“Keeping your body healthy is an expression of gratitude to the whole cosmos. The trees, the clouds, everything”
Thich Nhat Hanh
Thich Nhat Hanh
I'm pretty good at looking after my fitness as a rule, but recently I've been slacking off, only going for walks every now and then, instead of daily and I stopped my Yoga practice a couple of months ago to allow a sore hip to recover. Over the past few weeks I've been eating a hot cross bun a day (with honey) (yum) and this equates to a middle that resembles a six pack of hot cross buns! So now I'm kicking myself into gear and getting back into it all.
The Yoga sequence above is one my teacher gave me years ago. He would provide one of these sheets for each course that we did and I kept them all right through from beginners to advanced postures. I have a tendency to work myself too hard, so I decided I would make myself follow these sequences instead of doing my own, to keep me at a steadier pace.
The benefits of Yoga are many - strength, flexibility, deep sleep - waking refreshed, elongated muscles, improved digestion, lymphatic drainage, weight loss, to name just a few. And of course there's the peace that comes with health and wellbeing. So I always wonder why I ever stop when it makes me feel so good.
Advice to self. Just do it!
Hi, I found you through Bohemian Mom's blog ... I live just down the road (in Canberra).
ReplyDeleteI'm really enjoying your blog!
I was doing Pilates religiously for quite some time and felt amazing. Then, I just stopped. And within a month, it felt as though I had never done it at all. So, I'm walking daily (thanks to Sunny the wonder dog) and riding once a week. But, I really need to start up with the Yoga deal again. It was the best!
ReplyDeleteGood for you, my friend ... and don't try to do too much too soon.
By a piece of serendipity, I started doing my regular morning yoga to music. I was in HK with Anne, and we were discussing Jose Feliciano- she put on the CD just as I was on the balcony (great view) doing yoga. I started doing it in time to the music- holding stretches to go with the musical phrase,etc- now I do it to music all the time! Try different CD's each time-never boring!
ReplyDeletei have a special place in my heart for desiderada...my mother loved it and had the words framed and hanging on her bedroom wall...i was too young to appreciate it at the time but now that i'm older, and she's gone, i treasure the fact that she loved it.
ReplyDeleteand thich nhat hanh is one of my favorite teachers - he transmits the truth in simple ways anyone can understand (doing is quite another story :-)
i found you through your comment on my friend Judy Wise's blog...I'll be back!
My DH and I have been doing yoga with a teacher for over 6 years now. We started because he had a bad back (which it cured) and continued because it makes our bodies hum with well-being. Your diagrams of the positions are precious; I made a similar one for myself some time ago when I was doodling at my desk. It is a godsend to stay flexible as the years go by.
ReplyDelete