Reflexions on my yoga practice

I make it short:
- Being able to do second series till the end of 2010
- and learning to be focused, means remaining on my mat during my practice at home should be possible.

Both goals are not that easy. When I don't do yoga, I think about it. I am glad that yoga is healthy.

Halensee

All the pictures are a bit dark already, but it was dark and it made the atmosphere.

Nature, a bit manipulated, as it was dark already

Oh, the lake can be seen already......
It was one of my favourite places during summer time.

...and then I arrived after 15 min walk or so

Nature: Berlin is a very green city.

Go to Halensee......

"Go to Halensee," this thought came up and I thought it was a good idea. The Halensee is not so far away from the hotel, it is a lake at the end of the Kurfürstendamm.
On the picture you see Grafiti on a house close to the S-Bahn on my way to the lake.

Trikonasana - self-adjustment

Sometimes I do a variation when I do trikonasana. To put the arm behind the back and to reach with the hand the upper leg helps to twist more and to open the chest. It's like an adjustment that one gives to oneself.

Done, first series, not more

It's an exercise in patience. Again and again these asanas must be practiced. Today marichyasana c was difficult. No, I don't give up here. I want to reach the wrist and I do. Inhaling, exhaling.
Urdhva dhanurasana: I dropped back and fell on my head. It doesn't scare me so much anymore. The arms hold always a bit. My feet were probably a bit too close together.

I didn't omit a single asanas, but I didn't add a single asana, too. No pincha mayurasana, no handstand, no hanumanasana were exercised. But I did full vinyasas. I prefer this. To start from time to time from samasthiti is like a new beginning.
I fear this was it for today.

To do yoga - to love oneself

"I do yoga again, every day a bit of self-love," my friend S told me yesterday.
Yes, that's what it is, something for ourselves, a bit of self-love every day.

I've forgotten....

I've i-tune on my PC. Now I'v music here, Blues music. I've my private party here.

Oh, I wish I could focus on yoga like some of my fellow yogis/yoginis. I'm so easily distracted.

Ah nevertheless, it's time to practice now. I've discipline, too.

With blues music I'll practice, perhaps then it doesn't hurt so much.

Oh, how is the pose called on the picture: Feel the blues and do it anyway.

I don't plan

This evening would be the last possibility to go to a yoga studio here (Mysore class). I don't know if I manage this. At 6 p.m. is the last class for today. I shall see where I will be at that time.
First I will have breakfast with E., then I will write and practice yoga in the hotel. Today I will do the first series. I still need to take some pictures that I cannot take at home due to lack of space. Supta parsavasahita is still missing, but then I have a picture of all poses of the first series, means all sanskrit names can be looked up.
Baddha konasana C is probably often forgotten when practicing the first series, but it is mentioned in all the books by the Ashtanga teachers.

And suddenly it was night

.....and I had to hurry to meet another friend.
S pampered me with delicious veg Indian food.
"Show me your belly", S told me. I showed her. She showed me also her belly. We compared. But I don't write who had more and who had less.
And soon it was time to go........and now it's time to sleep. Good night.

Berlin-Mitte

Each city has it's own atmosphere. My impression from Berlin always is: it's huge.

On Sundays people dance here

It is old-fashioned in Clärchens Ballhaus. We had a late lunch there and talked about everything and nothing. It's in Berlin-Mitte. Nice place.

Clärchens Ballhaus

Oh, my friend A knows where to go. She knows so nice places. We went to Berlin-Mitte today. The shops there - OMG - I could spend a fortune there.

Ready to move on.....

Ready to go out......

It was a photo session and not a yoga practice

I was stiff and I didn't even sweat a bit. I took pictures today, even though it would have been better to practice. "Return to an ascetic life style", I think all the time. Salad and water shall feed me. It hurt to do asanas. Grghhhhh.

And now I am already in a hurry.

PS: To take pictures with a self-timer has really advantages: One breath and one has to be in the pose as mentioned in the Ashtanga bibles. It helps to become faster.

