Hard

Last night I had such a bad headache that I did not do yoga, this I regret. Tonight I am so tired, I don't know if i have the energy I had a very interesting day.Today was a hard day, and a very good day as well. I decided to write a book about my life. today I started makign a list of events that I wanted to write about, I have been jotting down my memoir today. I started a rough draft overview. I am not done with the draft it is only 6 pages long. I am using this as an excersize to start the bigger project. I need my story to be told. However, I am finding that as I write it is not very descriptive and not very interesting. I am hoping that getting this done and leaving it for others to see along with my yoga I am doing now I will be able to become healthy again, that my state of mind will be me once more and less clouded by stress. well off to od 10 minutes of yoga before bed, a little is better than none. chao yall!

Warrior Pose

WOW I am really liking this yoga thing. Tonight I tried out a new pose, Warrior Pose. It is done as such:

Stand in Tadasana . With an exhale, step or lightly jump your feet 31/2 to 4 feet apart. Raise your arms perpendicular to the floor (and parallel to each other), and reach actively through the little-finger sides of the hands toward the ceiling. Firm your scapulas against your back and draw them down toward the coccyx.

Turn your left foot in 45 to 60 degrees to the right and your right foot out 90 degrees to the right. Align the right heel with the left heel. Exhale and rotate your torso to the right, squaring the front of your pelvis as much as possible with the front edge of your mat. As the left hip point turns forward, press the head of the left femur back to ground the heel. Lengthen your coccyx toward the floor, and arch your upper torso back slightly.

With your left heel firmly anchored to the floor, exhale and bend your right knee over the right ankle so the shin is perpendicular to the floor. More flexible students should align their right thigh parallel to the floor.

Reach strongly through your arms, lifting the ribcage away from the pelvis. As you ground down through the back foot, feel a lift that runs up the back leg, across the belly and chest, and up into the arms. If possible, bring the palms together. Spread the palms against each other and reach a little higher through the pinky-sides of the hands. Keep your head in a neutral position, gazing forward, or tilt it back and look up at your thumbs.

Stay for 30 seconds to a minute. To come up, inhale, press the back heel firmly into the floor and reach up through the arms, straightening the right knee. Turn the feet forward and release the arms with an exhalation, or keep them extended upward for more challenge. Take a few breaths, then turn the feet to the left and repeat for the same length. When you're finished return to Tadasana.

with this pose I can really feel the pull and stretch of my hamstrings. I didn't think I'd want to continue with the yoga because of the shakyness I feel in my muscles. I can't wait for that to go away. I really do enjoy yoga and am glad I have decided to stick with it.

Yoga Moves

As I sit here, I realize that if i am going to keep up with this yoga thing, and get good at it. I need to start with a simple sequence of poses that are simple, don't take a lot of energy (so that I can easily do it after work) and don't take forever to do. On the days that I have more time I can then do a long yoga session if I so choose. For now, I have chosen these moves to start:

Navasana: The Boat (figure A) This posture strengthens and tones the entire back, legs, and arms. If your upper body and breasts are large, even with considerable extension and lifting of the torso, your body may still appear to rest on the mat. Just focus on the skeleton and realize that the posture is being entered when you engage the presspoints, even if the upper body does not appear to be lifting off the floor.

Stretch out on your mat, face downward. Slip the hands beneath the hips at the bikini line, palms up. Sliding the palms toward the ribcage, smooth the soft abdominal tissues upward and away from the bikini line. This allows good grounding on the mat. Extend your legs straight out behind you, hip-width apart. If upper legs are very heavy, smooth just the soft tissue of the thigh-fronts toward the outside while retaining the original alignment of the thigh bones. Extend your arms out in front of you, shoulder-width apart, framing the ears, palms facing each other. Connect with your breath, and on an inhalation engage the following presspoints to enter Navasana: Picture the thighs rolling outward as you begin to press the bikini line firmly into the mat. Simultaneously press the tips of your toes toward the wall behind you, press your heels upward, your fingertips toward the wall in front, and your crown away from your shoulders. Allow this combined press to lift torso and legs. Hold in position for three to eight full, slow breaths. To release, exhale the entire length of the body down onto the mat. Relax.

