Self Practice

Pranayama! It could not come at a more appropriate time for me in my Yoga practice. It is helping me understand the purpose of my Yoga practice. Practicing asanas and pranayama is an exciting journey, as I have set out with a sense of Self-discovery. In not knowing exactly why (or leaving this question open-ended) I have allowed myself to exercise some old thoughts, prejudices, and ideas out of my system. Like sitting meditation, this practice resists definition. It is the Self. It is Life, the rippling of mind, time, and space.

Rechaka Kumbhaka: Emptiness. I feel a sense of non-abiding. Yet also there is a sense of immediateness and connectedness. There are no boundaries.

Puraka Kumbhaka: Form. The energy running through my body is tangibly present, pulsating even. It feels useful. As if, given the opportunity to learn, I could manipulate it to reach a great inner resevoir of strength.

I am backing away from my asana practice for a few days to let my body and mind heal. I will take my rest time actively (running, gently stretching, working on core muscles). I think this is not only a good idea physically, but also mentally. I start classes on tuesday and I need to be fresh and ready to dedicate myself to my studies. Also I am really looking forward to having access to the swimming pool on campus. I plan to build up to swimming a mile (32 laps of the 50m pool) regularly. I think this will be a great opportunity to build lean upper body mass as well as condition and regulate breathing/lung capacity and generally get myself back into cardiovascular shape. I will continue with my pranayama practice everyday (the first two sequences now take me 30 minutes to complete).

Peace,
Andy