Do Yoga at least 3x a Week

but I did do one nice long practice last week.

I haven’t been around here (43 things) much lately, though I have been doing this, albeit not as much as I’d like. I’ve been concentrating on the weight-lifting, trying to do that consistently, so the yoga has slid a bit, though I did do one very long, very nice practice last week.

adho mukha svanasana
salabhasana
baddhakonasana
lying down twist
trikonasana
gomukhasana
half handstand

Upavistakonasana, wide-angled seated pose

? Wide-legged forward stretch (can’t locate the name just now)

Supta Baddhakonasana, supine cobbler’s pose, a few minutes with crosswise bolster, then another few lengthwise under my spine, reaaaaalllly nice

Gomukhasana, cow-faced pose, MOOOOOOOO!

Some meditation, few minutes with my hands in reverse namaste then another few before me

Savasana on bolster

I got this batch from an old Iyengar yoga book I borrowed from a friend a million years ago and thought I’d given back. This was the “that time of the month” series and it’s really quite good for cramps, I gotta say. Also I love in the book that the model they photographed doing these poses is dressed entirely in BRIGHT red!

prasarita padottanasana, wide-legged forward stretch
trikonasana, triangle pose
bhujangasana, cobra pose
badhakonasana, cobbler’s pose
gomukhasana, cow-face pose (arms only, trying to loosen up my shoulders gradually)
vrksasana, tree pose
bharadvajasana, twist but lying down
half handstand held for 5 breaths.

Are these pose names properly capitalized?

So that makes 3 practices this week, and means I’ve met this goal for the week! Yay!

Adho mukha svanasana
Downward-facing dog woof!

Matsyasana
Fish pose (which always reminds me of that avatar of Vishnu called Matsya “the Fish”, usually shown as a merman-type figure; I just always called Him “Fishnu”)

Trikonasana
triangle pose

Vrksasana
tree pose

Gomukhasana
cow-face pose (arms only-and this time I could actually clasp my hands together on one side instead of just my fingers-and after lifting weights I could really feel my triceps stretching)

Bharadvajasana
simple twist

Half-handstand, slow count 5 (5 breaths); left shoulder kinda sore. I think I need to find another place to do this, since the wall I’m using is an attic wall and it forms an angled slope about 4 feet up that is hard to get a grip on)

I think I need to work on opening my shoulders and hips, especially on the right side; they both seem pretty stiff.

Still working on designing Australian-critter asanas…

The first practice in a while. Man, I really do just shut down under stress!

Prasarita Padottanasana, forward stretch with legs wide
Utthita Trikonasana, extended triangle pose
Utthita Parsvakonasana, extended lateral angle pose
Bhujangasana, cobra
Gomukhasana, cow-faced pose
Vrksasana, tree pose
Bharadvajasana, simple twist
Some more practice on the handstand, held for 5 slow breaths—I can really feel my arms and shoulders being strong on this one.

After a trip to the zoo the other day, and as I’ve been thinking about Australian critters a lot because of a painting I’m working on, I’ve got this silly idea to make up new yoga poses like, say, Khangarasana, kangaroo pose, or Platapusana, platypus pose, or maybe Vombhatasana, wombat-pose. As I always say, silliness heals!

Couple of ER visits with my Mom (who is fine) at the start of the week kinda messed me up; it’s taken me a while to get myself out of “shut down” mode, which is how I react to stress (being an introvert, people can really drive me crazy sometimes); yoga would probably help a lot, it’s just feeling present enough to do it that’s difficult!

I did manage about half a practice this past week:

Prasanta Padottanasana, wide-leg stretch
Trikonasana-extended side triangle
Bhuhangasana-cobra pose

and that’s as far as I got. But I did start on a handstand, with my feet up the wall, hands on the floor (body parallel to the floor or so) and was surprised that it was rather easier than I had thought, though the upside-downness of it was a little disconcerting. It was definitely confidence-boosting, though!

prasarita padottanasana (wide-legged forward bend)
trikonasana (triangle pose)
salabhasana (locust pose)
sea-monster (RRRRAAAAAARRRRR!) variation of salabhasana (with hands behind head)
lying twist
vrksasana (tree pose)
gomukhasana (cow-faced pose, cow-MOO-ka-san-a)
halasana (assisted, feet not all the way over but lightly resting on bed)
sarvangasana (shoulderstand)

and some meditation. It felt really good to gently stretch out my back after digging in the garden and hauling bricks yesterday.

No asanas, but a good long meditation before my altar.