My yoga routine has evolved a lot over the years...
It first really started, as explained in Life Happens, as suggested by my psychologist after a diagnosis with MS (multiple sclerosis). At first is was mostly stretches... deep conscious breathing done in my living room following some DVD I bought... it was weird at first.... to take the time to slow down... I had never done that!I was only 31... who slows down at 31? Slowing down is for old people... but I needed to do it! I really trusted that psychologist and wanted to give it a try... my husband joined me to encourage me...
A few months after that, I started getting books on yoga... to get to know different options... and I got more DVDs... and as I got physically in better shape and managed to restore my sleep I went into Hatha Yoga. This type of yoga is used in America mostly as a physical activity with deep breathing and meditation component and his recognize as a stress reducing discipline - I needed to manage my stress in order to deal with my MS. I register at a studio and it was amazing.... I went there for almost 2 years and then the studio moved to Ontario (3 hours away from where I live). I went back into practicing at home what I had learned.... with some more DVDs... and some books.
Over that period of time, I included into my routine the 5 yamas of Patanjali into my everyday life: Ahimsa (non-violence), Sataya (truthfulness), Asteya (non stealing), Brahmacharya (spiritual advancement) and Aparigraha (non-appropriation). Those yamas changed my life... and while I was still doing my breathing, meditation and asanas they started guiding who I was off the mat! And this is really what yoga is all about... not just a physical exercise... For Ahimsa, I gave up meat... Sataya, I learned to speak the truth always using the appropriate words not to hurt people (back to Ahimsa)... Aparigraha I became a minimalist (why should I own everything? do I really need that much stuff? aren't I taking it away from other people?). I am also, by increasing my meditation practice and by looking into Buddhism, working on Brahmacharya. As for Asteya, I never stole anything really but keeping stuff I do not use is actually stealing from someone who could use it so I ended up decluttering my house!
At one point I needed to go back to a studio... so I started going to a yoga studio own by Yasmin and I got to meet this amazing young yogini... I started practicing Ashtanga yoga... I did that for almost 2 years only to realize that it did not agree with me. I had even started doing my yoga teacher training in Ashtanga and I had to quit because I was getting overwhelmed and physically to a place I did not wanted to go... Let's say that MS was very happy I took up Ashtanga!
I went back to my home practice... which is what I still do for now... It is a mix of Hatha and Ashtanga... with low intensity... and lots of deep breathing, stretching and meditation. Not even sure it has a name... but it works for me...
It goes like this and I do it at 5 am because this is the best time for me!
Start of with deep breathing and alternate nostril breathing as well as kapalabathi breathing.
Some stretches to awake by body - eyes exercises, shoulder, wrists, hips, legs and twist... to awaken myself...
Then I go into some sun salutations... number varies day to day
I then do warrior, triangle, boat, bridge, foward fold and whatever asanas I feel like doing...
More twists
I end up in savasana all the time
It can take anywhere between 30 min to an hour depending on the time I have...
I also modify this routine according to how I feel, the seasons and my hormonal cycle.
This is what suits me now... but I am starting to feel the need to go to a studio... and there is a Sivananda yoga studio close to my place... according to what I was told by a yoga teacher and a dear friend of mine, this is the type of yoga that would be perfect for me... so I will give it a try soon...
In teh mean time I am practicing being a true yogine on and off the mat!!! And it is not always easy... but always very rewarding!!!
namaste,
love and peace,
nath
xox
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