Back bending

Ushtrasana

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Ushtrasana, August 2022

Ushtrasana is a great asana and an excellent preparation for the even deeper back bending asanas that follow after that asana.

When swinging backwards and forwards this asana becomes more intensive.

When I get out of the pose I usually put my hands on the hips. This allows me to arch a bit more. I stay there so that the body gets used to deeper and deeper back bending. After a while I move out of the pose.

Usually I repeat ushtrasana three times. Then I feel ready for laghu vajrasana and the kapotasana exercises.

It can help to get close to a wall when pushing the hips forward. An external clue gives orientation.

My goal no 1 for August is to practice on a daily basis. I remind myself every day of this goal. This morning I slept rather long and it was difficult to start. The practice was lousy. I felt stiff, stiff, stiff. But I did it. Yesterday I learned that also contortionists feel stiff again and again. So, no need to worry. Tomorrow I’ll practice primary. Forward bending asanas are also great.

A warm-up needn't to be exhausting.

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Rolling the head for more neck flexibility. August 2022

A warm-up needn’t to be exhausting. It’s not necessary to do five sun salutations A and five or three sun salutations B to warm up the body. For me these greetings to the sun are demanding. One can do them sloppily or intensively. As I don’t want to cheat, I usually give my best. I realise that I start sweating right from the beginning of my Ashtanga yoga series. My pulse goes up.

Yet if one plans a second practice within a day it might be enough to do less of a warm-up in the beginning of the second practice. In addition the body is already more flexible later of the day. This is what I learned from the intensive back bending videos with Ugi, the contortionist on Omstars (Kino’s yoga channel).

  • A practice with her starts with rolling the head in both directions ten times.

  • Then she asks the students to stretch the arms to the sides. Firstly the ten circles with the arms are small, then medium, then large. Ten times the arms circle backwards, then the other way round.

  • At the end the hips shall make huge circles. That’s it.

The back bending exercises start modest. These exercises warm up the body as well. The back bending exercises slowly become more and more challenging.

There is enough energy for the middle part of the practice when the warm-up is sufficient, but modest.

Your work out is my warm up, sounds cool. For me it was often disappointing that the most challenging asanas came at the end of my yoga practice, when I was already exhausted from 90 minutes of practicing. I remember that I used to practice two and a half hours. After the first series and the first asanas of the second Ashtanga yoga series I finally tried kapotasana, this advanced back bending asana. I was done by then. I had no strength anymore. To work on ‘difficult’ asanas when still fresh makes more sense for me.

A warm-up shall prepare the body for the exercises. It shall avoid injuries. It’s not the aim to exhaust the practitioner.

There is also a cool down phase existing of three dynamic movements.

  • The student lies on the back on the floor and lifts up both feet till they are in 90 degree to the body, not further. At the end the hips move away from the floor slightly. To do this 10 times is the recommendation. For whom this is not enough can do it 20 times.

  • Then this little movement at the end of the first exercise is done seperately. The feet point to the ceiling. Muscles lift up the hips away from the floor. Abdomen are engaged.

  • Last exercise aims at strengthening the abdomen as well. The hands move to the feet and back. All the movements are dynamic.

  • Happy baby pose finishes the cooling down phase. It’s time to relax the back. It’s a counter pose to all the back bending asanas.

When the beginning and the end of a yoga practice are not so long and exhausting more energy can be put into the middle part. Then one additional hour of stretching is doable. The mind can still concentrate. Mind and body can work together in harmony, supporting each other when not totally exhausted. 🥱 There is no inner self-talk that wants to stop, while another voice wants to keep practicing. This weakens the practice.

The videos with Ugi, the contortionist on Omstars are eye-opening. I’ll write more about it.

How I use online yoga classes.

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Back bending with a block, August 2022

I scarcely practice along with the online classes. It’s too distracting to watch the students and to listen to the teacher at the same time. Usually I need glasses. I have to put them on and off to see what exactly the students have to do. Sometimes the class is too fast. Very often the asanas are too demanding. If it’s a class for beginners I’m not challenged enough. I watch the videos and pick the raisins for me.

