We were watching Michael Phelps winning medals at the Olympics the other night, and one of the commentators remarked upon the calm in Phelps's face as he tore towards the finish. He said that if a swimmer's face tightens up, his whole body tightens up, and it slows him down. I've been thinking about this… Continue reading Face yoga
Author: Mollyavalon
Alignment illumination!
This is the end of our second full day at the beach. I got up early and practiced for an hour and a half. It's hard practicing on carpet, but the kitchen floor, the only hard floor, is slightly sticky from humidity, and not quite big enough. Around noon we went out for a swim. … Continue reading Alignment illumination!
What’s the difference?
I am excited about going to the beach tomorrow, and woke up early with lists running through my head - what to pack, errands to run today, things to do to leave the house empty, etc. After a while I got up and did a PT routine for my arthritis, followed by an hour or… Continue reading What’s the difference?
It’s been a good week
Good yoga practices, even when short, good walking in the early morning, good having my son home. A few negative things happened. I did a little extra breathing, practiced some forgiveness, kept my mouth shut, and so far, so good. Next week, the beach. I'm going to miss the first class of the early fall… Continue reading It’s been a good week
Intentions
Intentions tend to go astray, don't they? I always intend to practice every day, but I don't. I'm forgiving myself for that. I'm going to the beach for two weeks, starting next Sunday. Here's my plan: I'm taking my travel mat, which will fold up in my suitcase. I wish I could roll it, but… Continue reading Intentions
Practicing with my sisters
My sisters Deb and Priscilla and our sis-in-law Kate and I all practiced together yesterday in my snug little space. It was the same sequence I'm going to keep doing until the sciatica is gone, but there's something in it for everyone. Kate has high blood pressure, so she knows how to modify poses for… Continue reading Practicing with my sisters
Short practice
I always try to remind myself that a short practice is OK, but I rarely do a good one. Today I wasted a lot of time playing web Boggle. (No, I'm not giving the link. It's bad.) The whole time I kept thinking, stop this now and practice yoga! I had an 11:45 appointment. It… Continue reading Short practice
Goodness
A few standing poses every day, some breathing, and boy, I am feeling better in some fundamental way. When my hands hurt (or some other part of me), I have been realizing I'm not breathing, just holding onto the pain. I inhale, exhale a little longer, and my posture shifts and my pain lessens. Practicing… Continue reading Goodness
Lying on the floor, standing on the wall
Yesterday in class we did standing poses lying on the floor. We've done it before. I requested that we do it again, particularly Parvritta Trikonasana (revolved triangle), because I got all bollixed up when I tried it at home. Several people in the class had injuries of one sort or another, which made it a… Continue reading Lying on the floor, standing on the wall
Breathing and moving
One of the great things about Sam Dworkis's Recovery Yoga is the breathing instruction on connecting breath to movement. For example, lying down, completely supported and having relaxed into the position, you inhale and raise your arm at the same time. You make the raising of your arm correspond exactly to the inhalation, so that… Continue reading Breathing and moving
Practice Notes 