I had a fabulous, energetic practice this morning, full of wonderful forward momentum. I felt like the yoga energizer bunny - I just kept going and going and going. Felt great. My only block seemed to be in twists - couldn't managed a bind in Marichyasana D and the bind in Marichyasana C was not as deep.
Madonna's new disc was released today. I downloaded it from iTunes in the wee hours of the morning and first impressions: it's outlandish, over-the-top, overproduced, with inane and occasionally stupid lyrics. Pure, trademark Madonna; I'm loving every minute of it. Love her or hate her, Madonna's tunes carry a good beat and I'm sure that this was part of the reason that I was a bit bouncy (yes, I was listening to Madonna during my yoga practice).
Anyways, I'm glad I had that high-energy moment to end on because Ladies' Holiday kicked in after lunchtime. It's about time! (My cycles have been wonky lately)
So I'm off until Sunday. Toodles!
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Monday, April 28, 2008
Day 244
Some changes are afoot in my life. Good changes and new possibilities...I'm smiling, but distracted. ;-)
Practice today was very good, but stiff and scattered. My brain liked being on the mat, but my body wasn't playing nicely. My hamstrings actually seized up in Baddha Konasana. How is that even possible?!! I took a rough stab at doing the closing sequence but didn't do headstand. I felt all light and ephemeral today, like I might float out the window. Instead, I sat on the futon while the rain fell outside.
Cold and damp today. Please Spring, come back!
Buses, trains and trams are back, thanks to emergency legislation passed yesterday in our provinicial legislature. This video pretty well explains the whole fracas ;-)
Practice today was very good, but stiff and scattered. My brain liked being on the mat, but my body wasn't playing nicely. My hamstrings actually seized up in Baddha Konasana. How is that even possible?!! I took a rough stab at doing the closing sequence but didn't do headstand. I felt all light and ephemeral today, like I might float out the window. Instead, I sat on the futon while the rain fell outside.
Cold and damp today. Please Spring, come back!
Buses, trains and trams are back, thanks to emergency legislation passed yesterday in our provinicial legislature. This video pretty well explains the whole fracas ;-)
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Day 243
After a restless night of sleep (I haven't been sleeping well lately in general), I managed to do a stiff early morning yoga practice. I was really looking forward to getting on that mat . Although I honoured my 'day off' yesterday, I really felt keen for some asana. This is good - it keeps it fresh for me during the other six days of the week.
I've been in a really good mental state lately, in terms of my practice. It's not a struggle, though it's not always blissful either. It's just a pleasant routine and fact of my day-to-day life.
My lower back was feeling cranky, so in each posture, I focused on creating space and softness around my lumbar spine. This caused me to modify some postures and not fold as deeply in my forward bends, but by the end of the practice, my lower back was feeling much better.
I had a much easier time this morning focusing on breath and kept a steady stream of Ujjayi breathing throughout the practice.
I've been experiencing some interesting turbulence in my personal life these past few weeks. Some extraordinarily serendipitous events have come together in a really wonderful way and I'm almost giddy with the excitement of it all, while still trying to keep my feet firmly planted on the ground and not get too carried away.
I sometimes question my own decisions and paths in life, but I generally have faith that everything happens for a reason and in its own time. Everything is unfolding as it should.
One thing that has really come to light recently is how important the past year has been for my yoga practice and how much I *needed* the year to get my shit together. Had I made different decisions, I would not have had this year of practice and reflection. My daily Ashtanga practice, with all its challenges and difficulties has been key to my own transformation. Today, I'm full of gratitude for yoga in general and Ashtanga in particular.
Years and year ago, I hurt my back carrying concrete blocks used for portable fencing on an archaeological site. I tried yoga to ease the pain. Those blocks now seem like a gift. All of the circumstances that led to the moment when I picked a yoga video out of the bargain bin at Best Buy seen significant and amazing to me in retrospect.
In a nutshell, I feel like my heart and mind are open to new possibilities. It's a powerful feeling.
I've been in a really good mental state lately, in terms of my practice. It's not a struggle, though it's not always blissful either. It's just a pleasant routine and fact of my day-to-day life.
My lower back was feeling cranky, so in each posture, I focused on creating space and softness around my lumbar spine. This caused me to modify some postures and not fold as deeply in my forward bends, but by the end of the practice, my lower back was feeling much better.
I had a much easier time this morning focusing on breath and kept a steady stream of Ujjayi breathing throughout the practice.
I've been experiencing some interesting turbulence in my personal life these past few weeks. Some extraordinarily serendipitous events have come together in a really wonderful way and I'm almost giddy with the excitement of it all, while still trying to keep my feet firmly planted on the ground and not get too carried away.