I pick exercises that I like and that seem challenging enough. One has to try it out because what looks easy is often not easy. During my next practice I try out these exercises. If the exercise challenges me and if it’s doable for me, I integrate it in my practice and repeat it on a daily basis. It comes the time when a plateau is reached. Then I look for other exercises. I can come back to the previous ones any time.

To bend backwards over a blog is nice. I know this exercise. It’s rather relaxing. It feels good and I’ve the feeling that the back opens up.

I’m a member of Omstars. Kino’s yoga channel is so successful that she can hire the best teachers worldwide. Yesterday I watched another yoga class with contortionist Ugi.

The above exercise is an exercise of the yoga class with her. The arms were stretched. If one moves the body to the butt and back to the head the back arches more and more. This is a tiny trick to get deeper into the pose.

I learned so much more effective exercises. I think these exercises will speed up my progress. At least they feel so. In today’s practice I tried out a lot of new movements and exercises. Some are genius.

Back bending exercises

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Back bending, August 2022

Pictures help me to stay motivated.

They give feed-back. They inspire me and help me to make plans re future exercises.

A yoga week is over again. I practiced 5 times this week. Once I had to go to the dentist due to tooth pain. Sometimes there are reasons to omit a practice. To rest is important as well.

On Sunday another yoga week begins with 6 morning practices. The hot weather is ideal. It makes the body flexible.

The goal is to practice. The focus is back bending.

Ashtanga yoga - back bending - kapotasana

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Today I dropped back from a kneeling position into kapotasana. For a long time this vinyasa was no longer part of my practice. I used to drop against a wall to stretch my upper body. I never walked my hands down the the wall till the floor. Today I wanted to see if my stretching exercises brought at least a tiny success. They did.

When it’s easier to get into urdhva dhanursana from a lying position, it might also be easier to get into kapotasana from a lying position. I’ll explore this next time.

This asana challenges me. If it weren’t challenging, it would be boring. I learn how to learn. The understanding of back bending asanas deepens.

I’m staring at my pictures in order to get ideas what I can do to improve this pose. The upper body could get stretched. The hips could get stretched. I do this already. It makes sense to keep stretching these areas of the body.

What counts today: I practiced. This is goal no 1 this month. The frequency of the yoga practice makes the difference. Long breaks mean set backs and often overstretching and frustration.

I found out that simply starting the timer on my habit app gets me going easily. I usually start with a forward bending asana before practicing the sun salutations. A lousy start needn’t to mean that the entire practice will be lousy. The opposite is true, too. Every practice has surprises in all different directions.

On picture three I can see how much wrist flexibility is necessary. To stretch the wrists regularly makes sense. Strong fingers are necessary to keep the body in that position and to walk them closer to the feet. A wall is surely a good prop but one day one must leave the wall.

Thank you for the ‘likes’. Keep practicing.

How to get into urdhva dhanurasana?

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A decade ago I put my hands next to my ears. Then I lifted my body up. The weight shifted to the feet and then back to the hands. I pressed the feet against the floor to move the weight to the hands.

I learned a more sytematic approach. Often there are different ways to get into an asana. Re urdhva dhanurasana I work also on another vinyasa. I want to learn again to drop back from a standing position. Some people get from handstand into this pose.

When I went to the Sivananda yoga classes years ago we practiced first salamba sarvangasana. From there we lowered the feet to the floor. Then we pushed up into urdhva dhanursana, bow pose. This vinyasa allowed me to get rather deep into the pose.

Every vinyasa is different, feels different and has different challenges.

The pictures in the gallery show my countdown into the pose from lying on the floor:

  1. I start from lying on my back und pull the feet to the body. Arms lie next to the body.

  2. Then I lift up the hips. The arms can support this movement when pressing into the floor.

  3. The next step is to pose the hands next to the ears. Important is to keep the elbows close to each other. Arms remain parallel.

  4. Then the hands and arms press into the floor, the arms stretch slightly, and give room so that I can set the crown of my head on the floor. Sometimes I omit this step and I get at once into urdhva dhanurasana.

