"Listen to the Wisdom of your Body"

Sound advice, unless like me, your body is an idiotic teenager!  Another week of plunging into my yoga practice, and lets cut to the chase.

The Current Benefits:

1. I can walk down stairs in the morning with out sharp pain in my legs joints and everywhere else where pain is possible.  It's like I have created space between all my vertebrae and my joints. Its amazing how much better your mood  can be, when you aren't thinking about little nags here and there.  Specifically the right hip and sciatic nerve. While I still know its there.  The constant sharp pain has been dismissed.  And when running, the only thing I think about is how I'm not feeling any pain there. 
2. Concentration: I notice my ADD is relaxing a bit.  While never finding the need for a diagnosis. My attention span can be pretty shoddy.   Though still not easy, I find my mind not wandering as bad as it usually likes to!
3. Breathing:  I don't know if anyone else has ever found themselves doing this... but in many things, moving furniture, cooking, putting away your laundry any menial task... I catch my self not breathing, and I usually realize it when my head turns read and I quickly catch my breath.  Yoga focuses on the breath, and I find myself becoming an average breather, which is a drastic improvement.
4. Now this could just be psychosomatic, but I am snacking less... and even if I do break down for a bowl of cinnamon toast crunch... its not 3 bowls, as I was prone to do. Could this be the yoga, helping with well being, boredom, stress... all the things that lead to my binge eating... maybe!



WARNING!



We are companions on the journey, just a different point on the path!

Onto how the practice is looking.  I have been feeling a little frisky, and wanted to up the ante a little.... you know,  see how the old body is doing... push the limitation a little.  So I searched my YouTube for "Advanced Ashtanga yoga".  Bold move.  And I found exactly what I was looking for... which I should not have been.  TROUBLE! I got this "ashtanga" term from the documentary I've been watching, which featured this guy, Pattabhi Jois.  He's one of the teachers that helped bring about the modern yoga practice.  More on this another day.  Many of the videos are long and advanced, so I picked out the 28 minute one... and am greeted by this picture. Some may take heed of the warning.  Me? Nah!  Lets see how bad it is!   Well here it is.   Not pretty... but I'm giving myself an "A" for effort.  Please don't be too concerned.  For the most part I am keeping it safe, and at a beginner level, but every now and then it's nice to see where the limits are.  Touching my head with my foot was about it.  BUT its very exciting to think of my possibilities of turning myself into a human super pretzel.  This was a really great 28 minute workout, where I was pooled in sweat. And thankfully, all accomplished in the privacy of my home! (No need to scare anyone.) What was even more interesting was that, is I wanted to keep going for another 10 minutes.  So  I literally looked up "Gentle Standing Yoga".  I needed to make myself clear to YouTube what I was looking for.  And it delivered.   The instructors great line of the class, was "listen to the wisdom of your body."  I had to laugh as clearly this sounded like a call to caution... yet, the wisdom of my body seems to think I'm much more capable than current reality would suggest.  But its my path... so its all good! 

Until next time....

 

 

The Yoga Dad DIY Project

I guess I actually am one for New Year's resolutions, because I'm making one.  A 365 day project, in which I embark on a year of yoga!  I know this sounds semi-ludicrous, but don't worry by the end of the page it will make sense. (Maybe)
 
 
The Approach:
 
The Who:  I, Kevin Fine, of somewhat sound mind am embarking on a year long journey into Yoga.  I will document my trek towards...wherever, here on my blog, and through other exciting social media outlets.    

Working on our Breathing



The What: I'm currently following along with You-Tube videos for the actual exercise/spiritual practice.  Its important to recognize that the nature of yoga is much more than getting nice abs, improving flexibility and wearing hemp clothing! I'll also be reading books, watching documentaries and, who knows... may venture into a class at some point.  The idea is to garner as much information as possible over the course of the year, through as many sources as possible. Call it learning!
 
The When: Over the last 2 weeks I've followed along my videos about 5 days each week. Thank Krishna for IPads, otherwise this idea would not take flight.  Its so easy, I can start a practice, any time of day, any where.  Though I do have a couple yoga mats, they're packed away from the move and there is no telling where they are.  Instead I currently use our nice new rug... from India, how perfect.  I like the idea of practicing on the good natural fibers, as opposed to some mass produced poly mat.    
 
The How: I'll be honest, I'm cheap and I have a running habit to pay for as well.  So I am going to be mooching off the internet for as much information I can.  But take heart, I have been praying for the teacher's whose classes I have been watching, that tenfold the number of paying patrons arrive at their door.  So they have that going for them, which is nice.  
 

Variation on Child's Pose

I am going into this with as little preconceived notions as possible. I have no goals, only to see where a yoga practice will take me, mentally, physically and spiritually.  And considering it is my path, it should be mildly humorous, adventurous, challenging and a little fun!
 
The Why:
The Reasons
 

• Persistent Pain: I've had a jacked up right hip, vaguely diagnosed as a Psuedo-Sciatic Episode.  Basically, the nerve that runs up and down my right side, fires painfully from time to time.  Sometimes it gets stuck in the "pain" position. The only relief I've had over the last year was to perform a series of stretches.  And it just so happens a yoga sequence I found on-line has done the best job. I'm wondering what could a year of this do for me physically?

 

• I need to do some sort of cross training to help with my above mentioned running habit.  My core is a weak piece of shit, and I just never was big with weight training.  Much the downfall of my wrestling career, but I just never enjoyed going to the gym, moving weight around... but breathing and cool stretchy moves? Why not!

 

My right foot got straight just bad photo timing!



• Yoga appeals to my spiritual sensibilities.  You may not get this from me at first glance, but I've probably done enough reading for a minor in theology. Eastern Spirituality brings a whole different perspective to the great questions of the unknown. And just from a quick internet search of "Yoga" you see that spirituality is intertwined.   I'm interested and want to learn more. I plan on documenting the things I find useful, points of growth, improvement and other odd happenings.

 
Documentary of the Week:
Breath of the Gods- A Journey to the Origins of Modern Yoga.  by Jan Schmidt-Garre   
This film probably gave me the idea for this.  What would happen if some middle aged... kinda big guy decided to try his hand at Yoga?   
  
 
 
 
 
 
Book of the Week: The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali - Translation and Commentary by Sri Swami Satchidananda  
 
 
 And finally I leave you with the Quote of the Week....

"Wisdom is knowing I am nothing, love is knowing I am everything, and between the two my lifemoves". - Nisargadatta Maharaj

                                            

Until next time...