I sometimes question my own decisions and paths in life, but I generally have faith that everything happens for a reason and in its own time. Everything is unfolding as it should.
One thing that has really come to light recently is how important the past year has been for my yoga practice and how much I *needed* the year to get my shit together. Had I made different decisions, I would not have had this year of practice and reflection. My daily Ashtanga practice, with all its challenges and difficulties has been key to my own transformation. Today, I'm full of gratitude for yoga in general and Ashtanga in particular.
Years and year ago, I hurt my back carrying concrete blocks used for portable fencing on an archaeological site. I tried yoga to ease the pain. Those blocks now seem like a gift. All of the circumstances that led to the moment when I picked a yoga video out of the bargain bin at Best Buy seen significant and amazing to me in retrospect.
In a nutshell, I feel like my heart and mind are open to new possibilities. It's a powerful feeling.
Friday, April 25, 2008
Day 242
The Great Expectations Edition.
In follow-up to yesterday's post about trying to find the 'feel good' moments in each pose: I did the same today and it was starkly clear when my mind wandered. When my attention strayed, a sense of dread would wash over me like a bad wave. I'm realising that I have developed a very bad habit: I'm expecting the very worst from my poses. I seem to carry with me all these memories of past discomfort and I'm projecting them into my present reality.
For example, Marichyasana C is sometimes difficult and uncomfortable if I'm bloated or experiencing digestive distress. This doesn't happen often, but I have fallen into a pattern of wondering, each and every time I do the pose, whether it will be uncomfortable. Today, I let go of that expectation. Instead, I told myself that this would be a GREAT Marichyasana C. I would enjoy it and feel a lovely release in my low back. I would find that fabulous combination of strength and stretch in my shoulder and revel in it. And I did just that. Great expectations!
So, I started asking myself: What type of fabulousness do I want to feel in this pose today? And then I tried to find it.
This is my brain, on yoga.
In other news, handstands are strong again and I discovered what my problem was. Are you ready for this? I had started practising Pinchamayurasana (crim, I know) before my handstands and set up the mat against the wall because I like the cushy cushion for my bony arms. Then I was then doing my handstands on the mat. My body (my brain?) no likey, Apparently, I gain a strong sense of grounding and support by having my hands *directly* on the wood floor. Take that away, and my confidence evaporates. I've developed an aversion to the mat - at least for that pose.
I'm not sure this is necessarily a negative thing. I recently read an article about a movement to discourage the use of mats in Ashtanga yoga. In the youth classes I teach, we don't use mats at all. The only time I really miss them is when rolling out of Sarvangasana (ouch. my vertabrae!) and for Pinchamayurasana (ouch, my bony arms). Otherwise, the wood floor is fine. I get more than enough grip with my feet and there's a tremendous sense of strength and grounding, having my feet on a hard, solid surface.
Don't get me wrong, I love my Manduka for all the various reasons that the Manduka is loveable. But I wonder if there's something to be gained by practising without a mat. Would anything be lost?
Updates:
It was a hoax!
For those of you who don't read the comments - the article on about not using mats was apparently an April Fool's hoax and a quite extraordinary one at that. Obviously, I completely swallowed it, hook line and sinker.
It is not a hoax!
Though we wish it was. As of 12 a.m. this morning, without any notice or fanfare the transit workers in my city went on strike. No subways, buses or streetcars are running. Fuckity fuck, fuck.
In follow-up to yesterday's post about trying to find the 'feel good' moments in each pose: I did the same today and it was starkly clear when my mind wandered. When my attention strayed, a sense of dread would wash over me like a bad wave. I'm realising that I have developed a very bad habit: I'm expecting the very worst from my poses. I seem to carry with me all these memories of past discomfort and I'm projecting them into my present reality.
For example, Marichyasana C is sometimes difficult and uncomfortable if I'm bloated or experiencing digestive distress. This doesn't happen often, but I have fallen into a pattern of wondering, each and every time I do the pose, whether it will be uncomfortable. Today, I let go of that expectation. Instead, I told myself that this would be a GREAT Marichyasana C. I would enjoy it and feel a lovely release in my low back. I would find that fabulous combination of strength and stretch in my shoulder and revel in it. And I did just that. Great expectations!
So, I started asking myself: What type of fabulousness do I want to feel in this pose today? And then I tried to find it.
This is my brain, on yoga.
In other news, handstands are strong again and I discovered what my problem was. Are you ready for this? I had started practising Pinchamayurasana (crim, I know) before my handstands and set up the mat against the wall because I like the cushy cushion for my bony arms. Then I was then doing my handstands on the mat. My body (my brain?) no likey, Apparently, I gain a strong sense of grounding and support by having my hands *directly* on the wood floor. Take that away, and my confidence evaporates. I've developed an aversion to the mat - at least for that pose.
