Unplugged

As I started to construct a new 'practice schedule' after completing my month at Hot Central, I knew one thing for certain: I wanted a day off, a real, genuine day OFF. Last year, I was teaching 7 days a week; there wasn't a single day that I wasn't doing something yoga related, whether teaching or a vigorous practice. It was wearing me out!

Late last year, I *finally* cleared my Sundays. With a work-free day available, I've decided that henceforth, Saturday will be a practice day and Sunday will a rest day (it's not the Astanga standard, but very little of my practice is these days). I often do a bit of yoga on my day off, but it's usually Yin or Restorative - something low key. I've decided that's allowable in my new scheme.

But I decided to add another, somewhat contentious, element to this day of rest: no work-work (business-related/cleaning/errands; with fun personal projects excepted) and NO INTERNET.

Originally, the plan was for 'no computers or internet' but since I've gone 'paperless', much of my life now revolves around the screen. My journaling is done on computer, my magazines live there and even many of the books and articles I read are electronic (what I can't get at the library, I buy on my Kindle).

As I moved through my Sunday, I was amazed by how often I referenced something on the iPad, even without Internet available. I keep a dream journal, jot down quotes, look up recipes, maintain a list of 'books read' and 'books I want to read', and use a meditation timer.

So, what did I actually DO with my work-and-internet-free day? Lots! I read, read, read, mostly. I finished *two* books and started two others, which kind of amazes me. I also took Princess Fur for two long walks, enjoyed a hot bath and visited my favourite South Indian restaurant for lunch. I cleaned out a bathroom cabinet, drank lots of decaffeinated-green-tea-chai and took an afternoon nap. I did some restorative yoga and meditated.

I broke my own rules and did a tiny bit of work that I had forgotten to finish yesterday and, of course, I'm writing this blog post. But frankly, I'm astounded by how much 'free time' I liberated simply by turning off the cellular connection on my iPad. No tweets, no RSS feeds, no email. I miss it, but I kinda don't miss it.

Verdict? It was great and I plan to make it a weekly event.


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That precious extra hour

Home practice is harder than going to a class because I have to find a way to coax myself onto the mat every morning, but I forgot about one of the big fringe benefits: time.

Going to Hot Central daily was time consuming! The commute was about 10 minutes (yeah, decadent, I know!) but in order to get into the class, get a good spot in the yoga room and a convenient shelf in the change room, I had to get there 20 minutes early.

Once class was over, I had no time for for Savasana because I needed to make a quick exit. I had exactly 15 minutes to get out of the room, shower, dress, dry my hair, slap on some makeup, pack my sopping wet clothes/yoga towel/mat into bags and jet for the subway in order to make it to my noon class on time.

Each morning was a frantic marathon and when I *finally* found myself on the subway, sipping Emergen-c and eating my oatmeal, I felt a tangible sense of relief. After dragging that knapsack full of wet stuff plus a heavy mat around the city for hours, I hauled it all home and dedicated another half-hour to bucket-laundry.

And then, I could eat lunch, maybe take a nap, tend to Princess Fur and head off to my evening classes.

I did this for 30 days. Phew!

Home practice has given me this: Less laundry to do and over an *hour* of free time in the morning to sip tea, eat breakfast, check email and blog. I sit in the window seat with my hands wrapped around my warm tea cup and gaze out at the morning light streaming over the city. I cuddle Princess Fur. I read. I day dream.

Then I finish my bucket laundry and carry on, business as usual. Such a small thing, but it feels so precious!


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Day 2 of my full Astanga practice: My right shoulder is a tiny bit tender, particularly pressing back to Adho Mukha Svanasana from Urdhva Mukha. But it's not agonizing.

Headstand feels perfectly solid again. Urdhva Dhanurasana is uncomfortable, but I hold the backbends and breath, walk my hands in more each time. I'm toughing it out. My shoulder is a bit uncomfortable, but nothing dire.

Overall, aside from my vinyasas (I'm not doing jumps, but stepping my feet forward and back), my practice feels stronger than ever.

