Remember
how much harder it is to run on a beach versus road? Well yog'in on sandy
shores is no different! Two days ago I took my practice to the beach and man, was it intense. I am still
sore from it today.
As you sink into the soft ground, your secondary muscles have to engage in order to retain your balance and posture, giving you twice the strengthening workout. It also lengthens your muscles and creates a higher extension as you transition. "Practicing on an uneven, soft surface builds
secondary muscles in your feet, hips, knees, and shoulder joints" ~ Sara Ivanhoe, a Vinyasa instructor in Santa Monica.
Intense workout aside, yoga on the beach was wonderful because it brought my practice to a new, almost pure form. I love my classes and the comradery and energy amongst all of the practitioners. But, sometimes it is nice to get away and be alone with nature, leave the mat and gear at home and get down to it 'au naturale'.
Try this vinyasa yoga pose series by Axel Dinse next time you go! I printed it our and brought it with me.
{Image from JasonBowmanYoga.com. He is unbelievable. A huge inspiration of mine.}
Right now i am working on getting into a chin stand. And it's giving me a real b*tch of a time. But I'm learning a lot on my path to get there. The image above shows the incredibly advanced & insanely difficult variation of chin stand. And if you can believe it, the full version of this posture is even more ridiculous. The full version is called Formidable Face Pose and your entire face/neck/chest rests on the floor while you feet land and straddle your head. Crazy. As you can imagine, the full version of this asana is rarely seen. The variation i am working on is much, much more modest.
Here is a video of the particular asana and transition I am working on:
Because this posture is very advanced and could cause me some serious damage, I am trying to bevery patient with my body and work up towards it. I just imagine tipping over and snapping my neck.So, i have been working on a lot of "building block" poses to help get my body ready.
Heart Openers:
Extended Puppy Pose, or Uttana Shishosan
Puppy Pose focuses mainly on relaxing and lengthening the spine and
stretching the shoulders; it also strengthens and stretches the arms,
hips, and upper back. Puppy Pose is an excellent beginners prep for Chin Stand as it serves to increase flexibility in the spine, and it helps you get used to having your chest and chin planted to the mat. Here is a great step-by-step for properly getting into: Extended Puppy Pose
Knees-Chest-Chin Pose —from Shape.com
Knees-Chest-Chin Pose (Ashtanga Namaskara) will also help you build correct muscle memory and increase flexibility for chin stand. I'm working towards getting my entire chin, neck, and shoulders planted firmly and comfortably to my mat. Once there, I lift one leg and lower, then lift the other leg and lower. It helps get me used to holding my balance while in this awkward chin-to-floor position. Here is a great tutorial for Astanga Namaskara: Knees-chest-chin Pose
Arm Balances:
Eka Pada Koudinyanasana II, from Yoga Synergy
Eka Pada Koudinyanasana, or "scissors" is going to be integral in getting into chin stand. When learning to enter Chin Stand, we enter by transitioning from Eka Pada Koudinyanasa. So if you haven't mastered this pose yet, start working on it! I love this arm balance. It challenges me every time. Scissors helps open up the hips, hamstrings, and lower back. It also builds shoulder, arm, and core strength. Holding this posture for 10 breaths breaks me into a sweat! Here is a great video for entering EPKII: How to Scissor
My Eka Pada Koudinyanasana Variation/Transition
Eka Pada Koudinyanasana Variation:Here i am transitioning from scissors into my *attempted* chin stand (which, I failed by the way). There is lots of back-bending and bootie-twerkin' happening here in order to get my back leg raised high enough to shift my balance forward. I can feel myself getting close... but every time I just end up doing a belly-flop onto the floor. Practicing this transition is helping me build muscle memory and lower back strength.
Me practicing Vrischikasana "Scorpion Pose"
Scorpion Posefocuses on the back, hips, abdomen, and legs and is effective in toning the ENTIRE body. This posture requires a large amount of core strength which is necessary for chin stand. As of right now i am practicing my scorpion almost every day... and i can't believe how much my body is transforming! I would not attempt practicing a chin stand until you feel comfortable in scorpion. Not Comfortable in scorpion yet? Here is an awesome video breakdown!
So, those are the asanas i am currently focusing on to help get me geared up for Ganda Bherundasan, Chin Stand. I am also kicking up my strength and weight training at the gym to help build a solid and strong core. And, of course, lots of chaturanga pushups!
Let me know if you have any tips!
Namaste :)
Saturday, April 20, 2013
Entry 1:
Why did I start?
How did I keep going?
"Motivation will almost always beat mere talent" ~Norman Augustine"
In February 2012, a week after my 28th birthday, a stark realization hit me. Of all my 28 years on earth, I was now at my absolute lowest. "Buh, how did i get here?" I was so depressed. I was slow, soft, pudgy, stiff. Worst of it was that i just felt old... old beyond my years. Meanwhile, my friend Reggie (then age 55) was kicking major ass. She had joined a gym & hooked up with a personal trainer 1 x week. We hadn't seen each other in two months. When we finally did, i almost didn't recognize her. She has dropped at least 20lbs, and looked 10 years younger. I remember my jaw literally dropping open. And that was it! That was the spark!
I joined the local gym the following week. I started running on the treadmill or using the elliptical 3-5 times a week. Cardio, cardio, cardio! Months went by and... I saw zero results... That was the hardest part to push through. I felt like my body just wasn't going to change, that i would be stuck like this forever no matter how hard i worked.
But i kept with it. Mainly because mentally i just felt better. I had more energy and i felt a lightness all day after my workout. My day didn't feel complete if i didn't hit the gym. That time spent at the gym was all my own. The accomplishments that happened while I was there were are all my own. I had become hooked.
Getting fit is an evolutionary path. Naturally my workouts and my lifestyle choices kept evolving. I kept researching, googling pictures, and experimenting. I started drinking less. I started eating cleaner. I began lifting weights. Then i found my life's true love: Yoga. All of these things combined brought harmony to my body. It is all about balance. If you want to be the whole package, you need to bring all the parts.
It took me over a year to figure this out. It had to evolve slowly and naturally otherwise it never would have become a lifestyle. If I had jumped right into this stage I would have felt overwhelmed and restricted, then quit. You have to be patient and forgiving with yourself. As long as you keep going, you will keep getting moving forward.
Now, a year and three months later,
I feel the best I've ever felt!
A year ago i couldn't touch my toes. I had chronic lower back pain. And i felt sooo weak. Now I push though barriers once thought impossible.
And I'm happy. :)
So there it is. A brief history of how and why. Now, it's time for the fun stuff. Stay tuned for tutorials, tips, and whatever else.
Hi, I'm Abbe. I'm 29. I'm an artist, a greenhouse manager, and a total fitness junkie.
This blog documents my journey towards my best self.
