Lost my Tapas..... feeling guilty

Absolutely, while in vacation I completely lost my tapas and my practice. It has been almost week that I have been on my yoga mat and I have the feeling that I won't go back to it until the next 10 days...

I am on holidays travelling in Italia, the menu is very simple Napoli, Roma, Siena, Florence and Venice - in  between pizzas and pastas. A lot of walking, it is the least that I can do for my body but for the rest all resolutions are gone, all practices are over and my yoga mat is resting in peace.

Stef in Italy - but still feeling guilty ;-)

Do I feel guilty about it? Of course, big time! BUT as the picture is showing with a big smile :-)

So let's say that I am taking a break for 2 weeks, a full break without any practice and by September 12th I will be back on my mat, but right now enjoying everything and hopefully be able to prepare myself for October in Mysore.

- Namaste -

Hatha Yoga..... is hard!

Absolutely.

In Hatha Yoga the asana are kept for 9, 12 or 16 breaths. Trikonasana is then very different from 5 breaths to 9 breaths. Instead of going right away grabbing the big toe I do it gradually, 3 breaths bending on the lateral side with the hand above the knee, 3 breaths below the knee and 3 breaths grabbing the big toe.

With longer breath I can feel the stretch of the side of my body. In Ashtanga with 5 breaths I first grab the big toe then adjust the asana but it is not that deeper as it is with Hatha Yoga.

For Uttitha Hasta Padangustasana 9 breaths is then also very hard and it can be complicated if I reach the end of the asana right away, so I do the same, I am sequencing my breath and then my asana, furthermore I do really enjoy the "reseting" pose such as Tadasana between the two sides.

I am also practicing asana that I do not practice during the Ashtanga Primary Series.

I am almost "mastering" Shirshana without the head touching the floor, yes almost because to go up I still need the wall, I first start with the normal Shirshasana head on the floor then I touch the wall my left feet, lift my head up, bring the back of my skull up to my thumb and then find my balance without the head touching the floor, using a lot of core and belt scapula to stabilise it. So far I was able to stay for 9 breaths, was very happy about it.

To my very big surprise Pincha Mayurasana is also coming very nicely, I still need a wall as a psychological support but now I do not need to touch it to lift my legs up, I can also find my stability, then suddenly my brain got disconnected and send the information to my nervous system such as "danger you're gonna fall", then I have to touch the wall...... which give a result of a twisting pelvis and so I loose my balance....

All the previous practice I have done is the result of my new practice. However I know I have to go back to the Primary Series as by October I  will start to practice with Sharat.

But so far a lot of improvement, mentally and physically. Mentally I am more stable, less pissed off for nothing and physically I have gaine weight.... but I have gained muscles and especially around my buttock region, before it was flat now a "bump" is slightly showing :-)

Still happy to practice in Paris and of course still in love with Asana.

- Namaste -

Practices in Paris - August 2016

I did not really stop the practice. I was supposed to stop for a week but then I have been practicing on July, then I travelled and have a break of real non practice for 2 days then I went back to the practice.

Actually we are running a Hatha TTC in Paris and as the studio we are renting is big (because we are having 25 students) and also because it is a danse studio there are some curtains that prevent the mirror. So what I do during the morning practice that Rakesh is teaching I am doing my personal practice behind the curtains.

I started with 54 Sun Salutation then the standing series avoiding Ardha Bada Padotanasana because my knee is still in recovery mode, then once I reach the sitting pose I stop practicing the Primary Series but do a lot of back bend series, core centering and "guts" exercice.

I am really enjoying it. Next week will do only back bend with core exercice.

I did not manage the 108 Sun Salutation because I can not count them, so I did practice half an hour of Sun Salutation but I am not able to know exactly how many I do. As I am not in competition with anyone I have decided to stop the struggle of counting but just do.

Practice is good, I have to be ready for October as I am starting the practice with Sharat.

Not to mention that my diet has completely changed since I am back to Paris, I eat salad every day, so happy, not that much of cheese and croissant in the morning. Right now I do not miss Indian food at all and don't think I will miss it in the near future.

Enjoying life, practice and our new students, life is definitely goooooood :-)

- Namaste -

Last day of practice with Sarawasti

Starts: 4.50 AM
Ends: 6.30 AM

Skipped: Janu Shirshana B, Upavista konasana, setu bandhasana, yoga mudrasana, padamasana and utpluti.

It was a so so practice. My body needs a rest.

I am offering a 7 days off to my body. Will be back to the mat by July 29th. I know I may practice in between some back bend and Sun salutation but as far as I am concern I won't do any long practice. My body is exhausted. I am really wondering if it is true, that all Ashtangi Yogis are practicing DAILY 6 days a week, 52 Weeks per year without stopping..... how is it possible?

