May 27th, 2016 - I am in Ooty...

Okay so I am on holiday but still I manage to practice this morning. I did 24 Sun Salutation A and then.... I practiced Pilates, yes I indulged myself with Pilates because I wanted to work more my core and also my body was not fully warm up. I am used to practice in hot temperature and here in Ooty the weather is more continentale, 20°, so I did not feel the flexibility coming easily and beside I wanted to do something else than the Primary Series.

So is this practice is counting ? I will say yes, why not? Yes I did not practice the Primary Series but at least this morning before doing any else and enjoying my self I have unfolded my mat and I was practicing.

And I do believe that right now my body is in need of core centering, it has been ages that I did not practice Pilates and it is essential for my balance, so this week I will practice Pilates and reinforce my belly and my back.

I am Happy to do so! And I do believe that on June when I will be back to a regular practice with Saraswathi in Mysore it will be very helpful for me.

Also I am not judging Yoga at all but to be fairly honest I never hurt myself while practicing Pilates whereas with the Primary Series I have to admit that I have hurt quite few parts of my body. I did not recover everything starting from my twisting meniscus last January at BNS Iyengar Shala but still there is improvement. Pilates is healing my body and it will be all the best for further practice. 

May 25th, 2016

A very smooth practice.
Added asana: Ardha Chakrasana, Bekasana, Dhanurasana and Ustrasana.

No inversion.

May 21st, beginning of Week 7

Duration 1h40
Added Asanas: Dhanurasana & Bekasana
Improvement: Hand stand and Shirshasana without the wall

It was a good practice. However my mind is still not stable. That is mainly my problem, while I was practicing I was practicing just Asana and not Yoga as I could not be in the present moment, so basically I was just on automatic mode. Sometimes I was able to concentrate on my breathing but most of the time I was out of my mat, even in the asana during the 5 breathes my mind was flying away....

Instead of wanted improvement into my physical practice I SHOULD STABILISE MY MIND. If I don't do it then there is no Dharana and so I am only practicing a physical exercice that's it.... I need to focus and be there. Today it was really obvious for me, at the end of the practice I felt good because of the physical exercice but not because I practiced yoga. 

This is not the way "Yoga" should be done. I need to work more.

And beside tomorrow is the full moon and on the top of that I got my period.

So no practice for the next two days...

May 19th, 2016 - End of Week 6

Duration: 1h41
No Meditation, no Pranayama just pure asana practice

And it was sooooooooo goooooood! I think I have crossed a major step into my practice, since yesterday my hamstrings are back, I can bend forward without any pain and now I start to really enjoy it.

My mind was very peaceful I was here and now, it was nice. 

I have also noticed that practicing variation for asana is not a good thing, sometimes it may help but at one point the variation should let the place of the real asana and whatever happens the improvement will come.

Today I have practice the Marychasana D without the variation, I can not grab my arm while twisting but on the contrary with the variation I feel more the rotation of the torso, I can really feel my abdominal working as in the variation I can not.

I did the drop back and the hand stand. I do not dare to do all full hand stand without the wall but next week I will try to avoid the wall.

I am feeling great.

May 18th, 2016 - Evening Practice

Duration: 1h40
All Vinyasa

Asana missed: Purvotanasana - There is something about it, this one is the ONE that I am often missing.... 

Improvement: Suraya Namasakara B.

I have understood something today. When I go on the mat I have expectations. I want to improve my jump back and jump forward therefore it can become very frustrating because I don't see anything new about it.

However today I noticed that in Asana in which I was comfortable so not paying that much of attention were actually really improving.

Sarvangasana for instance, I hold it for 25 breaths and all weight is on my shoulder and my triceps.

Halasana has really opened my shoulders. It was an asana I thought I have it but in fact no.

Setubandasana a lot of improvement, my pelvis is higher and weight into the scapula (I do the variation).

Kurmasana, by doing an inner rotation of my femur bone my legs are closer to my shoulder and before I used to have this feeling only when I was adjusted as now I can fix it myself.