  5. Last step is to lift up the body. This requires strength and the ability to stretch the arms. These days I take care not swing forward and backward. I want to lift up the body straight towards the ceiling. The weight is evenly on the feet and hands. It feels as if more weight is on the hands. The goal is to have en even bow. Feet and hands get closer and closer with time and patience.

A useful exercise:

In order to stretch the body and to get used to this asana I hold it for 1 minute every day. I use a timer. This little exercise shall make me stronger as well. 1 minute feels very long. I focus on the breath to distract myself from the discomfort. Today I realised already that it became easier to hold this pose. In the beginning I was not able to hold it 1 min. Progress came quickly.

Three possibilities to get into urdhva dhanursana (there are more):

  1. from a lying position.

  2. from a standing position.

  3. from salamba sarvangasana.

Keep practicing.

Utthita parsvottanasana

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Utthita parsvottanasana, July 2022

Picture:

Utthita parsvottanasana is a forward bending asana and like all standing asanas it’s also a balancing asana. Balancing might be easy when performing this pose, yet to keep the hips parallel and to touch the leg with the chin might take some time.

I add a back bending part. Back bending got neglected over years. We have so many more opporunties to bend forward in life so that I’ve the feeling that I'd like to balance this with extra back bending exercises. The first Ashtanga yoga series focuses almost only on forward bending asanas. Now back bending is the movement in my mind.

It’s not a deep back bending, rather a warm up. The body gets used to bend backwards.

Goal no 1:

Goal no 1 is the only goal that I currently have regarding my yoga practice. It’s to ramp up the frequency of my practice. I remember myself daily that this is my focus nothing else. I record my practices in a habit app. Yesterday I realised that not all practices were recorded. I don’t care. I know that I had too many breaks during the last year. .

During the last 2 decades I had periods with almost no breaks. This was always when I could go to yoga classes. It felt as if I went to work. For many reasons (lock-down, injuries) I practice mainly at home these days. More disciplined is required. The huge advantage at home is that I can adjust my practice to my personal needs. I can add strength exercises. I can use a timer and I can hold positions longer than I usually do in a yoga class. Holding positions longer is a game changer. I add useful exercises and so on.

So today, my goal no 1 in mind, I practiced. I realised that I pulled muscles around the hip flexor slightly. That meant that I had to practice with care. I avoided stretching this area. Otherwise it was an average practice. It counts as a practice.

Often we can hear by an aspiring student of whatever: I practiced on and off. The first step is to ask oneself if the topic is really that interesting that a student wants to spend time to learn it. If yes, what was the reason to stop learning. Daily basis exercises are the foundation of everything one wants to learn. Often it’s stated: I don’t have enough time. My solution: No TV. I don’t miss it. Be creative and find time. Think of your topic as If it is your next love affair.

Tomorrow is the last practice of this week. Primary is on the schedule. Due to my pulled leg I’ll practice at home.

Integrating exercises

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It’s not realistic to plan a second practice during 24 hours with additional exercises. One intensive practice per day usually is enough. If there is time for more it’s great, often so many other activities need to be done. So I try to integrate exercises in my morning practice that support asanas I’d like to learn.

Examples are the hands. They need to be strong for many asanas:

Whenever the hands are on the floor it’s good advice to press them firmly against the floor. The fingers support this grip. It’s not that the hands are put nicely on the floor. They must hold the body in all the inversions. The poses become easier when the fundament is firm.

When I realised that I have to put strength into my hands I could suddenly perform mayurasana.

Yet also the vinyasa (jumping forward and backward) require a strong foundation. When the hands become like claws it’s easier to hold the body.

After utkatasana I practice bakasana (see picture). For me bakasana is not only a transition asana, I hold it much longer to get stronger hands. This pose forces to have a firm grip, otherwise the asanas is not possible or one might fall forward. The hands keep the body off from falling forward.

Strong hands are required when working on back bending. How shall my hands be able to crawl to the feet, when they are week. It’s not possible.

These tiny exercises can make a difference. It’s possible to integrate them into every practice.

