I haven’t spoken of it much because, frankly, it’s become SO routine, but this was the year I resolved to do yoga absolutely-every-single-day-without-fail. I started during WoYoPracMo and I just kept going.
During the first couple of months, it was challenging, but then it stopped being difficult. It just became something I planned for without fuss, like sleeping, or eating or brushing my teeth.
Some of my practices were short and obligatory but I started to notice, especially in late summer and autumn, that my practices were 30 minutes or more. That sense of ‘getting it out of the way’ faded. It stopped feeling like a burden and took on the feel of a beloved ritual that was deeply ingrained and perfect, no matter how long or short.
I expected to do a lot of Astanga over the course of the year, but I was surprised to find that daily practice gave me the space and motivation to experiment with other styles of yoga, new teachers, different class formats (audio, video) and different levels of intensity. I discovered that I'm very firm and opinionated in my likes and dislikes. I discovered that I was fond of yoga styles I had never considered seriously.
The biggest surprise of all (and it shouldn’t have been) was how much I grew as a teacher over the year. I'm a better teacher after a year of focused daily practice. My instruction is far more precise, my cues are clearer and I ‘chatter’ a lot less in my classes. I can teach a greater range of postures and because my verbal instruction is so much stronger, I’m able to walk around and observe more, adjust, offer advice to my students (or just sit around and chill while they warm up in sun salutations).
My jokes are no better, but there’s probably no help for that! ;-)
The more astute among you might have noticed that I’ve been in a bit of a funk. This is actually pretty routine, but it came late this year. Usually I’m already grumpy by mid-December (I hope it fades away quickly). When I’m feeling low-energy, I shy away from the full Primary Series. I've been tempting myself to the mat with fun vinyasa audio classes.
Because today is my LAST practice of the year in a year that I practised daily, I wanted to end on a high note, so I did the full Primary Series with Beryl guiding the way. As of 12:30 p.m. today, I accompished my goal: Yoga Practice every day in 2009! I ended the decade with an OM.
I surprised myself and had a really great practice. Couldn’t bind in Marichyasana D or Supta Kurmasana, but I made a point of trying absolutely everything except Janu Sirsasana C. I even did Setu Bandhasana! By the time I reached the closing sequence, I was feeling excited about Astanga again.
I’m already looking towards the sparkly, brand-new year. It feels like a clean slate. For WoYoPracMo, I’m very tempted to try for a daily full Primary in Janaury. I think it would be a good ‘jump-start’ for my practice in 2010.
Happy New Year, everyone!
Showing posts with label woyopracyea. Show all posts
Showing posts with label woyopracyea. Show all posts
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Vinyasa
Well, that was a bit of a joke.
I unrolled the mat, thinking that I would practise the full Primary Series since, after all, I have nothing else to do today. I got through sun salutations and standing. I was well on my way through the Janu Sirsasanas but I was very distracted. I actually pulled a book out of the bookcase and I was glancing through it when the phone rang (so, obviously, I wasn't very invested).
It felt like a sign. I spent the next 45 minutes chatting with the girlfriend (who's still bed-bound and very bored). I never got back to yoga...
It was just one of 'those days', the days that I don't feel like practising, but I do it anyway. Today, 'practising' meant getting through the sun salutations and standing postures (about a half-hour of practice).
I recently posted a new status report to the WoYoPracMo site. I've been periodically updating the peeps there on my yoga streak. Here's the report, for those of you not on Ning:
June - September: The Summer of Yog
It's been a few months since I posted an update on my year of daily yoga practice.
The news is good! I'm still at it, every day without fail.
By now, my daily asana practice has become so ingrained that skipping it rarely occurs to me. Even the very short, obligatory 15 practices have all but gone. These days, I'm on the mat for at least 30 minutes every day.
The summer was amazing for my practice because my teaching schedule faded to part-time. I had more time and energy to devote to my asana practice. I started doing the full Primary Series more often, sometimes as much as six days per week (practising another style of yoga on my 'rest' day). A few times, I even went on an 'Astanga Streak', practising up to 12 days in a row before taking a break to do Yin or Hatha.
I discovered two things that really motivated me in my practice over the summer.