Tomorrow, I'm going to an evening hot class at Hot Central. I'm on the fence about Saturday. I may actually opt to do Astanga on that day. I'd like to try for a four-day week and see how it goes.




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Bhujapidasana, where are you?!

Well, THAT was interesting! It appears I owe a debt of thanks to Mr. Bikram for keeping my Astanga practice *completely* intact as I rested my shoulder.

I did my full practice this morning and was able to do every single pose to the full expression I was capable of, pre-injury. This includes *all* the binds in the Maris and Supta Kurmasana. In fact, my bind in Supta K is actually more solid than it was before! Keep in mind, many of these binding poses were impossible with the shoulder injury, so clearly some healing has happened.

I have a bit of a confession though: after my fourth or fifth Bikram's class, I noticed my hips tightening up, so I added a series of hip openers to my pre-class routine. I think this was really good for me and had the intended effect. Even Baddha Konasana was easy peasy.

Not surprisingly, I was solid as a lampost ("Unbroken! I have no knee!") in Uttita Hasta Padangusthasana and I'm now the World Champion of Lifting My Heels in Kurmasana (there was a lot of heel lifting going in those Bikram's classes).

But there were a few surprises, too. Navasana is *very* strong. Chakrasana is smooth and effortless. And I can pop right up into Urdhva Mukha Paschimottanasana and straighten my legs without falling over (this is NEW!). I was going to give my new-found Super Bandhas credit for this, but Uth Pluthi still sucks so I guess it will remain a mystery.

Headstand is solid, but I'm just a bit nervous in it. I can still hold the pose for a couple minutes, though, and half-bend wasn't a problem. I think the nervousness is my just brain being silly.

That terrific breathing-during-backbends habit I developed in Bikrams carried through to Urdhva Dhanurasana today, but I know I've lost strength and flexibility in the pose. That's okay, though - it will come back with some practice. I'm hoping the breathing will stick around and maybe the new openness in my back (developed doing hangbacks into Ustrasana every day) will eventually translate in the pose.

I also did my Intermediate series poses. They felt strong and effortless and I've actually gained some ground in Laghu Vajrasana. But I expected this, given the spine-strengthening component of Bikram's. Also: No knee pain in Dhaurasana!

In my entire practice today, there was only one pose that was a big 'fail' and that was Bhujapidasana. I came into it awkwardly and just barely managed to get the crown of my head on the floor. But even with the strength and Bandha awareness I had gained over the past month, this pose was a complete mystery to me. This makes me wonder if it's more about physical mechanics and 'getting the knack' rather than specific strengths. Of all the poses of Primary, this is the one that suffered the most for lack for practice.

My practice took just over 90 minutes this morning, which was also a nice surprise. I've decided to stick to more-or-less the same morning routine because it was really working for me. I'll get up at the same time and hit the mat by 8:30 a.m.

I'm planning to do my full Astanga practice again tomorrow, but on Friday I'll be heading back to Hot Central for the Pine Nut's evening class. I may do Jivamukti on Saturday and I'm planning a bit of Yin on Sunday. Back to Astanga on Monday. I won't be doing a six-day practice, but I will be trying to do as much Astanga as my body can handle.







The sky through my kitchen window, just after I wake at 7 a.m.

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Committed and Diligent

I was sorting through more papers over the weekend, scanning and recycling and occasionally perusing the stuff as it passed through my hands.

I spontaneously decided to scan some old 'running logs' because at the time, they were the only 'journal' I was keeping. I didn't only write about running. I wrote about the sites I was working on (I was a professional field archaeologist), parties I attended, friends, current events and the things I noticed on my runs. I was a careful observer of the people I saw out and about in my neighbourhood, renovations, roadwork. All of the changes. The logs remind me a bit of what I do here, on this blog.

They've also reminded me that although I'm 15 years older and the cells in this body of mine have regenerated two-fold, my core personality is much the same. The space in my life that yoga now fills was once occupied by running. I often ran daily (with one rest day - usually Sundays). I had a steady routine, covered the same routes, mused over my progress (speed, mileage mostly) exactly the same way I do in my yoga practice. I set goals. I was committed and diligent.

