99% Practice....

On Sunday,  I did a bonehead move and left my mat in the studio.  I was not sure if I left it in the parking lot so I drove back and, sure enough,  there it was in the closed studio by the sign-in desk.   It was soon relegated to the corner of shame with the other items left behind by fellow Yogis.

I practiced for  two nights with my original cheap mat that I paid probably $15 dollars for (I spent  about $90 for my Manduka mat) before I could get it back.    During those two two sessions.  I really did not see any real difference in my practice with the exception of the fact the mat moved a bit more than my newer one  (which weights 7 pound vs. the 1 or 2 pound the old mat weighs) and balancing was harder due to my carpet and the lightness of the old mat.  Both practices were fine and enjoyable.

What this tells me is that it is not the equipment but rather the Practice that is important.  As  Sri K. Pattabhi Jois says  "99 percent practice 1 percent theory".  

Namaste and a Happy turkey free Thanksgiving..

Sun Salutation B (Surya Namaskara)

During the beginning of many flow classes and as part of the "warm up" of an Ashtanga practice, two types of  Asana  sequences called Sun Salutation A and Sun Salutation B (Surya Namaskara A & B) are practiced after initial stretching.

Sun Salutation A is a series of nine movements that  I generally practice slowly and deliberately in order to further stretch out my muscles and to prepare my body for the practice that is going to follow.    It is standard to do five sequences and I really like the gentleness and quietness of this flow as I  feel my body beginning to warm up.   As in all flow practices,  it is very important to breath properly and each movement (with the exception of Down Dog which gets five breaths) is done with a single designated inhale or exhale.

Sun Salutation B extends the flow of the first series and incorporates 17 separate movements.    Like Sun Salutation A,  one generally does five sequences.     With Sun Salutation B,   the pace moves more quickly and it takes concentration to acclimate the breath to the movements.   Two single breath (one on each side ) Warrior One poses are done and, additionally, the series also includes three Chaturanga and three Upward Dog Asanas.   The movement  from Down Dog to Warrior One to Chaturanga then Upward dog and then back to Downward Dog are all done with one breath per pose and this is where the beauty of the Sun Salutation B lies.

The core of Surya Namaskara B requires three Chaturanga Asanas (Astau) and two Warrior One  (Ekdasa) Asanas

With the concentration on  the flow (and there are no breaks between each sequence) and the breath,  once can feel like you are floating from pose to pose.   It is a great way to warm up and the sequence develops strength, endurance and flexibility.   The five breaths taken during Downward Dog after both Warrior One poses are really needed to get ready for the next sequence..

When I first started practicing and followed a class where the B series was done in a quick deliberate pace,  I really struggled.   I knew when I did the full five series I was getting a physical workout from the flow and a mental workout by having to concentrate on my breathing.     As I have progressed in my practice,  the challenge to the B series makes it my favorite "Asana"  even though it is 17 separate ones.  I will never be perfect,  I struggle to move in and out of Warrior One with the breath and have a hard time smoothly moving to the pose on my right side with regularity.  I try, and that is what is important.

Five Sun Salutation A and B poses really get the body moving.   If you do Chaturanga properly,  the combined series gives you 20 slow pushups.     When I am done with both series,  I know I am warm and ready for the challenges of the core of my practice. 

Namaste.  

Flexibility Improvements with regular Yoga practice.

Flexibility does not come easy,  but with hard work and persistence, Yoga can slowly but steadily build up the flexibility needed as one ages.    No one is "not flexible enough"  to practice Yoga  (something that  has been said to me more than once)  but rather we need the practice to get the flexibility.   It is a proverbial conundrum.   If think you are not flexible enough to practice Yoga, then you will never increase your flexibility because you do not practice. 

When I first started practicing my flexibility was pretty dismal.    Touching my ankles was a stretch  (no pun intended) but, even more so, my lower back, shoulders, hips etc.  were very tight.  This made me a prime candidate for muscle strains in my upper and lower back especially.      As I advanced in age,  I was even more of a candidate for injury.  The fact that I started practicing Yoga has no doubt made me much more flexible but it took  a lot of hours on the mat to get to the point where I can feel flexibility in my daily life.   It took at least six months of almost daily practice just to get to the point where I could touch my toes  when I was warmed up.    It was not easy and it took dedication.   It was not a once a week going to the Yoga studio practice. 

Over time, I could see improvement in areas where I had issues.  My shoulders are much more flexible  (not something I ever thought about before starting to practice) and I  am more upright and flexible on my upper and lower back.  (touching your toes is pretty much all in your hamstrings) .  I still have a ways to go in every area but I look back even six months ago and see the improvement.

One of my goals in Yoga was to flatten my hands on the floor during a forward fold.   It took over three years of hundreds of hours on the mat and thousands of Sun Salutations, Intense Stretches to the West etc. to get there but if I am warm enough and after a deep practice session,   that goal has been achieved.

Namaste...