The first was practising outdoors. I've never really practised outside before. Quite by accident, I discovered that I loved the fresh air and sunshine! Being outside added a whole new dimension to my practice. Gazing up to the sky in Urdhva Mukha Svanasana was fabulous! I started taking long walks again, stopping to do yoga in a sunny park along the way. I did yoga on the balcony, at the campground, on the rocks at the cottage, at the beach. I lost my shyness about it and had interesting conversations with people who saw me in poses.
The second innovation was audio yoga classes. I won a one-year subscription to an online audio yoga web site. The site offers a variety of yoga classes, mostly vinyasa style. In the past, I've enjoyed using yoga DVDs for my practice and I am a big fan of Sharath's led primary CD. These recordings allowed me to expand my practice into different styles and poses (outside of Astanga) and also take my yoga 'on the road'. I loaded the classes on my iPod Shuffle so I could easily practise to them in the park, while travelling, etc.
My asana practice became much stronger over the summer. Last year, I was weakened by an illness and lost my practice. In the past four months, I feel like I've regained the ground I lost.
I'm amazed by how solidly I've established a daily yoga practice as a 'habit'. This has made me rethink other areas of my life that have been neglected. What other daily habits could I work on that would help me grow?
The obvious answer is: meditation. I've had a sporadic meditation practice for the past six years. Last month, I decided to meditate daily, setting 5 minutes as the minimum duration for my sessions. So far, I'm doing well with this goal and I've gradually increased the duration of my meditation to 20 minutes (with the goal of eventually meditating for 30 minutes a session).
I've also added other 'habits' to my roster that are unrelated to yoga. I've started flossing daily, brushing the dog daily (she develops dreadlocks if I don't). I go for a long walk every day and sweep my floor every morning. I'm finding that these routines keep me centered.
I'm sure I never expected so much to come out of simply practising yoga daily. This has certainly been an interesting journey! I'm now moving into the last three months of my Year of Practice.
I unrolled the mat, thinking that I would practise the full Primary Series since, after all, I have nothing else to do today. I got through sun salutations and standing. I was well on my way through the Janu Sirsasanas but I was very distracted. I actually pulled a book out of the bookcase and I was glancing through it when the phone rang (so, obviously, I wasn't very invested).
It felt like a sign. I spent the next 45 minutes chatting with the girlfriend (who's still bed-bound and very bored). I never got back to yoga...
It was just one of 'those days', the days that I don't feel like practising, but I do it anyway. Today, 'practising' meant getting through the sun salutations and standing postures (about a half-hour of practice).
I recently posted a new status report to the WoYoPracMo site. I've been periodically updating the peeps there on my yoga streak. Here's the report, for those of you not on Ning:
June - September: The Summer of Yog
It's been a few months since I posted an update on my year of daily yoga practice.
The news is good! I'm still at it, every day without fail.
By now, my daily asana practice has become so ingrained that skipping it rarely occurs to me. Even the very short, obligatory 15 practices have all but gone. These days, I'm on the mat for at least 30 minutes every day.
The summer was amazing for my practice because my teaching schedule faded to part-time. I had more time and energy to devote to my asana practice. I started doing the full Primary Series more often, sometimes as much as six days per week (practising another style of yoga on my 'rest' day). A few times, I even went on an 'Astanga Streak', practising up to 12 days in a row before taking a break to do Yin or Hatha.
I discovered two things that really motivated me in my practice over the summer.
The first was practising outdoors. I've never really practised outside before. Quite by accident, I discovered that I loved the fresh air and sunshine! Being outside added a whole new dimension to my practice. Gazing up to the sky in Urdhva Mukha Svanasana was fabulous! I started taking long walks again, stopping to do yoga in a sunny park along the way. I did yoga on the balcony, at the campground, on the rocks at the cottage, at the beach. I lost my shyness about it and had interesting conversations with people who saw me in poses.
The second innovation was audio yoga classes. I won a one-year subscription to an online audio yoga web site. The site offers a variety of yoga classes, mostly vinyasa style. In the past, I've enjoyed using yoga DVDs for my practice and I am a big fan of Sharath's led primary CD. These recordings allowed me to expand my practice into different styles and poses (outside of Astanga) and also take my yoga 'on the road'. I loaded the classes on my iPod Shuffle so I could easily practise to them in the park, while travelling, etc.
