I started yoga at age 50. It was an eye opener. As a martial artist, I've been beaten to a pulp before but my first power yoga session was a killer. The actual session was amazing and my wife told me to perform the relaxation yoga session take a long hot bath before going to bed.
I totally forgot and woke up the next morning acutely aware of muscles I did not knew I had. My major muscle groups felt the way they did after an intense strength training session, the smaller muscles were screaming. I was surprised to find that my normally aching back was fine. That morning when I got up, there was one area of pain missing from my body. The usual lower back pain that I've experienced over the years was not present.
These days I've become more proficient in yoga and enjoy a variety of postures and styles. Like martial arts, yoga works best when we focus on the basics. By continually working on the essentials, we master them and like driving a car, we begin to separate the physical actions from our mental task list.
Most experienced drivers let their bodies handle the details of driving and can listen to the radio without worry or danger of crashing. The same is true of yoga practitioners who become experienced in poses and postures. This is essential for getting past the physical stage of yoga and developing the mental stage.
I made this discovery when I realized one day that my lower back muscles which were always adversely affected by my bad left hip no longer ached from sitting or standing for long periods. I first attributed it to the prolonged stretching from my yoga sessions. When I mentioned this to another more experienced practitioner, she asked me about my stress level. I told her that I was noticeably less stressed since I started regular yoga sessions and even more so when I became proficient in the breathing exercises.
Yoga practice separates the mastery of the body, mind and emotions. Each area gets a workout in yoga; each is offered its own focus for development. This is one reason why sticking to the development of the basics is so important. The spiritual aspects of yoga came to me after I was able to experience the physical forms and relegate their actions to my muscle memory. Only then was I able to effectively move on to the mental and spiritual aspects of yoga.
As a westerner, I tend to favor the simple names for the poses and one of my favorites is the triangle pose or trikonasana. This pose seems easy when you look at it but you can work the entire body with this pose when executed correctly.
This pose requires balance, flexibility and proper breathing. Start by exhaling, and then raise your arms to about shoulder level. Relax your shoulders and pretend that you are standing against a wall. You can actually practice this pose against a wall to get it right. Turn your palms downward and stretch your fingers.
As you breathe out, move your feet about three and a half feet apart and turn your right foot at a 90 degree angle to your left foot. Your right foot's heel should be in line with your left foot's instep. Be sure to maintain proper balance throughout this pose.
Now maintain your posture as you open your hips and begin to bend from the waist to the right. As you bend toward the right foot, keep your back flat as if you were against a wall. Control your breathing as you go down. Your eyes are focused on the fingers of your left hand. Keep your neck and head in line with your spine. You are now looking up and breathing in a deep steady rhythm as you extend your spine.
You don't need to touch the floor from this position. As a beginner, you simply want to develop form and posture. At this point your hips are tilted and open but you are still flat. Your right hand can touch the lowest point on your knee or shin. Don't over do it at this time. You can explore this pose and increase its difficulty later.
Relax into the pose and breathe evenly. Explore the posture and pay attention to your form. Exhale as you come up and slowly take your center position. Reverse the pose and do it from the left side. Do this pose three or four times in each side.
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