Teachers

I love yogaglow.

I do not know how else to say this but to really really feel grateful that I signed up for it. I knew from a start that I love the freedom of home practice. Which is why I took to ashtanga the way I did. Once you got the sequence memorized, you do not have to worry about anything else. And it's a good thing that I am a stickler to alignment and I love reading on basics and proper anatomy usage to really make sure that the poses I do are safe.

Prior to the website, I have been enjoying my own home practice - using the much appreciated yogajournal home practice. It was good enough for me, and most of the times I ended up adding my own poses that I seem fit to be included in the flow.

this website just made it easier. And it just strengthened my resolve. Sometimes I give up a little tad to early in  holding a pose, but when you have a teacher egging you on or encouraging you to just hold a little bit, you do. Like today's 90 vinyasa flow class I took with amy ippoliti, about chest openers and being happy. She did a killer sequence of urdvha  dhanurasana, which we have to hold for 30 seconds. I've never held for that long before. and 3 times! I was figuring out how to last for the last time until she said, "when you're in the pose and you feel like you can't hold it anymore and need to go down, that is the time for you to take a deep breath and hold on to many 3 more breaths. This is to let you know that you can persevere through hard times." That was a good thing. That is actually the essence of my journey of exercising and 'training', be it running, cycling and swimming. I think that's why I totally love solo sport - because the only real opponent if yourself. And if you can conquer it, then maybe, perhaps, your determination in life just got a little bit steelier. I always go back to the toughest times of when I don't give up to pull me through a current tough crisis - mentally, emotionally, and especially physically - that I am plowing through.

 So after that amy class I moved on to tiffany crushank's leg sequence, but eventhough its only 30 minutes I was tired halfway so I stopped. It's a good energizing sequence for sore legs. I did kathryn budig's shoulder stretcher and oh my god... my sore shoulders diminished. Even before the session is over I was freaking out inside on how much my shoulders don't feel sore anymore.

 I finished the session with a 7 second handstand x2, a 7 seconds pincha and a melted leg pincha, with a headstand with blocks. Felt good.

 Love it.

 Yesteday's ashtanga ended after Bandha konasana because I was too damn tired... and apparently it was because of the full moon. I thought I was pregnant. hahah.

Impromptu

Love it when I have an unexpected practice.

  I am fasting today, but knew that I wanted to do some yoga. I just felt like it. Ashtanga was scheduled today, but my heart wasn't in it. So I logged on to yogaglo and did a 30 minute practice with elena brower which worked on the shoulders and legs. It was a slow practice which was topped off with an arm balancing - the side plank thing in third series ashtanga - that really made the practice worth it. Then I continued with Kathryn Budig's restorative class wich had a lot of laying on the bolster and ended with a refreshing supta bandha konasana and I felt so good. I continued with some of my own chest openers using the blocks and the chair which really worked my upper body.

then I did my sequence of low lunge, high lunge, warrior 1, warrior 2 and 3 then half moon, bound half moon and then reverse half moon, lizard pose then pigeon. I also did 2 rounds of handstand, the last counting up to 7 seconds. I did 2 rounds of pincha, the last counting up to 7 seconds as well, and supported headstand, for as long as I could stand. I want to make this my daily practice.

Then I moved on to sphinx, baby cobra, cobra, salambasana,  bow pose, bridge, urdvha dhanurasana twice, then camel post. I love my camel pose now. Love it. Then the usual bandha konasana and the wide legged forward bend before a savasana.

 I love it when I work with my body, following what it feels like having instead of forcing it to do just this. Strangely enough... my heart's kinda feel like its not into ashtanga for the moment. I don't know if it's the fact that I'm trying to conceive, or the fact that maybe I am already pregnant, or just that I'm fasting, but the thought of doing the repetitions just don't make me feel excited anymore. I still do want to practice ashtanga even throughout my pregnancy so I can't really make it stop. But I am also finding it beautiful to do poses that my body needs.

 Love it today.