My asana practice became much stronger over the summer. Last year, I was weakened by an illness and lost my practice. In the past four months, I feel like I've regained the ground I lost.
I'm amazed by how solidly I've established a daily yoga practice as a 'habit'. This has made me rethink other areas of my life that have been neglected. What other daily habits could I work on that would help me grow?
The obvious answer is: meditation. I've had a sporadic meditation practice for the past six years. Last month, I decided to meditate daily, setting 5 minutes as the minimum duration for my sessions. So far, I'm doing well with this goal and I've gradually increased the duration of my meditation to 20 minutes (with the goal of eventually meditating for 30 minutes a session).
I've also added other 'habits' to my roster that are unrelated to yoga. I've started flossing daily, brushing the dog daily (she develops dreadlocks if I don't). I go for a long walk every day and sweep my floor every morning. I'm finding that these routines keep me centered.
I'm sure I never expected so much to come out of simply practising yoga daily. This has certainly been an interesting journey! I'm now moving into the last three months of my Year of Practice.
Monday, June 1, 2009
Astanga
Slept in until 7 a.m. this morning, but still managed to get my practice in before the household awoke. I did full Primary today. It was a lovely, but unremarkable practice, very similar to yesterday's. Same problems with the Supta Kurmasana and the sticky mat (my old purple Maha). I may need to get a second rug/towel sooner rather than later.
When I'm spending the weekend here, I find that I look forward to yoga practice for the 'me time' as much as anything else. It's nice to have some solitude - I live alone and I'm used to it. And there's a special serenity to practising in the morning, a certain calm. The dog loves it for the sunbeams.
I'm heading downtown, back to my own little apartment later on this morning. It will be nice to get back into my routine, but I hope I can keep getting up early for morning practice.
As it's the beginning of a new month, I wrote this 'progress report' to post on the Ning site for my Yoga Streak:
I last reported progress on my Yoga Streak in early April. I'm now heading into my sixth month of daily yoga practice. Although there have certainly been days that I pulled a 15 minute vinyasa sequence out of thin air at 11:45 p.m. in order to fulfill my commitment, I've actually been quite dedicated to doing a significant daily practice. I've felt the impact this has had on my life and health and it's all positive!
April: In the opening days of April, I received a free pass to the Yoga Show and Conference and spent three happy days at the show's 'yoga garden', enjoying free classes by internationally acclaimed teachers (and a few I hadn't heard of). I came away from the show newly inspired, but had a difficult time reconnecting with my home yoga practice for a few days. During most of the month, I practised a greater mix of styles, flirting with Yin, combination practice with Journey Dance, Anusara and plain old Hatha. There was some Astanga mixed in here and there, but definitely not every other day as I had planned. Late in the month, I realised that I felt better physically than I had in months (since an illness that had me on bed rest last fall) and I missed doing the Primary Series. I dusted off my Beryl Bender Birch 'Power Yoga' DVD (my favourite led Primary) and did the whole thing. I felt great. I did this the next day and the next, until my Lady's Holiday came.
May: In May, resumed a daily practice of the full Primary Series with the occasional 'day off' to practice Hatha or Restorative yoga. I practised the full Primary 18 times in May. I was pleased to notice that I hadn't 'lost' much of my Astanga practice and my strength came back to me quickly. By the end of May, I was back to the level of fitness I had been last summer before I got sick. Clearly, all the daily yoga I've been doing, even the non-vinyasa styles, was beneficial!
I've flitted around with Full Primary these past few weeks, but in June, I want to really return to a true 'six-day' (six days on, one day off) Astanga practice and continue this through the summer. My day off will probably not be Saturday. I'm about to shift into a different pattern of employment this month (I will likely start working a contract as I usually do when summer comes and my teaching schedule lightens) and will base my routine on the demands of work. On the days I'm not practising Astanga, I'll do another type of practice.
When I'm spending the weekend here, I find that I look forward to yoga practice for the 'me time' as much as anything else. It's nice to have some solitude - I live alone and I'm used to it. And there's a special serenity to practising in the morning, a certain calm. The dog loves it for the sunbeams.
I'm heading downtown, back to my own little apartment later on this morning. It will be nice to get back into my routine, but I hope I can keep getting up early for morning practice.