Dhanurasana

Asanas and the bed in the background, I like it......

Padmasana

You don't have to be cool.......(äh, I distract)

It's a photo session today. The room is big enough to take some pictures that I cannot take at home in my tiny place. And I'm learning so much when I look at my pictures.

Utthita parsva konasana

Interesting, interesting.

Baddha konasana C

Baddha konasana C is an almost forgotten asana. But it exists.
The first surya was hard, very hard, but I went on and it became easier.

After breakfast, time flies

I have to digest the breakfast before I can practice. My morning routine is a mess, but I love to have breakfast with E. In half an hour my stomach is ready, I hope so.
At 2:30 A will pick me up at the hotel and in the evening I'm invited for dinner at S's home. I'll be busy, busy again.

Up, and today is another back bending day

It's late already, 8:40.
At 10:30 E will leave the hotel. Then it's my time to practice yoga. It will be after breakfast. I want to have breakfast with him together.
I have still 2 days here. It's enough time to take the missing pictures to complete the first series.
My life style is a bit excessive here: too much food, too much alcoholic beverages. I will suffer when I will do my yoga practice today. Soon I will switch back to a more ascetic life style.

Time to repeat some grammar.........

High end Italian restaurant this evening

Wow! Wow! Wow!

Buh, cold here......

Buh, it's cold here. The temperature is only one of the obstacles. It is possible to dress warm clothes. The practice warms the body. It's necessary to be attentive, but to practice is possible.
The inversions need all my concentration. It's really exciting to do handstand and pincha mayurasana.

Pincha mayurasana

Balancing pose: With pincha mayurasana I should start doing it in the middle of the room. Fear is felt at once, only when I think of it.....

Handstand with feet

Yeah, I need the wall. It's a beginning. I look so tall on that picture, as if my feet were close to the ceiling.

I try and try and try

Oh, oh, oh, there is still a lot to do. But I am losing fear to do handstand. To do this warms me up. Smile.

Relaxation

Ahhhhh, that's what I need now, to relax a bit, inhaling, exhaling, inhaling, exhaling.

Time to relax before the evening show starts

Time to relax, before the evening show starts.
Italian restaurant this evening with E, A, and me.
Tired? Yes.
The shower refreshed me a bit. This is true.

The method

Repeat, repeat, repeat
Relax and smile
Breath deeply and evenly
Stay in the asanas - go deeper, relax again, stretch, go deeper, relax
Be patient
Engage the muscles
Be attentive
Let it happen........

Back bending was so weak today.
I am in a hurry now......

When stiff, smile and relax......

When stiff, smile and relax and go on. Not so much thinking helps, too. Judging is not necessary. I am ready for an ascetic life: 90%, no, I correct myself 80%.

Back bending was very difficult today. I don't ask why. I don't think that it was the Merlot and the Martini and the food of yesterday. Perhaps my body needs the valleys to recover from intensive practices. The hotel room is warmer now, which is very good. I practiced more than an hour. Psychologically this is very important.

Picture: Supta konasana

Waiting for E

How so often, sometimes only the first step must be done and then energy is back. The cold shower woke me up. Now I'm waiting for E. He must shave, this is an additional activity that he has to do. :)

It's nice to have a man around me with different "must do". It's entertaining.

Oh, he is quick today......that's positive.

Yoga: focus on staying o the mat, the breath, back bending. Enough intentions.

Up, I need coffee

I need coffee today before I can do anything, but I have to wait. Routines become a mess when travelling.
I must wake up my bf so that we can have breakfast together. Shower before yoga, shower after yoga, it's a bit much, but I don't want to go to the breakfast room unwashed.
After breakfast (!) I can do yoga, but at 12:30 everything must be done. This is doable. Yes.
I need a coffee before the shower also. It drives me crazy my coffee addiction. But I usually have a low blood pressure. This as the effect that I feel weak before the coffee. The coffee upstairs is so good. OK, shower now.

Picture is taken during summer time this year.

