to have the feet a bit closer together. Perhaps it's even good to have them so close that the head is 2 inches above the floor. This might allow to work more intensively on this hip opening asana. Back and neck shall be in line.
The arms are supposed to be parallel, but I think they are usually.

PS: Sigh, sigh, sigh. Hahaha......knowing is better than not knowing.

Parivrtta parsva konasana

2012-01-10T13:19:00.000+01:00

It's a nice twist. Going deep prepares all the twists that come in primary and second series.
I think I could still go a bit deeper.
Challenge is also the vinyasa. In the beginning it's easy to twist when the knee of the stretched leg is on the floor. But we want to deepen the asanas. Nowadays the front foot is on the floor, not the knee before I twist. The very last movement is to put down the foot in the position that can be seen on the picture. The outer rim shall be on the floor, too.

I could take my elbow a bit further the left. This is doable.

Currently I work on entering this pose with one breath without changing the breath without prolonging it or holding it. The CD by Sharath gives me the correct rhythm.

And of course the hips shall stay parallel. Going out of the pose is the next thing. It's also via virabadhrasana. The leg remains bended. This is strength building. Nothing is sloppy done, if one wants to work correctly. Relaxation comes at the end, hahahaha.

It's indeed a good idea to observe how one enters an asana and how one leaves an asana:
1. Yesterday I chatted with a yogi and he told me he looks at the ceiling before urdhva dhanurasana. He's not the only one. Often breaks happen before an asana. When a break happens also thinking happens. It can be a goal to avoid these breaks before an asana.
2. After having done an asana it's not hurrying to the next one. A deep and even breath guides to the next asana. No hurrying here.

--------------------------
It was nonsense to go downtown this morning. I console myself: At least my shopping is done. I had a second breakfast at the Anna hotel, I read my daily there and enjoyed it. Too much time is lost.
I'm waiting for the phone call to learn when I shall start working: tomorrow or the day after tomorrow. I wish I knew it. Perhaps they have forgotten me???? Is this my wish? lol. Perhaps unconsciously I wanted to be out of the house this morning to miss it. Can be.
Life style: There are people who hang on their mobile phone. It can be seen every day, where ever one is. People have it in hand, play with it, make phone calls, check whatever. I gave it up. My preference is my PC. I had to relearn how to use it. I must know how to call my mailbox to get the messages.

A day like a practice.

2012-01-09T21:29:00.001+01:00

I'm very happy when I can cross out one action from my to do list. I can. I was at the dentist. Wow was the woman who cleaned my teeth professional. Not only how she worked was perfect, she's been 30 years in that job, also her communication skills (manners, friendliness, openess) were very advanced. Later I saw on her business card that she has studied neuro-linguistic programming (NLP), and this tells me a lot as I've done this, too. It's life changing skills. In the beginning she asked me to chose a little stone from a bowl with many different stones. I could take it home also. I could hold the stone in my hand while she was working to be relaxed, to have a bit distraction. How sensitive, indeed. "Ah you take the rose quarz," she said when I took the smooth rose one.
Yep, I gulped: Before the session I had to sign that I'll have to pay 300,.. Euro when I miss a future appointment. 48 hours earlier I have to cancel it if I won't have time to come. But 300,-- Euro, I mean this is a lot. I was at a very luxury doctor today. Also the arrangement there told me this. Every detail was chosen and tasteful. I want to be able to afford such doctors. This motivates me for my work that starts this week on Wednesday or Thursday. By now I manage it perfectly to postpone the excitement and even thoughts about it.

Afterwards I went to a photo studio for pictures. My passport is expired. I was not happy with the results and I'm still not. The biometric pictures (smiling forbidden) are in front of me. Within a minute the pictures were done. Chin up, the photographer said and it made click and this was it. Shall I really spend another 20 Euro or shall I start thinking that I like the pictures? I fear I'm too lazy to repeat this exercise at another photo studio tomorrow. During the afternoon I was looking for another photo studio. Most of them take these quick shots, which are a bit better than those in the photo machines that decorate the way to the underground. The photographer round the corner moved outside of Munich. He was good. Also these biometric pictures can be done quick quick or professional.

I've too much other things to do. Shall I like these pictures, even though I must like them for the next 10 years. It will become easier the longer I'll have this passport as I get older and soon I'll look young on my passport.

It's 8pm now.
I fear it's best to get a new passport first tomorrow. When I'll be there at 8am, I'm there at least early. Going to these offices can take hours, but it needs to be done. So yoga after that passport thing and some necessary shopping. Sigh. I don't like it at all when I postpone my yoga practice. Sometimes I need to tame it. It is very time-consuming. Only a simple life allows such a "hobby". I don't want to let my to do lists grow and grow and grow. Sometimes I feel I have to sacrifice a yoga practice in order to reduce stress. Three times a week till 6 times is a daily practice. No worries, the week has just started.

On the picture is utthita parsva konasana. It has 5 vinyasas. Gazing point is the hand. The feet and the one hand shall really press against the floor. This stabilizes this pose. The knee presses against the arm, this helps to open the upper body. I also think it's important that the upper leg of the bended leg is parallel to the floor. The hand is in line with the arm. The shoulders always move away from the ears.
Surely a nice pose that stretches the body. It's always lengthen the body and then going deep into an asana.

Interesting is also the vinyasa. Before stretching the bended leg the upper body comes out of the pose, via virabadhrasana so to say. Via virabadhrasana one also lowers into the pose. Most yogis are very sloppy here. This can be a challenge for the legs to do it correctly, but strong legs are needed. One only betrays oneself. It's not falling out of a pose but to leave it elegantly, strong. Everything under control, so to say.
When practicing full vinyasa one returns to samasthitih after having performed the left side. I do prefer full vinyasa, because distance of the feet always vary a bit from pose to pose. It's better to start fresh from samasthitih.

Oh, how I regret that the day disappeared so quickly. The life of an Ashtanga yoga practitioner is really a busy life.
Tomorrow is Tuesday: second series. I can't wait. I will find time for it, I will.

Self-discipline, self-study (self-observance)

2012-01-09T07:50:00.002+01:00

There was an article in the NY Times with the content that yoga provokes injuries and it's better not to practice. This is a very short summary of the article, perhaps a bit too short.

Me too, I want to add a comment to the increasing numbers of injured yoginis. It all starts with the asanas, it's important to practice them. Ashtanga means the 8-folded path. Self-discipline and self-study are part of yoga.
Yoginis who are so self-disciplined to practice daily are less proned to get injured. The majority of the yoginis do not even attempt to establish a home practice.
Many yoginis work sloppy. Self-study is important to practice correctly. This can make a practice safe. How to self-study? One can set an intention what to observe when practicing. I think that pictures are very helpful.

Yoga is more than crazy asanas, it needs to be done with respect. One can nothing force. This is perhaps the most important learning lesson. One must let it happen and one must give up to fight.

I admit: I'm resilient.

When I was in Hawaii I published 2 very nice utthita trikonasana. Shall these pictures be enough. How did I deepen these asanas? In the beginning of my practice I reached the shin bone with my hand and then I slided down till I reached my big toe. Nowadays I move the upper body to the side, then I go down and reach the toe at once. All standing poses are balancing poses. Strong leg muscles are important. To engage the bandhas help to balance. The upper body and the face is relaxed!

Parivrtta trikonasana (see picture): The challenge is to keep the hips parallel. It's all about the hips. This pose is a combination of balancing pose and twist pose. The chest opens. These trikonasana poses are underestimated. When practicing full vinyasa the twisted trikonasanas are practiced alone. One starts from samasthitih and returns to this pose.

