bio: a bit of a biography. i have practiced yoga and meditation at different points of my
life. my most recent practice has been pretty consistent since 1999. i practice
iyengar yoga. i certainly do not consider myself an expert, though it is a topic i take very seriously and have studied.
i am not a yoga teacher, although, i have filled in for my teacher on a few occassions.
i am keeping this yoga blog for a number or reasons. first of all, to experiment
with a different style of blogging, next, in a hope it will enrich my practice - by focusing my reading and by keeping my focus on my
daily practice - on and off the mat, and lastly, in an attempt to provide a resource for new and experienced yoga practitioners -
a resource that will contain links to what i find interesting, informative, etc., about yoga admittedly, filtered
through my own biases. i keep another weblog _monk in case you are interested
in the more mundane events of my life, or a potpourri of random thoughts.
10:15 AM
i don't see it online - when i do i will surely link to it, but yoga journal a month or two back had a great article about a home practice and sequencing poses. i keep that issue in my bag now i found the article so informative. deciding what to do at home is a bit of a challenge - esp. for beginners - at first one doesn't know what to practice (or even remember the poses from class) later on sequencing and falling into a rut becomes an issue.
anyhow, in the meantime here is an article about sequencing which is pretty consistent with everything else i've heard.
from the article:
The different categories of asanas exert different effects not only on your body, but also on your mind and emotions. The standing poses promote emotional stability and strength. The forward bends are calming -- even the very deepest forward bend should have a cooling effect, not a straining feeling. The back bends are antidepressive and elevate mood. The inverted poses increase energy and engender equanimity and a sense of well-being.
and
The choice of sequencing of asanas depends in part upon the state of mind you are in at a given time. No one sequence will be appropriate for every person for every mindset. Although there are not strict rules governing the order of asanas within a session, some general principles can be used to allow the asanas to work more effectively together. A good overall sequence for a practice session would be:
1. Standing poses
2. Back bends
3. Forward bends
4. Twisting asanas
5. Inversions
6. Restorative poses and Savasana
posted by Mike at 10:15 AM
Thursday, April 24, 2003
4:30 PM
yoga practice gone stale? try try these suggestions
another suggestion i would add is start a blog!
my advice is not to attach to the burnt out feeling - like, i would suspect, everyone, i have had times when my practice is very regular and other times when it is spotty - due to lack of motivation, or other commitments. i try not to miss too many classes - that keeps me from getting too far away from my practice - but i will curtail my practice when i feel the need. recently, my practice has been revived after the winter doldrums caused by a number of factors.
posted by Mike at 4:30 PM
Wednesday, April 23, 2003
11:49 AM
a good thing about a yoga practice is that it not just can be adapted to an individual's needs in general, it can be adapted to an individual's needs on any given day. for example, last night, i did not begin practicing until about 9pm. i started my practice as i normally do - a few balance poses to center myself and get limber, such as vrksanana (though i can't raise my hands in my house - low ceilings) and garudasana, and i quickly found it was not working. i was simply too tired. with other things, i might have been tempted to just put my head down and gut it through doing the poses i intended to do, but by following one of the key pieces of yoga advice "listen to your body", i took it easy and did a restorative practice
btw, the book mentioned in the article above is relax and renew by judith lasater, and it's another great book by her. unfortunatley i lent my copy to someone and don't expect to get it back. oh well, i hope at least they benefit from it.
posted by Mike at 11:49 AM
Tuesday, April 22, 2003
9:51 AM
this article addresses should there be national standards for yoga teacher certification.
i know in iyengar yoga there is an extensive certification program as my teacher is involved in it...
i have mixed feelings about it. on one hand i agree with the statement in the white lotus article above, which says: "Let’s not institutionalize Yoga"
on the other hand, students, especially beginning students, have a right to know if their teacher is qualified. a beginning student might not be in the position to decide. additionally, with the possibility of health insurance paying for yoga in some cases, there needs to be the assurance that the instructor is capable...
guess i don't have an answer here...
posted by Mike at 9:51 AM
Sunday, April 20, 2003
9:20 PM
i really don't have many items of "yoga clothing", as it's not really necessary - t-shirt and loose shorts pretty much do the trick, plus i generally try to avoid the "yoga as commerce" approach of many yoga clothing companies. that being said, i do own these two items.
i really like these items and imho, they work because they seem to be built with yoga in mind - and as such are superior to regular "fitness" clothing, which may be similar.
other than that - i like to practice in my t-shirt from destroy all monsters, but i guess that really doesn't count as "yoga clothing"
this concludes the fashion report segment of this blog
;-)
posted by Mike at 9:20 PM