Homework

We have a homework assignment due this weekend and I was really excited about it. Our teacher asked us "What matters, or what do we care about? (in terms of yoga) What engages us in a pose, or I boil it down to - Why do I keep practicing? Then we had to find a picture that embodied it. In our last class we went through a long list of reasons people stay engaged in a pose and continue to practice, such as physical sensations, breath, alignment, drshti (focal point), imagery, music, spoken word, the process of serenity, humor, community, prana, etc... I extracted 4 things that mean the most to me and are the reasons I keep coming back to the mat - Community, Beauty, Strength and Tradition. I looked through over a year's worth of Yoga Journal magazines and other yoga magazines I save. I never found anything that really spoke to me on all 4 levels that I mentioned. So I went looking in Capoeira images and chose the one I have posted here. To me Capoeira also embodies community, beauty, strength and tradition. Granted I have only been practicing for a few months, I feel the draw to continue my study of it because of these reasons. Seeing an image like this inspires me to keep going at it.

Along with the photo, we had to write a paragraph explaining what matters to us. I was excited about this assignment because sometimes I feel like I just go through the motions - I show up to my class on Tuesday morning because I always do, it's part of my routine. I can sometimes forget why I love yoga and am devoting so much to it. The big picture escapes me because I am lost in the details. So this has helped me to connect with those reasons again and now I have it in a place I can come back to when I forget. I can also re-evaluate it, maybe the list will grow and change over time. It's always a process, isn't it?

Here is my response for class:

The things that bring me to my classes each week, and motivate me to teach yoga are community, beauty, strength and tradition. Through yoga, I have made amazing friends and have a way to get close to others. I have been able to explore a new world, be exposed to new people and activities and find a healthy way to connect with others. Beauty is another reason I practice. I love to see what human bodies are capable of and I like to watch the way different bodies move and approach a pose. But the beauty aspect is two-fold, as it is also how I feel about myself as I am practicing and as a result of my practice. Yoga has helped me find a deeper self-confidence, something that has been a very long process. Along similar lines is strength, which is not only physical strength, but also mental strength. The practice of yoga tones the body, but it also tones the mind, teaching it to focus on the task at hand, to come back to the present when it wanders and to be open to what life puts in front of us. Lastly, after years of an asana practice, I have been recently finding that the history and tradition of yoga is another reason that I come back to my mat. I am continually amazed that things that were written about in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali are still relevant today and resonate deeply within me. I have begun to scratch the surface of Sanskrit and want to go deeper with my study of that as well.

Headstand and Shoulder Stand

Sirsasana and Sarvangasana, often referred to as the "King and Queen" of the yoga postures and I am on the journey to find out why and how that applies to my practice.

In the most recent training weekend we approached full Headstand, as opposed the the many headstand preparations that can be done. I've done Headstand in the past, although I was never taught the prep first. I think I remember seeing it in a book in college and just going for it, without bothering to build the necessary strength and stamina to do it. Headstand should not be done until you have gained that strength. Poses such as Dolphin, is great for the shoulders. Then you can slowly work walking your feet closing to your body and eventually bringing your head to the mat and allowing a small amount of weight on it as your neck grows stronger. There are many other preps that a good teacher can also assist you on. Having learned that and gained the mobility and flexibility, I am now learning where I should be on my head and how to counter-lever in order for my legs to come up easily and together.

I've had a similar journey with Shoulder Stand. In the past year I have learned the importance of blankets in the pose, I find that 3 are working for me. The blankets aid in keeping your cervical spine (neck) from flattening and bearing all the weight of your body. Different neck lengths, shoulder tightness, etc... will determine what blanket set-up is right for you. There are also various preps for this, it can be done near a wall so that your knees are bent and feet are on the wall so again, not all the body weight is on your neck and shoulders.

I am now starting to practice these 2 poses everyday. I've been taught that Headstand must be followed by Shoulder Stand in a ratio of 1:2. So if I do 2 minutes of Headstand, I should do 4min of Shoulder Stand, but Shoulder Stand can be practiced by itself. It is a great pose to do before bed as it calms the nervous system. We were taught that it is primarily an energetic counter. Headstand builds heat and energy, while Shoulder Stand puts you into your Parasympathetic Nervous System, calming you down.

These poses are not easy! Anyone starting out should find a qualified teacher to guide them before practicing at home.

Here is a short article from Yoga Journal on the two poses.

New Shoes!

I just got a pair of these silly-looking things, but man are they fun! I've been walking a bit in them over the last few days and it is great to feel that connection with the earth while walking down the street or buying groceries. They are definitely conversation starters and I think Seattle has it's own unique fashion sense that I don't feel terribly out of place in them.

Today I took them out for my first run (side-note, I've been off the running wagon, so both the shoes and the running was a bit new to me). I took it easy, though, and found a slow and steady stride. I took breaks often - mostly because I am out of running shape, but the shoes felt great. It was a little weird to get used to the different stride, my whole body seemed to adjust to it, but I felt like my body was made to run more like this than with a normal running shoe. I think I will be sore in different places tomorrow, though!

I have read some of the research on "bare-foot running" and tend to agree with it, but I also just like the idea of it. Practicing yoga and practically living in bare-feet as it is right now, I usually hate putting shoes on. So it feels good to walk around in a simulated bare-foot and still feel like your feet are safe. I certainly don't think these shoes are for everyone. I know my feet have gotten strong from yoga over the years.

Note: I got Vibram's Bikila shoe because they made this one specifically for running with just a touch more padding. Also, they are not easy to put on, but it gets easier.