Also today I practiced 90 minutes. I had a phone call at 9 am, that’s why I had to get up early. On time I was ready for the day and the duties that are part of every live. I forgot to practice urdhva dhanurasana. I don’t care that much. Till the end of August I’ll focus on one goal. It’s to practice more frequently. More frequently is rather spongily. I aim for 6 times a week. When I exceed my average frequency by 20 % I shall be happy. I can set fresh goals after August.I appreciate every day when I practice. Having a regular training is the foundation for every learning. This might sound tribe. Yet the gap between wanting and doing is often huge.

Tomorrow will be the 4th practice in a row. To practice is the goal. No additional mini goals or sub goals are planned. Focus is power. No matter how intensive the practice will be, it’s another step in the direction I want to go.

Yoga, a part of my life

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Shalabhasana exercise - July, 2022

Shalabhasana is the first back bending asana of the second Ashtanga yoga series. It deserves more attention and time than only 10 breaths. This asana and all the variations strengthen the back. I prefer to work on flexibility, but strength is equally important. Most asanas have three aspects: Strength, flexibility and technique. Sometimes strength is the challenge, sometimes flexibility. Using a correct technique can help enormously when performing asanas.

Before practicing shalabhasana I prepare my body for the asana.

I lift one leg (inhaling) and lower it again (exhaling). I repeat this 5 times. Then I do the exercise with the left leg. I do three sets.

Strengths training often follows these pattern. There are repetitions and usually 3 sets. 5 repetitions on each side is not much. One can work up to 12 or 20 repetitions. It depends on the time that one has available….

Another variation is to hold the leg in the above position. When holding a position a timer can help. Another method is to count the breaths. Do lift both legs at the same time is more demanding.

The hip shall stay as close to the floor as possible. The exercise aims at stretching the front side of the body as well.

When I find exercises that are useful I repeat them on a daily basis. I don’t need every day another kick in form of a new exercise. After a while I vary the exercises or focus on other aspect. This keeps the practice lively. The mind stays alert, the body, too.

This morning I listed in my journal three important ingredients of a yogic life:

  1. Eat well. Nutruition is underestimated. Sugar, alcohol and too much processed food damage the body and mind. Inflammation in the body due to malnutrition makes the practice difficult.

  2. Practice daily (asanas, pranayama, meditation). My main set backs come when I pause. Then come injuries. Discipline is a mental skill, that one can develop. When I see a flexible yogi these days I don’t think anymore that I see a flexible yogi, but rather that I see a disciplined yogi. These super bendy bodies exist, but most people have to work on asanas often very long.

  3. Practicing correctly is the third important point. I lost a lot of time because the method I applied to learn asanas was ineffective. I guess to find the best way to learn anything is a challenging in all sports and probably all areas. The learning process is individual, yet there are general rules and tips. Years ago visualisation came into play in many sports and made a difference. There is no stillstand. Self-study is important. The yoga community is huge and many share their knowledge on YouTube. It’s a precious source in the learning process.

Cook and eat healthy, practice daily, and learn how to practice smart.

Why I work on the splits.

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Lunge, Juni 2021

Lunge, Juni 2021

Firstly: The splits are basic asanas. When they are mastered other asanas become easier.

In Ashtanga Yoga the splits get introduced already during the standing sequence. Utthita hasta padangusthasana and utthita parsvasahita are the poses. They have an additional challenge which is balancing.

Secondly: I discovered hanumanasana when I looked for exercises to deepen back bending. Urdhva dhanurasana, but all the other back bending asanas as well are easier when the hip flexor is stretched. There are many positions that aim for stretching exactly this part of the body. All the lunge poses are a great preparation exercise for all back bending asanas.

It’s recommended to keep the hips parallel. In order to protect the knee one can get on the balls of the feet. This intensifies the stretch.

To hold lunge poses for 5 minutes is challenging. The discomfort gets worse and worse. Deep breathing helps to relax and only a relaxed body stretches.

Everything stretching takes time. It’s better to begin slowly. Injuries take time to heal. Consistency is the key.

I integrate lunges into my morning practice. I don’t want to miss them.

To stretch the hip flexor is rather challenging for me. I cannot hold the position for 5 minutes. Not yet. The pose is improving. My back bending profits from this work.