Garbhasana: The Child (figure B) This position offers a counterstretch to The Boat and transition from a belly-down position to hands and knees. Sit back onto your heels, spine upright, pressing your sitzbones downward. Before folding forward, make space for your belly by widening the knees farther apart. Connect with your breathing. Press the crown away from the shoulders. On an exhalation, fold forward at the bikini line, keeping the back flat and reaching the collarbone as far forward as possible. Finally, allow the back to round, bringing your forehead to rest on the floor, with your arms at your sides. If needed, place a folded towel beneath your forehead to fill any gap. Relax deeply into me posture, inviting the force of gravity to help the lower back "let go." When you feel complete, come back up onto the hands and knees.

Adho Mukho Svanasana: The Tent or Downward-Facing Dog (figure C) This position stretches the hamstrings, strengthens the arms, and promotes alignment of the whole spine. Supporting body weight without pain to wrists and palms is the special challenge this posture poses for large people. Tightly roll a bath towel, forming a tube three to four inches in diameter - small enough to comfortably grasp. Curve your rolled towel into the shape of handlebars, loosely grasping it with palms directly beneath your shoulders. Press shins and palms into the floor; move the tailbone and crown in opposite directions. Curl your toes under. Connect with your breathing. On an exhalation, press your tailbone skyward, straightening your legs. Picture straight channels for energy to course between heels and tailbone, and between palms and tailbone. Allow the back of your neck to soften and lengthen so that your ears are centered between your arms. Come into full expression of the posture, as pictured, by pressing the palms and soles downward, the tailbone upward, and the crown away from the shoulders. Hold through five to ten full, slow breaths. To release, bend the knees as you exhale.

Postureflow: With the eyes gently closed, allow your body to move, stretch, bend, and flow without plan. Luxuriate in the joy of being in your body, just as you are.

Sarvasana: Posture of Repose. End your Postureflow by stretching out on your back. Spend at least five minutes relaxing in this final posture. Bend your legs and slide both heels close to your buttocks. Relax, and notice the sensation of your lower back in contact with the floor. Very slowly slide your feet forward, gradually straightening the knees more and more, keeping your attention on the lower back. At the moment when the lower spine begins to lose intimate contact with the mat, stop. Support your legs in this position with pillows, rolled blankets, or towels. Only if needed, place a folded towel under the head (not the neck). Now relax deeply, with arms at your sides, palms up. Release from this posture by rolling to one side before gently getting up.

No xmas yoga

well last night was the first night I laxed on my yoga. I didn't do it. :( However, It was because I was soooo tired. I had to fight to go to bed, 'casue we had to wait for santa to come for ethan and he was being really slow. Tonight I hope to do some more. we will see. Merry Christmas ev1, I have to leave for work in a few minutes.

second night

I just did another 20 minute session of yoga... I am not as tired as last night, I think thats a good thing. I have found that it really is hard for me to do alot of the ones that make you stretch. I think my arms are way too short LOL. I might have to get some yoga bricks. On the other hand I don't really want the people I live with to know I am doing this. they will do nothing but laugh at me. I can imagine Melissa now " haha, you look funny". I don't want that. If this does work it will take a long time. I hope this works, I really do. I do have to say though, I am definitely finding out my right side is weaker than my left. It is harder for me to stay in the downward facing dog, My right side definitely wobbles a lot more. Tomorrow night, Maybe a bit longer.

First Yoga

Recently my doctor told me that if I did not change my lifestyle I would be either in a coma or dead by the end of the year. We have recently discovered that all the stress that surrounds me mainly from family (sorry but its true) has caused my body to shut down. This picture to the left is what you all know me to look like right now. Over the years I have in my mind at least decided to make some changes, lose some weight. make myself feel better etc, etc. Every time I tried, I got off track, someone tempted me with something, some emotional situation threw me off, or people around me did what I felt like was sabotage me. For a few years now I have wanted to try yoga, I hear its good for stress (which we all know I have alot of), helps flexibility, and is good for toning yourself up. I have decided (yet again) to try to make these changes. So last night, I turned the yoga tape form on demand on and tried some. MAN IS THAT HARD. the whole time my muscles were wobbling and i could feel my muscles stretching. I am sooooo not used to it. this thing which for everyone else I know is so easy, was sooooo hard for me. It felt good though. I was tired afterwards. really tired. However, it felt good. Tonight I am going to try some more. I have also started doing deep breathing excersizes, hopefully that will help me too. Well, here goes nothing. I am going to jump on the floor and do some more yoga. Wish me luck.