Play it safe, practice self-discipline, study yourself.

Hasta padangusthasana and pada hastasana

2012-01-08T16:27:00.000+01:00

What I like is that the back is straight and the neck seems to be relaxed. The top of the head moves to the floor, the nose doesn't move to the shin bone. The elbows move outside. The big toes give a bit resistance. The legs are engaged, so are the bandhas. Dirshti is the nose and the asana has 3 vinyasas.
There is no simple pose. These asanas indeed help to develop body feeling.

I think it's important to understand the pose. It's all about the hips. The flexibility of the hips increases when practicing this pose.
The book by Lino Miele is in front of me. I talk so much about weight that it's already almost embarrassing. To lose weight indeed seems to be program of the first series.
I quote from page 20 from the book: "They (these 2 asanas) reduce the accumulation of fat around the waist and abdomen."
Hahaha, this I can read beside almost every asana. Shall it be so.

When practicing full vinyasa these two asanas are practiced separately.

This is pada hastasana. It's a bit deeper than hasta padangusthasana.

Pada means foot.
Hasta means hand.
Padangustha means toe.

It makes sense to remember these sanskrit names. It makes it so much easier to remember the names of the asanas when knowing a few words.

What can I do to improve this pose?
Being patient and to stay a bit longer in this pose might help.

I crawled back into the bed trap

2012-01-08T11:08:00.000+01:00

Between 6am and 7am I was sitting in front of my PC, checking what had happened in the world overnight. I was sipping my black coffee, the heater I had turned on already. When I wrote my journal I had my soft blanket around my shoulders. I still felt cold. It's a subjective feeling, it cannot be so cold here, but I felt so cold that soon I crawled back into the bed where my warm bf was sleeping. I hugged him from behind and ah, so good I felt warm and cosy at once and slept for a few more hours (what was not my intention).

Soon I'll be much busier than I'm now. I enjoy that indeed almost nothing MUST be done for the time being. I can say to most activities that I WANT to do them. I also have no deadlines. This is luxury. When I've stress it's self-made and I realize this.

Yesterday I watched youtube videos on asanas. This is always so motivating.
My yoga week starts today with intermediate series.
I'm sure I'll sweat. It's warm now here, also for me. I want to focus on one of the back bending asanas kapotasana, one of the forward bending asanas eka pada sirsasana and one of the balancing asanas karandavasana. These asanas I want to repeat to make progress. This is a plan. I shall see on the mat how strong I'll be.

Inspired

2012-01-07T21:43:00.000+01:00

It inspires me to watch yoga videos. Mainly I watch those of Laruga.

Tomorrow is Sunday and my yoga week begins. Write it down let it happen: at 8am I want to lie on my mat. I wrote lie, because this is the easiest start I know. I'll have a block under my upper back and I'll breathe deeply. Then I'll hang forward. Only when this feels good, too, I'll start with the sun salutations.

The first week of 2012 is already over. When I remember well I practiced 3 times minimum. This is OK. I was busy during this first week. Incredible, but sometimes there is a life off the mat, too.

I got my eyes tested today and they are still OK, they even bettered. I don't need new glasses. This is because I haven't worked. This pleased me. It also saves a lot of money.

Early in bed, early up.

Saturday........

2012-01-07T12:37:00.001+01:00

Party time: we were invited yesterday: dinner and wine tasting. I was curious what the Frenchman would miracle on the table. It was green asparagus with a mustard dressing. The onion Quiche was made vegan (because of me). We had white bread and a lot of wines. Not so often we are up till 2am. The time was long for a lot of chatting, eating, drinking. It was a bit too much drinking and eating, I admit it. The mousse au chocolate at the end was so good. I had to eat it. We took a taxi to get home. The taxi driver had long grey hair that he had bound together. Tired I fell into the bed when we were at home.
This morning I renewed my resolutions. Less, less, less is the motto.

We both, my E and myself put off all clothes this morning and stepped on the scales. lol. Together we have 131,8 kg. lol. I'll prepare salad for us today, I told him afterwards. "This is very good," he said.
Food will always have minimum 2 aspects for me: First it nourishes me, I also like to eat. On the other hand I always see the potential of gaining weight when not eating tomatoes.

Back to my healthy routines. It's Saturday. This is my day off from yoga usually. Today I'll practice the modest sequence by Sweeney. I need it. The asanas are a good addition to the first Ashtanga sequence.

To do list of today:
- new glasses
- repeating tax stuff
- ordering business cards
It's important to limit myself. I don't want to have stress.

The sky is blue, the roofs are white

2012-01-06T11:01:00.001+01:00

I got up much too late again. I separated the curtains when I was up finally to turn on the heater and I realized: it's winter time. The sky was blue, the roofs white. Good is that I slept well and that I feel well-rested now.
My to do lists are long. Perhaps I need sleep to attack all these tasks. If one important thing is done I shall be happy. I need new glasses i.e. I cannot start a job as an accountant confusing a 5 with an 8. Lol. I have to leave the house for this. I wonder if I shall do it now. Getting up too late messes my morning routine.

Yesterday I managed it to step on my mat. It was the late afternoon already. Energy was low but I started. Yesterday I experienced that I felt refreshed after my practice. Usually I feel like lying down or I feel like taking a bath. Primary became easier. It doesn't take so much time anymore either. Only the vinyasas frustrated me. Start exercising them right from the beginning on is my tip to novices. It's hard but it doesn't get better if you postpone it.

Ramblings on jobs. This is for a friend:
Times have changed a lot. One must realize this first. A decade ago it was expensive, but nowadays we can communicate around the world. We can make business around the world. English is the common language. Everybody can do this. It's no more necessary to have assets.
There are of course the nine to till you break down jobs. They will always be. But there are alternatives for everybody.
Those who work independently often have another structure and often they do different things. Also successful people ie. write a blog (for free), they give workshops, they write books, they sell goods. Many people have different jobs nowadays. One must be more flexible than ever.
I love what Seth Godin said: Be an artist without a canvas and brushes. Find out what makes you special that it's difficult to substitute you. This is the direction one has to go if one wants to work independently. We have a world market and people in other parts of this world are very educated, too, but cheaper.
What makes me special is a question that can help to find an income that's better paid (in the long run) than jobs in companies. Clients must have the feeling that only YOU can give them what they want.
Passive income is another key word. Yes yes yes, yesterday again a friend told me that she'd like to buy my book if it's finished. I HAVE to finish it. What makes it so difficult to go on writing???????
Important is that one loves what one does. Then to work equals to have fun.
I don't want to count the years till I can retire. I want to do something that I love to continue after 67. It's writing, it's taking pictures, it's practicing yoga. I don't want to become a yoga teacher, but it would be fun to take pictures of people practicing yoga.
It's worth working on plan B. Trial and error is part of every new path.
Wonder what makes you special?
And don't give up. The trip can be exciting.

My first yoga goal is indeed to lose the few redundant pounds. I know that all the asanas become easier then. My bf is on vacation and we eat out a lot. This makes it difficult to accomplish my goal. The world self-sabotage comes into my mind. My deadline for my absolute fav weight is end of January. I know I write all the time about the same topics. It's a secret to remind oneself again and again (it needn't to be public). Either one makes the decision one day that it's not important or one has to take steps that bring the wished success.
Most people cannot celebrate their successes because they forget about their goals. To write them down and to read them on a daily basis can make the difference. Repetition, repetition, repetition is a method to achieve whatever.

