yoga, books, movies, tv & too many crime procedurals – not necesarily in that order
So I’m using the trial membership (which by all accounts means I’m probably in for a month) and thus far I’m… undecided. I think Colleen does good description and then randomly throws in some bullshit woo-woo terms (“curl the tailbone”? What the blue fuck does THAT mean? Your tailbone is ALREADY CURVED motherfucker!). I’ve listened to most of the standing pose stuff and will check out the audio for mountain/triangle this afternoon.
Okay- another peeve maybe. In talking about Down Dog, Yee is all about legs and ignoring the arms. I’ve found if you engage your shoulders, you’re less likely to get arm fatigue and more easily can keep weight out of the wrists. You do that by sliding your shoulder blades down your back (imagine dragging the tips of your scapulas toward your hipbones) as well as imagining you’re holding a golf ball in each armpit. That causes external rotation of the biceps/triceps and pulls the arm into the shoulder socket. There’s more muscle support for the INCREDIBLY DELICATE shoulder joint which helps to prevent injury. It’s also great upper body strength building but FEELS far more solid when you’re lurking in Down Dog. Also, very little emphasis pushing down through the fingers and fingertips rather than letting the weight sit in the base of the palm (bad for the wrist).
Last nit: Dear Colleen, it’s STANCE not STRIDE. Stride means that you’re MOVING rather than STANDING STILL. Thanks. Yg
It’s spring, damn and blast. I don’t care if the snow disagrees. One of the things about living at 10,000 feet is close to 9 months of winter. I don’t really mind it as the snow is light and fluffy and always looks amazing on the trees and mountaintops. We also get more than 300 days of sunshine every year and there’s not a single bad thing about that. Plus the lack of humidity means that it virtually ALWAYS feels warmer than the thermometer says it is. When we moved, I said I could stand as MUCH snow as you want to send me as long as there’s sunshine. Glad to say it’s absolutely true. This is the end of my second winter (!?) out here and I still love it as much as I did on our first visit.
That said, vacation was a kick in the ass. Time to refresh everything all over, albeit without nearly as much rain as Seattle sees, and I started today. Woke up, finished reading a book, cleaned up the kitchen and then started on our bedroom. Dusted and swept everywhere, got up the rugs for washing, stripped the bedding and mattress pad for washing (which it’s doing right now) and as soon as that room’s done I’ll move to the next.
The basement bedroom, like two of the upstairs rooms, has a mirrored set of sliding closet doors. It’s also much larger than any of the other rooms (with the exception of the basement living room and the kitchen/dining area) and I noticed today that I could probably make a decent yoga space in there. It’s got laminate flooring and high enough ceilings that I don’t have to worry about barking my hands or feet. It’s also cool enough (being the basement) and has a fan so that I should be able to work as hard as I like, comfortably. That’s going to be my new spot then, at least until we get one of the upstairs rooms converted into a real workout space.
One of the things I love about yoga is its malleability. I can tailor my workout to whatever feels appropriate at the time, focusing on whichever areas I’d like. Unfortunately that is also one of the things that stumps people about having a “home practice”. With so many options, how do you keep track of where you started or what you’ve done? I think it’s one of the things people really like about Bikram and the ashtanga series – there are proscribed movements in a particular order such that you’ve always got the next step in front of you. While that sounds nice in theory, I think I’d get bored with it.
I generally start with the Sun series and modify it however I’d like. It’s infinite if you add in Warrior II and Chair (Sun B) and can be modified to include almost anything – triangle, side angle, revolved variations of both, twisting chair, Warrior III, pyramid and about a dozen different ways you can modify Downward Facing Dog. I’m tempted to do audio posts about the variations just so that people can try them if they’re interested. Everyone approaches yoga a little differently and one of the reasons I love taking classes is because I can hear how other people change things up.
So I guess MY spring goal is thirty days of yoga posts. If I can squeeze in classes I will, but it will primarily what I do at home and on the road (we’ve got some overnighters this month). I think my plan will be to work through the Eye of the Tiger practice – it’s pretty comprehensive but too long for everyday. I can attack parts of it and digest what I like and don’t.
Below is the Eye of the Tiger workout – I can’t recall what site I found it on but it’s an Anusara practice.
Eye of the Tiger Practice
The Eye of the Tiger practice is designed as an ultimate daily practice routine to maximize strength, stamina, and flexibility in all the major parts of the body. It covers all the main classes of asana including: Surya Namaskar, standing poses, handbalancings, inversions, backbends, hip-openers, forward bends, and twists. The entire practice can take over 4 hours to complete, so in order to abbreviate, perform a few poses in each category moving down through the lists from top toward the bottom. During a week’s practice schedule be sure to attempt the poses that you might have skipped in previous practices.
