Our energy level affects the quality and duration of all that we do---how hard and how long we're willing or able to move. And what affects our energy level? Some of the main vitality factors are the food we eat (our fuel) and how we sleep and breathe. Each of these factors can be controlled by conscious decisions that are made throughout the day. Are we going to boil pasta or steam some veggies? Are we going to stay up late reading, working on the computer, etc., or go to bed early enough to allow the recommended minimum of seven hours to sleep and restore? Are we consciously breathing slow and deep breaths or short and shallow ones? Are we even aware of the many faces that we present?
Whether we're moving out on the dance floor or practicing breath-synchronized yoga moves on the mat, it's our diet, sleep habits and breathing techniques that will dramatically affect our energy level in these activities. Therefore the face we show forward, in other words, our spirit and observable energy level will be affected by our moment-by-moment decisions. Which type of "Warrior I" (Virabhadrasana I) will you practice today? Will your "Warrior I" present an easy viniyoga style with a short (front to back) and wide (side to side) stance OR will you press for a more intense version of the pose (Anusara, Iyengar or Ashtanga styles) with greater hip extension in the back leg and a lower center of gravity? Are you smiling with easy, smooth breaths (sukha) or frowning and straining with tamas that obstructs mobility? The face of your "Warrior I" will directly affect the results of your practice.
Remember this---there no right or wrong in yoga postures, only levels of intensity based upon the condition of your body! Never force a pose, and certainly not "Warrior I," especially if you are pregnant or have tight hips and groin muscles. Your breath will be the barometer that tells you where your "edge" or limits are at the time. Pay attention!
Never be a hypocrite by pretending to be something you're not at the moment. Be truthful and the truth shall set you free! plf
Whether we're moving out on the dance floor or practicing breath-synchronized yoga moves on the mat, it's our diet, sleep habits and breathing techniques that will dramatically affect our energy level in these activities. Therefore the face we show forward, in other words, our spirit and observable energy level will be affected by our moment-by-moment decisions. Which type of "Warrior I" (Virabhadrasana I) will you practice today? Will your "Warrior I" present an easy viniyoga style with a short (front to back) and wide (side to side) stance OR will you press for a more intense version of the pose (Anusara, Iyengar or Ashtanga styles) with greater hip extension in the back leg and a lower center of gravity? Are you smiling with easy, smooth breaths (sukha) or frowning and straining with tamas that obstructs mobility? The face of your "Warrior I" will directly affect the results of your practice.
Remember this---there no right or wrong in yoga postures, only levels of intensity based upon the condition of your body! Never force a pose, and certainly not "Warrior I," especially if you are pregnant or have tight hips and groin muscles. Your breath will be the barometer that tells you where your "edge" or limits are at the time. Pay attention!
- Physically---When practicing the vinyasa flow from last week's blog ("Dancing Warrior") you may begin with slow and controlled, deep, "victorious breaths" (called ujjayi in Sanskrit) and a deeply extended hip in the back leg for an asymmetrical backbend. But then you might tire quickly and switch to a lower intensity style with a wide base of support for easier balance. The most intense versions of "Warrior I" are considered to be a vigorous, asymmetrical standing backbend that requires both strength and flexibility, which can be developed with regular practice. So my advice is to practice truthfulness (satya) by accepting the condition of your body at the specific time of practice. It will vary slightly from day to day and at specific times of the day. Do you have enough flexibility in the psoas across the groin as well as strong hamstrings in the back leg, and strong quadriceps in the front leg to support the most intense version of "Warrior I?"
- To answer this question truthfully, as the right leg lifts on an inhalation and then lunges forward from "Downward-facing Dog" to step between the hands, can you keep your hips (and therefore your center of gravity) low and facing forward so that the hip of the back leg is fully extended in a slight backbend? Experiment to see if you can keep your hips low, with the knee of the front leg aligned directly over the ankle and yet fully extend the back leg straight as the back foot pivots, while the torso and arms rise up during a full and deep inhalation. If there is tension in the intercostals between the ribs, the chest, or the neck muscles, the breath will be challenged, and therefore the energy level will drop quickly to shorten the duration of your "Dancing Warrior" flow.
- Mentally---Practice awareness and work within the limits of your body on that particular day and time. Allow the rhythm of your breath to dictate when you slow down, move to a less intense version of "Warrior I Pose," or even when to stop and rest in "Child's Pose."
- Spiritually---Be patient and content with your practice where it is. "Be here now!" to experience the fullness of joy and contentment (called santosa). Be like a doctor who takes the Hippocratic oath and promises his patients, "Remember, do no harm."
Never be a hypocrite by pretending to be something you're not at the moment. Be truthful and the truth shall set you free! plf