High end Turkish restaurant this evening

Ah, new food tickled my tongue. Very delicious all. I ate too much. Now I am ready for the bed.

I repeat words: I am learning the difference between much, many, little, few, a lot, plenty.
plenty: more than enough. Example: There is no need to hurry, we have plenty of time. (not more than enough).
We spent a lot of money. (not: we spent much money). Wow.
Little and few is without "a". There is little time. Oh, how interesting.
I must repeat this all. This is an important chapter.

Yes, let's unite - worldwide

I am happy. Tomorrow A will pick me up and we will spend the day together, just got an email. On Wednesday evening S will cook something vegetarian for me at her home. Both women I know for almost 3 decades. What a most amazing gift such friendships are. I am glad that I can be here.

Picture: It is taken this morning. I manipulated it a bit, I added a bit of color and contrast. :)

A statue

Berlin is not such a beautiful city in the sense of harmony, sweetness, Berlin is a big city. Of course there are beautiful awesome corners. But the strenght of Berlin is not its beauty, but its lively people. (This is my opinion, like everything else, too.)

An entrance

An entrance hall can be seen in one of the old houses of Berlin

Everything has beauty

E and I watch TV. That way we are much closer to everything.

Berlin, lively Berlin

I walk around and enjoy. I avoid masses. Of course on the 20th anniversary of the wall coming down there are a lot of festivities here. I enjoy walking around where not so many people are.

Ready to go out......

Finally. I just had the feeling I haven't published enough pictures of myself.

A stiff practice is no reason to desperate

A stiff practice is no reason to desperate. Damned, I was so stiff today. I blame the fresh temperature in the room for it. That's it. What a liberating idea.

I worked on my concentration and not only on performing the new asanas as best as I can. I don't want to make these breaks during my practice anymore, these breaks that I use to read and answer emails. During my yoga practice I want to stay on my mat. Today whenever I felt the impulse to walk around I did samasthiti, hands in prayer position in front of the chest and I focused on my deep and even breath. The break could be as long as I needed it, but ON the mat and not OFF the mat. "Stay, stay, stay", I said to myself friendly. The mind only understands positive messages. And I was rather good at it. I stayed and the pain that I experienced today during my practice was at least experienced in a flow. Hahahaha.

There were also good moments on my mat: Three times I pushed my hips forward and upwards when I tried to get into kapotasana, 3 times I tried and pushed and pushed.

Time to go out now. I want to go to the Cafe Einstein, armed with my PC. I want to write.

Privacy please

I put this sign "privacy please" on the door of the hotel room. It's my yoga time now and I don't want to be interrupted.

I plan, but everything comes differently.

In the 7th floor of this hotel I had my coffee and breakfast with view over the city Berlin (see picture). Around me sat tired hotel guests, at least they looked so.

My mat is already ready, waiting for me. I sit here in my yoga clothes. I had just watched some movies of my fellow yogis/yoginis.

Time to practice: Surya namaskaras, standing sequence, paschimottanasa, navasana and then till the end of the first series, then second series till eka pada sirsasana.

It's all perfect

I slept till 7 a.m., then I got a wake-up call from the hotel. This is too late for a morning Mysore class at a shala at Prenzlauer Berg.
It's possible that E has business dinners (without friends), then I can go to an evening Mysore class. Perhaps this is more realistic to plan something like that.
Travelling always means to be thrown out of the routine. I want a cup of coffee now, but not the entire breakfast here for 15 Euro. The coffee prepares my body for the yoga practice. Now I have to be creative. What to do? Perhaps I should have a cup of coffee outside, writing my journal there , then return to the hotel, where I can practice yoga after a while.
The hotel is very beautiful, the staff here is very friendly, but the rooms are cold. I know this issue from the last time here. The heater is too small to make the large room really warm. We asked for additional blankets yesterday to feel warm during the night.
I know now that my suryas will warm me up. Only the beginning is difficult, but this is not new either. I know I can practice here and I will practice. There are always some obstacles. This shall not stop me. And the room is good to take some pictures.