Invocation
Surya Namaskar – 10-108x or 10-20 min.
Handstand – 1-5 min. ea. 1-3 X
Pincha Mayurasana (feathered peacock) – 1-5 min. ea. 1-3 X
Standing Poses – 30-60 sec. ea./ side
Vrksasana (tree)
Parsvakonasana (extended side angle)
Trikonasana (triangle)
Virabhadrasana I (warrior I)
Virabhadrasana II (warrior II)
Anjaneyasana (crescent lunge)
Ardha Chandrasana (half moon)
Virabhadrasana III (warrior III)
Parivrtta Trikonasana (revolved triangle)
Parivrtta Ardha Chandrasana (revolved half moon)
Parivrtta Parsvakonasana (revolved side angle)
Parsvottanasana (intense side stretch/pyramid)
Utkatasana (chair)
Garudasana (eagle)
Prasarita Padottanasana (wide-legged forward fold)
Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana (extended hand to big toe)
Pada Hastasana (hands to feet)
Handbalancings – 1-2x ea./ side
Lolasana (pendant)
Vasisthasana (side plank)
Eka Hasta Bhujasana (elephant’s trunk)
Astavakrasana (8 angle)
Bakasana (crane)
Eka Pada Bakasana II (one legged crane)
Eka Pada Bakasana I (one legged crane)
Visvamitrasana (pose dedicated to visvamitra)
Eka Pada Koundinyasana II (pose dedicated to Koundinya)
Dwi Hasta Bhujasana (two-handed legs over arms)
Bhujapidasana (shoulder pressing pose)
Titthibhasana (firefly)
Parsva Bakasana (side crane)
Eka Pada Koundinyasana I
Eka Pada Galavasana (flying crow)
Kukuttasana (cock posture)
Parsva Kukuttasana (revolved cock posture)
Abdominals – 30-50x ea./ side
Crunches
Criss-Crosses
Navasana (boat)
Urdhva Prasarita Padasana (raised stretched out foot)
Jathara Parivartanasana (spinal twist)
Supta Virasana (reclined hero) – 5 min.
Hip-openers – 1 min. ea./ side
Baddha Konasana
Janu Sirsasana
Parsva Upavistha Konasana
Upavistha Konasana
Triang Mukhaikapada
Eka Pada Raja Kapotasana prep.
Bharadvajasana II
Inversions – 30sec.– 1 min. variations
Sirsasana
Parsva Sirsasana
Parsva Sirsasana in Virasana
Eka Pada Sirsasana
Parsvaika Pada Sirsasana
Parivrttaikapada Sirsasana
Padmasana in Sirsasana
Parsva Padmasana in Sirsasana
Pindasana in Sirsasana
Sirsasana II
Mukta Hasta Sirsasana
Baddha Hasta Sirsasana
Prasarita Hasta Sirsasana
——————————————
Sarvangasana
Sarvangasana II
Eka Pada Sarvangasana
Parsvaika Pada Sarvangasana
Halasana
Supta Konasana
Parsva Halasana
Karna Pidasasana
Parsva Karna Pidasasana
Parsva Sarvangasana in Padmasasana
Parsva Sarvangasana
Setubandha Sarvangasana
Backbends
Eka Pada Supta Virasana
Bhujangasana
Eka Pada Rajakapotasana I prep – one leg in Bhekasana
Dhanurasana
Parsva Dhanurasana
Ustrasana
Purvottanasana – bent knees
Backbends with chair
Urdhva Dhanurasana – (5-25x)
Eka Pada Urdhva Dhanurasana
Viparita Chakrasana
Dwi Pada Viparita Dandasana (head up)
Eka Pada Viparita Dandasana
Headstand Drop-overs – (5-25x)
Mandalasana – (3-25x)
Urdhva Dhanurasana – drop-backs – (5-108x)
Vrischikasana I – feet on chair
Kapotasana – pigeon droppings – (3-10x)
Eka Pada Rajakapotasana I
Eka Pada Rajakapotasana II
Eka Pada Rajakapotasana IV
Valakhilyasana
Padangustha Dhanurasana
Natarajasana
Twists & Forward Bends – 30 sec – 1 min. ea./ side
Uttanasana
Virasana – twist
Baddha Konasana
Eka Pada Rajakapotasana prep
Janu Sirsasana
Upavista Konasana
Parsva Upavistha Konasana
Agnistambasana
Ardha Baddha Padmasana Paschimottanasana
Marichyasana II
Triangamuhkaipada Paschimottanasana
Krounchasana
Bharadvajasana II
Compass
Yogadandasana
Pascimottanasana
Urdhva Mukha Paschimottanasana I & II
Ardha Matsyendrasana
Malasana I
Pasasana – one leg
Padmasana
Hanumanasana
Ardha Matsyendrasana II
Marichyasana IV
Parivrtta Janu Sirsasana
Parivrtta Paschimottanasana
Kurmasana
Somakonasana
Eka Pada Sirsasana
Bhairavasana
Chakorasana
Durvasana
Uttanasana
Supta Padangusthasana
Balasana
Meditation – 10 min.
