A rebel

I was reluctant, but E's mother wanted to go and our friends were enthusiastic about him. And so we all went to the hospital close to the lake where we attended a mass.

I made a plan what I would do if I got bored. My breath came into my mind and I wanted to  focus on my breath, I wanted to make inhaling and exhaling longer and even......but I wasn't bored. I listened to this man who spread so much love and inspiration.

The interpretation of the gospel was very modern: be conscious was the message. Joy can be found in daily life that way.

We shared bread and wine, which is very uncommon in the Catholic church. Usually those who like, can get a Host, but not a piece of bread and no wine. We gathered in little groups, ate and drank as a highlight of the mass. It shall symbolize not to forget to have joy in daily life and the wine symbolizes the special moments. Those who knows the Catholic church with it's strict rules know that this alone is a no no. The mystic of that all was that the bread also was the body of Jesus.

What a surprise to find at such a tourist place like the Chiemsee such an outstanding person who spreads so much hope, love and inspiration.

Back to my daily life: With consciousness I'll practice primary. Even though I think this part of my life, my Ashtanga yoga practice symbolizes more the wine than the bread.

Picture: taken at the Chiemsee.

Chiemsee

...and this pic was taken only 1 hour from Munich.

Time to go to bed.
Tomorrow I want to be fit for primary........

Progress is inevitable...

Progress is inevitable if one practices on a daily basis. I was surprised today when I managed it to take my legs (both) behind my head without leaning against the sofa. The pose was weak, nevertheless a tiny step further in the right direction. I could also do eka pada sirsasana and the leg remained behind my head, my hands could both hold my stretched leg.

How that?

Daily practice of course, but also the understanding what what active stretching is helped me to progress.

In yoga we do active stretching. It's not that we simply bowing forward or hanging forward and letting the gravity do the job. We are active when we practice yoga not passive.
What is active stretching? There are always  muscles that we stretch and there are the antagonists that are active. When I put my leg behind the head, the chest shall remain open, stretched if you like. The antagonists are on the back. I have strong back muscles and I have the body feeling how to engage them. Engaging my back muscles helps me to lift up the upper body and to keep the chest open. This was it what helped me and what finally allowed me to keep the leg behind the head.

Feet position: Primary has a lot of forward bending asanas. I thought that it's important to have the soles of the feet parallel to the floor. But fact is we can adjust the intensity of the stretching with the foot position. When they are pointed (recommended for hanumanasana i.e.) it's less stretching, less intensive. Sometimes it's necessary to make the practice a bit easier, when we are injured i.e. I think it's better to alter the feet position than not to engage the muscles.

Urdhva dhanurasana: Among other exercises I lifted the body up while my hands were close to a wall. I wanted to bring the chest to the wall. I was surprised that I couldn't do that. Here I've to do some body work. The upper back is still not open enough.

Especially the knowledge about the feet positon I've read in the book by Gregor Maehle.














Wow, what a beautiful bird. It seems to be easy to fly. Thank you M for this beautiful pic.

Ardha matsyendrasana

Ardha matsyendrasana is another wonderful twist. It took me a while till I found the correct foot position. In my case it needs to be close to the body when I want that the shoulders are even. I point the foot of the leg that is on the floor. It looks nicer.

I saw a variation of the pose, which I  like very much, too. Then the arms bind behind the back. One  arm stretches through the bended leg and can so reach the other arm and hold the wrist.

I can scarcly reach my leg with the hand that is behind the back. So the arm behind my back cannot turn me further into the twist. When the hand bind I can turn more. Explore both poses, it's fun to be adventures. It deepens the understanding of the poses.

Both sit bones are on the floor. The body is upright.

Twists turn the spine, which feels really good.
In addition it's a great massage for the inner organs.

I just wondered what we can do for our inner organs?
- We can eat not so much and healthy stuff.
- We can drink enough water.
- And we can do twists.....:)

How I enjoyed the Mysore class this morning. I'm crazy for Ashtanga yoga!