So what I learned is in fact I should stop to focus on something when my body is not ready because on the other hand while I am practicing and paying attention of what I am doing I can see a lot of things happening. My shoulders are my open, my upper back is stronger, the scapular belt is more powerful as now I can hold Shirshana with my ears far from shoulder, no collapsing at all.

So yes practice and it all comes but do not have expectation on a particular asana. Just let it flow.

And of course TO BE CONTINUED !

May 17th, 2016 - Evening Practice

Duration: 1h30

All Vinyasa: YES

Asana skipped: NONE

Shavasana: 5 minutes (because of the mosquitos)

Today I practiced at 6.00 PM. My body was slightly more flexible but not that much. That make me think that maybe I have something block on the back of my legs, how comes how can not lengthen my legs completely when bending forward?

I did the drop back bending and I still feel a pain in the lower back but it is not the kind of pain that want to make you stop as it is completely bearable. So I don't know if a MRI is necessary or not....

It was a good practice, I can see and feel improvement especially about the opening of my shoulders, much better than 2 weeks ago and my upper back is getting bigger, more muscles are showing.

Shirshana without the head touching the floor is definitely improving, today I was able to do it without touching the wall at all, I lift from my scapular belt, I never did this before, so for the last few years I was doing Shirshasana with the ears in my shoulders because I thought that I was pushing but now that I am really pushing up I can feel the difference... So of course my trapezius is bigger.

To Be continued.

May 16th, 2016

Duration: 1h53
Meditation & Pranayama: 10 minutes
Asana skipped: NONE
Asana added: Ustrasana (to relaxe my hamstrings)

It was an average practice, hamstrings muscles are really painful and I do believe they are getting shorter every day.

My mind was all over the place, can not stabilise it at all, very disturbed mind. Hopefully tomorrow will be better as I have solved something today ;-)

- Namaste -

May 15th, 2016

Duration: 1h30 of full Asana practice, no pranayama, no meditation

Asana skipped: Yes skipped and not forgotten, Urdhva mukha Paschimotanasana and Urdhva Dhanurasana.

Observation: I don't understand why by my hamstrings have become shorter, tights, very very tights, it is painful to bend forward and Paschimottanasana still bending the knees.

So this week is the beginning of the sixth week, yes I can see some improvement but mostly not that much. I can make a list of what I am not able to do.....

My mind was not calm during the practice, it was going up and down, in and out, I was thinking of many things and not only good things.

- To be continued -  

April 14th, 2016 - Improvement

Duration: 1h46

Pranayama, Nauli and Agnisara Kriya: 15 Minutes

Shavasana: 10 Minutes

Asanas practice: 1h26

Asana forgotten: Tryanga Mukha Eka Pada Shirshasana (damned!!)

Improvement: 

• Janu Shirshasana C: Able to do it on both side without any props - Satisfied
• Marychasana A - Grabbing the wrist on both side :-) Happy!

Mind was disturb when I came in the shala. So I decided to start the session with Pranayama and Kriya. It really helps for the practice.

However the Standing series was kind of crap. Could not straighten the legs properly, and had pain in my knee during Ardha Bada Padotanasana.

So then when I came for the sitting postures it was a joyful surprise that the rest of the practice was not too bad.

Did not do any drop backbend but works my hand stand and Shirshasana without the head on the floor. 

It was not the best practice but it was a good one :-)

May 13th, 2016 - No Comment

- End of Week 5 -

May 12th, 2016 - Exhaustion!

Yes Absolutely.

My body is on strike, it is a physical pain that I am having in all four limbs of my body. I woke up at 6.00 AM, had a coffee.... then slept back.

The all day I am roaming like a zombie. All my limbs are heavy like Hell... My neck does not turn properly and my belly is screaming for food, food and food.

Maybe I should stop the evening practice and concentrate only on the morning Primary Series.