Savasana – 10 min.
Edited to add reference links so you know what I’m talking about.
First let me say that traveling with my Droid Eris was AMAZING. I used apps like OpenTable and Foursquare to find great places to eat and – in the case of Foursquare – frequently got great tips from locals and/or other visitors. I also updated Facebook with my photos as we went and there’s practically a vacation blow-by-blow on my twitterfeed. While it made my husband a little crazy, it was super helpful to have Googlemaps tied into that Foursquare app to make sure we were moving in the right direction. Google on the phone helped us track down good music and food and figure out which tourist stops to avoid. It was made of awesome and win. Don’t worry, though – the phone hasn’t COMPLETELY replaced the Spouse.
Before we left, I did some internet research on yoga studios that would be close to where we were staying. I found about four that sounded like they’d be a good fit for my needs and one of them had a pretty sweet intro deal. Being on budget and in a new city, yoga deals are important. I can go on about this ad nauseam but I think yoga is an oddly interpersonal form of exercise, one that can be shaped entirely by your teacher/instructor and your reaction to him/her. Just because you don’t care for a particular teacher or class doesn’t mean the studio won’t be a good or even great fit for you – it just means you haven’t had a chance to find out yet. For this reason, having a deal on classes or even free classes for new students is an incredibly valuable resource for studios – it gives you a chance to sell how awesome you are.
For those reasons, I made my first stop at Urban Yoga Spa. 1. Love their site. Clear, concise and no pictures of hot bods to make you feel self-conscious about showing up. Especially love that you can turn the music off, as it’s my least favorite thing about the site. 2. No woo woo. When you read the class descriptions, you get a sense that it’s going to be a thorough, energetic and relaxing experience. No chanting required. 3. Even though I was just in town for a visit, they gave me the unlimited yoga for a week for $25 deal. I wasn’t sure they would since I’m not local but it was a sweet deal and it’s what decided me on their studio for the week.
I am not generally a fan of hot yoga. Rather, I like hot yoga up to a certain temperature. My ideal max temp is about 85 degrees (Forrest-style) and Urban Yoga Spa is a little hotter – 90-105 degrees. I have mentioned before that I sweat like a center for the Detroit Lions; it’s hot enough there that I started sweating the minute I walked into the rooms. That said, I didn’t find the temps at UYS to be unbearable. Don’t get me wrong, it was HOT but not to the point that I felt uncomfortable, light-headed or any of the other stuff you don’t want to have happen. In addition, the rooms were clean and avoided that whole ‘stank’ that can sometimes happen with a hot yoga place. One studio is full of mirrors and the other doesn’t have any – in case that matters to you.
First class was 90 minute Hot Hatha. I didn’t wear my glasses, what with the sweat, and I think the teacher was maybe Amber? I don’t remember if she introduced herself or not. As I frequently forget that when I teach, I’m not casting any stones. It was a solid 90 minute class.
Second class: Hot Hatha Hour with Bret (if I remember correctly). Very similar in structure and content to the 90 minute Hatha class. Same great directions, same unwillingness to take the class so seriously. The class was a bit pared down to fit the hour but still a nice, thorough workout. I remember the savasana being a little more directed or maybe it was just that everyone didn’t pack up as soon as the class was over. Loved it.
Third class: Power Vinyasa Hour with Drew.
By this time I was wearing out my yoga clothes where wearing out = sweating ALL THE WAY THROUGH THEM. I had to take a day off to wash and let dry my yoga pants, as I’d brought less of them than shirts for some reason. Clearly wasn’t expecting to want a full week of hot yoga.
Foursquare told me that Restorative on Friday was a great class but that I should get there early. Getting there early was DEFINITELY a good tip.
Restorative with Jennifer:
Studio in general:
Honestly the only thing I didn’t love was the heat and that – along with any aforementioned nits – is MY PERSONAL experience. There are people who love the super hot classes, I’m just not one of them. There are people who love woo woo, when I’m not expecting it I’m not one of them. I actually enjoy a good Om or two but I’m not much for chanting in classes so this stuff suited me fine. I’m a sucker for great direction and safe classes – both of those things were in spades here.
If it tells you anything, I recommended this place to no less than three locals while I was in town.
With so many things to blog about, where do I start?
How about this: I’m watching I Hate Valentine’s Day and I think maybe the only thing Nia Vardalos has changed since My Big Fat Greek Wedding is her eyebrows. Alas, it’s not a change for the good. I find these eyebrows or the makeup or something about it to be weirdly distracting.