Tonight we're invited to a wine tasting. I love to see the friends, but I don't like to taste wines. We'll buy a few bottles. I trust this French man that he made good decisions with the wines from Israel and Turkey. The wish to have wine with a meal dropped. I want it very seldom nowadays. I need an excuse for tonight why I want to have water. Hahahaha....

Oh, today is a banking holiday. It's not necessary to make a decision. Shops are closed. I'll have to get my eyes tested next week.

It's stormy here.

2012-01-05T15:34:00.001+01:00

If not necessary I won't go out anymore. The weather report tells us that temperature will fall and even snow will be added to the stormy wind within the next hours.

It's almost 4pm.

I'll relax a bit and then I'll practice primary. Flexibility is required from time to time.

I sleep longer than planned these days. When I get up I feel cold, then I sip my coffee in the hope it will warm me. From next week on I must be a bit more consistent with my morning routine. At 12am I will have to leave my home to get to work. Till then I want to have practiced already. It's doable.

It was a day for my pearls today. I put on a graphite pair of trousers and a soft pullover in the same color. My scarf was pink, handbag and shoes were black.

Never nap after 4pm someone wrote me once, because napping after 4pm makes it difficult to sleep at night. 30 min relaxation is exactly what I need now.

Primary: I want to practice full vinyasas like described in Lino Miele's book. My focus are the vinyasas, especially jumping backwards.

Another routine?

2012-01-04T18:07:00.001+01:00

There are days an Ashtanga series seems to be too much.

I want to learn at least the first sequence created by Matthew Sweeney. It lasts 1 hour and I put my body in asanas without vinyasas. This makes it all easier.

I'm innocent, life happens.....

2012-01-04T16:42:00.001+01:00

Topic 1: I couldn't avoid it. Hahahaha....It was the second job offer since the beginning of this bloody young year. Today I had an interview and next Wednesday I start working as an accountant. I can start at 1pm. This means I've the mornings for my yoga practice. Yepeeeeeee. It's limited till the end of March and it's a 20 hour week (it's always more). This is OK, too. It's not that bad when a bit of money fills my holes.

Topic 2: Thank you for commenting. But clutter has to go. There is also electronic clutter. I only enjoy my postcards when I think I want to throw them away. To be honest, I know better activities in life than to scan old postcards. I could kiss my bf i.e. A postcard has 2 sides, it often traveled around the world. It's not the same if I hold it in hand or if I look at it on the screen. Enough is enough. I also prefer to read new postcards than the old ones again and again.
In the meantime I know a lot of reasons why we buy and buy, why we keep things and why we're not able to let go. All day long we're bombarded: buy this, buy that. Nobody tells us: let go. It's an art and a skill to let go. This morning I discarded postcards. I want to limit my boxes. 4 boxes shall be enough.
For the time being I even have a German politician in mind who cannot let go of his job. This happens not so seldom. They cling and cling and cling.
One can cling to everything. Often it's a habit that avoids living. Less is more.

Topic 3: My afternoon practice yesterday was excellent. This morning I was so excited due to the interview that no practice happened so far. Shall this be OK. I celebrated my upcoming job adventures when I returned with my E in a restaurant. So wonderful that he's still on vacation. I'm full now, I don't feel like lying on my belly doing dhanurasana. To practice daily means 3 times minimum, up to 6/7 times a week.

Topic 4: It's good that I've so much energy.

The lights are green........the new year is in full swing.

Tiny bites.....

2012-01-03T14:23:00.000+01:00

First, thank you to my pomodoro. It gets me going. 25 min seem doable. Always. 25 min I worked on my desk. A lot of papers are filed now.

My mind starts creating stress. And we've only the third day of the year.

What do I want to have done at the end of the week?
1. My taxes shall be done and all that stuff that belongs to it.
2. My kitchen shall be decluttered and clean.
Deadline: Sunday evening.

Then I'll make new plans.
I always tend to plan too much, then I feel overwhelmed with the consequence that I do nothing (but blogging).

PS: I stop collecting postcards. NOW. 6 boxes full of postcards is enough. I'll put new ones on my desk to have joy to see it, if someone writes me a postcard. After a week I'll discard it. Or, if I cannot let go, I put it in one of the boxes, but then I have to discard 10 other postcards. Yep.
I won't postcards anymore when I travel.
I'm so in the mood now to go through the cupboard under the sink to throw out what is possible.

The Ashtanga Bible

2012-01-03T09:16:00.000+01:00

Yesterday night I studied the Ashtanga bible. For me this is the book that Patthabi Jois wrote with Lino Miele. I studied the correct vinyasa count.
1. In the book the first and second series is described with full vinyasa (starting and finishing an asana in samasthitih). This feels so much better. It might take longer for sure. And this might have been the reason why it was changed to half vinyasa. A too big compromise? I totally understand that we've to adjust the practice to our life. Not everybody has time to practice asanas and pranayama for 3 hours every day. Even 2 hours is much time and that's what I need for an intensive practice without hurrying through the series.
Next time I'll practice full vinyasa like it's described in this book.
2. Not only the middle part of the series is described with full vinyasa, but also the standing sequence and the finishing sequence.

I also studied the asanas of the other series in the book by Matthew Sweeney. Oh my, I looked at beautiful asanas that need years of practice. If one wants to learn these challenging body postures one has to repeat them several times during a practice in order to learn them. Just trying them and then moving on is not enough in my opinion. Some teachers even recommend extra sessions to learn asanas. This makes sense.

Yesterday I didn't practice. I was busy with other important things and I'm glad today that they are done. I also felt like space clearing in the morning. This activity is important, too and I must feel mentally strong for this. Letting go is a mental exercise. Then it was lunch time and I wanted to have lunch with my bf who is still on vacation. Afterwards my stomach was too full for dhanurasana. And then it was evening. LOL. Days disappear that fast.
It was dark already when I experimented with my camera and candle light. Not every time when I experiment with my camera good results are the outcome. Whatever one does, this is so. Up and down is the pattern of every action. I got a bit more experienced.

Today second series is on the schedule. I'm looking forward to my practice.

Pashasana and the hand position

2012-01-02T17:54:00.000+01:00

So far I hooked the finger. The link leads to a picture from 2009. I was glad that this was possible.

- More important than the hand position was that the knees stayed parallel.

- It was important that the hips didn't move to the side.

Pashasana has further challenges. The final goal is to hold the wrist of the one hand. A first step might be to hold the fingers but with the correct position of the hands. I tried this. It's not that easy. But this is what I'm trying from now on. This is the next tiny step. At home I repeat this pose.

The twist intensifies when the hand can hold the wrist.

It remains to take the heels down to the floor without the support of my blanket. Hahahaha......

Also this is improving.

What to do when it's difficult to start.

2012-01-02T12:06:00.001+01:00

Yesterday i.e. it was difficult for me to start practicing Ashtanga yoga. On the one hand I didn't like to give up my resolutions on the very first day of the year, on the other hand I feared a lousy practice with lots of discomfort.

I found out what helps me to start. I applied it and it worked.
1. First it can already be very helpful to have rolled out the mat.
2. Before starting with the sun salutations I lie down on my back a block under my upper back. It's a passive back bending exercise. I breathe deeply. The breath prepares me.
3. The second pre-exercise is simply to hang forward. This stretches my hamstrings in a very soft way. I give myself time for it.

Usually I'm prepared for more after these two exercises and I want to practice.
So I did yesterday. My bf is at home, so I practiced one asana after the other without breaks. My practice shouldn't take longer than 3 hours! I was surprised what was possible, discomfort was felt, that's how it is. In sum I enjoyed my practice.

