sit up straight
close your eyes
listen
breathe
focus on your navel
connect to yourself
smile
feel
get started
let your body guide you
warm up your joints
move your spine
stretch
forgive
connect
breathe
open your heart
feel your body
feel your energy
hold
extend
breathe
release
surrender
let go
smile
bild up
let your muscles enjoy the game
be grateful
breathe
twist
invert
connect
be
just be
happy
namasté
My practice is difficult at the moment. Due to a couple of things happening in my life, it was and still is a huge challenge to keep my regular practice. On the mat I’m currently experiencing a lack of balance and focus. Plus a busy mind, terribly noisy. All thoughts just about what part of my practice I might skip. Restless. In a rush.
Today all of a sudden a much stronger thought took my attention: be proud, you showed up! You ARE practicing!
Yogis, this is so true. Even if it’s tough for me right now, I’m practicing. Even if sometimes I skip postures, I’m practicing. Even if my mind doesn’t stop talking, I’m practicing. Even if I don’t feel like, I’m on my mat. And yes, I AM proud.
Whatever is going on in your life yogis, always remember, it’s not about asanas, it’s about practicing. Just show up and practice. Do whatever you can and allow yourself to feel good about it.
Just not tomorrow, it’s full moon — so enjoy your day off 🙂
Yogis!
Have you ever asked yourself if you are a beginner or advanced yogi? Or even after some time practicing, do you still name yourself a beginner? Read more about this labels in my new article @ Yoga like a Boss (German)!
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Was eigentlich definiert einen Anfänger und was einen Fortgeschrittenen?
… Kommt der Ausdruck Anfänger nicht von anfangen? Bin ich dann ein Anfänger, wenn ich gerade anfange etwas zu tun? Was, wenn ich hyperflexibel bin und ich schon in meiner ersten Yogastunde zur Brezel werde? Und meine Matten-Nachbarin mich beeindruckt fragt, wie lange ich das geübt habe, bin ich dann kein Anfänger mehr?
Umgekehrt, wenn ich nach Jahrelanger Praxis noch immer nicht an meine Zehen komme, bin ich dann noch immer ein Anfänger? Gar ein hoffnungsloser Fall? …
Did you ever dedicate your practice to somebody? I know lots of yogis do so, but honestly, I was never into this, as I never really understood. I mean, what is the relationship, where is the connection between my practice and another person? And what does dedicating mean in this situation?
Yesterday I heard about a friend, that passed away. Even if we only spend some weeks together, I always felt her beautiful soul. I met her again some month ago in India and she was so happy, in love and just shining. Her death touches me deeply, my chest in pain, my eyes filled with tears.
On the mat this morning I felt the urge to dedicate my practice to her. It felt so right. Same time I was keen to learn what exactly this means. My practice itself didn’t change, reflecting where I am today, with all my strength, with all my weakness, with all my limitations. But there was one thing, that was truly different: I was giving. My breath. My love. I opened myself even more and I felt a strong energy within as well as around me.
I experienced a very strong and calm practice. Simply beautiful. For you Cathe, in love.
I read a lot about meditation. I took lessons. I did the 30 day challenge with Deepak and Oprah. I tried. Again and again. I failed. Again and again. Struggling with my feet falling asleep, my back complaining. Struggling with the feeling, that I simply can’t do it. Due to all the benefits of meditation, I couldn’t accept to not doing it. It was a catch 22.
My philosophy teacher in India was referring to the rising sun in his meditation lessons. He always said ‚I am the rising sun. I am shiva‘. I had to smile, it was kind of matching the situation, but I didn’t understand.
One day when doing my Ashtanga practice, I managed to focus that much on my breath, that my practice was nothing but intense deep breathing, while my body moved through the asanas. This felt so amazing and my only thought after practice was, THIS is meditation! A moving meditation.
This experience made me look closer to my definition of meditation: sitting in stillness, getting rid of all thoughts, calming down, release, finding peace within.
It was this definition, that was holding me back from meditating. Yoga is union and this is where meditation starts for me. Unite with myself. Going internal, connect with my breath. BE my breath. Feeling my love in my chest. Feeling the sun rising in me. Let it spread, let it shine. Being the rising sun. This deep connection is my meditation. And the journey to it is breath.
It doesn’t matter where I am or what I’m doing. It might happen while practicing, or walking my dog. I might be sitting, lying down, or cooking. It might take a couple of seconds, minutes or hours. It doesn’t matter.
There is no right or wrong. This is how I meditate. Your experience might be totally different. But if you are struggling, maybe this is some inspiration for you.
These are MY moments. My silent moments, my deep connection to myself. My meditation. My moments when I am SHIVA.
I recently read an article about the visit of Sharath Jois in the US and him asking the question in class ‘Why you hurrying?’.
I felt caught red-handed. I hurry. All day long, no matter of being on the mat of off. I’m always in a rush, as if I could gain time this way. I’m restless. Too many tasks, too much to do next to my 100% job. Not complaining, as this is what I want, but dealing with it is just sometimes tough. So I need to remind myself, and feel free to join me, if this affects you too:
Yoga is not just the practice on the mat. Yoga is happening all day, 24h. Same rules. Stop hurrying on the mat, jumping from one asana to the next, driven by ‘what’s next’. Same off the mat, while doing one thing, already thinking about your next task? Keep your focus on what you’re currently doing. It’s about being and staying in the moment. Fully aware. This is the only option to put your full passion into it. And finally yogi, the only way to really enjoy what you’re doing!
