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.
10:45 AM
i saw the tv show yogazone for the first time today. we recently got digital cable and the show is on the wisdom channel
not really sure what to make of it. once is not enough to judge - and besides, shouldn't i be practicing nonjudging ;-)
i will say that the episode i saw was very different from the iyengar method which i practice.
any one else seen the show? any opinions?
posted by Mike at 10:45 AM
Thursday, May 01, 2003
4:37 PM
interesting article,The Disbeliever's Guide to Yoga, from india's newindpress on sunday
from the article:
The person who wrote that now-famous Nike line 'Just do it!' really figured out the whole thing about yoga. At the core of one of the world?s most ancient treasure houses of knowledge and healing lies a very simple lesson. The lesson of just doing or being something or someone. Without thought for past history or future result.
and
What's the big deal about yoga and why should I do it?
Actually, nobody needs to do yoga. That is if - and this is a big if - if you have the ability to be or do something 100 percent without being attached to the result of being or doing that thing.
the same site has this article, Enlightenment is a joke!, which states
Seekers on the spiritual path are curious to know about Enlightenment. What is Enlightenment? I say, "Enlightenment is like a joke!" It is like a fish in the ocean searching for the ocean.
posted by Mike at 4:37 PM
Tuesday, April 29, 2003
10:29 AM
a friend of mine tried yoga this past weekend for the first time and my teacher indicated it was refreshing to see more men trying yoga.
i was reminded of this artice by tim cahill - a great writer - the article is a bit irreverent, but i think expresses the anxiety some men have about trying yoga.
posted by Mike at 10:29 AM
Sunday, April 27, 2003
8:31 PM
i am enrolled in a master's of ed tech program. a bit of wisdom my prof offered relevant to yoga is the "practice doesn't make perfect; practice makes permanent." his point, if one practices something incorrectly, one will simply reinforce one's bad habits. he is a great professor by the way - one of the best i've had in any subject.
today in class my teacher corrected me in vrksasana . this is a pose i practice frequently, at the start of my practice as i find it a good way to get centered. i would say this is one pose i do "well" - though i don't like to look at asanas in terms of achievement. however, today seh pointed out the hip on the "up" leg was rolled back - i.e. slightly behind the other. when she adjusted me, at first her adjustment didn't feel right and i told her - not that i was doubting her adjustment - but apparently all the wrong practice had made me used to a misalignment.
i think this points out the big advantage of taking classes. i've taken them for close to 4 years and some people wonder why one would need to take them for that long. part of yoga is to develop a body awareness so one can feel how the poses should be. one needs an outside observer to serve as a way to "calibrate" the "instrument" of the body. now that she has set me straight (literally), and i have felt what "straight" feels like, i can hope to have correct alignment on my own as i now have felt it the right way. after class, i complimented her on the adjustment.
posted by Mike at 8:31 PM
11:38 AM
have you ever seen yourself doing yoga?
other than a sidelong glimpse in a mirror in class once in a while, or the reflection in our sliding doors when i practice on our deck, i never have....
so how do you know your legs are straight, or your alignment otherwise is correct. i know the real answer here is to practice whith a teacher, elevate your body awareness, and you'll feel it. i know this works. for example in many of the standing poses, if i see my teacher looking at me, i'll self-correct my alignment cause my teacher has corrected me a thousand times before...
still, what i have tried and am going to continue to experiment in my home practice is to use a digital camera to take a few photos. i did it yeaterday and the results were kind of revelatory...
posted by Mike at 11:38 AM