Flexibility

After doing 20 minutes of afternoon stretches, I'm feeling flexible in my legs, and able to sit at the computer desk again. I've been developing my morning yoga routine, and today I'm feeling the benefits of regular practice. Currently my 40-minutes morning routine focuses on stretching my hamstrings and building strength in my abdomen, arms and quadriceps. Here's an example of my morning sequence:

1. Extended Child's pose (Yin pose)
2. Seated forward bend (Yin)
3. Cat/Cow reps
4. Abdomen crunches (as taught by Stephanie Snyder, who learned from Forrest Yoga)
5. Supta Baddha Konasana (reclined butterfly)
6. Hug knees to chest then rock forward to standing
7. 1/2 Sun Salutation (tadasana, uttanasana, half uttanasana)
8. Sun Salutation A, (with Chaturanga reps on my knees)
9. Tree pose
10. Standing padangustasana
11. 1/2 sun salutation
12. Seated meditation for 10 minutes, Shamata, focusing on my breath

I've been using my fists instead of flat palms in poses like Plank, Chaturanga, Upward Dog, and Table. This is because I have a lingering tendonitis flare-up in my right wrist.

For a couple weeks I was really struggling with sitting for 10 minutes in meditation without using a mantra. When I focused on the movement of my breath, I noticed that I would start to control my breath instead of simply noticing how my body breathes automatically. I talked to a friend about it, and he told me about the practice of feeling the breath move in and out of the nose and noticing the temperature. It feels cool on the inhale and warm on the exhale. I tried this as a focal point, while simultaneously noticing the movement in my belly, and finally I felt I could notice breath without controlling it. I could feel my abdomen move down and out just before I felt air moving in through my nose. This makes sense because it is the downward movement of the diaphram muscle that makes space for the lungs and creates a suction so that air is pulled in. Now I am excited to meditate. Or at least, I no longer dread it.

There have been several scheduling changes with my teacher since I last posted a blog. The Thursday class that I had been going to was cancelled, and the Monday semi-private session has changed time a few times. I have been able to adapt smoothly to the changes. The training is improving my flexibility in more ways than one.

Happy New Year 2007

After a 10 day vacation on the East coast and in a time zone 3 hours ahead of my own, I woke up before my 6:15 am alarm sounded this morning. Refreshed and excited to return to the new schedule I started last month.

My morning routine has changed from what I originally planned. Now I take a shower first thing in the morning (at about 6:30 am), and then I practice yoga from 6:50 to 7:20 am, and meditate in a seated position from 7:20 to 7:30 am. That is working well for me. When I tried practicing poses shortly after waking, I ended up doing more mellow poses and sometimes drifting back to sleep in a supine pose. So after a shower and being awake for a half hour, it is easier to do a more active routine.

I've been having some pain in my right wrist for the last month or so, as a result of repetitive stress (using a computer mouse) and tendonitis. I have modified my practice by using fists instead of flat palms in Upward Facing Dog and Plank. I'm trying a therapy called Active Release, which involves a chiropractor aggressively massaging the muscles and tendons in my arms and wrists. The technique is painful, but I'm hoping it will help.

During my stay in NYC, I visited Om Yoga studio. That is the studio owned by Cyndi Lee, who taught a workshop class I took last year, and who wrote a book and CD/flash cards set that I have. The class was good. I forget the name of the teacher, but when the class was doing Upward Bow pose (a backbend), she offered her ankles for me to hold onto so that I could go up into the backbend without straining my hurt wrist. I really appreciated that!

I had a lot of fun in New York city. I was pleasantly surprised by the plenty of vegetarian/vegan/organic/macrobiotic restaurants there. My favorite of those I visited is Caravan of Dreams. So yummy! And they always have live music. I heard a pianist one time, and then a hand drum and guitar duo another time. The music was subtle enough to allow conversation, but enjoyable.

Happy New Year!!!