The ankle to forehead stretch shown above is a staple of my daily practice. I have done it for years and 95% of the time if feels really good. It's great for opening the hips and hip joints, enhancing the flexibility of the thighs and strengthening and firming your arms. After I first learned this pose, it did not take me more than a few weeks to be able to touch my forehead with either foot.
As I have said in the past, however, it's important to always take your yoga practice one day at a time and not compete even with yourself or "worry" if you seem to have a setback in your progress. Well, this morning, I don't know if I slept in an awkward position but boy, was I so much stiffer! I could not touch my forehead on either side of my body because my thighs protested! Since yoga has made me attuned to my body, I went only as far as I could without pain. I did not push myself to go as far as I usually do. I respected my body's warning signal that proclaimed "GO SLOW and NOT FAR TODAY." I obeyed.
Now, I could have been upset about my inability to move and stretch to my usual ability, but I chose to "cultivate acceptance" as famous yoga instructor Rodney Yee advises in his book, Moving Toward Balance. He says, "One of the main things that can kill your motivation to practice is worrying about whether or not you are doing the poses or the practice 'correctly'...instead, can you observe and respond without judgment. Yoga is meditation in movement, not a competitive sport or an elitist art form." I followed Yee's advice and stayed attuned to my body even though I could not stretch as far as usual. The result? I felt wonderful after my practice.
Yours for cultivating acceptance during your practice no matter what!
Laura Venecia Rodriguez
Yoga contains amazing health benefits if we doing yoga regularly than it will really beneficial for us. It helps in preventing lots of disease related to our body and mind.
Posted by: Dianabol | June 14, 2011 at 03:47 AM
Yes, I agree! How long have you been doing yoga?
Posted by: Laura Rodriguez | June 17, 2011 at 09:22 AM
In this post you have been shared some really helpful tips for beginner and or those who are totally unfamiliar with method of yoga.
Posted by: buy autoclave pouches | July 25, 2011 at 06:55 AM