Whats up with my yoga

I got so much immersed in india trip and recovering from india trip, anemia diagnosis, meditation side effects  yoga got sidelined. If I had to change one thing in me, it would be not taking this long to get back into my routine of food and exercise. Lets take this instance, I have been trying to pick up a new activity tabata running swimming or walking at least and nothing has started yet, why because laziness in me thinks I can always do it tomorrow. There are always thousand excuses why it is not good for today.  Either we stop going india or I stop messing up less. People like me are the reason fitness trainers earn so much.

So frankly, I don't see a lot of progress made in last 3 months. Its not my intuition, a lot of pics prove it. This year has not really seen much improvement in me. A bit here and there in terms of flexibility but that is easy part. In an interview, a yoga teacher said the asana that you find most difficult in terms of body and focus is actually your asana. So if we go by that, handstands are the one, for me probably headstand to start with. The book that my mother gave me also explicitly says you don't have to practice difficult asanas, with time you will be able to do them so advanced bikram class and all those bendy moves, perhaps they don't need that much effort, actually they don't, after some classes I realized I was there to merely see how much I can easily do not how much I can't do. In fact there were some moves that were near perfection and they lost flow too. I am bending knees to meet head again, my head was almost on knee in standing head to knee pose, its far now, again I have to work on it. Sometimes things go backwards too. I can give a trail of excuses but excuses are just fool's ways of convincing to be sub standard average normal hamsters.

How to make progress there where you really really want it and somehow neither your body nor your mind boosts you enough? Hmm practice I guess. More more more practice for me in next 6 months so I make something of me this year. A better version should be launched every new year. New year is not just for boozing anymore. Aaah love this little hope of getting stronger better.

All one can do is get up fast, collect the practice experience and quickly move ahead. There is no time to think why what when, just do it.

Thanks,
NAMASTE

Passion is love, life needs love

If someone did real deep digging  on my blog, they would stumble by this starting of yoga post that showed the depressed me looking for rows to hold on to. Literally, the feeling of sinking was in. I couldn't imagine doing anything with full heart. A routine was made, worst feeling: it would have stuck for years.

Yoga arrived to rescue me. When we do something solely for ourselves, we don't just gain a skill we gain a stream of happiness. It can be cooking, zumba, skiing, writing, painting etc etc etc. Anything that makes you feel alive. The list is huge, just pick one you can thrive in.

The first thought as soon as you wake up shouldn't be the list of chores or a person. It must be this day is going to be lovely. Am I gonna take this class or am I gonna walk or am I simply staying at home blissfully enjoying perfect loneliness? Loneliness gets a bad rep, its a full post topic for me.

One more change that something with passion brings is better vibes for other creative stuff like cooking. Old me hated cooking, most of it because there is no what goes with what sense in me. I got to google at least an hour to find perfect recipe, even more when it needs mixing of more. Guess what, yoga helped my cooking. I just redirected my happy energy there. When realization of accomplishing came in a certain field, my mind figured its just more attention and consciousness. If I can be good at something by just 1 hour of my day, I can probably pick up 4 more activities and get better simultaneously. That is the motivation of successful contentment.

It will be difficult in beginning like how we learn to ride bike. My mother just learned how to ride it. Every time I called she would tell me how much her knees shoulders hurt still she kept going. She's an annoying inspiration sometimes. My husband is another kind of inspiration, he's conquered so many physical mental blocks, sometimes I wonder how the fuck is he doing so much in one day. Yeah he tries a lot too. How can you give up when you are surrounded by this energy? You can be that energy for others too.

 It has kind of given me push to get into professional swimming lessons. Yeah, it will be another cycle of learning which is so much fun as body reacts in all the creepy painful ways.

When our body and mind are tested to limits, we don't just improve in one direction. Its overall development. So keep working on yourself, you never know what you can do unless you give it a try. If passion finds you, life loves you way back more.

How to soak more yoga in ?

Hmm everytime I step out of class, there is just one question in my mind. How much am I doing right? How much of it is in the muscles now? After weeks of curiosity, finally my instructors were involved and answer was 55%. So again, what should I do to improve? What what what hehe. Then started percentage assignments on my postures which trust me was an eye opener. While my warrior 2 got 90%, my posture transition 10%. I even got demotions on some of those from 70 to 30 straight down. My spine strength was all wrong, there was no cobra tail just a split leg.

