Asana By Asana

I started doing yoga daily back in January 2010. I never missed a day. Even if I felt a little sick or off, I still did something, even if it was just a few rounds of Sun Salutations. It became such a part of my daily life that there was never any question as to whether I was going to do some yoga.

Then last week came around and I hurt my back. Badly. I wish I could say that I hurt it in some interesting way, like injuring myself while rescuing someone from being hit by a bus. Unfortunately reality is not always as exciting as that; I hurt my back by fighting with my sliding doors. One of them always sticks in the track and when I tried to close it, it jammed and I hurt something just under the left shoulder blade in my back.

As a result I missed six full days of yoga. There wasn’t a single pose that I could do that didn’t hurt. I couldn’t even do any pranayama because taking deep breaths hurt as well since the painful spot was right behind my lungs. What a nuisance!

Still, I knew there was nothing to be done about it so I waited until I was sure I was okay. When you hurt your back badly enough that you have spasms that make you want to throw up you don’t fool around.

On Sunday I was finally able to try again. On Sunday and Monday I did some short 20-minute sequences including Sun Salutations and a vinyasa flow. On Tuesday I did the same but added some yoga abs, a few shoulder openers, and pigeon pose to stretch out my hips. Then today I was ready for more and I popped in my DVD and did Dashama’s full yoga plus yoga abs workout for an hour, finishing it off with some Crow just for fun.

It’s such a relief to get back into it. It could be coincidental, but during the time I wasn’t doing any yoga I felt run down, more tired than usual, and even a little bit sick. Then again, maybe it’s not coincidental at all.

I’ve also been doing some meditating the past two days as part of the 15-day meditation challenge that I found via Facebook. Since that’s something I have a lot of trouble with (monkey mind indeed) I thought it would be good for me. I felt very relaxed and content both times, using this chakra balancing meditation that my friend Kathy posted. It’s a great little meditation and it’s just under ten minutes so it’s easy to squeeze into the day.

When I did the meditation last night I had a really strong sensation of a breakthrough and I’ll probably write about that more in detail when I process it a bit more.

Now I just have to get back into the swing of updating here. Ideally I’d like to update about 5 times per week because I don’t like the fact that I’m not keeping track of my own progress here.

Part of the challenge behind the 30 Day Yoga Challenge is to get into the habit of doing at least a bit of yoga every day. That’s not a big deal for me since we’re almost halfway through April and I’ve been doing yoga daily since late January. Even on my off days where I’ve been tired or under the weather I’ve managed at least a little.

What’s new for me with this new round of the challenge is that instead of just doing the video of the day I’m adding the video to whatever else I’m doing. Lately I’ve been doing my DVD plus the video, although on busier days (that is, days where both my kids are home at the same time, such as weekends and ped days) I’ll just do the video, some Sun Salutations, and a nice vinyasa flow.

This new challenge has been interesting because Dashama has been including some sequences that aren’t beginner level. So far I’ve only skipped one video because it included a backbend dropping into Wheel Pose and that’s just not something I can do at this point (I subbed with one of the videos I had already done instead). I even managed an intermediate/advanced balance sequence which was quite difficult. I was certainly not the picture of grace but I didn’t fall over and didn’t put my foot down, so I’m happy with that. Yesterday’s video was an advanced yoga core workout which started with Crow Pose, something I’m still thrilled to be capable of.

My big thing that I’m working on right now is a headstand. I get a bit frustrated that I can manage Crow but can’t get a headstand to work for me. I think that I technically have enough core strength to do it but I’m blocking myself somehow. Yesterday I managed to kick up both legs enough to balance for a second or two with my knees pulled in towards my chest but I feel like I’m still pretty far away from getting my legs up. It’s annoying but I know that with practice it will come.

