On July 7, I began a month long challenge of doing yoga for 30 days. I was worried about how I would succeed, but I learned ways I could incorporate yoga through out my day. Using the breathing and alignment techniques I've learned while attending Source Yoga in North Tacoma, I've not only succeeded in my 30-day challenge but found ways to use the practice everyday, even when I don't have my mat available. Here are a few ways I did it.
Note: As with all yoga poses these can be adapted as needed for your own body. Mindfulness is the goal. In all of these short sequences I strive to apply the three A's of Anusara: Attitude, Alignment, and Action.
1. Each morning I take a moment before rising to get in touch with my breath.Then I stretch, roll to my side and get out of bed. Finishing with a brief morning sun salutation to get my blood flowing my day is always off to a good start.
2. While driving I can practice several core principals of yoga. Sitting tall, my spine extended, tailbone tucked and abdomen engaged and then softening around the edges. Slowing your breathing down can really help with road rage. (I'm not saying I have any.)
3. When I'm sitting in a waiting room I can practice my breathing and turning on and off my leg muscles, even my arm muscles. Sitting with my feet on the floor I stretch up through the crown of my head and tuck my tail bone and engage my abdominals. I often use this time to point, floint, curl and spread my toes if I'm wearing flip-flops or slip on shoes. This feels especially wonderful if I've been standing or walking. If you're really daring a few forward folds and side bends might even be possible.
4. Waiting for the bus or in line it is easy to spread my feet hip distance apart, ground through my feet, engage my legs, lengthen through the spine and up through the crown of my head, tail bone tucked and abdomen engaged. Depending on the environment I sometimes have time and space for a forward bend, small standing back bend and if I'm really brave a tree pose. Even when I'm walking I can turn off the chatter in my head while concentrating on alignment. I sometimes play a game and engage my abdomen and see if I can walk with my head erect (no looking a the ground) tail bone tucked and lengthen my spine for short intervals.
5. As a writer I have to sit in front of a computer for extended periods time. I no longer sit on a chair but use an excercise ball that I can create motion in my hips and legs, even while I type. Again, I can lengthen my spine, tuck my tail bone, engage my stomach, plant my feet. I often do short balancing, stretching and twisting poses.
Those are just a few, but I think you get the idea. Just take simple poses and concepts and find ways you can include them in your bodies movement throughout the day.
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| I can dream, can't I? |
What other yoga poses could easily be adapted and inserted into a busy day?
Yesterday, I began my thirty-day challenge, thanks to Source Yoga in Tacoma. I've done yoga off and on for at least fifteen years. Sporadic is probably a better word. Moments of real dedication and long spaces of self-doubt and laziness. I realized today that this is exactly how my writing started. There are several similarities as there often are. My yoga informs my life, my writing and vice versa.
Sanmakaras refers to the road blocks, obstacles or shadows that cloud our way. They are impressions stored in the mind and form the basis of our beliefs, attitudes and personality. These are unavoidable but they can be recognized and eventually released. I have had to learn to allow them and accept them before I can let go of them to flow on through, allowing my true spirit to emerge. Too new-agey for you? There is science to back it up, but that is for another post...or not. Here are a couple of my personal shadows:
1. Perfection Coming from a highly Protestant-like spiritual perspective, I have been obsessed with perfection. Perfection in everything, even my thoughts. This hasn't served me very well, at all. For me, this view of life has often left me feeling unworthy and broken. This, much to my relief is something I have slowly, with much effort begun to shed from my life. Yoga continues to instruct me in that direction.
Yoga is about the journey, not the destination. It is a practice, a living, breathing, evolving part of my life, as is my writing. Just as focusing too heavily on the product of writing can block the flow, yoga isn't about achieving the perfect position. In its purest form it is about letting the pose bring you in tune with your higher self.
2. Limitations
When I walked into the yoga studio, a wall of hot air slammed into my face. Mats scattered the floor where muscle toned bodies had just finished their advanced practice. Those of us that had been waiting for the meeting to begin joined in the cacophonie of chatter. What was I doing here? Have I made a terrible mistake?
After some jumbling about the atmosphere settled and one large circle formed. First, I was surprised by the sheer number of those accepting the challenge, but then I began to spot others like me. Heads adorned with strands of gray and bodies softer, rounder with obvious mileage on their sinews. Maybe I wasn't so different after all.
The unifying characteristic was the fact that we had all gathered here at this hour, this place, this moment to enter into the same challenge. The energy reminded me why I love this community of yogis: an acceptance and vision that we are together on the path. I did not feel pandered to as a senior or outsider or that others were looking down from their superior position. There was a respect for each others individual paths, unique styles and beliefs. No separating distinctions of level or grade. We were one in our vision and our quest. I was home.
We all have limitations in our health, our age, our own body's individual characteristics, even our minds. The practice teaches us that when we embrace who we are—limitations and all—only then can we rise above them, through them, in spite of them.
Join me on the quest or simply follow my journal to read about my ups, my downs and an occasional epiphany here and there.
Do you have a spiritual practice that is part of your writing ritual?
On July 7, I began a month long challenge of doing yoga for 30 days. I was worried about how I would succeed, but I learned ways I could incorporate yoga through out my day. Using the breathing and alignment techniques I've learned while attending Source Yoga in North Tacoma, I've not only succeeded in my 30-day challenge but found ways to use the practice everyday, even when I don't have my mat available. Here are a few ways I did it. 
4. Waiting for the bus or in line it is easy to spread my feet hip distance apart, ground through my feet, engage my legs, lengthen through the spine and up through the crown of my head, tail bone tucked and abdomen engaged. Depending on the environment I sometimes have time and space for a forward bend, small standing back bend and if I'm really brave a tree pose. Even when I'm walking I can turn off the chatter in my head while concentrating on alignment. I sometimes play a game and engage my abdomen and see if I can walk with my head erect (no looking a the ground) tail bone tucked and lengthen my spine for short intervals. 