Also today it'll be the early afternoon when I'll step on my mat.
The Indian dinner at a friend's house was entertaining. We stayed longer than we thought we would. A man played guitar, another one played trompet. It was all not at all perfect but performed with so much joy that it was touching.
Life has priority. I'm happy that I can get up when I'm well-rested. After 7 hours I was out of the bed this morning.

In the kitchen I looked up to the cupboard and what was I happy that this huge bottle of Champagne had found a good day to end its life: New Years Eve. My bf even whispered in my ear: "It tastes good".
It's an ongoing process to make life simpler. This morning I went through one of the cupboard shelves to discard things. Why do I collect so many cotton bags? A few had to go.
I also found a candle. I have it for years. It's such a beautiful candle that I kept it in my cupboard. I found it too beautiful to burn it. But a candle lives to be burned. It's winter time and dark. Yep, this candle brought me joy already with its light.

Time to move on. I've energy and a long to do list. :)

Happy Monday.

Btw, I've also a blog on photography if this interests you. Here is the link.

The first asana

2012-01-01T12:59:00.000+01:00

Adho mukka svanasana or downward facing dog is the first asana that is held for 5 breaths.

It has started, the new year....

2012-01-01T10:56:00.000+01:00

I got up as wished. My alarm clock woke me up after 7 hours of sleep. I didn't switch it off, turned around and slept another hour. No, I got up, even though I still felt a bit tired. The cold shower was wonderful. After that I turned on the heater already. I want to have it warm. I so enjoy to be at home again.

At 2am yesterday night we remembered that we wanted to make some phone calls. Hahaha, we had forgotten this and 2am was too late. First we almost had forgotten to upload the battery of the mobile phone. On our way to the party we remembered that we wanted to make some phone calls at midnight, but we had forgotten the mobile phone. We walked back and picked it up. And then we forgot to call. Hahahaha.......

This huge bottle of Champagne "Henkel trocken", that I got to one of my last birthdays (my 50th to be precise) is empty now. I took it to the party. First everybody thought it would be too much, but when 8 people are together it's nothing. I'm glad that this huge bottle of bubble water is out of the house. It tasted good, we all liked it. That was the purpose of this beverage. Done.
And now back to an ascetic life.
I couldn't resist to step on the scales this morning: 46,4 kg. This is fantastic. It's a good start. If pashasana is not possible, then it's because of the breaks during our Christmas trip. It will be possible. Second series is on the schedule. Yep. I'm very motivated to do something for me. Sofa times are over.

The new year has started.....:) Wonderful.

Happy new year

2012-01-01T02:52:00.002+01:00

Happy new year.

My Canon beast took this picture at midnight and now it's almost 3am.
This is seldom that I'm up that long.

We forgot to make phone calls, hahahaha....it was entertaining at R's party.

I count. I give me 7 hours of sleep. At 10am I want to get out of bed, at 12am I want to be on the mat. Yes, on my luxury mat.

It was a good start.

Tomorrow I want to publish a picture with the topic: What the hell did I do last night?
Shall my subconsciousness work on this topic. I want to sleep now. Good night.

In Munich

2011-12-31T16:13:00.000+01:00

It was uncomfortable to drive home. A mixture of snow and rain came from heaven. We could only drive very slowly.

I'm amazed about my 85mm lens. This pictures was taken from the car. I looked to the right and click - this is the result. Not that bad is my opinion.

Ha, at home. First I turned on the heater. Then I unpacked my vegetables. Before cooking I must decide which music I'll turn on. And then I'll cut my carrots and red pepper and garlic. Thai food is our last dinner.

I wish you all a wonderful evening.
New Year wishes come tomorrow.

It's still the morning....

2011-12-31T10:27:00.000+01:00

It's 10:08am, I call it morning. I'll give him another 30 min of sleep as he went to bed late. Was it after midnight when he finally went to bed. Can be.

My mother has the geese already in the tube. Two big animals are stewing there.
We'll have vegetables. Yes, poor E. But I know better what is good for him and for me: carrots, red pepper, tofu. I got a salad yesterday from my mother with everything (except animal products of course). It's good not to compromise too much. The salad was fantastic.

If E will drive it's 2 hours, if I'll drive it's 3 hours till we'll be in Munich again.
I love my villa motley, indeed. It's tiny, but it's cosy and warm. I'm yearning for my luxury yoga mat, my mess, my bath tub, my own bed.

Time to wake up E.

Arrived

2011-12-30T21:10:00.000+01:00

It was an exhausting road trip. We left G's home much later than wished. It was the golden hour when we sat in the car. I had my camera handy and took pictures. My camera shows a beautiful Germany.

One night at my parents home and tomorrow we'll be in Munich again.

I'm looking forward to being at home again. My own bed, my yoga mat, what a luxury.
And my flat is super warm. :)

This counts.

2011-12-30T14:28:00.000+01:00

This counts: sun salutations, standing sequence, paschimottanasana and closing sequence is a practice.

It was so good and easier than I thought.

Yep. Tomorrow the same please. Then I'm ready for the new year.

Happy with the happenings?

2011-12-30T12:21:00.000+01:00

Bad question. Hahaha.....

In 2 hours we'll drive in the direction to Munich. 2 hours are available for sun salutations, showering and packing.

We have already invitations. The 31rd we'll go to a neighbor. She has invited some people, outgoing people, people who are interested in physics and esoteric. Hahaha, this is a good tension. I love it when my bf meets people who know what Maxwellsche equitation is. This will please him. R will buy Krapfen from the best bakery downtown. We'll bring Champagne and midnight is organised. The Krapfen will be our dessert.

And the next day she'll prepare an Indian dinner. This is also very good.

When I'll have the courage I'll ask if they like me to take pictures. I need models in the new year.

So time for some sun salutations. I so feel like moving. My body and my soul wither when I don't move and breath.

Shopping spree...

2011-12-29T20:04:00.000+01:00

It's a ritual to drive to Hannover between Christmas and New Year. Prices are low and so we found some goodies (shoes,scarves, nightdresses).

It shall not be that I practice. I miss it. Either I sleep too long or I think it's too cold, or my stomach is full or we drive downtown. The excuses are endless. It's good that I miss my practice.
My head is clear again. Might it happen that I find the way out of the bed early tomorrow.
After lunch we'll drive home. The first stage will be my parents again. On Saturday I'll be at home again. Yepeeeeeeee. How I will enjoy my tiny warm villa motely.

The planning of the New Year Eve menu is in full swing. I think of something Thai inspired. Yeah, I'll cook.

The last year makes it's last inhalings and exhalings. I can sense it. I'm ready for the new one. :)

Self-discipline in 10 days.....

2011-12-29T13:18:00.000+01:00

I'm a bit in a hurry now. 3 days are left in this old year to start and finish the book "Self-discipline in 10 days". It's btw a good book, excellent even. I started it and after a few chapters only I was so self-disciplined that I stopped reading and started acting. I got lazy again and now I want to start and finish it. If one works alone, if one is independant it's so important not only to dream but to act. Not to procrastinate IS important if one wants to accomplish something. I need more self-discipline. Hahahaha......

To keep going make things easier.

The correct counting in my Ashtanga practice is a pointer to get going. Too many breaks interrupt the flow. It's so much more difficult to stop and go, to stop and go, instead of being in the flow. When flowing the body becomes hot and soft and the mind has no time for redundant questions and jumping around to other topics. There is time for dreaming and thinking and worrying and being optimistic, too, but not when something shall be accomplished.

Oh, I know the theory.

So this yellow book is in front of me. I'll learn some new techniques and I'll be motivated for the new year.