May 11th, 2016 - Evening Practice

Duration: 1h30

Practice 20 Sun Salutation A, 5 Sun Salutation B. I especially paid attention to my breathing and the dristhi.... and found that if I really bring the dristhi behind the thumb for Virabhadrasana 1 I loose my balance. So I do believe that there is a good reason for this drishti that I never followed before. Will pay more attention now.

Did all the standing series with Vinyasa.

Then practice core with Pilates exercices and Bhujangasana, Ustrasana with hand on the floor opening my rib cage, Gomukasana, Eka Pada Raja Kapotasana.

Finish with Jatara Parivartanasana and Shirshasana.

Improvements: I work my chaturanga differently still bringing my elbow on the inner rotation, it is hard but it is coming.

Hardest part: it was Uttitha Hasta Padangustasana.... no balance for the left leg up.

My personal rating: 8/10.

Still happy to practice!

May 11th, 2016

Duration : 1h39 (without Shavasana)

No Pranayama, no Meditation.

Shavasana : 10 minutes

Vinyasa from standing postures after Padahastasana, Trikonasana B, Parshvokonasana B, Prasaritta Padotanasana D, Parshvotanasana, Uttitha Hasta Padanghustasana, Ardha Baddha Padotanasana.

All full Vinyasa from sitting postures.

Mind: Calmer than yesterday.

Improvement: Marychasana series, dropping back bending and Shirshasana.

Breathing: Focused.

I felt great after the practice but was surprised that it last 1h39 minutes. I think that my breathing is maybe to fast when holding the 5 breaths. 

The evening practice is improving my morning practice even though in the evening I do not practice again the full primary Series but I do believe that extra exercice to focus on a particular point help the body.

Today I was not tired, I noticed also that during my Chaturanga my hands are getting closer. I have hyper extension on my elbow they are turning outside, so while lifting up in Urdhva Mukha I do an internal rotation of the elbow and push my shoulder backward, to my big surprise it improves my Urdhva Mukha.

All standing forward fold are really going deeper, I can say that my head is going down the tibia bone and getting closer to my ankles, I did not expect that, it just happened like that. I think this will be very helpful during the hand stand as now I really shift my body forward while jumping back. Of course the jumping back has to be improved but it will.

However I completely lost the count of the Vinyasa.... however from Dandasana after a full vinyasa until I place my foot for the next pose I am keeping the inhalation, means that my breathing can be longer.

So it is possible to do the full primary series with all vinyasa in less than 2 hours. I did not feel I was rushing at all.

To be continued...

May 10th, 2016 - Evening Practice

I just did a couple of Sun Salutation and worked on my hand stand, jumping back and jumping front. I feel it is coming. I did not use the wall at all as I do believe I have to go over my fear of falling down, the result is a bit tragic. My left leg goes up and my right leg is too shy to meet the left one.

By "mistake" sometimes my pelvis is moving forward but as I feel it is moving I got scared so back to an horizontal hand stand... it is kind of pathetic.... 

I practiced the backbend such as Ustrasana going completely down, however I can not bring the elbow on the mat, only my hands, I guess I need more space into my thoracic so I push the floor with my hands on the floor, contract the gluteus and try my best to bring my pelvis up as it is completely collapsing when I am bending backward.

However Bekasana went well, no pain at all in my knees which what a very good surprise to me.

Bhujangasana slowly but surely is really improving, now I can keep my 2 legs completely glued together and working with an internal rotation of my femur bone toward the mat. It is really helpful in order to keep my pubic bone on the floor.

Hopefully tomorrow morning I will have light practice.

- To be continued -

May 10th, 2016 - It has been one month already!

Start: 7.45 AM

Finish: 10.00 AM

One full month during which I daily commit into my practice of Ashtanga Yoga. As for an "anniversary" day I did not receive any reward. My wrists were painful, my lower back was kind of stuck so I did not do any dropping back after Dhanurasana.

On the other hand I started practicing the hand stand in the middle of the shala by jumping with two legs and to my big surprise there is a huge improvement. 