Today we have the 1st of July, the fist half of the year 2021 is over. Back bending will remain my focus in the next 6 months.

I appreciate that I can practice again with intensity. Last month I only missed one practice on a Sunday. In total I was more than 40 hours on the mat in June. I’m glad that I was so consequent.

Be patient and work on your goals consistently.

Back bending

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Kapotasana, June 2021

Kapotasana, June 2021

I do so many additional exercises that I forget sometimes the pose for which I’m doing all the stretching. Every back bending asana is a bit different. They have also much in common. They stretch the hip flexor. The shoulders get stretched. The entire body shall lengthened. This can be done with the breath and the muscles. It’s important to create room. The bow shall not be compressed, but wide and relaxed.

It’s better to bow backwards correctly than to force the body to reach the feet with the hands. Good to know the goal, but during the practice I aim for a correct movement. This helps to prevent injuries as well.

To get out of an asana is another challenge. Strong legs are required, strong bandhas, too.

Stretching can be done more than once a day. It’s even supportive to add additional training. Not always I’ve the energy to add another yoga or stretching session, but sometimes. It can make a difference.

To practice once a day is absolutely perfect.

This morning I woke up at 5 am. I also got up and enjoyed the early morning hour. Early I was on my mat. I remembered the two years in my life when I started my practice every day at 6 am. This felt wonderful. I want to get back to an early practice. This would give me a lot of time for other necessary activities. This would mean less stress.

We all have to manage our time. It seems to slip through the fingers. If one wants to achieve anything it’s good advice to monitor where the time goes. There are many distractions these days.

I was so joyful that I was so early on the mat. I hit a wall today. I felt stiff, weak. I tried to find out my boundaries for today. I breathed deeply. It’s nonsense to project the past into the future. Yesterday was good, today I practiced slowly and modest. I’m curious how I’ll feel tomorrow.

Keep practicing. This is what counts more than the performance.

Sleeping pill for yogis

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Lucas from Yogabody calls this asana noodle pose. I learned it in the gravity training lately. Feet and arms hang in the air. This position shall be held for five minutes. This is doable. It’s important to have a soft and thick cushion on the chair or step or ladder or whatever one uses. The height is important as the limbs shall be in the air at least in the beginning. The issue is to get out of the pose. I move my feet slowly to the floor. If one can get into a position, it’s also possible to get out of it. This thought helps. This asana helps to get tired, but I wouldn’t like to stay in this position overnight.

It’s crazy, but it’s true. After this intensive back banding I got tired. As soon as I was in bed, I slept. Deeply. I cannot even remember my last thoughts. To get from day dreaming to night dreaming happened so fast.

I never ever took a sleeping pill in my entire life. But now I’ve found my new sleeping pill. Just in case.

It also works with forward bending positions. Today I held navasana for 5 minutes. Firstly I tried out several variations. Most comfortable was to habe the arms stretched towards the feet. I relaxed and breathed deeply. Very soon I got tired.

I think the trick is to find a position that allows to relax. Deep breathing is important and to stay for a while. Five minutes seems to be a good time span.

As always: Take care when trying something new.

To fall asleep is doable.

But how to wake up?

A simple life

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My passion for practicing Ashtanga yoga only allows to live a simple life. My priority in the morning is my yoga practice. Nothing else. Then comes the rest, whatever this is.

It’s so important to focus. Otherwise one is pulled in so many different directions.

Also next week I’ll focus on back bending. Yesterday night I couldn’t fall asleep. I thought of all the back bending asanas. There are so many variations. I got up and checked the book by Matthew Sweeny. I so wanted to know what are the back bending asanas of the Advanced A and B series. I forgot them. Some asanas will be impossible for me. Others are very interesting. I practice them already. What I’ve not yet tried is eka pada kapotasana. Elbow bridge is a great variation of the classic bridge. It stretches the upper body, but is easier to hold.

Even when I focus on back bending there are so many different asanas to practice and to explore that I have to make choices. One asana at a time. One breath at a time. One task at a time.

We all have 24 hours. We all need to sleep.

I wish everybody an intensive weekend.