Many bloggers look back. What has happened in 2011, they wonder.
I make it short. I had a lot of time for yoga, I had time for friends. I also worked on my projects (not enough). It was a good year. lol. It's as if I was sowing in 2011 and in 2012 I'll harvesting. I shall see, I'll let me surprise.

Also in the next year I want to practice Ashtanga yoga, I want to have time for friends and please I look to the ceiling, please, I look again to the ceiling, most good things shall come from above (not sure about this, lol), so please, shall my projects start flying. I want to do what is possible from my side.

It was a fight

2011-12-29T11:59:00.001+01:00

It was a fight between pain and tiredness yesterday night. Finally the pain in form of a headache faded and sleep could happen. Was I happy in the morning when I realized that I fell asleep finally. I had massaged my head for hours, it seemed so. It was more that I did anything. It was 11am when I opened my eyes, still a bit dizzy.

The very cold water in my face this morning was awesome.

Ah, my head is clear again. Life can go on.

I've a headache.

2011-12-28T22:41:00.000+01:00

...and no Aspirin here.
I move my head to the right and to the left. I breathe deeply, nothing helps. I role my head. And I hope that it disappears. This pain. In my head.

Never ever travel without Aspirin.

I sip water. Shall this help.

It distracts me, to write.

It develops to a migraine. I moan and curse.

The picture on this post represents winter for me. Darkness, uniformity.

Disappear you headache, hush, hush.......I want to sleep.

I like it.

2011-12-28T17:19:00.000+01:00

Yeah, I like it: my new pictures.

Yesterday E picked me up at the station. In front of the station was a Christmas market. We stopped there for a last glow wine for this year. An older couple asked if they could join us at our table. As soon as they settled down the woman started to tell what she didn't like. She didn't like to pay 150 Euro for a dinner at new year's eve. She didn't like to get home with the public transportation at night. If she had to do this the whole evening would have been spoiled for her. She went on and on.

- I've friends who only like dresses from a certain brand.
- Once a friend visited me and she only liked to walk on the one side of the street, not on the other side. One side seemed too tight, the other side seemed to be bright. It was very important to walk on the bright side.

The new medias enforce this simple thinking pattern. Every day I'm asked if I like a video, a picture, a statement, or simply the new profile picture of someone.

It is all very simple. This is indeed a bit too simple for me.

This question "do I like it?" might indeed even make sense from time to time to be able to make decisions. I prefer pastel shades to black. It helps me to make a quick decision what clothes to buy, to give only one ecample.
I experience an invasion of this question.

Often the likes and dislikes are learned. It can make sense to question them.
Best example is the weather. We all know what bad weather is. Even in the radio they speak about bad weather which is mainly rain and low temperature in Germany. In other regions of this world this is already different. An Indian friend of me likes the cold snowy weather here in Germany. Thinking of "bad weather" can spoil even a good mood. In my opinion this question doesn't make sense if it has so much influence on my well-being. I love the sentence: There is no bad weather, only bad clothes.

Sometimes it doesn't help to question why something is liked and why something is not liked.
Sometimes we have to accept our preferences. It will always be so that we like things and that we don't like other things. It depends how strong we're influenced by it.

As long as we live, our bodies will always show us limits, no matter how flexible we are. I think with the mind it's similar. It's possible to exercise the mind to become flexible, which means for me to see more aspects of the same thing.

We all have thinking patterns. It's surely interesting to examine those.
"I like it", "I don't like it" is only one approach to anything and it's a simple pattern. We all use it.

As mentioned already: Not only the body can become flexible, also the mind.
Why not approach anything with a new question?
Re a new difficult asana it's possible to ask how to learn it instead of asking if we like it or not.
Re the weather the question what to dress to feel good might be more helpful than to ask if we like it.
Every event has different sides. Why not finding out the best and the worst side of it.

Finding a new approach to life events is a training for the mind. Best is to write down the results.

The world is more colorful, it's not only black and white, it's not only "I like it", "I don't like it".

Practicing asanas keeps the body flexible.
Observing oneself and to look for thinking patterns and to add new ways of seeing things can make the mind flexible.

What are your favorite thinking patterns?

PS: To travel is in my view a good exercise to stay flexible.

Is that possible?

2011-12-28T12:07:00.001+01:00

We woke up at 11am. We couldn't believe the alarm clock. "Look at your watch", E said. It showed the same. This is impossible. We went to bed late, but not too late.
It should obviously be so that we sleep so long. E's brother didn't get up earlier, too. This must have something to do with the north. Once I've heard that everybody sleeps longer in the north of Germany. Wow a good excuse for not finding the way out of bed.

We must walk, we must. The weather is too good. The sun is shining. There is a sea very close and I want to use the weather for some nice pictures.

PS: That way my back bending won't improve. Hahahaha.......

On the road again.....

2011-12-27T11:22:00.000+01:00

"If you come earlier, we can be a bit longer downtown."

Yeah, I'll take a train earlier to the north of Germany to see my E. He loves my company.
We usually go downtown Hannover when I arrive. It's time for a last glow wine for this season and afterwards we usually have a tea in a café. It's the first day after the Christmas holidays and people exchange their presents in the shops. Some people buy new stuff as the prices are down on everything between Christmas and New Year.

5 more days in the old year.
I'm looking forward to the new year.
It's planned that I cook a Thai dinner on New Year's eve. It was my idea. Time comes to search some exciting recipes.

Focus and simplicity are the markers through the new year.

We eat early here for lunch. My mother prepared a very delicious salad.

It seems as if my mind is empty. I never understood why this shall be a goal. From time to time it might be relaxing not to think. In general I love my brain activities. One shall only not confuse it with the truth. It's entertainment, stories.

I trust.....

2011-12-26T15:30:00.001+01:00

At 10am I started my practice.
Today is Monday and Mondays are reserved for second series.
Not every practice is intensive, not every practice has highlights, but oh what was I happy that I practiced. It's good for me to move, I feel this. To sit on the sofa all day long and to interrupt this sofa time only to eat is exhausting for me. I need to move. Indeed my yoga practice became a need. It was not sure if I'd practice today. The beginning was difficult as it's much fresher here than at home or in the shala in Munich. I started and the freshness made me move. (It's only felt freshness. It's of course warm here.)

Every practice becomes easier when other parts of life support it: enough sleep, healthy food, optimistic attitude, daily practice help to perform these crazy asanas of Ashtanga yoga. Often we self-sabotage ourselves. Ashtanga yoga is a life-style and not only limited to a practice of 2 hours in the morning. But this develops with time. Practicing asanas has life-changing potential. We're not yet a yogi when we're able to spell the word. Or what I've read somewhere: there are practitioners of all levels.....:)
The photographers say: Do you still take snapshots, or do you already take pictures.
This might translate to the yogic life: Do you still practice "only" asanas or are you already a yogini? Also practicing asanas can be much more than forcing the body in a position. Combined with a deep breath and dristhi it can become meditative.

I'm relaxed and happy that I practiced after 3 days off.

Also tomorrow I'll have time for second series.
In the afternoon my round trip will continue. I'll travel to the north of Germany to see E and G and A......:)

Sofa time

2011-12-25T17:15:00.000+01:00

The birds flew away when they saw me with my camera. I had to move the curtain. They are so attentive. They realized at once that something was moving.There on this naked tree they felt safe. Hehe, I could capture them with my camera.

Another Christmas day is almost over. It seems to me as if it's all about eating. We're even watching a program on cooking and eating. It's interesting what these women create. Years of experience stands behind these meals.

Tomorrow I'll get back to a more modest life-style.

