sandeyeVARYING THE PRACTICE
November 28th 2008 19:22
I was not aware that I had gotten stuck with the 'same old routine' until commencing the practice of Tibetan Heart Yoga a week or so ago. I had originally developed my personal Yoga routine by practicing Asana and Pranayama from a Yoga manual, and then adapting it to my personal ailments, the weather, and my practice ability. Making changes only when seasonal shift, aches and sinus conditions, time, or progress suggested, I have kept to the same basic procedure for almost two years.
When I decided to practice THY once or twice a week as an alternative sequence, I expected to take a few weeks to learn the routine before being able to put the instruction book aside. What I did not expect was to feel like a total beginner at Yoga!
Whereas I was comfortable with the visualizations, affirmations, and Tonglen practice, and knew many of the Asana already, there were a couple of postures I had previously avoided along with some new Tibetan poses to learn. Holding the poses for a specific duration was another factor I had not bothered with in my personal routine, preferring to go with the flow and hold each posture for as long as it felt right physically. I know my own body exceedingly well in tis respect, and have valued the freedom of home-practice to adapt to its ups, downs, faults and progressions.
Learning new Asana, handling formerly well-known poses in a new way, adding on the Tonglen affirmations and visualizations, and swapping my breath-awareness from the Western tradition of 'in-out' to the Indo-Asian form of 'out-in' - and all at the same time - was indeed difficulty enough to make me feel that I have never practiced Yoga before. However, it was also a challenge!
I had slipped into the ease of 'knowing & sensing my personal way' within my Yoga practice. This new-to-me THY practice was a structured practice that was not personally created from bits and pieces of Yoga, but a set pattern to follow laid down by someone else. Unable to rely on having previously learned the basics and taking them in any way that fitted in with the feel of the day and status of my body, was difficult.
After just two attempts, I still feel the need to hold hands with the book to guide me through, my body is totally unused to what is expected of it, and my memory is pushed into new activity! This is a good thing, as I see it. It is as if I have refreshed my Yoga practice by combining my old and familiar personal routine with the practice of a new and unfamiliar alternative. It balances between the known and unknown and the freedom and set structure, and pushes me into new territory that perhaps I might never have considered.
When I decided to practice THY once or twice a week as an alternative sequence, I expected to take a few weeks to learn the routine before being able to put the instruction book aside. What I did not expect was to feel like a total beginner at Yoga!
Whereas I was comfortable with the visualizations, affirmations, and Tonglen practice, and knew many of the Asana already, there were a couple of postures I had previously avoided along with some new Tibetan poses to learn. Holding the poses for a specific duration was another factor I had not bothered with in my personal routine, preferring to go with the flow and hold each posture for as long as it felt right physically. I know my own body exceedingly well in tis respect, and have valued the freedom of home-practice to adapt to its ups, downs, faults and progressions.
Learning new Asana, handling formerly well-known poses in a new way, adding on the Tonglen affirmations and visualizations, and swapping my breath-awareness from the Western tradition of 'in-out' to the Indo-Asian form of 'out-in' - and all at the same time - was indeed difficulty enough to make me feel that I have never practiced Yoga before. However, it was also a challenge!
I had slipped into the ease of 'knowing & sensing my personal way' within my Yoga practice. This new-to-me THY practice was a structured practice that was not personally created from bits and pieces of Yoga, but a set pattern to follow laid down by someone else. Unable to rely on having previously learned the basics and taking them in any way that fitted in with the feel of the day and status of my body, was difficult.
After just two attempts, I still feel the need to hold hands with the book to guide me through, my body is totally unused to what is expected of it, and my memory is pushed into new activity! This is a good thing, as I see it. It is as if I have refreshed my Yoga practice by combining my old and familiar personal routine with the practice of a new and unfamiliar alternative. It balances between the known and unknown and the freedom and set structure, and pushes me into new territory that perhaps I might never have considered.
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