Before that, it was music. I went to university on a music scholarship (Jazz) but for fun, I played the Sousaphone in the marching band. I didn't have the opportunity to learn a musical instrument from an early age like most people because I grew up on a boat; there was no space for instruments. Instead, I had to pick up musical skills quickly as a teen but I was adaptable and I practised daily in order to match my peers.

I was never a *great* tuba player, but I was a enthusiastic average one. And I was relentlessly reliable. I learned and memorised the music, committed the marching sequences to memory (I was always a good marcher, competent at anything that required me to move my body around in space) and I always knew where I was supposed to be in relation to those hash marks. I never missed a rehearsal and was always on-time. Even if I wasn't a Sousaphone Supertalent, I could always be counted on to play my part.

These are all qualities I like about myself and I'm glad I've retained them, expanded upon them and grown my yoga practice through them. When I arrived for my very first class at Hot Central, I'm sure the Mixed Nuts never thought I would be there steadily and reliably for 30 days (I think they might just figuring it out now).

It's not a '30 Day Challenge' for me. It's just the way I roll.




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Why, yes! I did, in fact, do some Astanga over the weekend. Full report on that, along with some Bikrams practice reports AND an account of the colourful bruise on my knee coming tomorrow.

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Buried in paper

I'm kind of astounded by how easily I've adapted to a later schedule. This morning, I slept until the alarm and got up groggily at 7 a.m.! I now walk the dog at the same time I always did, but now I'm walking her *before* I do my practice instead of *after*. Everything is topsy-turvy!

I've discovered that if I'm not exhausted from rising early, I can be marvelously productive at night! The hours between 7 and 10 have been busy and energetic. The past two nights, I've been up past 11, working on 'Project Paperless'. I started this in the Fall and I thought I would be finished by the New Year.

Ha, ha, ha!

Clearly, I underestimated how much PAPER I've collected over the past 40 years! Although I've made substantial progress with it (I just
gave away my two-drawer filing cabinet!), there's still loads of stuff to sort through and scan, including 20 years of paper Journals, boxes of photos and possibly my tax records (still checking to see if scans are an acceptable record for those).

The work is strangely satisfying. When I dump my recycling in the big blue bin off the loading dock after a weekend of sorting and scanning, I heave a huge sigh of relief and I feel lighter.



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I went to the morning class at Hot Central this morning. It wasn't a huge class, which surprised me (I thought Sundays would be busier). I'm hoping that these morning classes continue to be a bit smaller. The room is always less oppressive with fewer bodies.

The temperature was absolutely perfect! I was hot. I was sweating buckets. But I didn't want to DIE.

The instructor was really good. She's a relative newbie to teaching, but she delivered the instruction clearly and with added alignment information, which I appreciated. Sometimes these Bikram instructors spit out the dialogue (they teach from a memorised 'script') like an auctioneer. It was nice to be able to understand exactly what was being said.

I didn't skip any poses today and my backbends were much, much better. I guess I'm going to have good-backbend-days and bad-backbend-days, just like in my Astanga practice!

Yoga is yoga is yoga. Different form, same hangups! Who knew?

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Astanga

Back to Astanga today, though I only had time for Half-Primary. That was enough. Given the number of classes I'm teaching today (three, which isn't so unusual, but I'm out of shape for it), I wanted to conserve some energy.

I've been getting a bit disgusted with the whole 'morning sloth' thing I have going lately. Usually, I'm an early riser in the summer months, but not this year (I don't think I've seen a single sunrise). In the past month, I've been particularly bad, sleeping in and spending way too much time mucking around on the computer in the mornings. To be honest, I really don't have time for this now. My fall schedule is kicking in in a big way and soon I'll be teaching a *lot*. I need to get back into some kind of normal, productive routine.

Starting today. *gulp*

This morning, I woke at 7, checked email and finished some work, then I walked up to the Big Park with the dog. A round-trip walk takes just under an hour. I didn't practice in the park (too chilly out). After my walk, it was a very easy transition to immediately unroll my mat and dive into practice. Ah, the magic of momentum! My motor was already revved up.