Simplicity!
Simplicity!
Simplicity!

Merry Christmas for everybody

2011-12-24T13:43:00.000+01:00

I hope that everybody can find some contentment.

It has been a long way......

2011-12-22T16:40:00.000+01:00

....to such a lovely practice like this morning (8 years of daily practice).

The joints felt as if they were just oiled. I felt strong. One asanas followed the next. Flow was experienced. Yep. It was a long way to that level. Nevertheless I'd say I've not yet left the basic challenges. It's close, perhaps 2 more years or one, and then I'll be able to jump forward AND backward without touching the floor with my feet. This is for me the moment where I think that the basic stuff is somehow understood. Learning never stops.

After 10 years it will become easier a friend once told me. She is so right.

At home I practice full vinyasas, a variation of how it's supposed to be. Grimmly draw my attention again to the book "Astanga yoga" by Lino Miele and Sri K. Patthabhi Jois. Here the first and second series is described with full vinyasas. I'll study it again a bit closer and next time I'll follow the instructions of the book. Also during the closing sequence one returns to samasthitih, again and again, i.e..

Prasarita padottanasana A through D are separated asanas. I even think that this makes sense. My experience is that for each asana the feet need to be in a different distance from each other. For the first asana they need to be closer together if I like to to keep the back straight. For C they need to be further away from each other when I want to take my hands down to the floor (not possible yet when I try it alone).

Doing all the vinyasas will make the practice a bit longer, for sure. I want to try it.

The picture is taken in Munich.

Still 10 days

2011-12-22T10:44:00.000+01:00

Yesterday was the last Mysore class for me in this year. The shala was crowded, almost like in India. The energy could be felt. Redundant to say that I loved this last Mysore class.
One month I'll be on my own now. Yes, indeed, it's that long. I'll not only be on my own, I'll have to practice on different places, at my parents home and at G's home. Getting out of the routines is always an exercise for the mind. It tests the level of flexibility that is possible. It shows also how important this practice is. If it's important it's also possible to practice, also if the rooms are a bit colder, also if the place is not so perfect. A few sun salutations count as a practice.

I know people who like Christmas, my bf i.e. He likes to be at my parents home and he likes to spend time with his mother. I love this attitude. Why not enjoying parts of the celebrations if the whole thing seems to be too big and hectic. This was (is) my mental exercise: I will focus on the things I like. This is for sure to have time with E. We had a coffee together outside.
I asked him: "What could I like about Christmas?"
He: "The presents you get." Hahaha, very true.

There are of course a few more things. The first glow wine on one of these Christmas markets is one of the things I like. To burn candles, to eat oranges, to knit are all habits that belong to that time, too and they come with the feeling joy.
I love to look back of the last year and I love to plan the new one.

A tip for being organized well:
I have a register in my calender for recipes and the ingredients that I need to prepare it. On my way home from yoga i.e. I can stop at a grocery store and buy exactly what I need. This saves time an money. In order to eat healthy one must cook. This is my experience.

Multi-tasking is out.
Focus has a lot of power.

Every practice has so many aspects: The asanas, the breath, the concentration, the vinyasas, the attitude, self-discipline to practice alone. One aspect is often easier than another aspect. My understanding of the asanas has deepened in the last years, so the performance. I'll shift my focus to the vinyasas and a concentrated practice. The correct vinyasa count seems to be a pointer to practice concentrated. It tells: practice without interruption. Don't procrastinate. Keep going. This also calms the mind. No time is created for thoughts like: OMG now kapotasana.......

Time to step on my mat. Primary is on the schedule.
Will it be the last practice at my home for this year? I think yes.

People at the door: No, I don't want to buy the Bible.

Inhaling, pause, exhaling, pause, inhaling.............

It's still before lunch

2011-12-20T10:13:00.005+01:00

I feel good after having slept very long. I cannot remember to have switched off my alarm clock which should have made me get out of the bed at 6am. When this happens I'm sure I needed that sleep.

The day yesterday was round. It started with a wonderful yoga practice in a Mysore class. I practice slowly these days. This makes a practice easier. But I also think that my breath became longer, which is good. A long breath is needed to come up from all the back bending asanas. To start the day with an excellent yoga practice is half of the rent for a good day. After yoga it's also lunch time already.
In the last year I focused on second series. Yes, I think the poses got all a bit better, but that's it. My fingers don't touch my toes yet when I practice kapotasana, I'm still not able to come up from urdhva dhanurasana. Mayurasana is somehow possible, also the headstands in the end are nice and handstands improved enormously. For me this is absolutely OK.
1. Firstly for me it's more important to practice intensively and focused than being able to jump easily from one asana to the next.
2. Secondly I think that if it's difficult to perform an asana the mind is challenged.
- I have to work on the attitude that a pose is possible.
- Perseverance is needed.
- I work on a relaxed state of mind.
- Frustration is observed from time to time, but it has no influence on my behavior. It comes and goes.
3. My mind has the task to understand a pose precisely when I cannot perform it quickly. I've enough time to study it closely. Tiny steps finally lead to an improvement. My ability to learn improves that way.

After my yoga practice I picked up my E for lunch. He's on holidays already. We went to a tiny Italian restaurant round the corner. The owner of this tiny Italian restaurant has renovated the rooms. Sometimes one reaches the opposite of what one wishes. These green walls are ugly. The dark mirrors on the walls shall make the room larger, but it has the big disadvantage that one person always sees himself/herself in an ugly shaded mirror. The mirrors are too dark to make the room look bigger. The bench on the wall is too high (and green, too), higher than the chairs. So one person sits now higher than the other, this is not good. In addition I fell forward. I changed the seat, but the owner wanted me to change it again as she feared that people who will enter the restaurant will push me. My back showed towards the entrance door, which is not a nice feeling. The chair was more comfortable. There is an open window to the kitchen now. The relationship to the people in the kitchen (one cook is the ex from the woman) is tense sometimes (like everywhere) and now all the guests here the cursing. "Shit", we could all hear her saying, why ever. This dirty green everywhere is so ugly and all the beautiful black and white pictures, presents from guests, are eliminated. Yeah, it's difficult to preview the results of our actions, it's impossible so to say.

In the evening I could cross out some items on my list.
- I bought the filofax sheets for my calender 2012
- I bought the accu for my camera, a present from my parents to me.
Redundant to mention that I've found another book for myself and also a pair of trousers for at home (needed that).

All my energy was evaporated when it was evening. I feel refreshed now, how good.

An email of one of my best friends arrived me yesterday. She wrote in capital letters. DEAR URSULA, I WON'T MANAGE IT TO COME TODAY. Every year we meet for a glow wine on one of the Christmas markets. Not this year. Stay cool, I wrote her back, let's meet next year. Times are hectic before Christmas.

Today the shopping spree continues.
For me it's like a modern Koan: what to give to people who have everything, wish nothing, nevertheless they expect something (material).
It's again me who gets the most presents. I had wishes. Haha. Nevertheless, I think I'd be happy if this Christmas would be reduced to one good meal together with friends or family. It needn't to be Christmas eve, first Christmas day, second Christmas day. And all this hunting for presents is too much. But perhaps people need these days off to travel to their beloved ones. We too, we've to travel.
I will survive also this Christmas. I feel also a bit unthankful because everybody puts so much effort in this big big celebration and I don't appreciate it so much, because I want less less less.

The best Christmas presents that I found is the one for my brother and his wife: It's a book about hens, "crazy hens" it's called. I didn't now that there exists so different hens and they are so beautiful and crazy, too. I know now from where it comes if someone calls someone a crazy hen.
The feathers of these hens inspire me for outfits for the next year, hahahha.....