How to soak more yoga in? Yes, we can, its not just about practice and focus all the way. Its also about paying attention more than efforts. Here are some of my suggestions to absorb more and get more of practice.

Don't be tired : There was this 45 day challenge that would sometimes compel me to go straight day after day or even 2 classes in a row. For advanced practitioners its practically nothing. For beginners like me, it takes a toll. Hot room, fatigue, tired muscles just won't let me practice to my full capability. So instead of going everyday, go alternate days if your body tells you.

Listen to cues: While bikram is big on saying cues all the time, sometimes we slip on power yoga cues. Listen to your power yoga instructors when they tell you to keep spine straight or legs joined. I did one bikram pose wrong for 6 months because I wasn't paying attention. Now its so difficult to rebuilld the strength to do it the right way. If you are resting, breathe and pay even more attention to cues, yoga postures. It helps a lot.

Don't compete : I used to thrive on jealousy and competition and to some extent it did help me in pushing myself. It wears off after some months. You don't get anything by looking at other people. Your inner strength is more utilized efficiently if you just look at your own drishti. It took me almost 6 months to know this.

Never stop smiling : It does not help when you feel super pissed off on not getting that leg straight or head to knee. Just smile,breathe. Next time this would be the memory of pose instead of all that grumbling howling sweat.

Don't struggle : Yeah, the more I struggle, more it takes me backwards. We can't hurry this process, teenagers will always do better with fresher bodies. People like me in 30s will always have to clean rust before body acquires it. If we create more struggle in body, it would not support us. It would just give up or get sore. Yoga should not do that to you. Go to the point where you can normally breathe.

Stop looking at pinterest : Pinterest Instagram is full of advanced yogis which is a great help when you need steps to a pose. At the same time, it can be disheartening some days to not be there. There are lots of yoga clothing brands that use these pins to sell products. With nothing on how to do it properly, its just a pic. Only follow pins that are for your level right now. I have been addicted to downloading all these flows poses every morning and trust me none of them ever helped.  Try finding pose tutorials on youtube.

Eat well Drink well : If we do yoga and eat fries burger, it just doesn't add up. Right food helps in practice. When you feel cleaner inside outside, it definitely makes you feel lighter with your body. Try this, have salads one day sleep well drink loads of water and next day in yoga class you will be flying through perfect poses.

Tie up hair : Hair can be so distracting. This day in yang class, there was a girl with hair till hips and she just made a ponytail. No wonder, she did nothing but sit and manage her long luscious hair. Well, don't underestimate the practice for everyone else too. I am so gonna get buzz cut after april. Short hair is for all the lazy yogis out there. Less distraction, more soaking.

Wear right clothes : Okay so I started with full leggings and switched to capris in a while. It did make a difference at least to me. In some time, it would be shorts and sports bra. But yeah take your time to warm up and wear for comfort. No one really looks at anyone.

Get a good yoga mat, towel : Without both of these, you will be mostly slipping around trying to grab on to ground. In yoga, you need to hold tight so you can be firm in the poses. One more issue off your mind, it will be easier to be in flow of it.

Thats all I got right now. Who knows in next few months I might say this is all rubbish. Till then, yoga on.

NAMASTE

Yoga aha moments

What does yoga teach you the most? For me, its been patience, silent observance and focus. Life turned around with yoga. If someone asked me my one of the biggest regrets, it would be not starting yoga early in life.

My 7 month practice has reached at a point where at least my legs are straight with my head on them in standing head to knee. Like everyone, it started with a shivering bent knee now its my morning stretch. Its so important to enjoy and appreciate your practice. If you don't, you will be just running to achieve those instagram photos.

Last night, curiosity took me to a lot of instagram yogi accounts. Besides giving goals, it also gave me kind of restlessness, my impatience, fear of failure didn't let me sleep through the night or it could be my heater. Anyways on waking up, my instant reaction was it sucks to be left behind. But the point is I never started with those yogis. Their journey is completely different. No one can steal or cheat on yoga. It comes with time and loads of tons of patience.

If someone took my advice, it would be take pictures of you doing yoga every 2 months and then put them up in  a collage. The difference is amazingly clear. To our hungry mind, nothing will ever be satisfactory. Being content  would mean stopping the pace of practice. Ohh, if only there was a shortcut. So everyday when I enter yoga room now, instead of competing or looking around, I will just focus on my practice in my zone. My instructors pick on me a lot which also helps in improving my poses. See some of us need that extra push extra attention now and then. We can't be left at home to just follow youtube videos. I kind of got the hang of bakasana and side crow too.