This seems like a good routine to establish. I'll tackle it one day at a time. Tomorrow is next!

Vinyasa

I had a better practice today. It poured all day, but by early evening, the sky was clear and the ground was dry. I went to the park and did a super-fun vinyasa style practice, one that I've been sharing with my intermediate/advanced students this week.

I began with sun salutations and a few of the Astanga standing poses. Then I moved into a sequencing that peaked with a modified Galavasana (by the way, why does one side feel great in this pose and the other feels like it will sever my tricep?! *ouch*). After that, another vinyasa sequence: Utthita Trikonasana to Ardha Chandrasana, standing splits into Parivritta Ardha Chandrasana. Then I did some seated poses, picking and choosing the ones I particularly like (read: arm balances). I closed with headstand and Savasana.

It was about 45 minutes, but it was exactly what I needed. I taught a class right afterward which was like icing on the cake. I've been feeling a little bit glum over the past few days and today in particular. Part of this may be due to lack of sleep, and also my Lady's Holiday is coming up. I felt my spirits lift this evening and it was a relief.

I find that it's hard to get back into my Astanga practice when I've taken a break from it. I realise that it's not advisable to *never* take a break (that's why it's a 6-day practice, after all). I just need to find a way to integrate regular breaks into my practice while still maintaining my momentum. It may be as simple as designating a regular day off (like I really should be doing, according to the traditional practice).

One day a week of Hatha or Yin would be good for me. Or maybe I could find a fun class somewhere and make it a weekly event.

Hatha

Today was one of those days that spiralled out of control. And it wasn't a particularly *good* day either.

I was stuck downtown all day because I had an afternoon meeting. I ended up eating terrible food - both in taste and content - that was also stupidly expensive (Note to self: egg salad and smoked salmon? NOT a good combination).

Though the meeting went seemingly went well, it was troubling on a subtle level, which caused me to mentally gnaw at it for the rest of the afternoon.

The movie, Harry Potter, was a highlight though. I'm rarely able to sit still for more than an hour without fidgeting or getting up. That film was over two hours long but it didn't feel like it. I was thoroughly riveted. When it ended, I scrambled for for my watch in disbelief, saying “Already!?” I couldn't believe that the time had passed so quickly! I've read all the books and seen all the films, so I'm already a fan, but I thought that this movie was exceptionally good, beyond the usual 'Harry Potter' effect.

I went out for a big sushi supper afterward which was fun, but which ruled out any kind of yoga class (I'm hopeful about making it to some classes next week). In the end, I went home and did a half-hour of gentle Hatha Yoga after my food had digested a bit. Whenever I do a practice like this, it doesn't feel genuine; like I carelessly tacked it on to the end of my day. I felt like I was 'getting it over with' and I felt bad about that.

A return to morning practice would easily solve this dilemma, but it's not practical right now. This is a challenge to daily practice: keeping it 'real' when life gets in the way.

Day 48

New house rule: No Internet until I'm through with yoga and my walk. I got sucked into the black hole of Facebook this morning and started my practice 15 minutes late. Time just seemed to get away rom me this morning. It felt particularly fleeting (but slowed WAY down, once I got to work!)

I had to cut out at Navasana in order not to be late. I cut my walk a few minutes short too. I did do closing sequence, but cut out a few poses.

I felt generally sore and stiff this morning. My knees are bothering me again. My back is cranky and I noticed that shoulderstand and Halasana were particularly uncomfortable. I think that poor, maligned Supta Konasana (which I skipped, since I ended at Navasana) is a actually a good preparation for shoulderstand work in the closing sequence. I guess I should appreciate it more!

My balance was a bit better this morning, but I still didn't feel very stable in the standing poses. All of this is probably an adjustment to doing the practice immediately after waking. Those first few sun salutations are mentally painful!

Day 47

I slept very poorly last night. In fact, I woke in the middle of the night and when I couldn't go to sleep, I gave up and got up. I caught up on some work that needed to be done and ate a banana. I finally got back to sleep, but not for very long.

