Good morning!

I had a splendid practice this morning. I followed the twisting sequence in Gary's book, and it totally unwrenched my hips and low back. My stomach also feels a little less massive. I learned the value of props today as well--in Baradvajasana, there was no way that my arm was reaching behind my back to grab my foot! I struggled with it for a little while until I realized that Jeanne has a strap and a block! So I dutifully looped the strap around my foot and grabbed the tail end of that, while placing the block on my other side to rest my hand on. Bliss! I was able to do the twist without being distracted by my odd shape or my inflexibility. Even though I started in Iyengar, I guess I never really got the message that props expand your range of postures because they extend your limbs and make up for your inflexibility before you can become flexible enough to do lots of different things!

In short: I shouldn't ignore props just because I'm 21 and don't think I need them, because I do.

Good morning.

I had a lovely chest-opening and heart opening practice this morning. I have been (since yesterday) practicing the sequences laid out in "Yoga for Wellness" that go with each kind of pose. Yesterday, the forward bending put me in a bit of a funny mood I think--for a morning practice, it was not very energizing and I think it stretched my back and neck too far for so early in the morning. Today was a lot different. The backbending practice was very energizing, and coupled with the breathing techniques I am re-learning in Gary's book it was very stabilizing and strengthening as well. I like the way this section of the book is laid out, and I am taking notes about everything. It feels like the aspects of sequencing and adaptation that I was having trouble with will all be whooshed away by this reading. Of course, I'm going to need to internalize it, but I think doing the practices every morning will help.

So I'm feeling good this morning. It will be my first morning commuting from Sammamish to North Bend, and I'm running right on schedule. I have about 20 minutes before I'm going to leave (to hopefully be at work 15 minutes early). I've been feeling so rushed lately that I think I need to either slow down my life or speed up my brain. We'll see which one wins.

Songs

It takes a worried mind to sing a worried song.

Learning styles

I will not begin this post with an apology.

I have been thinking subconsciously about the first four sutras over the past few weeks. That's not to say that I'm trying to make up for not thinking about them by writing something brilliant--which is often useful. Rather, I'm expressing an almost integrated living with them, if not in the spirit of them. It is indeed difficult for me to still the mind, whether through "controlling" it or uniting it with the heart, and I often fail at it. However, I am mindful of what is going on between those still moments, which are very few. I think this is the "path to recovery."

Of course, it is frustrating to see myself getting my wheelbarrow stuck in the same samskara over and over.

And over.

atha yoganusasanam.

I am going at this one from a different angle for the next week. I am going to refrain from watching television in order to wean myself off of it. Perhaps by denying myself this vice I can figure out the hole I am trying to fill with it.

::eyes computer:: You're next.

Jeanne's house is very conducive to this kind of activity because it is very simplistic. There is a bit of "stuff" here: lots of decorations, fancy sound equipment, and nice furniture, but it's all part of a routine. The things in my life are not serving my routines, or at least they are not helping me start them.

Well no, let me say that again. The things in my life are here because they are serving my routines perfectly. That is why I accumulate them and become so attached to them. So then I get stuck: I want to change my routine but the things around me make that difficult, and I want to reduce my attachment to the things around me but my routines are such that doing so would cause me to suffer in some way. So it's a toughie. I feel so scattered by these things that I am unable to focus. Hence my reasoning for turning the television off for a week.

And off my mind races: "But what about Seventh Heaven? And ER?" And I reassure my mind: "That's what they make DVR for." Whether I want to inflict my decision on Zack when I visit him tomorrow will remain to be seen.

For now, I am enjoying listening to this lovely music. And I shall sign off to read something about yoga in place of writing about it.