I did Shirshana without the wall and maybe 5% of my head was touching the floor, but not more, all weight was into my triceps.

I practice the standing postures with Vinyasa after Trikonasana A & B, Parshvokonasana A & B, Prasaritta Padottanasana A, B, C & D, Parshvotanasana.

Speaking of Parshvokonasana B I stop to practice the variation because I believe that it is like the wall, you can not move one without it.... so today the twist was better, however I don't think there is ANY alignment with my hips. 

Marychasana A is getting better as well, forward fold really fold and I am closed to grab my wrist.

I felt very tired after the practice, I sweat a lot but now it seems that my energy level is pretty closed to nothing.

Also my mind was not stable at all, I don't know why I had a good sleep, I woke up I gave food to cats, kitten, dog, was happy to practice. But then during the practice I was thinking of all stories that happened last July. Then on the sitting posture my mind was back to 10 years ago... I don't know why, maybe it is a way of moving on, I just have to let go all of these awful thoughts coming into my mind in order to get rid of them.

I believe I need to follow the process because there is no reason for me to be down and to ruminate all things that happened in the past.

May 9th, 2016 - Morning Practice

Starts at 7.45 AM with Pranayama.

Practice all the Primary Series with all Vinyasa including from Trikonasana A, Vinyasa back to Samastithi, then Trikonasana B, Vinyasa and so on.

All Vinyasa in the sitting series, did not skip any asana.

Marychasana A has improved, I can now fully grabbed my hand (before I was holding my fingers) and the forward fold is better.

However I messed up Shirshasana, I was hungry and after almost 2h30 practice start to be tired.

It was a good practice.

May 8th, Evening Practice

One hour practice.

I did the all standing series with Vinyasa in between and in fact it took only 35 minutes. So maybe my breath was too short but I haven't feel any difference with the morning practice without the Vinyasa.

I was not exhausted at all, actually I was feeling fine. Of course my body was more flexible as it had the all day to relaxe.

Did not do any of the sitting sequence, went for Pilates exercices, Bhujangasana, Dhanurasana. Worked my gluteus, cat and cow stretch with side bending. Ended with Shirshasana.

Total of the practice was about one hour. 

It's all good :-)

May 8th, 2016

Morning practice, start at 7.45 AM with meditation and Pranayama.

End of the practice 9.30 AM.

I forgot Purvottanasana….. I realized it when I was going for Sarvangasana.

The connection of Virabhadrasana II to baby Hand stand to chaturanga is still in realization, I am building it. Right now I have absolutely no clue of what it looks like from the outside but from the inside I still feel very heavy.

I started to introduce the Kakasana after Bhujapindasana and Supta Kurmasana and also Upavistha Konasana.

Slowly but surely it is coming.

I don’t feel any pain anywhere when practicing all Suraya Namasakara, I have added 2 so now I start the practice with 7 Sun A and 7 Sun B.

I almost back bend down on my own (with the wall support) but right before touching the floor I came back up and I think I was right because it was really hard to come back on my own… then I did a handstand (or 2) but because of the intensity of the backbend I felt weak, so I stopped it.

Neck not back to 100% so did not even dare the chakrasana.

Shirshasana without the head touching the floor is coming, now I put my mat far from the wall.

It was a good morning practice. This evening I will work my core and hand stand.

May 6th, 2016

Morning practice with a neck blocked. As I was practicing muscles were warming up so practice what nice.

I now do the Parshvokonasana B without the variation, my twist is not that good yet but I am improving.

END OF WEEK 4

May 5th, 2016

Well it was a very good practice. I did one of my best Kukutasana.

Did not dare to do any chakrasana because my neck is back on track so I have to be gentle with my body.

But practice fulfill me J

Evening practice: A lot of Suraya Namaskara (Ashtanga Style). Core exercice (Pilates!).

May 4th, 2016

After the massage the neck was better but morning practice was not that good. It seems that my body is back to a beginner practice, don’t understand the regression. Not frustrated (not yet) but did not practice in the evening.