Lost my Tapas..... feeling guilty

Absolutely, while in vacation I completely lost my tapas and my practice. It has been almost week that I have been on my yoga mat and I have the feeling that I won't go back to it until the next 10 days...

I am on holidays travelling in Italia, the menu is very simple Napoli, Roma, Siena, Florence and Venice - in  between pizzas and pastas. A lot of walking, it is the least that I can do for my body but for the rest all resolutions are gone, all practices are over and my yoga mat is resting in peace.

Stef in Italy - but still feeling guilty ;-)

Do I feel guilty about it? Of course, big time! BUT as the picture is showing with a big smile :-)

So let's say that I am taking a break for 2 weeks, a full break without any practice and by September 12th I will be back on my mat, but right now enjoying everything and hopefully be able to prepare myself for October in Mysore.

- Namaste -

Hatha Yoga..... is hard!

Absolutely.

In Hatha Yoga the asana are kept for 9, 12 or 16 breaths. Trikonasana is then very different from 5 breaths to 9 breaths. Instead of going right away grabbing the big toe I do it gradually, 3 breaths bending on the lateral side with the hand above the knee, 3 breaths below the knee and 3 breaths grabbing the big toe.

With longer breath I can feel the stretch of the side of my body. In Ashtanga with 5 breaths I first grab the big toe then adjust the asana but it is not that deeper as it is with Hatha Yoga.

For Uttitha Hasta Padangustasana 9 breaths is then also very hard and it can be complicated if I reach the end of the asana right away, so I do the same, I am sequencing my breath and then my asana, furthermore I do really enjoy the "reseting" pose such as Tadasana between the two sides.

I am also practicing asana that I do not practice during the Ashtanga Primary Series.

I am almost "mastering" Shirshana without the head touching the floor, yes almost because to go up I still need the wall, I first start with the normal Shirshasana head on the floor then I touch the wall my left feet, lift my head up, bring the back of my skull up to my thumb and then find my balance without the head touching the floor, using a lot of core and belt scapula to stabilise it. So far I was able to stay for 9 breaths, was very happy about it.

To my very big surprise Pincha Mayurasana is also coming very nicely, I still need a wall as a psychological support but now I do not need to touch it to lift my legs up, I can also find my stability, then suddenly my brain got disconnected and send the information to my nervous system such as "danger you're gonna fall", then I have to touch the wall...... which give a result of a twisting pelvis and so I loose my balance....

All the previous practice I have done is the result of my new practice. However I know I have to go back to the Primary Series as by October I  will start to practice with Sharat.

But so far a lot of improvement, mentally and physically. Mentally I am more stable, less pissed off for nothing and physically I have gaine weight.... but I have gained muscles and especially around my buttock region, before it was flat now a "bump" is slightly showing :-)

Still happy to practice in Paris and of course still in love with Asana.

- Namaste -

Practices in Paris - August 2016

I did not really stop the practice. I was supposed to stop for a week but then I have been practicing on July, then I travelled and have a break of real non practice for 2 days then I went back to the practice.

Actually we are running a Hatha TTC in Paris and as the studio we are renting is big (because we are having 25 students) and also because it is a danse studio there are some curtains that prevent the mirror. So what I do during the morning practice that Rakesh is teaching I am doing my personal practice behind the curtains.

I started with 54 Sun Salutation then the standing series avoiding Ardha Bada Padotanasana because my knee is still in recovery mode, then once I reach the sitting pose I stop practicing the Primary Series but do a lot of back bend series, core centering and "guts" exercice.

I am really enjoying it. Next week will do only back bend with core exercice.

I did not manage the 108 Sun Salutation because I can not count them, so I did practice half an hour of Sun Salutation but I am not able to know exactly how many I do. As I am not in competition with anyone I have decided to stop the struggle of counting but just do.

Practice is good, I have to be ready for October as I am starting the practice with Sharat.

Not to mention that my diet has completely changed since I am back to Paris, I eat salad every day, so happy, not that much of cheese and croissant in the morning. Right now I do not miss Indian food at all and don't think I will miss it in the near future.

Enjoying life, practice and our new students, life is definitely goooooood :-)

- Namaste -