What helps is seeing my progress in other areas. Last night I sat on the floor while watching TV and did some leg stretches since I may possibly have the tightest hamstrings known to man. With one leg bent in (foot to my inner thigh), I was able to wrap my hands around my extended foot and I folded right down with my forehead resting on my knee. I’ve never been able to do that before. I managed to do it quite comfortably on each leg – next up, doing the same thing with both my legs extended straight in front of me, followed by doing it as a standing forward bend.

In general it amazes me that I’m able to do so many things I couldn’t before. I can definitely feel a difference between day one and now. I’m not super amazing flexible, but I’m certainly more flexible than I was a couple of months ago.

Speaking of which, it’s just about time for me to roll out my yoga mat and do my video of the day and some vinyasa flow!

As I’ve mentioned in the past, I got started in yoga by following Dashama’s 30 day yoga challenge. The videos gave me so much courage and guidance and it was amazing. It’s what led me to my inability to let a single day go by – regardless of exhaustion or busy-ness or even (mild) sickness – without doing at least a little bit of yoga.

But really, there’s not often just a “little” bit of yoga. I usually do an hour give or take. And I guarantee you, I NEVER notice the passage of time.

Anyway.

While it was fun to do the challenge since you can join at any time, I am especially excited about tomorrow, April 1st. Forget April Fool’s Day, tomorrow is a much more important day, it’s the first day of the new Spring session of the Global 30 Day Yoga Challenge.

Dashama has a whole new site set up at 30 Day Yoga Challenge (she’s still ironing out the kinks in the new site, please be patient!) and is ready to start sending out new videos for a month. She also has articles that will be posted by herself and by other experts, and what may be the best part is the community. I’m so excited to be a part of a global group who will all be doing the new videos at the same time and to be able to communicate with so many like-minded people on the new forum.

I’ve already received the email with the link for the very first video and I’ve watched it so I know what’s in store for tomorrow. It’s a great-looking Sun Salutation variation and I can’t wait to try it! I also hope to blog my way through the challenge so I can look back on it later.

In other news, I ordered some items from a shop in India recently, a place called Celextel. I bought a red sandal mala, a white agate mala, and a gorgeous copper and brass bracelet with my favorite mantra (”Om Namah Shivaya”). It should be noted that every single item is even more beautiful than the photos would lead you to believe. The pricing is insanely good. With shipping it all came to $14.53!

It should also be noted that a package from the East Coast of India got to me here in Montreal faster than a package sent from the West Coast of my own darn country!

What I especially loved was the forward-thinking packaging. Rather than being wasteful with styrofoam and excess boxes, they packed each item in a bit of bubble wrap and placed it all in a little reusable Tupperware container, then packed that in brown paper and tape. It was brilliant, we could all take a lesson from them in mindful packaging for our shipping needs!

On that note I should get to bed so I can get enough sleep to put everything I have into my new yoga challenge (not to mention the fact that I still intend to do either the full length Dashama DVD or some of my Shiva Rea DVD). Good night!

A little while ago I got some Yoga DVDs and decided that I would try a new one yesterday. I love my usual yoga workout but didn’t want to end up bored, so I figured it was wise to mix it up a little bit.

The first thing I tried was Kundalini Yoga and it sounded like something that I would really enjoy. It’s described as being an intensely spiritual form of yoga and has deep roots with ancient yoga beliefs. I was really excited to try it but I only lasted about ten minutes – if that – before I turned the DVD off. It’s not quite that I didn’t like it. I was enjoying listening to the instructions and trying out the movements but the rapid and shallow breathing wasn’t working for me at all.

The instructions essentially told me to breathe in and out very quickly while performing specific moves and to my body it felt like I was hyperventilating. A quick google search later showed me that it’s not uncommon and maybe with time I could have adapted to it but I felt incredibly light-headed while trying to concentrate on what I was doing. I am prone to panic attacks (which is one of the reasons I gravitated towards yoga in the first place, in the hopes that the practice of steady breathing and meditation would help me to fight them off) and the sensation of hyperventilating and subsequent dizziness felt so much like a panic attack that I just couldn’t continue with it any longer.