Time to wake up E..

Oh the surya namaskaras warm up, indeed

Good that I started with my yoga practice. I feel warm now. The standing sequence is done. How good. Nevertheless I feel stiff. With no expectations at all I will go on. It's up an down.
Paschimottanasan now, full vinyasas, to keep the body warm and "flexible".

Oh, it is cold in here

I have a lot of room, but it is so incredible cold in this huge hotel room, I am not sure if I can practice. I shiver. The heater is on, but it's cold. I have my warm socks on, I lean against the heater, but I still feel cold.
I try some sun salutations. Buhhhhhh, cold, buuuuhhhhhhhh. Let's see if these movements warm me up.........

The Indian waiter insisted to take a picture of me

Me: OK, but don't picture my glass of red wine.

But of course it was on the picture. Am I glad that I can manipulate everything. Yes, good times.

It's so easy to chat with people in Berlin. I always loved this open atmosphere.

Time to nap

Oh, it is very stylish here. And I have room for yoga. The shower room is also so spacy that 10 people could take a shower at the same time.

And I must digest the Indian lunch before I can practice yoga, first series today.....

Forward bending today, exercising modesty, accepting what is. :)

Oh, my yoga practice always brings me down to earth. I am sure.

Trees on a roof

Where else?
If there is also space for a yoga practice?

It's calm on Sundays

It's cold here and calm. The days in Berlin start rather late on Sundays. I know this. It is impolite here to call people before 10 a.m.

I walked and walked and walked....

...and of course I regretted it that all the awesome shops were closed today, because in Germany on Sundays the shops have to be closed. It still is so. Grghhhhhh.

Nothing has changed

This morning I had breakfast in the cafe where I have wasted my youth. (Just a first joke, nothing is wasted of course, I love and always loved to spend my time in cafes reading, writing, chatting.)
On the picture is the cafe where I used to be once a day to have my cappuccino with cream and sugar when I was in my twenties. I read the newspaper, chatted with the other guests and then I went home again.
In that cafe nothing was renovated nor changed within a decade. On the tables the paint chipps off. The same can be seen on the chairs. The walls havent been painted within a decade, they were brownish still from the time when smoking in cafes was allowed. Even the choice of cakes were the same. I could order my Rosinenschnecke like more than a decade ago and it tasted the same.
The Italian man (the former waiter, now he is the owner) identified me at once. I mean I was a regular guest there. Perhaps I am the same like decades ago, too. Hahahaha. No, I don't belief this. But people simply remember me. Wink.
"Hello, how is everything going, how is your child?" I asked him after the first polite sentences.
This man still speaks only rudimentary German. It doesn't matter. Nobody knows it better than myself, how difficult it is to become fluent in a second language.
"Three children now. Seperated from the one woman. Another woman. Again a child. She already had 2 children. Now with 3 children." That's what I call "to live". I was impressed. I counted: 2 children with the woman I knew, another child with another woman (makes 3) and she had already two children, so it makes 5 in total. That's something. And this man is so modest. Times are difficult nowadays, people do not have so much money anymore for a caffee, I learned. The cafe was empty, I saw it.
He: "Are you married?"
Me: "No, but I have a boyfriend for 12 years now. We live in a so-called wild marriage." We both laughed, and I was sure that the word wild marriage provoked different associations in our minds. (Was I glad that I could say that I have a boyfriend!)
(I didn't say that I try to get my legs behind my head now, even though this was on my mind.)
I only smiled, he wouldn't understand.

I enjoyed the cappuccino and the Rosinenschnecke and wrote my journal. No, I didn't ask if there was wifi in that wonderful charming cafe. My PC was with me. I knew the answer. Of course not!
But when I left the cafe I asked just for fun: "Do you have wifi here?"
He: "What???"

3,90 Euro I paid incl a good tip for a cappuccino and a Rosinenschnecke. Seems as if the prices remained the same, too.

In the capital......

