Rob - Taking the practice home with you.

I don't know why, but for some reason I've always found doing a vigorous practice at home to be especially challenging. Even though I have a strong self practice via mysore, at home I don't push myself nearly as hard as when I'm in a warm room full of sweaty people doing the same thing. Home has generally been the perfect place for some yin, restorative and maybe some slow and/or abridged flows. Well, I think it's time to change this.

This morning I did a YogaWorks style flow with a focus on inversions. And I actually pushed myself pretty hard! The other cool thing is that "good" sequencing is becoming more second nature, so now I can basically make up the flow as I go and have it lead to an intended destination without having to plan it out ahead of time.

I did about an hour and a half practice today that included Pincha Mayurasana, Adho Mukha Vrksasana and Sirsasana as the peak. This is the first time outside of a public class that I've ventured into such extreme inversion territory...and it was freaking awesome! I had no trouble getting up into pincha and handstand and even played a bit with divorcing myself from the wall into full balance. I realized today that practicing these guys at home will be the only way that I'm gonna learn them. Frankly, most teachers don't get there in public classes and understandably so.

So, I'm not making any promises, but I think I'm gonna start trying to add 1-2 YogaWorks style home practices per week to my regime in order to work on more challenging poses. Also, I think this will give me a chance to discipline myself towards more diligent home practices. Stay tuned for updates.

Also...

Yesterday I got a box full of props from YogaAccesories.com. Awesome home practices here I come!!!

Rob - Day 37: Yin

Well, I actually woke up in plenty of time for Led Primary this morning. But something just wasn't right. I was tired, but not groggy tired. I could really feel it in my body that it was stretched thin. I've been busy busy busy and my body was telling me to chill out. This could only mean on thing - YIN!

I rolled out the mat at home for the first time in a little while for some AM Yin. I popped on a Dharma talk by Rodney Smith about mindfulness of the body and proceeded to practice for about an hour. Afterward I did a relatively short sit (About 20 mins) but dropped in really deep! My mind felt very calm and still.

I'm super glad I opted for Yin today. I can definitely tell that I've had an excess of Yang going on today and I needed to balance it out. I've been neglecting the calmer side of my practice quite a bit so I think I need to renew my efforts on that end.

Not too much to report otherwise other that I'm feeling really balanced and calm. I'm a little concerned about when I'm going to practice this weekend as I have a LOT going on. I guess that's an issue for another time though...

Rob - Day 21: Mini-Yin(i)

3 weeks! I almost can't believe it...

I celebrated the occassion with the most anticlimactic practice ever. I just did about 1/2 hour of Yin poses before I went to be. Really nothing exciting to report at all. Just checking in for the day. Hope all is well out in Yoga Land!

Also, I took this quiz from Yoga Journal. I took it a little while ago and it said that I'm a "Spritual Snob" but this this time I got a more favorable result:

I'm a Balanced Yogi!

A Balanced Yogi You love your friends unconditionally and accept them for who they are no matter what their yoga style preference, religious beliefs, or spending habits. You focus on the good in people and would never try to change them. Almost everyone feels comfortable in your presence. You live your yoga. You are an inspiration to yoga students everywhere!

Take the Yoga Journal Yoga Snob Quiz!

Rob - Day 20: Yin - Labor Day

One aspect of blogging that I haven't explored as of yet is writing an entry IMMEDIATELY after practice. Well, here it is! I literally rose from savasana and came here to write this. I feel kinda magical right now. But more on that later.

Today is Labor Day and the weather was more than cooperative. All around this weekend was spectacular and restful. Exactly what I needed. I'm really digging the cool weather. I think it's mellowing out some of my excessive fire from the summer because I'm feeling much more mellow.

There was no Mysore this morning because the studio was closed so I slept in really late after my slightly debauchery evening last night. I think my body needed a little rest after an intense two weeks of practice so I'm feeling okay about easing on the active practice.

Today I continued the cleaning process of the house, this time enlisting the help of the roommates. We're decluttering the house and frankly I couldn't be any happier about it. Right now I'm trying to approach my life in a real minimalist fashion, especially with my living space. YAY ZEN LIVING!

So I had originally intended to got to Heather's Yin class tonight but instead I opted to practice at home. (Sorry Heather!) I felt that his would give me the chance to get to bed a bed earlier and start off the work week with a fresh battery. And tonight I did it up! I don't know why I hadn't thought of this earlier, but I have several hundred tealights and some awesome holders. In my newly cleaned room I set up a few, put on Steve Roaches' Mantram (really cool ambient music with light percussion) and proceeded to do this Yin sequence:

Butterfly 5 mins
Downward Dog 1 min
Dragon Left Leg Forward 5 mins
Pigeon Left Leg Forward 5 mins
1/2 Butterfly Right Leg Forward 5 mins
Childs Pose 3 Mins
Downward Dog 1 Min
Dragon Right Leg Forward 5 mins
Pigeon Right Leg Forward 5 mins
1/2 Butterfly Left Leg Forward 5 mins
Downward Dog 1 Min
Supta Padangusthasana w/strap 5 mins/side
Twisted Root 5 mins/side
Savasana 10 mins

Ahhhhhhhhh. It worked. For those of you readers at home I highly recommend this sequence.

And I think I'm off to bed after a wonderful and relaxing weekend...

Rob - Day 18: Yin

So it's labor day weekend and was feeling quite ready for the impending break. I slept in fairly late and putzed around for a while. Then I remembered my rewarding experience yesterday so I reluctantly dragged myself to the mat knowing that by the time I was done that I would feel much better.

Pretty typical practice really. Lately I've been trying to focus on my hamstrings alot in my Yin practice to support my Ashtanga practice. I'm hoping that the repeated attention will help me in all those forward fold and especially Supta Kurmasana, which is currently the last pose in my practice and a truly POOR execution thereof if I do say so myself. So I've been trying to do Supta Padangusthasana with a strap every time I do Yin and sometimes before I go to bed too. There's already been palpable effects in my practice and even in my daily life. Just walking around I can feel my legs as being straighter and more limber. Awesome!

I found these slightly distasteful yet very amusing examples of "Drunk Yoga" online so I'll leave you with this for the day:
PS: Those of you in the know will recognize Natasha Rizopoulos from the picture on the left. I start my Teacher Training with her in just a week. YEEEEEEES!

Rob - Day 17: Full Moon/Yin

Ah, got to sleep in a little bit this morning as per the full moon. Something I've noticed when I practice at home is that it's much harder to get moving. With Mysore as long as I push myself enough to get out the door it's all smooth sailing from there. When I'm at home its much more of a challenge to get myself to the mat.

So on this particular moon day I told myself that all I had to do was a 1/2 hour of yin and then my commitment for the day would be all set. But man, for some reason in my first pose (Wide Kneed Child's Pose) I felt absorbed into the mat in a state of relaxed bliss. Ahhhhhh. From there I proceeded to do a full 1:15 practice quite happily. And it was quite grand!

Lesson Learned: JUST DO IT! Once you beat the battle to get on the mat it's smooth sailing from there. But I already knew that, didn't I?

Namaste, Om Shanti, etc.!