| Hi,
I practice Ashtanga yoga on an on and off basis, and the first 6 months were very difficult, i was a lot younger and i found that i was very self punishing at 25, not believing i was strong enough or flexible enough or good enough and compared myself to the teacher etc. i also believed i should make the 6.30 am classes, 40 min drive away 5 times a week and only managed 4 on a good week! 3 a lot of the time, which i now think is quite good.
I then found that i was able to work on a farm 3 days a week and had the best most physically active and fittest part of my life... even though the mud killed my car, !!!
I have since only practiced long term when i have been psychotic long term, (i am schizophrenic) the first time after consistant yoga practice for 5 years plus the first intensive part of a teacher training course...
during my hospital stay i virtually completed the series as in the world tour and did the whole thing infront of a 5 yr old patients child! which was incredible, as he was fascinated!!! however, a few weeks later i injured myself and couldnt practice ashtanga for 2 yrs, and did tai chi and shiatsu and acupuncture studies instead...
Then i was in hospital long term again and found myself being quite punishing towards myself for not having had the energy to keep up ashtanga, and while mood elevated did more of the best ashtanga of my life, including doing 112, (104 i know lol) sun salutaions in March!!
again because of an unrelated injury i was unable to practice for a while and have just recovered from that, and took up running instead for a year...
I hope that my very sedating injections dont get in the way too much of giving ashtanga another go now, starting next week, and i have found someone to car share with which will i hope help with the petrol costs and the motivation!!
My sort of question is this: do you have/ had/seen a downside to your practice?
Warm Wishes
greentigress |
Takes as much as it Gives?
