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.
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.
posted by Anonymous @ 4:00 PM
1 Comments:
At 1/31/2007 1:01 AM,
Anonymous said…
thanks! I used this in my hotel in SF as something to go from. I love Forrest crunches but can never get by in my self-practice without half pigeon, because for me it is the shizz that makes yoga awesome.
Post a Comment
<< Home