I'm not sure this is necessarily a negative thing. I recently read an article about a movement to discourage the use of mats in Ashtanga yoga. In the youth classes I teach, we don't use mats at all. The only time I really miss them is when rolling out of Sarvangasana (ouch. my vertabrae!) and for Pinchamayurasana (ouch, my bony arms). Otherwise, the wood floor is fine. I get more than enough grip with my feet and there's a tremendous sense of strength and grounding, having my feet on a hard, solid surface.
Don't get me wrong, I love my Manduka for all the various reasons that the Manduka is loveable. But I wonder if there's something to be gained by practising without a mat. Would anything be lost?
Updates:
It was a hoax!
For those of you who don't read the comments - the article on about not using mats was apparently an April Fool's hoax and a quite extraordinary one at that. Obviously, I completely swallowed it, hook line and sinker.
It is not a hoax!
Though we wish it was. As of 12 a.m. this morning, without any notice or fanfare the transit workers in my city went on strike. No subways, buses or streetcars are running. Fuckity fuck, fuck.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Day 241
Thursday practices are always a bit tough because my Wednesday teaching schedule is so intense. I wasn't sure how today's would be, particularly when I felt completely exhausted merely walking the dog. So I decided to play a little game with myself this morning. In each pose, I asked myself this question: “In what way does this pose feel good?”
I do this practice every day, presumably because I *like* it. Certainly, each pose must have some redeeming quality that keeps bringing me back to the mat (we'll just ignore Supta Kurmasana when applying this theory, okay? *wink*). I found that working through my practice in this way actually helped me pace myself. I worked hard, but with less effort and tension.
As I examined each pose carefully in order to identify the 'feel good moment', I also noticed that I was often holding tension. This was taking me away from the good feelings of the pose. So I started asking another question, in addition to the first: “Where am I holding unnecessary tension in this pose?” As it turns out, it was mainly in my arms, shoulders and face. The last time I went to a class with Teacher H, she kept reminding me to soften my shoulders; I seem to hold a lot of tension there.
I'm also a member of the 'Jaw Clenchers Club' and had to remind myself repeatedly not to grit my teeth. This is particularly important for me because I had an extensive (read: expensive) jaw surgery when I was 21 - there's one joint I don't want to damage again!
I was also shocked, SHOCKED (okay, not so shocked - I do it in Sirsasana too...) to find that I've been aggressively clenching my bum in Sarvangasana. Poor bum! De-clenching my bum made me more aware of how engaging the bandhas adds stability in inversions.
I added a final question about half-way through my practice: “How can I bring more ease into this pose?” (I was enjoying this whole 'feel good' angle and wanted MORE!). Sometimes the answer was just 'let go of tension' but I also found that by experimenting with length and alignment, I could introduce more softness and openness into my poses.
If I were to choose one word to describe today's practice it would be 'softness'. Even my Chaturangas felt easier and lighter.
By taking this approach to my practice, I also found that the time passed more fluidly (because I was absorbed in the moment) and I enjoyed the postures more, savouring each one, much as I might savour a tasty meal.
Bon Appétit! ;-)
I do this practice every day, presumably because I *like* it. Certainly, each pose must have some redeeming quality that keeps bringing me back to the mat (we'll just ignore Supta Kurmasana when applying this theory, okay? *wink*). I found that working through my practice in this way actually helped me pace myself. I worked hard, but with less effort and tension.
As I examined each pose carefully in order to identify the 'feel good moment', I also noticed that I was often holding tension. This was taking me away from the good feelings of the pose. So I started asking another question, in addition to the first: “Where am I holding unnecessary tension in this pose?” As it turns out, it was mainly in my arms, shoulders and face. The last time I went to a class with Teacher H, she kept reminding me to soften my shoulders; I seem to hold a lot of tension there.
I'm also a member of the 'Jaw Clenchers Club' and had to remind myself repeatedly not to grit my teeth. This is particularly important for me because I had an extensive (read: expensive) jaw surgery when I was 21 - there's one joint I don't want to damage again!
I was also shocked, SHOCKED (okay, not so shocked - I do it in Sirsasana too...) to find that I've been aggressively clenching my bum in Sarvangasana. Poor bum! De-clenching my bum made me more aware of how engaging the bandhas adds stability in inversions.
I added a final question about half-way through my practice: “How can I bring more ease into this pose?” (I was enjoying this whole 'feel good' angle and wanted MORE!). Sometimes the answer was just 'let go of tension' but I also found that by experimenting with length and alignment, I could introduce more softness and openness into my poses.
