I practiced again this morning. Oh, I'm so disciplined again, how I love it. Being disciplined is the very first asana.
Beside my back pain, I also have to handle with this stretching discomfort. That's where I am now. But at least the stretching pain is fading fast when I practice daily. At least I know how it feels when there is no stretching pain. Even supta kurmasana has been comfortable for me. The real goal is not the outer form of an asana, but the ability to relax when in a pose. One day an asana should feel good. Then you're there.
I practice twice these days: In the morning and in the evening. In the morning I focus on back bending. In the evening I focus on forward bending asanas. A few readers might think: OMG so much. But it's much less than I was asked to do when I still went to yoga classes. Two and a half hour lasted my practice only because one pose was not as perfect as it should be. This pose was kapotasana.
After the twists I tried to prepare my body for the leg behind head poses. It was not possible. Not even marichyasana A could be done without pain. I finished my practice. It was not possible to get from sarvangasana to halasana. That was it for today, I thought. Padmasana was possible, so this was my end.
From 9:15 to 11:00 I was on the mat. I did a lot additional asanas, mainly to prepare the back bending.
My concentration improved over the decades. I don't want music anymore. I don't interrupt my practice unnecessarily. I take short breaks when I'm exhausted, but I stay on the mat in a simple twist or baby pose to relax my back. These days I don't want to interrupt my practice with a photo shooting as I want to profit from the heat that I produce during my practice. To stop always cools down the body.
Right now I feel mentally exhausted. I'll rest on the bed for a while. I want to recover.
Summary:
1. Being disciplined is the first asana.
2. Progress comes with daily practice.
3. Attitude: Be content, so much is possible
Stretching pain is fading
4/
5
Oleh
Khali Bhutta