As it's the beginning of a new month, I wrote this 'progress report' to post on the Ning site for my Yoga Streak:
I last reported progress on my Yoga Streak in early April. I'm now heading into my sixth month of daily yoga practice. Although there have certainly been days that I pulled a 15 minute vinyasa sequence out of thin air at 11:45 p.m. in order to fulfill my commitment, I've actually been quite dedicated to doing a significant daily practice. I've felt the impact this has had on my life and health and it's all positive!
April: In the opening days of April, I received a free pass to the Yoga Show and Conference and spent three happy days at the show's 'yoga garden', enjoying free classes by internationally acclaimed teachers (and a few I hadn't heard of). I came away from the show newly inspired, but had a difficult time reconnecting with my home yoga practice for a few days. During most of the month, I practised a greater mix of styles, flirting with Yin, combination practice with Journey Dance, Anusara and plain old Hatha. There was some Astanga mixed in here and there, but definitely not every other day as I had planned. Late in the month, I realised that I felt better physically than I had in months (since an illness that had me on bed rest last fall) and I missed doing the Primary Series. I dusted off my Beryl Bender Birch 'Power Yoga' DVD (my favourite led Primary) and did the whole thing. I felt great. I did this the next day and the next, until my Lady's Holiday came.
May: In May, resumed a daily practice of the full Primary Series with the occasional 'day off' to practice Hatha or Restorative yoga. I practised the full Primary 18 times in May. I was pleased to notice that I hadn't 'lost' much of my Astanga practice and my strength came back to me quickly. By the end of May, I was back to the level of fitness I had been last summer before I got sick. Clearly, all the daily yoga I've been doing, even the non-vinyasa styles, was beneficial!
I've flitted around with Full Primary these past few weeks, but in June, I want to really return to a true 'six-day' (six days on, one day off) Astanga practice and continue this through the summer. My day off will probably not be Saturday. I'm about to shift into a different pattern of employment this month (I will likely start working a contract as I usually do when summer comes and my teaching schedule lightens) and will base my routine on the demands of work. On the days I'm not practising Astanga, I'll do another type of practice.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Astanga
I didn't feel like thinking through a Hatha sequence today, so I did the 'Short Form + 3' today. I've been thinking of ways to make Savasana more comfortable and enjoyable. Doing a bit of restorative yoga to release my low back seems to work - or using a bolster (though I always seem to be too lazy to get up and find it). Maybe I could try doing some Pranayama at the end of the closing sequence to ease into a more restful mode. I don't seem to have as much trouble moving into Savasana after a Hatha practice.
I love all of this experimentation in my yoga practice, trying new things, pushing my edge in news ways, mixing things up. It makes me a better teacher and expands my scope as a practitioner.
I just completed Month 3 of my Yoga Streak. By now, daily practice is one of those goes-without-saying things. I just do it. It seems so easy to just do it. Looking back on my Yoga-less Streak last fall, I recall how easy it seemed to just NOT do it. The lesson? Routines are easy. Get into one and anything is possible. Anything can become automatic and expected.
A few interesting things have come to light in Month 3. I started exercising daily again, taking 45 minute brisk walks up to the Big Park with my dog. The path to the Big Park includes the Big Stairs, about six flights up a steep escarpment. Usually, these stairs are the bane of my springtime walks because I'm out of shape for them. This year? I'm hardly out of breath when I reach the top. Sometimes, lost in thought, I ascend the stairs so effortlessly that I reach the top before I realise that I'm through climbing them.
The only difference between this year and last is daily yoga. In fact, I thought I was in much better shape last year (having skated daily for months), but last year those stairs kicked my keister for the first month. I believe it's because I'm stronger; my body isn't working as hard. I experienced a similar level of fitness when I started riding my bike again. I feel stronger and I have more endurance.
Little things like this surprise me. Daily Yoga fringe benefits, I guess.
Tomorrow: I move into Month 4 of my Yoga Streak. WoYoPracYea! (World Yoga Practice Year), continued...
I love all of this experimentation in my yoga practice, trying new things, pushing my edge in news ways, mixing things up. It makes me a better teacher and expands my scope as a practitioner.
I just completed Month 3 of my Yoga Streak. By now, daily practice is one of those goes-without-saying things. I just do it. It seems so easy to just do it. Looking back on my Yoga-less Streak last fall, I recall how easy it seemed to just NOT do it. The lesson? Routines are easy. Get into one and anything is possible. Anything can become automatic and expected.