I stumbled upon this awesome instagram yogi and turns out she was practicing right in the back row. I always thought how is she so good at it. She is an acro yoga teacher. Another one who just nailed every pose was a dancer. Nothing extraordinary is going to pop out without efforts. Body needs to be trained, there is no miracle happening around.

So just yoga can't be carried anymore, more cardio more strength based training is up for me. I will start with tabata, move on to beachbody and then hit convicts conditioning book. Sideways, yin yang classes will go on too. Ohh, street workout is so motivational. Have you checked modern tarzan on instagram? Do that right now. Yoga is more like a relaxing practice from all the haul we do. Its time to bring in the haul.

Have fun with yoga. Its just yoga. When we are not paying attention, our body rewards us with aha moments of accomplishing understanding poses. Wait for them. I have experienced that zen with so many poses. It will hit when it has to. No one can force it. Till then, yoga on.

Namaste.

How to have a safe hot yoga practice : Before after yoga

Lets add a disclaimer first- All the experiences are my own, it could vary person to person. So under no circumstances I guarantee this will work but it worked for me.


Here's the list of before after hot yoga practice that should help your body prepare and recover from that hot room that makes you haute like seriously victoria secret haute.

Hydrate hydrate hydrate : Wake up at least 2 hours before yoga class. Finish drinking 2 litres in that span slowly slowly. Eventually it becomes a habit and you don't mind gulping all that water. My 500 ml water in yoga class literally drags through whole week as my body is well hydrated.

Emergen c: I manage with emergen c. You can choose any of the products in the category and take it 45 minutes before class. So when you are in there sweating, it will help replenish lost salts.

Chill pal towel : I got it from amazon and it works. It cools you down instantly. So invest in one of these towels.

Sturdy mat : You don't have to buy all the expensive mats and towels. Its cool with just one mat. Basic necessities of life. Its cool but who wants to carry 10 things to yoga class.

Clothing : Before joining yoga, seemed to me people practicing it always wore shorts or like a cool tank top or just a sports bra. I am a shy introvert so even if I turn into a model, my t shirt and leggings would be the outfit in yoga class. It doesn't matter. Everyone sweats, if you are conscious wear a simple cotton t shirt with fitted leggings whatever is comfortable.

Food  before: I go for noon class so sometimes I do eat chapati curry around 10am. If I go for 8am class, I have to have light breakfast. You need energy to pull off the moves in there. Get a jar full of assorted nuts, your favorite ones walnuts raisins figs dates and eat before class after class. Don't go on a full stomach but never starve. Have apples bananas berries. Pretty soon you will be eating for fun. Yoga kind of takes you to a healthier meal too.

Food after : So if you already had lunch, come back start with yogurt which is my favorite. I make it in yogurt maker hehe lazy people. Then you can munch on cantaloupe melons a little toast with almond butter honey. Yogurt helps a lot in cooling down and its good. Have boiled eggs omelette anything that you like. Once in a week, go for those cliche green drinks kale spinach honey and all the weird ingredients.

What else do we need hmm a little motivation okk so what do you think when you do yoga.
I would say don't think anything. Just listen to your yoga guide and body. Never over stretch over breathe, stay calm. If an asan is testing you, give it time. Some days you will do your best, other days you will merely survive. Its not about doing asan, its just about showing up with integrity to do it. That doesn't mean you stop trying. Do it at your pace. People will always do better or worse, find your focus point. I take about 3 breaks which is more than normal. But we are all learning. Instead of dying while doing, enjoy it and relax.

Also keep changing classes and instructors. Once you know the flow and terms, you start going for different instructors and different forms of yoga. If I am a little tired, I go for bikram. If I am all charged up, I go for my favorite instructor who focusses on core workout. When its all average and lazy, its my motivational pushy instructor. Then if you really want to learn, you will find enthusiastic young teachers who do yoga with students. Find empty classes, ohh they are wonderful. In short, try every class every teacher. It brings a change to routine and body.


Force smile and then you will start smiling naturally. Life is not complicated, yoga is not complex, we make it tough.



NAMASTE