Pretzel logic

Sunday, August 26, 2007 I told you that I had started doing Yoga. Then I posted some yoga fun with a ball then: nothing. Or so it seemed. Because I've been working out regularly ever since. I been diving head first into Light on Yoga, Yoga: Moving into Stillness en other yoga classics. Great stuff, but no: I'm not able to tiptoe on my own head yet or something.

Reason being: I'm apparently very stiff and I'm taking it slow. Screw all those competitive yoga Nazis. So you might have to wait for for ever to see any pictures of me in leotards touching my nose with my right foot over my left shoulder. A good thing, trust me.

So after months of hard work: where's the progress? Well, according to Light on Yoga (aka the yoga bible) I'm still in week 0 of the beginner routine. There are many weeks and I'm still stretching my ham and other strings to do all the poses in the week one routine fully. Told you: I'm stiff.

That being said: I'm already feeling the benefits of my body becoming more symmetrical and aligned with itself. And that's what I've really set as a goal for myself. That my body is supposed be able to do the 'normal' things. Like when you sit down and you put your foot on your knee: you're supposed to be able to do that comfortably on either side.

Also you're supposed to be able to bend forward and touch the floor with your hands. Forget all that pretzel stuff. Normal things. That to me is the beauty of yoga (but maybe that's just because I'm a beginner :) One of my favs is this pose, the so called warrior pose:

It looks easy. And it should be. Nothing weird. But if you are stiff like me: watch out. You'll get a stretch you won't believe. Try it for 30 seconds. Don't do it like they do in 70 to 80 percent of all the gyms in the world; really stretch out and energize the shape. Straight angles. Breathe through it. Follow the arrows and push out. Enjoy. Detailed instructions: right here.