February Yoga Fun

I've decided that for the month of February, I'm going to focus my home practice on the Astanga Primary Series. The idea started out as "I'm going to do the Primary Series every day", but I quickly realized that going to 2-3 classes per week, and having one 'nothing' day each week, didn't lend itself to daily Primary. So I am going to go to my regular classes, with some additions, and do the Primary Series as my home practice on the other days of the week. I will leave Saturday as my 'nothing' day as is done in Astanga tradition.

Oh yeah, and I'm going to try and blog about it. Every day.

Two of my favorite blogs are The Reluctant Ashtangi and Yogic Muse; Kaivalya over at TRA blogs almost daily about her practice, which focuses on Ashtanga yoga, but is almost entirely technical in nature about the practice. Brooks at Yogic Muse is always sharing fantastic inquiries into the philosophy and principles of yoga, and they are incredibly insightful and thought provoking.

I'm going for a little of both. I don't see anywhere in my yoga practice where the physical asana and the theory and philosophy don't overlap. And for me, neither is adequate on its own. Asana would be monotonous and boring without the theory, and the theory would be heavy and inapplicable to my personal experience without the asana. I also happen to be in the process of this very huge and deep inquiry into yoga and is meaning for me, and a lot of other related ideas, and so my brain is going to have a lot to chew on over the next few weeks. I think this combined with the process of Primary Series will be a brilliant combination.

I'm starting out with just my pocket guide to PS, which is 7 or 8 sheets of paper with the sequences in order, noting vinyasas. Very bare bones, but it points out some modifications/advancements, and is pretty easy to follow. I've also ordered David Swenson's guide to Astanga which is much more detailed, so in a few days I will get to use that.

I haven't practiced the Primary Series in awhile (not since early December) because of sickness and business and other things. My last practice with it made it to Marichi's twists, and then I jumped to Savasana. The 90 minute practice is vigorous, and it takes a lot of discipline to make it all the way through on your own. In this way it will also be a practice in Tapas.

Eventually I'd like to make PS a morning practice, and rise with the sun to do it before I start my day. As spring comes that will be a more likely prospect, but morning yoga is a huge challenge for me because it stirs up all sorts of anger and frustration and general grouchiness! That tapas needs to be saved for another month :)