sandeyeHow I got interested in Yoga
October 5th 2007 17:07
On vacations from elementary school, I would mostly hang about the house with my Mother. For two or three years she took up yoga, hoping that it would make her fit, thin, and less grumpy. Changing her diet from mars bars and donuts to organic vegetarianism made her fit - yoga failed. Cancer turned her thin - yoga failed. My growing older and being less of a strain on her turned her less grumpy - once again, the yoga failed. The reason I think yoga did not work for my Mother is that she did not participate in its entirety, merely the exercises. Additionally, her only practice was watching a short TV show that was shown regularly at the time. She had no choice as to what time she practiced, as it was in the days before owning a VCR. She additionally had to deal with my presence on school holidays, and guilty as I feel in my own middle age, at the time I did not realize what a pain I was being. I believe that had she participated in breathing and theory in addition to following a few asanas shown on a TV show, yoga would have worked as well for her as it does for me.
I recall being a terrible distraction. I know that I wanted to watch the young man with his two thin, bendy women on TV almost every time my Mother turned it on. Each time they demonstrated an asana, I would instantly throw my body into the pose perfectly, much too quickly to gain any personal benefit, just showing off that I could do it. I usually managed the advanced positions, but obviously, in my haste and carelessness, found no benefit in my achievements. My Mother suffered also. Not only had she to try to keep up with the TV, watching it as best she could from various positions upon the carpet on the lounge floor, listening as best she could over my endless chattering, and jumping from one girl, to another, to the man, as they demonstrated both the advanced and simplified options, but she also had to try to perform the moves herself. If my Mom could follow the audio/visual on TV, and keep her mind off my chattering and showing off, she still could not relax, or deal with the asanas properly. She used to be exceedingly out of shape, and find it difficult to get part way into the easier versions of most poses. Whether the TV mentioned breathing and other matters than postures or not, I do not recall, but my Mother could hardly cope with just trying to move her legs and arms correctly, therefore yoga did nothing much for her, mainly because of me, but partially due to the form she took it in.
I have home schooled my son since grade four; he is currently in his final grade, grade twelve. Somewhere around grade five or six, he gave up softball and we were looking for a non-team activity he could participate in for our PE lessons. I found a $1 book at a library sale on yoga, remembered it from my childhood, and grabbed it. My son took two classes and thenceforth hated yoga. I put the book into storage and… forgot yoga.
About a year ago, I began to get to know a friend, and I noticed that he mentioned yoga at his webpage. I instantly recalled the book and decided to find it, and possibly try out some of those exercises. I was getting a little overweight and also had suffered dreadfully in 2006 with an arthritic back. I recalled yoga was supposed to be good for bad backs. The doctors had told me that there was nothing they could do for me, "take these pills and prepare yourself for a painful life - oh, and you might want to pay our hundreds of dollars that you don't have for a physiotherapist or chiropractor, just to ease the pain a little…" So, I decided to find that yoga book and start doing those old poses I recalled from my childhood, but I forgot. It was not until 2007 that I actually hunted out the book, and letting my friend know that I was going to give it a shot, began.
The first thing I did was to read the book right through, chapter by chapter. When I got to the asanas in the first half of the book, I started to practice them. At first, I was very confused. The first thing I had to do was lie flat out on the floor and relax. Once I had ensured that all my legs and arms were in the positions that they should be, I had forgotten what exactly I was supposed to do once there! By the end of a week of daily practicing, I had worked out a 6-7 exercise routine, additionally starting up some special breathing. I had no intention of doing those gross things where you swallow cloth or suck bathwater up your backside, nor was I intending to bother much with my diet or lifestyle, but I did have an interest in reading some of the ancient literature from which our modern yoga came, along with my enthusiasm to really give it a go.
I have been practicing for over six months now, and I have to admit that I am beginning to make a few changes in my life beyond the 'yoga mat' realm… My breathing has improved, and this has changed my life and health considerably. I think that it is the main surprise aspect of yoga, for me. I have additionally not suffered a single twinge of bad back all year - not even on the colder days of winter when it usually plays up. In 2006, I was in agony night and day with back pain and hip-leg cramps, but in 2007, my back has felt great! I have found yoga to assist with my sinus problems, also. This sometimes only works partially, and so my friend who 'got me into this' suggested recently that I try one of the yoga accessories from the 'gross things' page of the book, called a Neti Pot. I have to admit that after an initial reluctance, not really thinking it would be either possible, or help me if it were, and several no-cost attempts at doing much the same thing with an icing bag from my cake decorating set, I have finally given in and ordered one! I have yet to try any of the other things on that gross page though, but the way I am going, I am sure it would not take more than a few words from my friend whilst I were in the right mood, for me to try them all out…
It appears that I am the only success story in my family, with both my Mother and my son 'giving up' and finding little result. However, I truly feel that this is because those other members have not given it a fair go and utilized all of yoga's aspects. I currently perform a practice of approximately 15 asanas, on five or six days of a week, and include much emphasis on the breathing. Additionally, I am reading a selection of books on the subject and beginning to write articles. It appears that yoga will remain a major part of my life until such ceases.