When I mentioned my problem on Facebook a friend of mine who happens to love Kundalini yoga sent me this video, suggesting that its beginner’s nature could make it easier for me to get through. I watched about 15 minutes of it and it did indeed look appealing and much more gentle (and the outdoor setting is very nice!). I probably will try it out soon; it seemed better adapted for beginners since there were three people at different levels and they all breathed quickly, yes, but some slower than others.

I didn’t let my failed attempt at Kundalini yoga be my only session for the day, that would have been sad and discouraging. Instead I moved on to Shiva Rea’s epic 4+ hour shakti DVD. I think – hope – it goes without saying that I didn’t do all four hours. I’m not that crazy! I did do a few of the different flows. I think that even though I am still curious to try Kundalini I am a major fan of vinyasa flow so I really enjoyed doing the ones Shiva has. I particularly loved her Chandra Namaskara (moon salutation) sequence, I felt so energized and relaxed.

Today I went back to my Dashama DVD since she works a lot of things that I need to concentrate on all in one session – for me that means opening my hips and my shoulders, as well as loosening up my wound-up hamstrings. My locked shoulders are holding me back from doing a really good full wheel pose, though I’m definitely getting better with practice. My husband took this yesterday and it’s a vast improvement from a month ago.

Still, it’s a little frustrating, I’d like to get it higher and get my hands closer to my feet. The fact that I can look down at the mat is a testament to my growing flexibility though, as that’s something I couldn’t do before.

As for my hips, my right one can open right up easily but the left one does not do as well. I’m not sure what it is in my life that causes so much more tightness on the left side but it’s something I want to work on. When I do pigeon pose (my favorite) I can get right down flat to the floor on the right and can even do a balance pose at the same time. I can get down to the floor on the left but not flat, and forget about balancing!

Minor frustration aside, it’s nice to have regular goals to look forward to: Open both hips evenly, work on those shoulders (cow face arms drives me nuts, I can reach my left hand down to my right but not the other way around – I can’t even get CLOSE), and get a better full wheel.

I’ve been doing yoga for about two months now. I can’t remember the exact date that I started but it was around this time in January. Since that time I haven’t missed a day even if I was only able to devote ten minutes to it. I definitely feel better on the days when I do my DVD and do the 45 minutes of yoga, the 10 minutes of yoga ab work, and the chakra balancing meditation.

(I should note that once upon a time the words “chakra balancing meditation” would have had me rolling my eyes. However, now that I’ve tried the guided meditation included on my DVD I’m an absolute believer. It’s always amazing after I’m done, I feel so unbelievably happy and both relaxed and energized. I love it.)

Today I decided to try something new. I did my DVD workout and since I felt so joyful after the meditation I decided to try a headstand. I’m able to do Crow Pose very easily now. I just get into place, engage my core, and imagine a magnet in my tailbone pulling it up towards the ceiling. I focus on a point in the pattern on my mat, and it’s not difficult for me at all anymore. I love doing it, it makes me so happy.

That was taken back on February 18th; I was still a bit nervous so I used a pillow in case I toppled forward but I’m confident enough to not need it anymore. I remember seeing it the first time while doing the 30 Day Yoga Challenge and 1) wondering why it was in a series of videos for beginners because there was no way I could do that, and 2) being sure I would never EVER be able to balance on my arms like that.

Well, I did and now I can and I have more confidence. I was hoping that I could translate that confidence into doing a headstand for the first time, but apparently not. At least not yet. I put a cushion from the couch in front of me, figuring that would help me be less afraid of falling flat on my back but I just couldn’t get up there. With all the chaturanga that I do (and love!) I know my arms are strong enough to do it and I very strongly believe that my core is strong enough to pull myself up and stay balanced but I just couldn’t kick my second leg up high enough.