When I looked outside at 4:45 this morning, I realised that sunrise is getting later and later. This morning, the sun came up at 6:12. It was cloudy this morning, so the dark seemed even darker to me. My neighbourhood is pretty safe, but I don't feel comfortable going out walking in the darkness. I decided it was time to flip-flop my morning schedule: yoga first, then my walk (usually, I walk first).

This means that fifteen minutes after I awoke, I was doing yoga. I wasn't sure how this would feel, particularly given that I only slept for four hours. But it was fine. I was no stiffer than usual, though I did find that my concentration (particularly on breath) was scattered and balancing in poses was a challenge.

My walk afterward was great - It was a pleasure to be in the park at sunrise and see the rosy clouds overhead. I wish I could find a way to integrate some meditation into this schedule too, without getting up earlier. My mornings are already jam-packed and I do as much as possible to prepare the night before.

Day 45

I can be dense sometimes, but even I can read the writing on the wall when it's as clear as it was on Friday morning: I needed a break. So I took one on Saturday. That day could best be described in one word: “Sleep.” I woke late (for me, at least - 7 a.m.), went for a walk, then rode my bike downtown to teach my noon class. Then I came home and went to sleep.

And I slept, and slept. I woke around six-ish and went out for the evening, but even with all that napping, I was still able to drop into bed, dead exhausted, and fall asleep immediately around midnight. I simply needed the rest.

I practised this afternoon and the quality of my practice was in marked contrast to Friday. I was full of energy, felt strong and fluid and focused. I had my best Primary Series in ages. My knees feel great and I did all of the Marichyasanas! My back was happy and I gratefully fell into deep forward bends. I soared into three open, joyful backbends.

My hamstrings were flexible. I am SO close to Kurmasana and Supta Kurmasana!!! I'm inches away from binding my hands behind my back in the latter - so exciting!

Even Supta Konasana felt good today. Everything just felt so good.

I'll see how it goes in the coming week, but while I'm working this contract, I think I'm going to start taking a break on Saturdays. Because of my teaching schedule, I can't really change the time of my practice during the week - it really needs to be in the morning. I would rather keep this consistent because I'm afraid if I vary it, my routine will fall apart.

Day 40

“The good, the bad and the early”

And it certainly *is* early. I promised myself that if I took this contract, I would not compromise my daily practice so I've built my mornings around 90 minutes of the Primary Series.

My three readers should brace themselves: In order to pull this off, I've started to get up early. And I mean EARLY. I used to get up around 5 or 5:30. That's fine and doable for me, not even very difficult actually. Now? The fun starts at 4:30 a.m. Yeah, no joke. I'm seriously nuts.

At 4:30 a.m., I pull myself out of bed, put the kettle on and put the futon up (it folds into a couch to create more space in my small city apartment). I splash some water on my face, get dressed, then set up my yoga things for practice (so when I return from my walk, there's no avoiding it).

Then I go for a walk - it's always an hour (that's how long it takes to get to the park and back). This morning, I watched the sun rise as the full moon set in the west. Really lovely! I share this hour with my little dog, who loves the exercise, the smells and my undivided attention. The walk is also good exercise and it works out some of the stiffness before I stand on my mat for that first sun salutation.

I'm back home by 5:45 a.m. I do my practice, wrapping it up around 7:15. I get cleaned up, get my work things together and do a quick email check and by 7:40, I'm getting ready to leave. I ride my bicycle - it takes about 15-20 minutes, depending on my pace. By 8 a.m., I'm sitting at my desk, facing a long day in the office.

Time will tell whether I'm able to sustain this, but so far, I love it! The mornings are so cool and quiet. Practising in the morning has a different feel to it. The only downside is going to bed before it even gets dark, and feeling sleepy at 7:30 at night, like I do right now!

This morning's practice was great. My knees are feeling much better, though I'm still being careful. Utthita Trikonasana felt particularly good this morning and my Kurmasana is really coming along. I've noticed that I'm really savouring breathing in the poses and when I feel 'stuck', it's breathing that gets me through.

I've decided to start skipping backbends in my morning practice because they just don't work for me at that time of day. I added a backbend to my evening practice last night - it was fantastic! So I'll continue to do that from now.