“Yoga Is Not About Tightening Your Ass, It Is Getting Your Head, Out Of It”
Well thank goodness yoga has arrived all over the world and in almost every living room. Many people go to a class at least once a week and at least as many people have probably thought about taking a class.
What is Yoga?
For some, it is a sport to tighten up the butt and other parts of the body and bring them into shape. For others, it is exercise and stretching to compensate for other physical stress. And for others it is a spiritual practice to connect with oneself and the macro-cosmos. There will be many more reasons. The only great thing is that everyone invests the time to do something good for themselves.
And this “doing good” is now receiving more and more attention in Western medicine. Yoga exercises are built into back therapy or psychologists “prescribe” yoga for their clients to combat stress. Famous yoga teachers like T.K.V Desikachar and B.K.S. Iyengar have been talking about and teaching yoga therapy for decades.
I have heard many of these statements many times before, but I am still happy that I finally had one or the other on the yoga mat.
“I have no time.” “I can’t find a yoga studio or teacher I like.” “I don’t like this style of yoga.” “I’m not flexible enough”…
Call it however you want. But how about building a light body workout into your daily routine? Not 90 minutes, not 60 minutes, not 45 minutes… just 15-20 minutes, every day.
Just do it!
The best thing would be to rehearse your own sequence under the guidance of a good teacher. But yes, I understand, there’s nobody around right now…
Why don’t you take a look at the “Sun Salutation” – “Surya Namaskar”.
Get out of bed. Just step in your pyjamas on the yoga mat. A few rounds of greeting the sun will give you a completely different start. And not only that – your entire day will be different! In other words: more energetic and vital!
Start with the right side by bringing the right leg forward. After that round switch to the left leg and bring this in front. Take your time in each position and feel your body, your breath and the ground under your feet. If you go into a position (asana) that will make you stretch and open your body, then breathe in through your nose. If you bend your body and fold yourself up (like a forward bend), then exhale through the nose. Find your rhythm and beat and notice how your body awakens, how you stimulate your spine and how energy and good spirits flow through your body.
Afterwards you are welcome to spend another 3 minutes on the mat. Lie on your back, your legs and arms slightly open (so that air comes to your armpits). Close your eyes and focus on your breath going in and out through your nose: 1, 2, 3, 4 – inhale… 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 – exhale. Feel your stomach, how you raise it with every inhalation and lower it again with every exhalation.
Oh happy day!