Right now my knee is out, my hamstrings are shorter and my left wrist is getting painful.... maybe it is me, maybe I am not practicing so well, or just tired.

Will see.

- Namaste -

Mysore Practice - Sarawasti Shala, David Roche

Starts: 4.45 AM - 20x Suraya Namaskara
Ends: 6.35 AM

Asana skipped: Shirshasana, yoga mudrasana, padmasana and kukutasana.

Adjustment: Kurmasana and Supta Kurmasana (it all comes)

Knee pain, sit bone pain.... well I believe it is part of the game now. I have to manage with all different kind of pain, I think it is a stage that I have to get over it, like a test. I have now knee support for my knee and it feel definitely better but still it is painful.

I need 20 Suraya Namaskara before starting any asana, my body is too stiff in the morning. I think that on August I may practice only Suraya Namaskara the first week and see how my body reacts to that. Will do daily 54 and hopeful 108 Sun Salutation for one week. Then second week only back bending sequence (a little bit of the secondary series). Actually there are a lot of asana in the secondary series that I can do. Only problem is all balance on the forearms, this I can not manage, could not find my center.

I am mentally preparing my August practice as I will be in France and teaching the all day during our TTC. So it will be challenging. In Mysore even if we are running a TTC we are 4 teachers so I can practice early morning and teach only 3 hours during the day, in Paris it will be different, we will be 2 teachers and I have to translate in French as well, so my morning practice will be the only moment for me, I won't be able to practice any other time.

And beside I need to give a break to my knee so my program will be for August 2016:

first week - only Sun Salutation, about 54 to 108 daily

second week - Sun Salutation and back bending sequence (with of course some fwd fold)

third week - back to the primary series with all Vinyasa but skipping all padmasana

fourth week - focus on balancing pose

Will see what will come from it!

- Namaste -

Yesterday was Guru Purnima and New Moon

Therefore there was no practice. Sarawasti has invited all students to the Puja that took place in the main shala from 10.00 AM to late in the afternoon.

They did a fire ceremony and 2 priests were there. All Jois family was there, Sharat and his wife, his mother Sarawasti, kids, cousins. I won't display pictures of them, we were authorised to take picture during the ceremony, some people were even filming, so I took some pictures with Sharat and his wife but do not intend to display them.

However the shala was completely packed!

After the puja some students were singing Kirtans, shloka to the family. Some of them came on stage with guitare and started the Bakthi Yoga. I am not a huge fan of it, I like to sing kirtans however I do not like to sing it with a westernise style if I may say. It is just very personal, I do not feel any devotion into that, just pop music singing old shloka or kirtans which does not make any sense to me.

Sarawasti spoke about her dad, she was very emotional.

Anyway this morning it was time for the practice and I do believe it was the full moon:

It was a really good practice.

Starts: 4.45 AM

Ends: 6.40 AM

I did 20 Sun salutation in order to sweat and to warm up my body. Also I did more vinyasa at the beginning of the sitting posture.

I have been adjusted in Supta Kurmasana and slowly but sure the posture is coming.

I have bought some medicinal plaster with herbal "magic" ayurvedic and put it all around my knee, I slept with it and took my shower with it and this morning my knee was better, so I was able to manage so Ardha Bada Padma but not all of them, I think these plasters are working nicely, will put another one today for the all day.

In six day I am living to Europe, during august I will practice differently but sill will manage to be on my mat by 4.30 AM.

Week 7, Mysore practice

Starts: 4.35 AM

Ends: 6.35 AM

Improvement: Gharbapindasana and the 9 rounds. Was able to roll on my back in circle for 9 times while my hands where inside my calf muscles, so it is a huge improvement as lately I was able to roll on my back but straight, not doing the circle.

Since the adjustment of my cervical spine and thoracic with the chiropractor I have lost my center, therefore when I am doing Shirshana I have the feeling that I am not straight at all and I can't realign myself. Even worst in the shadow of my asana I can see that I am lining on my left side and I have no clue how to come back straight as I do fell straight.....

Back bending is also improving and my sun salutations just rock. Now I start the practice with 10 Sun salutation A and 10 Sun salutation B, why? because I like to sweat during my practice and also the sun salutation are getting lighter and lighter to do, so in the end why not?

Tomorrow no class, it is the birthday of Guruji and all students are required to be in the main shala by 10.30 AM; also it is the moon day, so no class.

Back on the mat on July 20th, in the end I think I will enjoy this day off :-)