I know it was because I was scared. I’m thinking maybe I need to get my husband to help get me up there and then perhaps if I can see that I can hold it (while knowing he can catch me if I can’t) then I might be able to get into it myself. I can also try this idea, using a wall to help support me. I think that might help because I really believe it’s my fear of flipping right over that is blocking me and a wall would obviously prevent that from happening.

At this point I know it’s not that I’ve been defeated, just that I haven’t defeated fear enough yet. I will get it eventually, I just have to keep trying and believe that I can. It will come, just like everything else.

It’s just really hard to be patient when I want to do something NOW. Patience has never been my strong suit. Maybe that too will come.

I’m starting to find a groove with yoga. I have my things that I do on days where I have a lot of time (an hour and 15 minutes which includes a yoga session, a yoga abs workout to strengthen the core, and a ten-minute guided chakra-balancing meditation). Then on days where I don’t have quite as much time, whether it’s because of a late start or – in the case of this past weekend – guests, I do a shorter session.

On shorter days I do my three rounds of Sun Salutations. The first round that I do is simply a basic one on each leg. For the second round I repeat it but do it as a flow from right leg to left leg instead of stopping and returning to Mountain Pose. On my third round I do a variation Sun Salutation that involves standing splits, downward-facing dog splits, and crescent moon poses.

After my three rounds I then do this seven-part vinyasa flow that I love tremendously. It’s easy enough that I no longer need the video since I remember all the steps and feel comfortable doing them, but it’s tough enough that I still feel like I’m working hard on it; all the repetitions of Chaturanga is great for my arms.

Today wasn’t a particularly busy day, even for a Monday, but I got a late start. After getting my oldest off to school and getting breakfast ready for my youngest, I ended up lying down on the couch. I snoozed a bit but mostly just rested. For unknown reasons I was very dizzy today. I’m still a little bit light-headed but it’s definitely better. My poor dog got a terribly short walk today because I just didn’t feel safe walking around outside.

I could have blown off my yoga practice and I think that being dizzy would be a valid excuse but it didn’t actually affect me that much while I was going through my Sun Salutations and my vinyasa. I simply decided that today would probably not be the right time to perfect my Crow pose or practice my newest accomplishment, Side Crow pose (I confess to screeching with joy when I did it the first time!). I figured if I was feeling light-headed, I shouldn’t be doing balance poses, especially ones that could see me landing on my face.

I think, though, that it’s a fine testament to how ingrained this is for me. Yoga is no longer a passing interest, it’s simply a part of my day and it’s just something that I do. Being dizzy didn’t stop me from eating or cooking or preparing my daughter’s lunch for school, and so it didn’t make sense that it would stop me from doing a brief yoga session.

Hopefully I’ll feel better tomorrow though. Aside from the obvious reason, being that dizziness SUCKS, I’d really like to do my longer session with my DVD tomorrow. I really enjoy it and would like to get it in at least two or three times per week.

Maybe one day I’ll be able to do something as amazing as Dashama’s private vinyasa practice like this one that she did in India:

Yesterday was an exciting day for me. Not because I accomplished anything particularly amazing. No, what happened was I finally got myself a yoga mat.

I’ve been doing yoga for about a month and a half in my living room and while my area rug wasn’t ideal it did do the trick. It kept me from slipping and it wasn’t as hard as a wood floor would be. Unfortunately, it was also a bit rough and although I keep my carpet clean I do have two young kids and a dog so being in a pose like Child’s Pose wasn’t always the most relaxing thing ever.

I ended up getting the Gaiam Flower of Life Yoga Mat. I was worried the print might be distracting but it’s actually really helpful during things like Crow Pose when I need a focal point on the floor in front of me.

I like it – it grips well, it’s sticky enough so I don’t slide around but not so sticky that it’s obnoxious, and I find it comfortable. I might need a thicker mat if I was doing yoga on hard floors but on my area rug it works just fine. It did have a strong chemical smell to it when I opened it, but it wasn’t overly offensive. I just left it open overnight and today I found it smelled fine.

