Tuesday 26th June 2007
On the days when I do a morning Ashtanga practice, I have a different kind of day: my body blossoms, my mind is sharper and more focussed at work, I get twice as much done and my outlook is positive and confident.
When I don’t practice I feel like crap: the image in the mirror is unkind, my age shows, my head is bogged down with things to be sorted out and things I should do, my self-esteem is low and my state of mind starts sliding downhill into the mud.
Makes you wonder if yoga’s a drug? It’s definitely an anti-depressant.
I guess I’m hooked because I don’t feel good without it, and I have to accept that’s how it is – take it or leave it. It’s my escape from mediochrity.
But being dependent on it (or anything) sure makes me feel uneasy.
This morning I did a full and thorough solo practice by the heater at the end of my bed because it’s been too cold to practice in Renate’s studio on these icy pre-dawn mornings.
It was rather a nice change to practice on my own, carefully nudging my body out into new territory again without any expectation, desire or stress. In the privacy of my own space I even felt comfortable enough to start tackling the lift-up-and-jump-back move, albeit a rather poor imitation of the real thing, but it is a start, and who knows, my body just might catch on to the idea that it’s possible and run with it.
Half the battle is actually believing I can do it. Our minds can be weak or strong leaders; the body might try reluctantly to follow a weak leader, but it confidently follows a strong leader. I remember struggling for years to do that roll up to the balancing point of Urdhva Paschimottanasana and it wasn’t until I discovered that if I visualise it strongly in the split second before I rolled up, it would just happen, like magic.
All it took was a small shift in my belief system. Perfectly executed jumpbacks are next.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
On the days when I do a morning Ashtanga practice, I have a different kind of day: my body blossoms, my mind is sharper and more focussed at work, I get twice as much done and my outlook is positive and confident.
When I don’t practice I feel like crap: the image in the mirror is unkind, my age shows, my head is bogged down with things to be sorted out and things I should do, my self-esteem is low and my state of mind starts sliding downhill into the mud.
Makes you wonder if yoga’s a drug? It’s definitely an anti-depressant.
I guess I’m hooked because I don’t feel good without it, and I have to accept that’s how it is – take it or leave it. It’s my escape from mediochrity.
But being dependent on it (or anything) sure makes me feel uneasy.
This morning I did a full and thorough solo practice by the heater at the end of my bed because it’s been too cold to practice in Renate’s studio on these icy pre-dawn mornings.
It was rather a nice change to practice on my own, carefully nudging my body out into new territory again without any expectation, desire or stress. In the privacy of my own space I even felt comfortable enough to start tackling the lift-up-and-jump-back move, albeit a rather poor imitation of the real thing, but it is a start, and who knows, my body just might catch on to the idea that it’s possible and run with it.
Half the battle is actually believing I can do it. Our minds can be weak or strong leaders; the body might try reluctantly to follow a weak leader, but it confidently follows a strong leader. I remember struggling for years to do that roll up to the balancing point of Urdhva Paschimottanasana and it wasn’t until I discovered that if I visualise it strongly in the split second before I rolled up, it would just happen, like magic.
All it took was a small shift in my belief system. Perfectly executed jumpbacks are next.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
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What a great post! Yep, and I reckon yoga is definitely a drug, a good natural high one that leaves you blissed out for days :-)
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