Week in Review

[kate_nepveu]

Work prevented me from working on Boskone reports during the week, though I still fully intend to post them all, really! Part of that was preparing to argue two cases in Rochester on Tuesday morning, for which I'm driving out Monday; the weather looks like it might be lousy, so I am leaving myself plenty of time for the drive.

In other

Comments

[hhw]

Yoga is Good. I would say that a little more often is better overall than a lot once a week. The physical exertion varies, and you can change the amount of effort you put into it. As you found with the standing pose, it can be surprisingly difficult: don't forget to breathe. It's often quite difficult (or impossible) to put yourself into the ideal position for a pose from the beginning, and it's a bad idea to push too hard because you'll end up straining something. Using props to approximate alignment is just fine.

I've taken many yoga classes over the past 15 years, and every single teacher has stressed the importance of not pushing too hard. If it hurts, back off, stop, or at least stop trying so hard. I also HIGHLY recommend taking a class at some point in the beginning. Even going to just one class rather than signing up for a whole session is better than not. It's just really helpful to get feedback and to have three-dimensional examples to observe.

You need a mat that is not too slippery and not too squishy - you don't want your feet to slide around, and you also need to have a solid connection to the floor for balance. If your mat works, it's fine.

I am more flexible now than I was 10 years ago. When I've practiced regularly, I'm stronger and calmer (it's a form of meditation). The only thing I wish I knew before I started is how much I like it so that I would have tried it earlier. It was an option for PE in college, but I thought it was too woo-woo and stayed away. If you take a class, you might be asked to chant Om 1-3 times at the start and/or end. It's generally presented as part of the practice: the sound and breath have physical effects on the body (breath is a BIG part of yoga). Most classes won't discuss the religious aspects of yoga at all.

If taking a class isn't an option now, borrow or rent a dvd from the library/video place. Not necessarily to practice with but to see what things look like in motion. Or if your local PBS station shows "Yoga with Lilith" or some other yoga show in the pre-dawn hours, that will do very well. If you have access to the cable network Oxygen, they also have a yoga show on weekday mornings.

[kate_nepveu]

The book has pictures with props and easier variants, which I like. And thanks for the suggestions--I bet I can tape some of these, or ask my former physical therapist for class recommendations around here. The timing might not work out, but it's worth looking into.