learn yoga

so work and illness and holiday and glastonbury have got in the way. so i hope to make it today. i hope my caugh will subside for that time.

but it’s all ok as i now know enough about yoga and my body to practice with a DVD at home. and even do some movements with no resources. that’s a real improvement for me. an ability to express myself, to let my body do what it needs to. for it to be able to.

i’ve been practicing weekly for just over a year now. and i’m very happy. my bendyness is improved, fitness is better. my wellbeing is greater.
sadly my teacher is moving on, but we think we’ve found another teacher for our class. and that’s the other thing – i’ve found companionship, support and friendship. blessings more than fitness, blessings of a yoga mind in all of my life.

after practicing at least weekly since feburary this year, i can finally touch nose to knee (lying on back, crunching in). i managed my left side a few weeks ago, but it was a lot of effort. on tuesday i did both sides EASILY!! something just changed :0) AND was able to do the same with the opposing leg out flat – which increases the stretch lots. Wooo me!

I had the chance to try Chinese Yoga this week for free, when my regualr yoga teacher covered a friends class. so that meant i did 3 1/2 hours of yoga on tuesday – wow!

i normally do hatha yoga, so this was quite different – namely the breathing is odd – short in breath, long out breath and often the reverse of the timing you’d expect. some moves were similar, but many were based loosly upon animals and involved moving in rythm. it felt a little like a cross between taichi and hatha yoga.

has anyone else tried it?

i found out last week that i can TOUCH MY TOES !!!
i reached down to pick something up and realised i was doing it! i’m so chuffed. even though i was a skinny teenager, i havnt been able to touch my toes since i was about 6. AND it isnt something we’ve been doing at yoga – it’s just happend because of my apparently increasing flexability! how cool is that!?

I’ve just done my first shoulder stand! woo hoo! that’s a good feeling – balance, control and improved muscle tone.
sadly there’s no class next week, so i must make more of an effort to practice at home.