While I was shopping I also got a stability ball because there had been one video that Dashama had sent out that I couldn’t do since it required one. I had also heard that sitting on one is a great way to loosen tight hamstrings and believe you me, my hamstrings? They are tight. It’s one of my goals – loosening them up so that I can really fold down over my legs.

First I bought the Bally Stability Ball Pro with Weight Resistance and the fact that it was weighted was kind of cool. What wasn’t cool was that it was only after buying it, opening it, ripping all the plastic packaging apart, and finally getting to the instructions that I found the sizing chart. There was no chart on the outside, which was unfortunate since I would have known that the 65cm ball was too big for my (short) height.

My husband was very kind and took it back for me and instead got me an actual starter kit (it’s for pilates but will work for what I need) with a smaller 55cm stability ball and an elastic band. Having the band is nice since I was using a scarf whenever I needed to deepen a stretch.

I’m ridiculously happy with my purchases. I still don’t have blocks but so far I’ve rarely found a need for them and when I have I’ve just used my youngest daughter’s MegaBloks. Not exactly yoga certified but it works for me!

(Image: Amazon)

The best thing about yoga… No, I can’t pick out one best thing yet. ONE of the greatest things about yoga is that it’s incredibly humbling. Unless you’re a natural-born contortionist with amazing balance, you can’t just start yoga on day one and do everything. I’m not the most patient person ever (and that may be one of the biggest understatements I’ve ever made in my entire life right there) so when I see people doing a headstand or handstand or the scorpion pose (the scorpion pose is my current holy grail as far as asanas go) I wish that I could do them. The truth is I’m just not there yet. Not even close. I need more time to strengthen my core muscles and to develop the upper body strength and balance that I need to be able to manipulate my body to do those things. It’s humbling to realize that I can’t do something no matter how badly I might want to.

It’s also humbling to read about meditation, then to sit down, give it a try, and realize that holy hell is it ever hard to make your brain shut up for a few minutes. I’m definitely not good at the meditation side of things. It doesn’t help that with two kids my home is not exactly quiet and noise (particularly the sibling fighting variety) is not conducive to transcending into a grand focus on a mantra.

My mantra is “Om Namah Shivaya”. It’s been said to have no single literal translation but it essentially means “I bow to the Divine that resides in me”. I like the mantra and it flows nicely with the way that I breathe (”Om Namah” on the inhale, “Shivaya” on the exhale”) and it relaxes me and it lulls. But as much as I focus on the words, my brain – the brain that I have trained to multi-task so well – continues to think about other things. I think about what I was doing earlier. I think about the things I have to do when I’m done. I think about what I might make for supper. I think about what I should do to stop these thoughts. It’s frustrating.

But it’s humbling. After all, this is certainly not a new problem. Even the people who are able to drop into meditation at a moment’s notice and aren’t distracted by anything weren’t able to do that from the start. It takes practice, just like the physical aspect of yoga. I’ll get there, I just need to keep practicing.

(It would also help if I didn’t try to do it in bed, out of desperation for some quiet. Because while I certainly don’t get interrupted, I also tend to fall asleep before I can get past five mantras. This isn’t a bad thing necessarily, because sleep rocks, but it’s not quite the intention of meditation.)

And then yesterday I wrote a post about how I had managed to do my yoga at 7:30 in the morning, being sure to get it done before the plumbers showed up, determined to not miss a day. Then today rolled around. Oh, I did my yoga, don’t worry. I did my usual three rounds of Sun Salutation to warm up, I did seven Vinyasas, I did an inner thigh/hip stretch, I practiced Low Crow, and then I finished off with a stretch to attempt to get myself one step closer to the splits, followed by Sivanasana.

However, after getting my oldest out the door for school, instead of doing all of that, I went back to bed for a bit, then lazed on the couch, had a late breakfast, and didn’t get started until after 1 pm. Sure, I got it done, but I felt like I was rushing through it because I wanted to get my lunch going, and I felt lazy as though I had wasted the first part of the day.