Every day back bending

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Kapotasana, August 2020

Kapotasana, August 2020

I’m happy with my schedule. 5 times a week I practice second series. Back bending asanas are almost the first asanas of the middle part of the second series. I still feel fresh and not exhausted at that time, after perhaps 30 minute of practicing. I feel strong enough to hold the asanas and I feel strong enough to repeat asanas. Some additional exercises develop strength, others. flexibility. I can feel how I progress. I take care that I move correctly. Tiny awkward movements and my SI joint is complaining.

When I’m in the above position I don’t try to push my hands against the wall to get out of the pose. The legs shall do the work. I move the hands away from the wall only a tiny bit and then I move the hips forward. It will become more challenging the deeper I can get into the pose. Repetition helps me to get deeper into the pose. But I also want to get out of it, the same way I got into the pose. The vinyasa are another chapter.

Challenges are learning opportunities.

One learns to understand the body.

Yet it’s also on opportunity to develop discipline and stamina.

I’m looking forward to tomorrow.

Dhanurasana

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Dhanurasana, August 2020

Dhanurasana, August 2020

In order to deepen my understanding of any asana I wonder what would be an easier version of a position and what would be a more challenging position. I learn about variations. I also wonder if props make sense and if yes, which ones.

To hold an asana longer than 5 breaths makes it more challenging. It allows to understand the challenge. Does one need stamina? Is it a strength pose? Does stretching discomfort make the asana challenging?

Dhanurasana requires strength. To lift the legs means that one fights against gravity. The arms support the movement. Nevertheless I saw yogis struggle to hold this pose in yoga classes. Gravity is a strong force.

For dhanurasana it can be supportive to pose a block under the rib case. This makes it easier to move the legs backwards. This stretches the upper body and deepens the asana.

In Sivananda Yoga they swing forward and backward. It’s a dynamic movement that is funny and allows to get deeper into that pose. The breath helps to swing. Up to 15 times one can swing forwards and backwards.

Dhanurasana, August 2020

Dhanurasana, August 2020

Eka pada dhanurasana is another variation. Only one leg is held. The other one remains straight on the floor.

This pose looks so much better, when the feet are pointed. I like lines, curves. These 90 degree angles stop the flow of the energy. This is why I also think it looks more harmonious if the neck and head are in line with the spine. To have a bend at the neck is not necessary. Why should this be done?

This pose aims rather to train the muscles of the back. The upper body get stretched. The shoulders move backwards. The general movement is upwards. This back bending asana is reachable for beginners.

I missed the Friday practice. Saturday is my day off from Ashtanga. I’ll probably do gravity training tonight to start a tiny bit more prepared. A missed practice is a missed opportunity. I doesn’t make sense to practice the other day 4 hours. Only today counts.

Sometimes I think that these missed practices are good for my body. I get other things done, which means less stress and my body has more time to relax.. This is important for bodies that are many decades on that globe. 🌍 I aim for 6 practices a week, but three practices are also OK.

Salabhasana

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Salabhasana A, August 2020

Salabhasana A, August 2020

Salabhasana B, August 2020

Salabhasana B, August 2020

Salabhasana is the first back bending asana of the second Ashtanga series. For me it became an important asana: It’s an asana that requires strength. Gravity holds the feet and upper body on the floor. The muscles of the back side of the body can overcome this force.

But first a story:

When my back felt better again I started practicing second series again. I lied on my abdomen, ready for salabhasana. I couldn’t lift my feet at all. There was no connection to body. First I laughed. Then I gave the order: lift, lift. Nothing moved. Exactly that’s the feeling of paralyzed people I thought. I don’t know of course. What to do? I moved my hands under my thighs and supported the movement. Finally my legs could lift. The feeling what to do came back. From that moment on I knew how important this asana is. Having strong back muscles also protects from injuries. All joints are safer when strong muscles surround them.

When I practice salabhasana these days I always add extra asanas:

  1. I usually start with a dynamic exercise. I swing one leg upwards up to 10 times, sometimes also only 5 times. After each time I change sides. I do three sets.

  2. Then I do the exercise with both legs which is much more difficult. Often I only manage it to lift the legs 5 times. Here too, I have a dynamic phase and a static phase. The static phase means that I lift the legs and hold the position as long as possible. Of course it’s possible to use a timer.

