I practice yoga daily for 25-30 minutes. I tend to stick with a core set of poses that I believe benefit virtually all of my body from head to toe. Sometimes people can find such a routine monotonous. It hasn't really bothered me because I revel in the vibrant energy that I gain post-practice. Over time, however, I have experimented with various ways to keep my practice fresh and this morning my method of the day put new spark into my practice.
Starting your daily practice with a specific intention and key word can intensify your focus and give your practice more meaning. This morning I intuitively felt that I needed to celebrate life and especially the health of my body. So, "celebration" was my key focus word for today's practice. In addition, I chose to listen to classical music on my cable music channel as I moved and stretched. To my delight the selections were all upbeat and energizing. Vivaldi is definitely one of my favorite classical composers and the piece that played in the background as I stretched and held my poses totally invigorated me. I was in a celebration mode!
I also reversed the order of some of my poses and found that starting rather than ending with the Five Tibetan Rites (flowing hatha yoga moves to be explained in a future post) made me much more limber for poses that are often a challenge first thing in the morning. That was a welcome surprise! Like anything else, keeping your yoga practice fresh need require only a little imagination and creativity.
Yoga Quotation of the Day: “Uplifting music turns your mind to joy and bliss…It helps you go deeper inside yourself.” ~ Alanna Kaivalya, Kivamuki yoga instructor
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