**Kino Macgregor's Primary Series DVD--WONDERFUL for Ashtanga Home Practice**
So!
We went to Alabama Friday night; Denver had a track Day on Satruday. We camped out & it was hot. I didn't sleep well but it was still fun.
Denver had a good day on the track and it wasn't too hot (cloudy)
After a full day of riding we headed home. Stopping off to get groceries and such.
Came home to find a happy Chai and did some things around the house.
I cooked dinner and we watched TV. Not too eventful. I was too tired for practice **I know--poor excuse**
I was very grumpy so I went to bed.
Today we are hanging out around the house today. I cleaned a bit, made breakfast and now just curising online. Now I am going to make a late lunch and watch a movie. Followed by some reading then onto my home yoga practice.
Lately I've been drawn back to Ashtanga. I talked to my teacher about it and Nicole too.
I am not sure if it is just an "I miss the structure and the practice in general" or just a "I miss familiarity" or "Maybe I should try it out again?"
I burnt myself out on the practice of the Primary series. I was pushing my self too hard; injuring myself and feeling very very defeated by the practice I walked away from it. I am not proud that I walked away from it.
However...I went on to other styles; searching around for something.
Perhaps it was a way to just have me look into other avenues and such. But regardless of what was behind all of it I am sort of missing the practice itself. So...I might do a 1/2 primary practice at home today and see how I feel.
I pulled out my Kino DVD's and my David Swenson - Ashtanga Yoga Practice Manual
We will see what unfolds...maybe nothing. Maybe just a "I needed a taste but now I am done"...You never know.
I am also still reading Yoga ; the Spirit and the Practice of moving into stillness by Erich Schiffmann for teacher training. It is a good book so far.
Okay...off to eat.
Posts
2 comments:
I just found your blog googling about trying to avoid work for a minute [grin], and this post really resonated with me.
This part in particular:
I was pushing my self too hard; injuring myself and feeling very very defeated by the practice I walked away from it. I am not proud that I walked away from it.
How to find the edge of a practice and figure out how to cozy up to it, even bump against it occasionally, in a safe way. That's probably my biggest challenge right now. One of my teachers just wrote what I thought was a wonderful blog post on the topic: how-do-we-listen-practice.
It also came up in an off-blog conversation with Grimmly recently, where I said:
It becomes interesting to me to think about a self-taught home practice vs. a practice at a shala. Even though I know intellectually that I'm the one who has the most intimate knowledge of my limits, I'm more likely to push a limit when someone I respect requests it of me. Which is probably one of the best things for me (trying hard is good), and also one that introduces danger of injury (pushing past physical limits is bad).
Ah, the quest for comfortability with the edge, and being gentle when I bump against it.
This is all new to me (in the past I would make every effort to suppress my body's voice when it said stop) and difficult for me (I still want to, but my desire to not injure myself is now gaining a voice as well).
Thanks for your writing, and I hope whatever your rediscovered relationship with Ashtanga becomes is a safe one!
Cheers,
-- Douglas Hunter
Thanks Douglas.
You pointed out some very true and relative things.
I too think it is intereting and difficult to find the balance. The maximum edge. I tend to play it safe in most practice, just past the minimum edge during my home practice. Ashtanga yoga embodies this allure and this ridgity I used to carry to my mat. I am hoping that as I try to re-embrace the primary series that I learn to "bump against the edge" while listening to my body and in essence...being fully present and aware of my practice. Which should include the mind and body. Thanks for sharing here!
Post a Comment