Brrrhhhhhhh, minus 13 degrees here. The yoga shala was warm. How good. I went to a led class today. Daily practice is what brings progress. I trust this rule. In addition I try not to cheat. I search my limits. I hold the leg high in utthita eka padasana till it burns. You must burn to shine, I read lately. So true.
I press firmly hands and feet against the mat when I’m in urdhva dhanursana. Shall this help me too, to come up on my own finally. I’m patient here, but I give my best.

My body has changed in the last years. My body became like a strong rubber strap. I can feel the stretch. It’s not only an inch that I can go further when I feel the limit. I can stretch my body into a pose more and more. It feels even good. I realize the softness, resistance is fading. This gives me the feeling of being liberated. As if I’ve cleaned my body from all the clutter that it has gathered and that prevented me from moving. The pain and injuries that were stored in my muscles in my body is stretched away. I can move again. My possibilities became larger.

E picked me up after yoga. He invited me for dinner in the Indian restaurant close to the shala. It entertains me how many alcoholic beverages they have there. It’s adjustment to Western life style, I think.

What would I do without my yoga practice? It’s such a joy in my life. To start is never easy. I felt reluctance to go. “I think you like it”, E said to me. Me: “Yeah, I like it when I’ve done the first inhaling.”

One night between two practices. It’s short, but doable. I’ll go to bed on time.

It’s a necessity, but one can make a cult out of it: preparing the own food and enjoying it.

No, my colorful salads that taste awesome in addition  is not the only reason why my bf loves me. Hahahaha………

Ladies, gents, eating healthy needn’t to be boring. Be creative.

We were out. E has parked his car in a no parking zone. He couldn’t find another space yesterday on a Friday evening. There are too many restaurants round the corner. A sports center has opened a street away and during winter time some might take the car instead of the bicycle to get there.
First we went to the French bakery. When we arrived there our noses were red, our cheeks were red and the eyes blue. This makes us look very fresh. Lol.
The battery of the car seems to be almost empty. E had difficulties to start the car. It’s the second time now. To keep the car in a no parking zone wasn’t possible. Finally the engine was making the familiar noise and E could start driving. This was the highlight of the morning. Hahaha….

Today is my yoga free day. I enjoy. If a practice happens it’s OK, if not it’s perfect, too on my Saturdays. My yoga practices last 2 and a half hours every day, without commuting, without extra bathing, without reading about yoga, without blogging about it. A day off gives me the feeling of having time.

I’m through the book “Ashtanga yoga – stories from beyond the mat” by Jason Stein. It was an ispiring book. It’s not necessary to have the same opinions in each and every point.
- Crossfit or adding other sports is surely an interesting topic. There are activities that fit better to yoga than running or lifting weights in sports centers is my opinion. Yoga is surely missing the playful aspect. One doesn’t get this playful aspect when working on sports machines. Swimming fits best to yoga a friend told me once in Mysore, I think she’s right. I would add dancing if I added anything, but I don’t.
- Another ongoing topic in the community is why and when are people stopped. I want to quote Jason Stein here from his book “Ashtanga yoga – Stories from beyond the mat”, page 99: “My pure speculation on part of the reasoning behind the way poses are given (or not) in Mysore is that Sharath can see a student’s avoidance of a pose; for the most part, he’s very practiced in reading a student’s body and listening for the student’s breath to determine their sthira and sukkham while they’re in a pose.”
I also think it can be seen if someone is present, concentrated or not. About actors we say and we can feel it sometimes: he/she is present. Someone can be on a huge stage, but the stage is already full of energy by the presence of a person. This is focus.
I see it if someone has understood a pose or not and if someone is focused.

I was given pashasana in Mysore and I was not able to drop back into urdhva dhanurasana. Also if this had not happened I’d be happy. I had no expectations. Perhaps it was mercy, perhaps it was seen how dedicated I am, perhaps it was only because I was so long in Mysore (6 weeks). I loved to read in the book “Guruji” how quickly poses were given in the early years. There is no tradition that stopped people early in one of the series how some people want to make believe us. Only forward bending (primary) is not a balanced practice.

Working on focus, concentration is as important as working on the asanas. It can be seen if someone has focus. Focus, concentration is a topic for me. Being focused is more challenging at home, for sure.

PS:
sthira is strength
sukham is equanimity