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Playing around....

My practice this morning started very focused. The surya namaskara As and Bs and the standing sequence I practiced with the CD by Sharath. Then I switched it off. My practice remained intensive till after kapotasana. Then I remembered the led class of yesterday and the exercises we did. One of the exercise was to do headstand and then to split the legs. I really thought my legs were more than 45° apart. My pic told me something else. One leg even pointed upwards. I felt as if it almost touched the floor!!!! Pictures are so helpful.

This was my second attempt. The split was almost the same, only the position of the legs were different. My intention was to let one or better both legs touch the floor. I wanted to practice falling. It should take away the fear that I have. Finally I must do pincha mayurasana in the middle of the room. And I'm a bit scared. So learning to fall could take my fear away, I thought. I put my flat hand on the floor and bowed my knees. My back arched. It felt intensively, my pictures show me the opposite.

Then I fell and I survived!!!!!!!!!!! Nothing was injured, I was a bit shocked. A step forward???? Can be.

Next time I'll make the distance to the wall larger when I practice pincha mayurasna, till I'll be in the middle of the room. I know now, to fall can happen, but this is not the end of the world.

And then I tried urdhva dhanurasana and this all spoilt my flow.

It's better to practice an Ashtanga series in one session and doing additional exercises in an extra session. A few exercises can be added to each practice, but to explore poses is better to do isolated.

Yoga flow class

Yesterday in the evening I went to a yoga flow class. It's more or less a led class with music.

I was amazed how many yoginis and yogis came. The room was crowded. All places were occupied. I expected a hot session and so it was. Soon the room was very humid, rain-forest climate. I sweated and I became bendy.

To practice something that is not my daily routine requires attention. Asanas that I do not practice were a challenge yesterday.

I saw some really bendy yoginis. Talents? Naturals? Yoga has challenges for everybody.

Concentration is my topic lately. To stay calm in a pose for several breaths is a concentration exercise. With the inhaling the body usually stretches, length is created, with the exhaling one moves deeper into a pose. This is surely a movement. The body isn't like a statue. But to look around, checking the body posture with the eyes  again and again, scratching, playing with the hair, trying another variation of an asana because the asana one is practicing is too challenging, is too much movement. Then the mind moves from laserlike focus to being distracted. It shall be the other way round.

The inner life manifests on the outside. The state of mind, the attitude can be seen. A book title comes into my mind: Moving into stillness. Erich Schiffman has written this book. This is the direction for sure. Focus is powerful, directed energy. Issues, distrations outside of oneself disappear. Intensity develps and this has beauty.

I've found a focus for my practice today: Staying  calm for the 5 breaths that I hold an asana usually.

Erich Schiffmann's book is a recommendation. Thanks for buying it via my blog.







Thank you M for this wonderful dolphin in the Indian ocean. :)

Bharadvajasana, a twist

The twists turn the spine around. Twitsts in my opinion also massage the inner organs. This feels good. With the inhaling the upper body stretches upwards, length is created, with the exhaling the body twists. The hips are erected.

It took me some time to understand the twists. If this happens, I check the basics:
- Those body parts that touch the floor are equally weighted. Both sit bones touch the floor.
- The shoulder are away from the ears and in line.
- The hips are erected, the upper body long.
- The chest opens.
- Engaging the bandhas when exhaling supports the execution of this asana.
- The gazing point is the side (and not downward looking). This helps to stay in an upright position.

Our bodies are different. Some of us have very long arms, others have shorter arms. My arms are not so long. This is why I put my hand closer to the hips under my leg. The knees are rather close together. Only that way I can guarantee that my body has not to move forward. Then the entire pose looks strange and feels strange.

Bharadvajasana is exercised twice in the second series. First before the forward bending asanas and after the back bendings. And it's the last pose before the headstands.

Mysore class today. I'm looking forward to it. How will it be today.

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Have a good start, it's Monday.