Restorative Monday

I realized that I am slowly embracing the yoga in my life - beyond the physical aspect. Yoga used to be a workout for me. I would get frustrated if I didn't sweat or ache from yoga. But now after reading into it for some time, yoga is much more than just asanas.

Yesterday was supposed to be my primary monday. But I had 6 injections done - for my overseas posting - and both my arms were achy and sore like the muscles are torn or something. Came back with no mood to even do primary, but my body was itching for some yoga.

So I listened to my body instead and worked on simple poses. Of course, this means I'd go to poses that I love - mainly the half moon pose (getting so much better in this I just cant believe it!) some warrior 1 and 2, Utkattasana, wall squat for leg strengthener. Then move on to my backbending sequence. Sphinx, Crocodile (for upper back), cobra.

I am now going to focus on opening my upper back as opposed to my lower back which will get work form wheel, etc. It's my thoracic spine that is stiff. I did the chair upper back pose and man, that was intense. But I believe I've improved a bit.

Tuesday Yin

Last night was good satisfying practice.

I knew in my mind that I wanted to work on releasing my hips even more, been obsessed with the Firelog pose everytime I sit down. Could not even figure out where in my hips is the tightness that I can't bring my knees down. So my focus for last night was hip sequence I got from Yoga Journal.

I warmed up with 5 Surya Namaskara A and B and 1-2 standing poses. Then I went in:

High Lunge

Low Lunge

Warrior 2

Half Moon Pose - I added this myself, just because you know how much I love this pose.

Lizard pose with back knee off

Half Lord of the Fishes

Gomukhasana

Firelog Pose - I added this myself too

Half Pigeon or Low Pigeon: this one was very intense and good.

Baddha Konasana

and finally Frog Pose - this was good too.

I relished the downward dog in between. And then I worked on my back:

Sphinx

Baby Cobra

Cobra

Locust

Flying Locust

Modified Bow

Camel against the wall.

Then I used the blocks to provide that stretch in my upper back.

Love the workout. I ended it with the Puppy Pose which gives a nice stretch for my arms and then a nice Savasana.

Mastering the mind

Yesterday was really crazy class - crazy but good.

Went for an Ashtanga LED class with a full on tension in my neck from bracing the traffic, thank God the class have yet to start.

We went with Kino, whose short and (sometimes) very fast countings kept my heart rate waaayyy up and nearly gasping for breath. It was beautiful, not much thoughts were given, I was simply going through the motions. At some points ego and cockiness seeped into my heart, especially after a sucessful binding of Mary D, but I tried the hardest to kick them out. For fonishing sequence, instead of doing the modifications like at home, I opted for the invigorating Vaparita Karani until Fish, which I did a modified fish. Tolasana - or Uplutihih - was great as usual.

Then moved on to Yin yoga. A replacement teacher was in and she was pretty loud, quite a contrast with what the class suggests. But her poses were CRAZYYY. we did forward bend which was held for 5 minutes and it was crazy. Painful, good painful. Then the best part - lizard pose. I was struggling with it the whole time. The teacher said something like, "Yin teaches you to master your mind," and I was tyring to control my thoughts but all I got was THIS FUCKING HURTS.

We were encouraged not to use props at all if we could but the point is to relax completely so I of course succumbed to props. I have given up on showing off after the injury. then it was happy baby and the sphinx. Good massages.

Looking forward for today's lovely and quiet yoga. I'm going to still work on the backbends. Slowly.

Restorative Yoga

Last night I did an easy, slow, relaxing one hour plus yoga.

Followed the home practice sequence from yoga journal:

downward dog

triangle pose

extended side angle

half moon pose

janu sirsasana

bound angle pose

reclining pose

then continued to

sphinx

baby cobra

cobra

locust

bow

camel

bridge

more upper back opener with a chair. Releases the tension in my neck.

cat and cow.

worked on a few neck poses - thread the needle, etc. some shoulder opening poses from yogatic.

I forgot to do the dolphin sequence. will do it later.

it was a good one hour, to work on my poses, things I dont usually do if I do ashtanga.