Arrived. I am in Berlin. Ah, and it's cold here, a bit above 0°, freezing cold so to say, but I must smile. I used to live here - 13 years I was here. And it was a good time.
I have to wait till a room will be empty, checking in time is 3 p.m.
I know what to do till then.
First thing of course I bought a voucher for my PC to be online. I must inform E that I am here. Yes, yes, yes. Of course. He must know this!!! He is probably sleeping again. :)
And a bit blogging happens, too. Hahahahaha.

Oh, I am hungry now.

When to practice yoga????
It can be a late afternoon practice.....after 3......

Berlin wakes up late. The nights are long here. The streets are empty on a Sunday morning. A few people are out with their dogs. That's all.
I love big cities, all the craziness, all the liveliness, all the variety of people and situations.
Tralali, tralala, tralali, tralala I am in Berlin.

5 min only.......

...then I must pack my suitcase. I'm already showered, the black coffee is next to me. My stomach is not so convinced to get that black poison so early in the morning. But it wakes me up. It's a bit after 4 a.m.. I was too lazy to pack my suitcase yesterday in the evening. I never pack my suitcase the day before. It takes 20 min and I have everything. I only stay a week and so I decided to take the small suitcase.
I will travel with my yoga mat and my PC, I will have 4 different items to carry. This is enough. My big camera must stay at home.
I'm looking forward to Berlin where I used to live 13 years.

E will take me to the airport, but he will fly in the evening.

Which books shall I take with me??????

A Saturday in November

I was out. On Saturdays I usually pamper my bf with a cake for breakfast.
I like to move, so I went to the bakery and bought 2 Krapfen for him an 1 for myself.
On Saturday morning it's usually calmer than on working days. People sleep longer I guess.
It's cold outside, from time to time the sun comes out. Nothing can be said against the weather.
And in my home it's cosy, warm.

Picture: The street where I usually do my grocery shopping. All sorts of shops can be found here.

Padmasana preparation

I learned this pose in India last year from my pranayama teacher. It prepares padmasana as it opens the hips. Especially if there is no time or no intention to do a yoga practice before pranayama or meditation, this pose opens the body and makes sitting easier.
I fold the hands in prayer pose behind the back this opens the upper chest.
It is a comfortable pose for me.
Before pranayama I did a few sun salutations and the pose one can see on the picture. This was really enough to make sitting in padmasana comfortable.

A rest day after an exciting yoga week

Indeed, it was an exciting yoga week. Since my drop back into urdhva dhanurasana I know that more is possible than I often think. I got courageous. I love to try new poses. I love to see what I can do with my body. But I don't forget the importance of the basics, the breath i.e.

To do nothing, does of course not mean to do nothing at all. I will do pranayama today. First I will do a few surya namaskaras A to wake up the body. Then I will sit in lotus pose. 5 min uddyjay breathing and then a few rounds (12 rounds probably) of alternate nostril breathing is what I want to do. Not much, but enough for me. It is my relaxing day.

Picture 2: It's another comfortable seat for pranayama. I prefer lotus pose.

And then I will pamper my bf with a nice breakfast. I love it that he is back from Sweden.

It's Friday.......for me simply another beautiful day

Somehow I feel good (right now), but I don't know why? Hahahahah. I also need no reason.
I love this time.
I know everything changes, sometimes even quickly. :)
I am very relaxed, and I have no reason for this feeling. Hahahahaha.

Am I a facebook diva or even a facebook virgin?

If someone does not know me at all and when this person want to add me as a facebook friend and there is not the slightest introduction nor at least a hello, I am not even curious what a person this is. I do not add him (I only experienced such a behaviour from men) as a friend, check his side and then delete him. If someone wants to be a friend of me he must talk!!!!! I expect a "hello".

Once a man from Maroc wanted to be a friend of me. I politely send my question if we have met before and so on. The answer was that he wanted to send me hot kisses from Maroc. It seems to be hot in Maroc. I was not interested.