If I were to choose one word to describe today's practice it would be 'softness'. Even my Chaturangas felt easier and lighter.
By taking this approach to my practice, I also found that the time passed more fluidly (because I was absorbed in the moment) and I enjoyed the postures more, savouring each one, much as I might savour a tasty meal.
Bon Appétit! ;-)
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Day 240
Early practice this morning - 5:30 a.m. Getting up wasn't too hard and getting on the mat was okay, but right around Marichyasana C I could feel myself slowing down. Then a thunderstorm moved through the city and the dog freaked out. She spent some time trying to insert herself into my Marichyasana D before retreating to the bathroom to hide behind the toilet (she's not a fan of thunder).
When I got up to check on her, I knocked over an empty glass of water I was drinking before I started and the glass shattered, necessitating a quick clean up (I was still finding glass on my Mysore rug as I finished the practice). With my momentum broken, I found it difficult to push through to the end. I could really feel a shift in my energy level after the thunderstorm/glass moments.
This is a good lesson to just *keep going* in the mornings. In the wee hours pre-dawn, momentum is everything!
In the comments, Jacqueline asked me what I eat for breakfast. She's on a grain-free diet, combined with CR. So this post is going to wander a bit into the realm of CRON (Calorie Resriction Optimal Nutrition), as I respond to her question. However, I feel this is yoga-related because hydration and breakfast are sandwich my practice.
When I wake in the morning, I make the bed and prepare the apartment for my practice by tidying up anything on the floor and sweeping the floor. While I do this, I drink two glasses of very warm water with some lemon juice. I eat breakfast after I practice.
Breakfast is my largest meal of the day and I try to make sure that it packs a real nutritional punch. Ideally, I like to have at least 18 grams of protein, most of my RDAs for vitamins and about half of my RDAs for minerals in that one meal. I add ground flax meal to my juice and my cereal for the omega 3 fatty acids it contains (I buy the seeds, grind fresh). I absolutely love the way flax tastes and I find that if I don't add it, something is 'missing'. Funny how your taste buds adjust! I selectively supplement for iron and calcium.
Confession: every morning, I take a half-teaspoon of cod liver oil. I still define myself a vegetarian - I don't eat meat and generally won't eat fish, but this little compromise adds some beneficial fatty acids to my diet and gives my vitamin D a boost in the winter.
I eat a great variety of foods, in smaller quantities than is typical for most people. In the photograph, you'll probably notice that the plates and bowls are smaller. Things are even smaller than they appear! ;-) Because I eat small portions, I find that it makes sense to have small plates to serve them on.
I'm odd in that I like to munch of fresh veggies in the morning and will usually have a couple of servings of them. Loblaws had a manager's special on sweet peppers this week, so I'm eating a lot of colourful peppers. I also love celery and carrots in the morning.
I do eat grains in the form of bran cereal.
I don't tend to vary my breakfast very much at all; I eat the same thing every morning, occasionally switching out a different tofu, vegetable or citrus fruit.
Here's a typical breakfast:
(I start my day, before practice, with two glasses of very warm water with lemon juice)
Egg white omelette 50 grams
Ying Ying Gourmet Tofu (sweet and sour flavour) 25 grams
Bran Buds 30 grams with 1 tsp flax meal, 20 grams banana, 1/4 cup Natura rice milk
Homemade (by me) probiotic yogurt, 75 g with a dab of sugar-free jam
Grapefruit, sliced, 66 grams
Sweet peppers, 90 grams
Celery 100 grams
V8 low sodium vegetable juice with 1 tsp flax meal
Green tea 500 ml
This breakfast contains 18 grams of protein, 20 grams of fibre (more than a typical North American eats in a day), 82% of my RDA for vitamins, 61% of my RDA for minerals, 1.6 grams of Omega 3 fatty acids. Also notable: by the time I finish this meal, I've already consumed four cups of water.
It takes me about 15 minutes to prepare this meal and I allow 30 minutes for a leisurely breakfast most mornings.
When I got up to check on her, I knocked over an empty glass of water I was drinking before I started and the glass shattered, necessitating a quick clean up (I was still finding glass on my Mysore rug as I finished the practice). With my momentum broken, I found it difficult to push through to the end. I could really feel a shift in my energy level after the thunderstorm/glass moments.
This is a good lesson to just *keep going* in the mornings. In the wee hours pre-dawn, momentum is everything!