I recall being a terrible distraction. I know that I wanted to watch the young man with his two thin, bendy women on TV almost every time my Mother turned it on. Each time they demonstrated an asana, I would instantly throw my body into the pose perfectly, much too quickly to gain any personal benefit, just showing off that I could do it. I usually managed the advanced positions, but obviously, in my haste and carelessness, found no benefit in my achievements. My Mother suffered also. Not only had she to try to keep up with the TV, watching it as best she could from various positions upon the carpet on the lounge floor, listening as best she could over my endless chattering, and jumping from one girl, to another, to the man, as they demonstrated both the advanced and simplified options, but she also had to try to perform the moves herself. If my Mom could follow the audio/visual on TV, and keep her mind off my chattering and showing off, she still could not relax, or deal with the asanas properly. She used to be exceedingly out of shape, and find it difficult to get part way into the easier versions of most poses. Whether the TV mentioned breathing and other matters than postures or not, I do not recall, but my Mother could hardly cope with just trying to move her legs and arms correctly, therefore yoga did nothing much for her, mainly because of me, but partially due to the form she took it in.
I have home schooled my son since grade four; he is currently in his final grade, grade twelve. Somewhere around grade five or six, he gave up softball and we were looking for a non-team activity he could participate in for our PE lessons. I found a $1 book at a library sale on yoga, remembered it from my childhood, and grabbed it. My son took two classes and thenceforth hated yoga. I put the book into storage and… forgot yoga.
About a year ago, I began to get to know a friend, and I noticed that he mentioned yoga at his webpage. I instantly recalled the book and decided to find it, and possibly try out some of those exercises. I was getting a little overweight and also had suffered dreadfully in 2006 with an arthritic back. I recalled yoga was supposed to be good for bad backs. The doctors had told me that there was nothing they could do for me, "take these pills and prepare yourself for a painful life - oh, and you might want to pay our hundreds of dollars that you don't have for a physiotherapist or chiropractor, just to ease the pain a little…" So, I decided to find that yoga book and start doing those old poses I recalled from my childhood, but I forgot. It was not until 2007 that I actually hunted out the book, and letting my friend know that I was going to give it a shot, began.
The first thing I did was to read the book right through, chapter by chapter. When I got to the asanas in the first half of the book, I started to practice them. At first, I was very confused. The first thing I had to do was lie flat out on the floor and relax. Once I had ensured that all my legs and arms were in the positions that they should be, I had forgotten what exactly I was supposed to do once there! By the end of a week of daily practicing, I had worked out a 6-7 exercise routine, additionally starting up some special breathing. I had no intention of doing those gross things where you swallow cloth or suck bathwater up your backside, nor was I intending to bother much with my diet or lifestyle, but I did have an interest in reading some of the ancient literature from which our modern yoga came, along with my enthusiasm to really give it a go.
I have been practicing for over six months now, and I have to admit that I am beginning to make a few changes in my life beyond the 'yoga mat' realm… My breathing has improved, and this has changed my life and health considerably. I think that it is the main surprise aspect of yoga, for me. I have additionally not suffered a single twinge of bad back all year - not even on the colder days of winter when it usually plays up. In 2006, I was in agony night and day with back pain and hip-leg cramps, but in 2007, my back has felt great! I have found yoga to assist with my sinus problems, also. This sometimes only works partially, and so my friend who 'got me into this' suggested recently that I try one of the yoga accessories from the 'gross things' page of the book, called a Neti Pot. I have to admit that after an initial reluctance, not really thinking it would be either possible, or help me if it were, and several no-cost attempts at doing much the same thing with an icing bag from my cake decorating set, I have finally given in and ordered one! I have yet to try any of the other things on that gross page though, but the way I am going, I am sure it would not take more than a few words from my friend whilst I were in the right mood, for me to try them all out…
It appears that I am the only success story in my family, with both my Mother and my son 'giving up' and finding little result. However, I truly feel that this is because those other members have not given it a fair go and utilized all of yoga's aspects. I currently perform a practice of approximately 15 asanas, on five or six days of a week, and include much emphasis on the breathing. Additionally, I am reading a selection of books on the subject and beginning to write articles. It appears that yoga will remain a major part of my life until such ceases.
| 48 |
| Vote |
subscribe to this blog