Another man wanted to add me as a friend, too: No hello, nothing. I wrote my email, if we have met already and so on. He has had not the slightest connection with me, too. He simply found my picture and he wanted to send me warm hugs from a ship. He was from Norway and a steward on a ship. This he wrote, too.

I could go on........but I think you get the picture.

I like manners, also online. I am not interested in men who are not able to say a hello nor to introduce themselves. I do not collect friendships. I always love quality.

I just decided, if someone whom I do not know does not introduce himself and this person wants a friendship, I delete at once. My lifetime is limited. I like friendly people. I have no time to waste my time. This post is too long.

I just deleted another friendship request that came in without a single word. No.

How do you handle these issues???

On the sofa after yoga - women like to chat

After my intensive yoga practice I made myself comfortable on this huge red sofa in that yoga studio. I waited for the others to chat a bit. I love this. We had tea and talked about yoga and India. :)

I think about Berlin: I simply don't want to discuss with new teachers what I can and want to practice. I need help for my new poses as they are new. I don't want to get stopped because I am not able to do them. I want help. I am not sure if teachers do what I want them to do. Usually they want me to do what they want. But I have prejudices perhaps. I consider a hotel practice in Berlin and to go to a Mysore class only twice. Then I can exercise my new poses of the second series and twice I have the fun to practice in a group. I don' know yet. It will happen, I shouldn't think so much.

I had lunch outside. Yes, main course (tagliatelle with mushrooms in white wine sauce and cocktail tomatoes) and dessert. :)

I feel muscles I've never felt before

Oh, oh, oh, this was a most intensive Ashtanga yoga week.
Volonteerly I make a break tomorrow.
There is never "only" primary even though I did primary only today. We (M) added hanumanasana to my practice. This pose supports many poses, it opens the hips like no other pose and gravity helps. M is very close to Ashtanga, but he is simply not dogmatic. 1% he varies from the classic asana order. He sees what can support the Ashtanga practice. What a luck that I have him now as a teacher. He knows my body already very well and is self-confident to give me adjustments that bring success.
The highlight was again to go from handstand to urdhva dhanurasana and up.
I think Linda calls this tick tock.
It's simply awesome.

My checklist when I practice and when I am in an asana:
- How is the breath? Deep and even?
- Strong legs?
- Uddyjana bandha? I always focused on mulha bandha, but uddyjana bandha is equally important.
- Straight back?
- The face? Is it relaxed? Or do I look as if I were fighing? hahahaha
- Let go! Let it happen!

So lately I remembered uddyjana bandha and first surprising successes were seen today. To jump through became easier. My feet does not stop me anymore, but I'm sliding through even though my mat is sticky. :)

I feel my back muscles.
It was an intensive yoga week.
I want to buy this metronome for some breathing exercises tomorrow.
But tomorrow is a rest day.
Deserved as I think.

Ah, I have the damned good feeling....

that this day will become super prolific. I am ready: Action today, action.

Ha, I am up at 6

This is really good. I wake up before my alarm clock can wake me up. And I feel well-rested. I have time to write my private journal. At 8:30 I will leave my cosy home to go to a Mysore class. It seems as if my life circles around yoga and nothing else.

I must check what was my plan for this week and what is done so far. I fear there is still something to do. No reason to worry. I have still this day.

Sunday early in the morning I will fly to Berlin, on Friday at lunch time I will fly back. I also made a decision. As I am a faithful soul I will go to one yoga studio "only". This is enough. M is my teacher now, but I want to profit from a group, from the energy that arises when more than 1 person practices Ashtanga yoga when I am in Berlin. And I so love to meet yogis and yoginis.

A few thoughts about my focus when I do yoga (primary today):
-We will work on back bending.
-I try to do the right number of vinyasas, which means jumping through and with the next exhaling being in the asanas, no interim stretching and breathing.
-Make your practice light, M suggested. This can be done by using the bandhas, especially uddyjana bandha.
-And to have a relaxed face is good. This is my suggestion. It must look as if it is easy. No fighting, it's a happening.