Books! I finally finished Finch. While I enjoyed the story I loathed the fragments. I will not reread it and I won’t be looking for more of VanderMeer’s work. Also finished The Year of the Flood, Atwood’s latest and I really enjoyed it. In fact, it made me want to reread Oryx and Crake (again) and then YotF right behind it. I didn’t though – I read Silver Borne, the latest Mercy novel from Patricia Briggs. Pretty happy with the whole novel but I think I put more details on my 2010 reading list page.
I’m also in the middle of The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie. Not sure if I just hadn’t heard anything about it but I was expecting something really different. Thus far, engaging protag and interesting story.
Our flights were uneventful. Against what must be the largest number of odds, on each flight I was seated next to someone who was going to be visiting our new hometown in the near future. I really loathe seating process of Southwest. Frankly I don’t see anything wrong with being able to check and and get my seat assignment early, INCLUDING a spot next to my spouse, rather than depending on the kindness of strangers allowing me to sit next to him. Add unnecessary seat-partner anxiety to all the least fun parts of air travel (cattle call loading and unloading) with a dose of ‘whoever gets there first, wins’ and yeah, it’s not my most enjoyable travel. I was also not enamored of the Southwest/Kevin Smith debacle, where they were dicks and he was unjustly thrown off a flight. Those things mean I’m not sure we’ll be flying Southwest again.
Seattle was lovely as are my long-distance friends. Probably I’ll upload some pictures soon and then get on with the whole yoga post.
This is seriously great. Not only does he drop the f-bomb (of which I am particularly fond) but he also calls out a major yoga ‘player’ for being who he is. That’s not to say that being who you are is a BAD thing, but when I meet yoga teachers who never swear or seem TOO nice it always makes me wonder. Because I love yoga, I love teaching yoga and I cuss. I occasionally have negative thoughts and am frequently not a nice person. But I’m A PERSON. I’m not your guru, I’m here to help you become your own guru. In the immortal words of Maggie Mayhem, “Put on a pair of skates. Be your OWN hero.”
No one is perfect and that’s why I’m a bit iffy on the whole ‘guru’ thing. For years in the yoga community, if you didn’t have a guru you weren’t considered “legit.” Yoga was like an apprenticeship. If you were like me in the blue-collar sticks, good luck finding your guru. It’s one of the things that I thinks makes the Yoga Alliance great (and terrible) that schools have cropped up all over so people can get training if they want it. Unfortunately, if you want ANY training with some big name attached to it be prepared to shell out upwards of $3,000.
I was very lucky in that I had a great local teacher and found a phenomenal studio in the metro Detroit area (only a couple of hours commute) where I could complete teacher training. My experience is that those schools aren’t faring so well in the current economy and it’s a shame because they provided AFFORDABLE and THOROUGH training – both things that factored largest in my search for further education. Rising Sun Yoga helped me become a great teacher without indoctrinating me to any one ‘true’ way to do yoga or teach a yoga class. My education was heavy on anatomy and physiology with a solid grounding in other yoga practices (chanting, mantra, pranayama, philosophy). I left feeling PREPARED and I didn’t have to fly across country or spend thousands of dollars to do it.
My training was great and I love teaching but it’s made it harder for me to take classes. I’m reluctant to go to local classes because enough people know that I teach that it might be weird. I’ve also been in classes where I heard teachers say things that were just flat-out physiologically incorrect or where they don’t offer modifications for people who may need a break or not be ready for the practice. While I would LOVE to not notice those things, it’s difficult – especially as I like to do modifications during my own practice. When I do my own thing, it can throw off the teacher or other students and while I’m not going to sacrifice my body, I’m sensitive to the fact that it can be wicked uncomfortable to have someone not going with the flow.
It’s because of those things that I’ve always placed a lot of emphasis – A LOT – on my students working at their own pace and providing all sorts of modifications (easier as well as harder) all the time. I’m a big believer in Choose-Your-Own Yoga.
This is all a long way of getting to the fact that I’m NOT teaching 5 days a week, like I used to. I miss it and I miss the regimen that helped to keep me on board with my own practice. It’s been a while since I’ve done a regular 5-day-a-week hourlong practice but I’m trying to get back on the horse. While a rigid routine (Bikram, Ashtanga) might be helpful, I get bored. I like to be able to adjust to whatever feels right in the moment. In keeping with that, I’ve added barefoot running to my routine as well as some Pilates. I picked up an at-home rubber-bandlike reformer at work and I’m kind of stoked about breaking it out today.
Yoga isn’t about perfection or even the pursuit of perfection: it’s about trying to be BETTER. Nothing more, nothing less.