It's planned to practice. A sweaty practice makes every day better.

PS: I love daily life.

Attitude

2011-12-19T07:51:00.000+01:00

To think that one can everything can be a learning block like the opposite approach that one thinks that things are not possible.

Self-study is a must.
So far I haven't found a better self-studying tool but taking picture of myself and filming myself.

A simple smile eases a too ambitious approach to everything, also to a yoga practice.

For me a yogini works also on a relaxed attitude (not "only" to perform the asanas).

Likes and dislikes, success and failure belong together, they are only opposite sides of the same coin.

My second cup of coffee is next to me. It shall warm me. It's winter time, it's cold here. A thin snow cover is everywhere. I feel reluctance to go out to a Mysore class, but I know how good it will be for me. I go, of course.

I like it, I don't like it, I like it, I don't like it..........is a very simple thinking pattern to view the world. I have enough of it now. As if this is the only decision one has to do when seeing anything, feeling anything, hearing anything. Do I like it?

Time to shower. I don't like it. lol.

Six more days till Christmas.....

2011-12-18T14:10:00.001+01:00

......I hope that we'll drive home to my parents the 23rd or the 24th and not earlier. I need the time here to close the last year. I feel hectic, perhaps because so many people are running around and perhaps because my to do list is still so long and perhaps because it's a learned habit.

It's 2:04pm and we had breakfast. lol.

This old year has still 13 more days. I want to celebrate New Year evening at home. If this will be possible depends on the weather (as every year). When the streets will be icey ans full of snow we'll be stuck in the north of Germany. Before worrying about this it makes more sense to focus on the next action.

I've still one hour and then I want to go to a led class. Yesterday I didn't practice. Time is running through my fingers. On my desk is a yellow book that is smiling at me every day. It's called "Self-discipline in 10 days" and it's byTheodore Bryant. It would be good to finish it till the 31st of December.

Enough written here, enough. Tonight I want to be able to cross out some items on my list.

I start hiding myself

2011-12-17T17:19:00.000+01:00

This new Facebook timeline thing killed my time.

Facebook introduced the new timeline format. From the 24th December on everybody will have it. I switched today to see what it is. And it drove me crazy. Suddenly all my likes were visible to everybody, not only which pages I like, but also which links I like, which is much more detailed. It's even allocated to the time when I clicked on the like button.

- This makes the first page of my Facebook account a mess.
- In addition I don't like to show publicly all these posts which I might have even "liked" as a matter of politeness or because I had a crazy day and I liked everything on that day.

One by one I made these likes of links visible for friends only. It took hours, but I think it was necessary. I couldn't see how I could do this faster. Thinking about this timeline and getting furious about this disrespect to publish things that were private so far, I also started hiding my other likes (books that I've read, movies that I've seen, activities that I prefer).
Now too events are shown on that timeline:
- First is that I was born.
- Second is when I joined Facebook. Hahahaha......Indeed relevant events.

It seems to me that the society divides into two main groups. Those who avoid and even fear the social media like the devil in person.
The second group doesn't care at all.

I still think that the first Facebook page gives a first impression of a person.
Do I really want that everybody (those who like me, those who don't, my stalkers, my former colleagues, my neighbors, all people around the globe no matter which age, religion or attitude, those who I've blocked (also this was necessary already) and and and) can find out within 5 minutes that I liked "I'm a star get me out of here?" in January 2010? My clear answer is: NO.
I've another imagination how I want to present myself on a first encounter. I don't want to tell my entire life story or what Facebook thinks what it is, including whom I know, what I've read, which music I like, which movies I've seen, what activities I prefer within no time.
Shall people take their time to get to know me, if they want this. Yep.
I discover the art of hiding.
I discover the art of slow approaching each other.

Most people want quick satisfaction. More fun are those pleasures that come with a story, that need time to develop.
Example 1: To stop at a bakery to eat that cake might stop feeling this hunger hole in the stomach quickly. I prefer to go go to a market to buy fresh ingredients and to prepare a meal which tastes much better at the end.
Example 2: To walk up a mountain and to see the view after hours of sweating is much more satisfying than to take the lift and to be up the hill within 15 min. The view is the same, the feeling is different.
Example 3: What a joy is it when after 8 years of exercising and trying it, finally one can stand on the hands only in the middle of the room. Ahhhhh...........
I know further examples, shall this be enough.

Taking time for things and people is not popular. I want it now and at once is what seems so attractive. It isn't. Not always.

New things will always come. I regret that new features are often so inflexible.
We've changed in the last decades. Privacy means something different for the single person of today. Nevertheless it's still something that we shall respect.

My Facebook page shall be more private. It gives me room to express my feelings and things I don't want to share with everybody. Hahaha, poor friends.
On Google+ I'm connected with photographers and yoginis. There people share their work and passion, not so much the daily this and that.
Twitter became a simple marketing tool for me.

It's evening now and I curse. At least I know what killed my time.
I love these social media, but I also think one has to know how one wants to use them.

Signed by an extroverted person.
Being open doesn't mean that it's fun to walk naked on the road all the time. Brhhhhhhh, it's winter time.

Comments are very welcomed.
I love to hear how you find it.

On the mat I forget my self-made issues.

2011-12-16T17:46:00.005+01:00

When I'm on the yoga mat I forget what else I have to do, what else I have to buy. I'm focused. It counts my back bending, it counts how I balance, it counts how I bend forward, I listen to my breath, I feel the stretching discomfort, but this is it. What a relief. Issues disappear. They are all self-made.
To keep this coolness is it.

I'm sitting on my chair and I'm typing in my PC like a wild one.
What is done, what do I still have to do, is the question.
I ran around today.
1. I have a Christmas present for my mother. It's something for the ever-young skin how the salesperson presented the lotion the other day. I could smell that he has had some alcohol, it was 10am in the morning. I'm not a moral person.
2. I have a Christmas present for my father. It's something sweet for his tongue. It's a Sautern. He'll love it.
3. I found a book about hens for my brother and his wife. I wanted to see the hens by myself, hahaha. But they have indeed hens in the garden. They have so awesome hens. They eat their eggs. I hope they love the book, I'm sure they will. The pictures are fantastic. (sorry I respect the copyright). I've pictures of hens, too, see above. Seven little ones are under the feathers, please have a look at the feet. It's a hen from Kauai.

What I still need:
1. Something for E. I had an idea. In that wine shop the man offered me a Sautern from 2001. It costs 100,--. I asked my E if he'd liked it. Oh, he gave me an extra kiss. "Is it worth it", he asked me. Sometimes we ask ourselves: is it worth it. I.e. we see a nice tree while on the road in the car. "Look", I say or he says it, when he sees something nice. Shall we take a picture, we wonder. Is it worth it, we ask ourselves? (In 95% it's worth it.)
2. I need something for E's mother.
3. I need something for his brother. They both have always most wonderful presents for me. E must help me here.

4. I need to buy a substitute battery for my camera. This is what my parents like to give me.

5. This is not a present, but I need a new calender for 2012. I use filofax, I couldn't find the right one today. It's always time-consuming to look for such things.

6. Missed deadlines often means that one has more time for the same task. Tomorrow I have to write a letter. It will need some time for it. It's doable. Yes, it is.

Shall I please also manage it to practice yoga and to do some chores tomorrow. A few days are still left till Christmas. Inhaling, exhaling. All this hectic and in a few days I'll do nothing else but to hang around on sofas.