In the comments, Jacqueline asked me what I eat for breakfast. She's on a grain-free diet, combined with CR. So this post is going to wander a bit into the realm of CRON (Calorie Resriction Optimal Nutrition), as I respond to her question. However, I feel this is yoga-related because hydration and breakfast are sandwich my practice.
When I wake in the morning, I make the bed and prepare the apartment for my practice by tidying up anything on the floor and sweeping the floor. While I do this, I drink two glasses of very warm water with some lemon juice. I eat breakfast after I practice.
Breakfast is my largest meal of the day and I try to make sure that it packs a real nutritional punch. Ideally, I like to have at least 18 grams of protein, most of my RDAs for vitamins and about half of my RDAs for minerals in that one meal. I add ground flax meal to my juice and my cereal for the omega 3 fatty acids it contains (I buy the seeds, grind fresh). I absolutely love the way flax tastes and I find that if I don't add it, something is 'missing'. Funny how your taste buds adjust! I selectively supplement for iron and calcium.
Confession: every morning, I take a half-teaspoon of cod liver oil. I still define myself a vegetarian - I don't eat meat and generally won't eat fish, but this little compromise adds some beneficial fatty acids to my diet and gives my vitamin D a boost in the winter.
I eat a great variety of foods, in smaller quantities than is typical for most people. In the photograph, you'll probably notice that the plates and bowls are smaller. Things are even smaller than they appear! ;-) Because I eat small portions, I find that it makes sense to have small plates to serve them on.
I'm odd in that I like to munch of fresh veggies in the morning and will usually have a couple of servings of them. Loblaws had a manager's special on sweet peppers this week, so I'm eating a lot of colourful peppers. I also love celery and carrots in the morning.
I do eat grains in the form of bran cereal.
I don't tend to vary my breakfast very much at all; I eat the same thing every morning, occasionally switching out a different tofu, vegetable or citrus fruit.
Here's a typical breakfast:
(I start my day, before practice, with two glasses of very warm water with lemon juice)
Egg white omelette 50 grams
Ying Ying Gourmet Tofu (sweet and sour flavour) 25 grams
Bran Buds 30 grams with 1 tsp flax meal, 20 grams banana, 1/4 cup Natura rice milk
Homemade (by me) probiotic yogurt, 75 g with a dab of sugar-free jam
Grapefruit, sliced, 66 grams
Sweet peppers, 90 grams
Celery 100 grams
V8 low sodium vegetable juice with 1 tsp flax meal
Green tea 500 ml
This breakfast contains 18 grams of protein, 20 grams of fibre (more than a typical North American eats in a day), 82% of my RDA for vitamins, 61% of my RDA for minerals, 1.6 grams of Omega 3 fatty acids. Also notable: by the time I finish this meal, I've already consumed four cups of water.
It takes me about 15 minutes to prepare this meal and I allow 30 minutes for a leisurely breakfast most mornings.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Day 239
Another afternoon practice today and a quick one - I whipped through the series in about an hour. Immediately after I rolled up my mat, I stepped into my shoes and grabbed my bike, rode to my afternoon youth yoga class. It was a silly case of procrastination - I didn't need to be so rushed and I could have done it earlier in the day. I just didn't. Also, I felt tired all day.
I haven't been keeping my early schedule lately and I miss those pre-dawn morning practices (though I don't miss actually getting up for them). Practising in the morning is very satisfying because I can bask in that glow all day. Practising in the afternoon always feels stressful to me.
It's been far easier to just sleep in because I've been staying up late recently. There are various reasons for this - being out with friends, a bit of insomnia, walking around in the wonderful weather now that it's light later. Last night, I took the dog to the park with a friend and we were out until almost 9 p.m., then I stayed up late getting some work done.
When my schedule is disrupted like this, it always amazes me that I manage to get my practice in at all, but I always seem to. That's bodes well for the coming months because I suspect that disruptions in routine are going to become a matter of routine.
Things are a-shiftin', people. The ground may even be moving underneath my feet.
I haven't been keeping my early schedule lately and I miss those pre-dawn morning practices (though I don't miss actually getting up for them). Practising in the morning is very satisfying because I can bask in that glow all day. Practising in the afternoon always feels stressful to me.
It's been far easier to just sleep in because I've been staying up late recently. There are various reasons for this - being out with friends, a bit of insomnia, walking around in the wonderful weather now that it's light later. Last night, I took the dog to the park with a friend and we were out until almost 9 p.m., then I stayed up late getting some work done.
When my schedule is disrupted like this, it always amazes me that I manage to get my practice in at all, but I always seem to. That's bodes well for the coming months because I suspect that disruptions in routine are going to become a matter of routine.
Things are a-shiftin', people. The ground may even be moving underneath my feet.
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