Practice Yoga regularly, with the wonderful, worldwide alumni of 30-in-30

I have been substituting the stretch with a short yoga session.
My body is warm, the stomach is empty and so the poses come with more ease.
Today again, I ended my gym session with a few yoga poses. Started with Upavita konasana, moved to Parivratta janu sirsasana for the sides, Baddhakonasana to ease the adductors. Setubandha Sarvangasana stretched the quads and shoulders and chest. Paschimottasana and Supta Paddangusthasana for the hamstrings. Modified Marichyasana for the spine, Kapotasana for opening the hips.
Then a couple of minutes in Savasana and I was done.
I’ve actually managed to give the sanskrit name for all the asanas I practiced today!

left me so sore that I could barely manage more than a hour of my morning step routine.
My hamstrings are still telling me that they did not like what I did to them that day!
I have however been regularly practicing the seated hero pose called Virasana in an effort to increase flexibility in my ankles. Still cannot get my butt to rest on the floor.

Today after my gym session, I did some of the poses that stretch the hamstrings and quads and open the hips. I also did the poses for the lowerback. Felt good.

Yesterday, I decided to try out some of the poses in his book.
I tried the poses, paying special attention to the little points he specifies in the book.
I tried the seated poses, the forward bends and the twists.
The poses look so simple in the book but doing them is quite another matter. The poses I absolutely failed at – The head stand, Marichyasana ( a twist ) Virasana ( a sitting pose ), and Trianga Mukhaikapada Paschimottanasana ( a forward bend ).

My ankles ( I have old injuries in both of them ) lack flexibility for the last two. My body and mind is not prepared for the first and you need the flexibility of a rubber doll for second!

I want to try the standing poses, inversions and backbends today.
I also want to increase the flexibility in my ankles and so am going to try sitting in Virasana for a few breaths everyday till my butt finally descends to the floor without my ankles screaming for time out!

The title YOGA – THE PATH OF HOLISTIC HEALTH by B K S Iyengar.

A beautifully illustrated book. But only talks of the basics of Yoga. Was a little disappointed that many of the poses I was hoping for an insight into were missing.

Still it my first book on yoga and for a first, it is a good one.