A few interesting things have come to light in Month 3. I started exercising daily again, taking 45 minute brisk walks up to the Big Park with my dog. The path to the Big Park includes the Big Stairs, about six flights up a steep escarpment. Usually, these stairs are the bane of my springtime walks because I'm out of shape for them. This year? I'm hardly out of breath when I reach the top. Sometimes, lost in thought, I ascend the stairs so effortlessly that I reach the top before I realise that I'm through climbing them.
The only difference between this year and last is daily yoga. In fact, I thought I was in much better shape last year (having skated daily for months), but last year those stairs kicked my keister for the first month. I believe it's because I'm stronger; my body isn't working as hard. I experienced a similar level of fitness when I started riding my bike again. I feel stronger and I have more endurance.
Little things like this surprise me. Daily Yoga fringe benefits, I guess.
Tomorrow: I move into Month 4 of my Yoga Streak. WoYoPracYea! (World Yoga Practice Year), continued...
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Hatha
I did a brief hatha practice today, about 20 minutes.
I never really did my recap for February. I'm still on track for my goal of daily yoga practice in 2009. I made it through February (short month!) without missing a day. This month was interesting because of the distractions, mainly musical.
I've been distracted from yoga lately by my new obsession with guitar. It's amusing that this instrument languished in storage for three years because I couldn't find the discipline to practice. Overwhelmed by guilt, I restrung my guitar on February 2nd and I've been on a roll ever since.
My secret weapon is lessons! Since I started lessons in February, I've been very diligent about practising and I'm making some real progress. I think it has something to do with being accountable to a teacher. It would be just plain embarrassing to go into my lesson and stumble around. Also, lessons are expensive, so I feel compelled to make the most of them.
I enjoy music, I always have (I started university on a music scholarship), but learning an instrument is a completely different experience as an adult. I'm finding that practising music has a meditative focus for me; it gets my mind out of ruts. Playing my shruti box has the same effect and when I get into a groove, I can find this same serenity in drumming. Interestingly, since starting guitar, I've been drawn back into those instruments as well.
Years ago in YTT, my teacher asked us: “What sustains you?” (the question has hounded me ever since...) Of course, at the time, I thought: “Yoga.” And that's still true - some of the time, at least. But I've also found that as a yoga teacher and daily practitioner, yoga has lost some of its 'sustaining' quality. It's still powerful - in some ways more than ever - but it's also less of a refuge. I'm starting to reach for other activities to fill that space. Meditation is less of a refuge than a struggle. But music and art seem to be re-establishing a place in my life. In many ways, it's helping me find the balance I've been seeking all along.
I never really did my recap for February. I'm still on track for my goal of daily yoga practice in 2009. I made it through February (short month!) without missing a day. This month was interesting because of the distractions, mainly musical.
I've been distracted from yoga lately by my new obsession with guitar. It's amusing that this instrument languished in storage for three years because I couldn't find the discipline to practice. Overwhelmed by guilt, I restrung my guitar on February 2nd and I've been on a roll ever since.
My secret weapon is lessons! Since I started lessons in February, I've been very diligent about practising and I'm making some real progress. I think it has something to do with being accountable to a teacher. It would be just plain embarrassing to go into my lesson and stumble around. Also, lessons are expensive, so I feel compelled to make the most of them.
I enjoy music, I always have (I started university on a music scholarship), but learning an instrument is a completely different experience as an adult. I'm finding that practising music has a meditative focus for me; it gets my mind out of ruts. Playing my shruti box has the same effect and when I get into a groove, I can find this same serenity in drumming. Interestingly, since starting guitar, I've been drawn back into those instruments as well.
Years ago in YTT, my teacher asked us: “What sustains you?” (the question has hounded me ever since...) Of course, at the time, I thought: “Yoga.” And that's still true - some of the time, at least. But I've also found that as a yoga teacher and daily practitioner, yoga has lost some of its 'sustaining' quality. It's still powerful - in some ways more than ever - but it's also less of a refuge. I'm starting to reach for other activities to fill that space. Meditation is less of a refuge than a struggle. But music and art seem to be re-establishing a place in my life. In many ways, it's helping me find the balance I've been seeking all along.
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