Instead of labeling yoga as your physical practice, recognize yoga as your inner experience. Extend your physical practice to work on your willingness to be exactly where you are in this moment. Root yourself, find your balance and connect with yourself before moving on. Practicing Ashtanga, you know what comes next, no worries. You know how long your asana practice will be, so take this time. It’s not a competition, not about, ‘I did it in 80 minutes!’. If you have to skip postures or vinyasas for a certain reason, go for it. Always choose a modification if any possible and do what you do fully. Present. As always, your breath is a good indicator, use it wisely and be guided.
Let’s remind ourselves again and again. It’s worth it!
“If you can breathe, you can do yoga.”
Krishnamacharya
Through yoga I learned proper breathing. I learned to breathe deep into my belly. I learned that my breath is my friend and even more, we can play. Lengthen the inhales and exhales, also pause, so called breath retention. I learned that breathing is much more than an automated process to survive.
Working with our breath in yoga is called pranayama. Built from the terms prana, which means life energy and ayama, control or extend. Through pranayama and the different breathing techniques, we control our life energy or even extend the life force.
In the Ashtanga tradition, we use Ujjayi breath during practice. We breathe through our nostrils, and when exhaling, we constrict the back of our throat, generating a sound, that reminds us on the sound of the ocean. Ujjayi breath creates the rhythm of our practice, while building and keeping the body heat inside. There are a lot of benefits, such as regulating blood pressure, increasing the amount of oxygen in the blood and many more.
I found Ujjayi breath very helpful to keep my focus. It’s my music when practicing. My rhythm. Deepening my asanas.
Bring your awareness to your breath and just observe. Start a good relationship with your breath, become friends. And eventually, extend your life force!
Happy to recommend a brand new webpage, that launched some days ago: yogalikeaboss.com
No, it’s not my 3rd one 😉 However I feel very honored to be one of the authors!
Norma and Philipp, two passionate athletes and yogis, created this page. Their approach is to establish a platform, that helps searching for yoga teachers, retreats, travels, books, clothes and lifestyle.
For all my German speaking readers, check it out and let’s support them growing!
If you’re stuck in a rut, if your routine and habits lost all its ease and you’re seeing yourself singing the blues with no reason at all – it’s time for a change darling!
No matter if it’s about your practice or any other part of your life, if you want something different, you have to do something different. Instead of reinventing the wheel, start with just one piece of the puzzle of your daily routine and see what happens. Be creative! Surprise yourself! Don’t allow your laziness to take over.
From time to time we need to change. It might be just a little habit, or something larger is due for a make over or even a replacement. Your measurement is your mood. Are you happy? Smiling? Are you feeling grounded, welcoming each day with open arms? No? Change! It’s all up to you. Try something new!
You don’t know where to start? What about trying this:
Change your morning routine. Set your alarm 10 minutes earlier and instead of pushing the snooze button, start your day with some pranayama.
Give yourself an easy start, stay in bed, lying down. Do some deep belly breaths. Belly out when inhaling, expand your rips, lift your chest. When exhaling, chest first, ribs and belly in. Slowly. Deep. Count for 5 for each inhale and each exhale.
After a couple of deep breath, stretch yourself, arms over your head, get long! Bring your knees into your chest, hug yourself before you slowly lift up to sit. Either sit in your lotos variation or on the edge of your bed and practice some minutes Nadi Shodhana, alternate nostril breathing. As this is a powerful technique to settle the mind, body, and emotions, we usually practice Nadi Shodhana when we feel nervous, overwhelmed or stressed. However, balancing the right and left hemispheres of the brain also has its quality early morning, it feels like preparing the energetic channels for the day.
You’ll start clear and balanced into your day!
I bet you know this situation: the teacher shows something, it looks easy. You give it a try — impossible. The teacher breaks it down into single steps, explains the technique and it looks, guess what, super easy. You give it another try — impossible. I mean, this kind of never-in-this-life-possible. Everything in your body is asking ‚are you kidding me?‘ Alright, it’s not your body talking to you, but your ego. Telling you, ‚you’ll never be there’, ‚you’re not good/flexible/strong (choose your word) enough‘!
Your ego is quite intelligent, if this strategy is not working, there’s the opposite: ‚go for it, work hard, push yourself, don’t give up before you can do it‘!
Babe, that’s not better at all. Both is not doing anything good to you. Relax. Make it part of your practice to turn that ego talk off. You will immediately be open to feel, trust and be easy to yourself. It allows your body to try. Allows yourself to laugh when falling, to appreciate your practice as it is. It opens you to be grateful for each baby step.
Let me give you an example: jump throughs. These wonderful transitions between asanas. They look so natural. Have you ever tried to lift your feet in a forward fold, in Uttanasana? See. My ego told me, as long as I can’t do this, I won’t be able to jump through. And even more. My ego told me, I’ll never be a proper Ashtangi without being able to jump through. I didn’t stop working on it, but frankly, without much effort, my aim was rather making the transitions more fluent, than to jump.
One day I managed to send my ego back to sleep before practice. It was like a ‚click’ in my mind, all of a sudden I knew I had to position my hands slightly different and I walked through. Ohhhh! I know, that’s not jumping, but my hands stayed flat at the mat. This was showing my body the way. This was the moment I knew, I can do it. I can jump, no need to float before.
It works. In baby steps. Get your mind on track! Relax. Do your practice and let it happen when it’s time. Allow your ego to have a break. Allow your ego to stop texting all day long. Relax, babe.
TUNEin:YOGA 