  3. Then do some exercises for the upper body. I start with the dynamic exercise and finish with the static exercise. The hand position in picture 3 is rather easy. The arms pull me up so to say.

  4. The arm position in picture makes this variation rather challenging. The elbows shall move backwards. I start with a dynamic exercise. Then I try to hold this variation.

After these exercises salabhasana A and B are much better. I use my hands to support my legs. Yet it’s rather an impulse than a support.

Some yogini through their heads back. My neck is not that flexible. I also think that the form of a banana looks more harmonious. To have a steep curve at the neck looks not very natural. But we all have different bodies.

There are so many variations. Enjoy the ride. Work on a strong back to avoid injuries.

Salabhasana variation, August 2020

Salabhasana variation, August 2020

How to continue?

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August already.

In August I’ll practice second series again, every morning, except on Fridays. Fridays are for primary. I got stronger, I think it’s good to focus on back bending much more than I did by now. Once a week primary is enough.In the last months I altered primary and second series. Second series has a lot of forward bending asanas as well. Only the vinyasa of primary get neglected. I realized that I don’t progress when I repeat the vinyasa without adding strength training. Strength training can be done in an extra session. To repeat the same ineffective exercises again and again makes no sense.

As preparation for today I did the gravity training, that I bought at @yogabody. Hangman especially stretches my shoulders and upper body. Usually progress comes so slowly that I don’t realize it. Yet since I practice hangman three times a week in the evening I realize how easier back bending is.

What is hangman?

I use the video by Lucas, who leads me through the five minutes. At first the stretching pain seemed unbearable. This changed quickly. Nevertheless stamina is necessary to hold this pose. I’m willing to do a lot for a nice deep back bending. Stretching takes time. To go from one position to the next is avoiding the work.

Have a good start……

Urdhva dhanurasana

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Great. I did it.

Today was my back bending day. I usually start with the second Ashtanga Yoga series on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. I add asanas that I consider as supportive. For instance do I add the splits before ustrasana. Today I stretched also the upper body. Usually I practice urdhva dhanurasana against a wall. I hold it for one minute. These tiny variations make it easy to repeat the pose. Repetition is so important. Often the back bending asanas take so much time that I don’t have the time to do all the poses of the second series. I usually add twists and one or two forwardbending asanas. A longer or shorter closing sequence finishes my practice. Tomorrow I’ll work on forward bending asanas and vinyasa again.

The floor on the picture tells me that my hands couldn’t walk closer to the feet since I took pictures the last time. The pose looks like a few weeks back. This is OK, because practicing this pose is already an accomplishment. The pictures are so similar, that I wonder what is different. This time I had put my T-shirt into my pants to prevent it from sliding. I used the black yoga mat as it is thicker and softer.

Twists and back bending asanas

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Twist, July 2020

Twist, July 2020

The twists support back bending asanas. They can serve as a warm up for back bending. The twists open the upper body and move one shoulder after the other backwards. I got a feeling for the shoulder blades. They can actively support the process of twisting and bending backwards. The above asana is in addition a balancing challenge. Next challenge could be to lift the stretched leg. There is always another fancy variation. This keeps the practice lively and interesting. One must learn to be content with what is, even though there could be always more. The status quo is that something could be always better. It’s important to find highlights in the practice. To practice is alway the first accomplishment.

Today my yoga week began with second series, that is the focus was back bending. Two hours were over so quickly. I could stick to my plan. I held urdhva dhanurasana for over one minute. One minute can be rather long.

My timer allows to set intervals. This could be useful for poses that one wants to hold for five minutes for instance. To hear every minute a sound helps to be committed. One more minute is doable, five minutes sound so incredible long.

Difficulties to perform an asana are an opportunity to deepen the understanding of this asana. One learns to be patient, one learns to develop a plan, one learns to stay committed despite the stones on the path.

Time to cook. I’ll prepare eggplants with Basmati rice for us today. I’ve even a fresh water melon in the fridge. It could be our healthy dessert.

I wish my readers an awesome start in the new week.