Goals for 2012

2011-12-15T22:45:00.000+01:00

Btw, my last post was the 5,555th one. :)

My goals for 2012:
1. To maintain a daily Ashtanga yoga practice, 3 times minimum and 6 times maximum seems realistic for me. I'll practice twice primary and 4 times second series.
2. I cannot imagine that it's realistic to add extra sessions to work on the asanas and vinyasas that need extra attention. What seems doable is to repeat asanas during my home practices.
- Repetitions from 3 through 5 times is not too much.
- To hold the asanas for 8 breaths is another method I can apply.
- Pre-exercises are helpful, too.

Re primary it's the vinyasas and upavistha konasana, supta parsvasahita and to stand up from urdhva dhanurasana that needs attention.
Re second series it's kapotasana, pincha mayurasana, karandavasana and the tick tocks that I want to intensify.
3. I want to film the asanas, all of them, and I want to take fresh pictures of the asanas. It's one of the best learning tools I know.
4. How often and when do I like to exercise pranayama and meditation? I'll reflect on it.
5. Visualization shall accompany my practices. It seems to make more sense to visualize asanas or vinyasas than to add another session of practice. It's an exercise for the mind, shall I not neglect the mind, haha.
6. 45 kg. Nothing supports a practice more than this: 47kg pashasana is possible, 46kg all the leg behind head poses become easier if not easy and 45kg made me always experience deep deep back bending asanas. Being consequent with a vegan diet is the secret here.

What else........
It could be fun to go to other studios who offer classes, just to see what's going on in the Munich Ashtanga community. My experience is that one gets often more feed-back in classes than in workshops. Other yoga styles don't interest me anymore. All the music is only a distraction from what is important: to feel oneself and to listen to the breath.

This is a draft. I wrote down what came into my mind. I'll surely rethink it.

It seems as if I work on things.
But finally it's more to be ready and to be open and transparent for what shall happen!!!

(I love to plan, hahaha. It's a favourite occupation of my mind.)

Pssssst......

2011-12-15T16:06:00.000+01:00

Not the asanas are the true challenge, but the vinyasas, the movements that connect the asanas.

Picture is taken at the Chirstmas party yesterday.

I can cross out

2011-12-15T14:35:00.000+01:00

1. I picked up a prescription
2. and bought the L-Tyroxin (I had to go to 2 drug stores). Nothing is done quickly
3. I've a new spectacle box, the old one wasn't to close anymore
4. I had a healthy lunch.

I walked in the cold what felt wonderful after the Christmas party last night.

5. I wrote my journal, I read something uplifting

Whenever anything is done, I'm happy and relieved. Most tasks need longer than I think they would.

Next activity is to vacuum, it's overdue.

Gifted bodies - the Christmas party

2011-12-15T08:20:00.000+01:00

During the show nobody was allowed to take pictures. So I could focus 100% to watch it.

Wow. The dance group came from Australia. The music, the dance, the acrobatic pleased me a lot. The golden 20s were simulated. The show was body art with a tiny bit of S/M touch. Or how shall I interpret it when a woman is dancing in high heels on the body of a man in underwear. Shoes played an important role, mainly those which are not really made for walking.
A striptease of a man was also part of the show. Yep, we saw a most awesome male body.
One man was performing his show blindly on a rope at the peak of the tent, sort of pole dancing perhaps.
There was nothing that did not please me. Indeed I saw an exciting performance yesterday.
It was one of the best Christmas parties for a long time.

Yeah, yeah, we had good seats, too.
Headstands, side and forward splits seemed to be so easy for the one woman. It's a piece of cake I thought, look. I know that I'll change my opinion as soon as I'll be on the mat trying the headstands by myself.

Primary today.

Everything still calm here

2011-12-14T08:15:00.000+01:00

The pre-Christmas time always seems to be a bit hectic. I wonder from where all the people come whom I see downtown. They push, pull faces, hunt presents, eat, drink, push again...........The subway is crowded these days. I consider to walk to the station.

Yesterday a reader commented that she eats an apple a day for 40 years. This is impressive. A wonderful habit. I'll substitute my banana with an apple. This happened already today.
What good habits do I have for so long?
I have one. After each warm shower I shower cold. This is so refreshing and good for the skin. I started this when I was 19.
Do you also have a good habit for such a long time?

Since a decade I write on a daily basis. This is also a good habit. If I wrote only when I had something interesting to say, I wouldn't write. Not each post is exciting or interesting or gives new insights. Some posts might even be boring or embarrassing. This is part of it.
It's the same with yoga. If I'd only practice if I feel good and if it's warm, I wouldn't practice daily. Today I feel slight resistance to go to a Mysore class, but I'll go. I know I'll feel good afterwards.

There is a to do list:
- shopping for Christmas presents
- 2 phone calls
- picking up a prescription
- cleaning - I want to leave these holy walls clean when I leave them for the annual Christmas trip to my parents and then to E's mother where E and she will await me already.

At 5pm I must be ready for the Christmas party. E will pick me up. This year we'll see a show. Dinner is offered, too. Of course there is no Christmas party without food. Yeah, I'm looking forward to it.

It's still time to enjoy the calm morning. I'm showered already and deodorized ( a new vocabulary, hahaha), I'm sipping my second cup of coffee. Soon I'll be ready for the public.

Yoga is a practice for the mind, too. It's a concentration exercise. I'll concentrate on my even breath during the Mysore class.
Nothing needs to be done, all will happen as it shall happen.

Time to move on.

Core postures of second Ashtanga series

2011-12-13T15:55:00.001+01:00

Just had to look up the core postures of the second Ashtanga series (in the book by Matthew Sweeney "Astanga yoga as it is".):

1. pashasana ( a deep twist)
2. kapotasana (a deep deep back bending asana)
3. dwi pada sirsasana ( a deep forward bending asana. It's doable for me, but it can improve, of course)
4. karandavasana (a balancing asana)

There is a lot of wonderful work to do.

I pause...

2011-12-13T15:19:00.001+01:00

I pause.
Have I accomplished anything so far, I wondered? I have.
1. We, my E and myself had breakfast outside.
2. I've already a Christmas present for my mother. She mentioned a wish. Of course I also found a parfume for myself (Zen by Shiseido)
3. I picked up a book on photography, that I had ordered.
4. Grocery shopping is done. My better-half wants to lose weight. "Do you think we can lose 1 kilo in the next 2 days?" he asked me this morning. He always speaks of "we" when he wants to lose weight, lol. Yes, we can. I've ingredients for a salad here. I could write only about weight and food. Every day. This is an on-going topic in the Western world as basic as it might be.

5. As I feel so busy these days I had lunch in a new restaurant round the corner. They offer dark beer. This will interest E. This Italian restaurant has the potential to become a favorite place.

6. My boots need to get repaired. They are in the make now and some summer shoes, too.

I got a question about my book? No stress please. It's not forgotten. It's construction in repair. I'll get back to it.

This all sounds as if it's not much, but it is, with all the commuting.

In addition I wrote my journal like every day. I read 2 chapters in the book "Confessions of a public speaker" by Scott Berkun which is entertaining and uplifting.
A letter is written and sent.

Sigh.
I can't help, so is my life. It's fun, I love it, but sometimes I've the feeling time is running through my fingers. I care less when I was busy. What shall happen, will happen.

What comes next:
I'll clean the floors and I'll iron.

My practice had to wait today: I'm much more relaxed now with all the things done already. My trips lately reminded me to stay flexible. On the road one has to be flexible. When at home one can create very strict routines. Routines help in general to accomplish things. If they are too strict they can become stressful, too. As long as I practice 3 times a week my world shall be OK.
It's not night yet and I feel like practicing.