Persistence is power.
Also, the tenet, "no pain is all gain" in yoga enables you to safely master challenging poses like the plough.
Last week I gave you the first part of a quiz to assess your ability and actions to stick with your intention to maintain a daily (or almost daily) yoga practice at home throughout the year. Below are the questions for part 2. Remember that if you answered "no" to any of the questions, strengthen your commitment to take the needed steps to do yoga consistently at home. Answer honestly!
Part 2 - Learning yoga at home and executing the poses
1. As a yoga newbie - have you been basing your practice on a book or books and/or DVDs or online classes/smart phone apps that break down and explain how to execute each pose thoroughly step by step - with additional details on the benefits the pose provides-i.e., the parts of the body that each pose targets, and how long to hold each pose? ____ yes ____no
The first books I used to teach myself yoga were Yoga for Beauty and Health by Eugene Rawls and Eve Diskin and Yoga, Youth, and Reincarnation by Jess Stearn. I still refer to these ancient tomes (written sometime in the 1960s when yoga was just starting to seep into the United States) because they explain yoga poses so well and provide fairly easy-to-follow instructions - so important for the self-taught beginner. Of course, this was my purpose in writing Yoga at Home: Gain Energy, Flexibility, and Serenity in 20 to 30 Minutes a Day (https://www.createspace.com/3493692). Detailed instructions with specific tips are essential for the yoga newbie.
2. Are you applying the principles of "slo mo' is the way to go" and "no pain is all gain" to your daily yoga practice? ____ yes ____ no
In other words, when learning a new pose, are you careful to move into it slowly -(as if in a slow-motion dream) only as far as is comfortable and let gravity take over the rest? Never tug, pull, or force yourself into a pose! Far too many yoga injuries result from pushing too hard.
Below is how far I originally could go in doing the plough - not very far.
Over time, however, (and also by visualizing my feet touching the ground behind my head), regular practice and the power of gravity enabled me to touch my feet to the ground and hold the pose comfortably for 45-60 seconds as shown at the top of this post.
3. Do you "pause" between poses? ____ yes ____ no
In the gentle form of yoga discussed in this blog, pauses between each pose of at least 5-10 seconds with a deep inhalation are strongly advised. The pause allows your muscles and ligaments to regroup before moving onto the next pose. Pausing also enhances the relaxation effects of your yoga practice.
4. Do you always complete your yoga practice with at least a minute or two (more time is ideal) of the pose, the savasana, shown below? ____ yes ____ no
The above two variations of the savasana pose help you deeply relax at the end of a yoga session and allow the energy you have awakened to circulate and re-settle in your body.
I hope these refresher checklist questions will help you determine if you need to get back on track. Success in virtually any endeavor is all about sticking with the basics!
Yours for keeping your commitment to a daily home yoga practice throughout 2017.
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