Ah well. It’s humbling to realize I’m not perfect and I’m not always going to get my yoga done first thing in the morning. And that’s okay. As long as I do it and keep improving myself and continue on my journey it will all work out in the end.

I hope.

When I started doing yoga it was a sudden urge – but only partly. I had wanted to do yoga for years. If you looked back on all the New Year’s Resolutions that I’ve ever written (and I do them every year, mostly for fun) you would see “do yoga” on my list for at least the past six years. Yet, strangely I just never got around to it. I had tried a yoga video many years ago (it’s an actual video, on VHS, so that’s how far back we’re going) but I only did it once or twice. I’m not sure what kept stopping me other than maybe it just wasn’t time yet. It needed to be the right time.

The right time ended up being late January. My calves had been hurting me, as they so often do – leftover pain from my last pregnancy over four years ago – and I spontaneously decided to look up a yoga video on YouTube. I didn’t want just a pose or two, but the only thing I really knew was the Sun Salutation. I looked up one for beginners and it must have been Karma or the Universe finally saying, “okay, it’s time” but either way, the first result that popped up was a video by yoga instructor Dashama.

I watched it a few times, then tried it and it was love at first asana. I really liked the vibe Dashama gave out so I checked out her website at Perfect 10 Lifestyle which then led me to her 30 Day Yoga Challenge. I signed up immediately.

For a few days I did several rounds of Sun Salutations each morning. Then when the emails for the challenge started coming through I started doing three Sun Salutation rounds followed by the video of the day. As time went by I did more and more, doing that plus another video or two (or three) that I felt like doing. I never missed a day. In fact, I still haven’t. I was determined to at least do 21 days in a row because that’s the magic number that helps to make something a habit.

It’s definitely habit now. Or maybe that’s not the right word, because “habit” conjures up the idea of something that’s mundane at best, negative at worst. It’s a lifestyle I guess, more than it is a habit. I just do it. I can’t imagine NOT doing it, at least something.

Today some plumbers were coming to look at our pipes since we have almost no hot water pressure in the shower or washing machine (sigh, they have to come back on Wednesday, thank goodness we don’t have to pay for it, one of the few advantages of renting). I knew they’d be here by 8 at the latest so even though I could have gone back to bed after getting my oldest up for school – and finding out she was sick – I did a quick clean-up then did my three rounds of Sun Salutations.

I never do yoga first thing in the morning, I usually eat some oatmeal or toast first but today I did it because I didn’t want to be interrupted by plumbers coming in and out, having to ask questions, etc. Also, while I love doing yoga I’m not quite comfortable with an audience just yet.

On top of that, I haven’t felt very well today. I guess my daughter’s not the only one under the weather. While I wouldn’t force myself to do yoga if I was completely sick and depleted, I was simply tired and had the beginnings of a headache (which is proving to be a sinus headache). I didn’t have the energy, desire, or the time to do a full 30-45 minute session but the Sun Salutations at least kept me moving, continued to help me with my balance and strength, and it kept me somewhat sane.

If I can do yoga at 7:30 in the morning without any caffeine or food and with the start of a run-down cold, then I know I can make this a permanent life change for myself.

So here we go. I’ve had this window open with the cursor flashing, taunting me for hours. Yes, hours. I’ve been writing online for what feels like forever but for some reason the first post somewhere is just incredibly daunting.

I’ll talk about this more in the “about” section, but basically I started doing yoga in late January 2010 and it became an almost immediate obsession. I found myself talking about yoga all the time – to my husband, my family, Facebook, Twitter, to myself… I figured if I was that gung-ho about yoga from the physical to the mental to the spiritual, then I might as well set up a blog to keep track of it.

I don’t know if anyone will ever read this blog or if anyone who finds it will ever read it more than once but at least it will let me see my own progress as I go from a beginner to a yogini. I have high hopes for a lifestyle with this. After years and years I feel like I’ve finally found the right path.

So here goes.

Namaste.