Before Yoga found me and took a hold of me Sundays meant this: a lazy lie-in, followed by a cooked breakfast (with lots of bacon!), an afternoon nap, and then a slightly miserable evening involving alcohol in an abortive attempt to avoid thoughts of work the following morning.
OK, so this is a slight exaggeration or simplification, but it was often a day squandered in seemingly relaxing/restorative things (like eating and sleeping), but I doubt it was doing me much good really. It wasn’t actually very nourishing in the way I now understand the word.
In any case it’s a big contrast with today, a day that seems to have become an all-day Yoga-fest:
- I walked to class this morning in the beautiful sunshine, being aware of colours and textures I saw around me (a kind of mindfulness practice)
- At the studio my teacher good-humouredly allowed me to quiz him on current thoughts and obsessions before class
2 hour vinyasa class which was hilarious for various contingent reasons and allowed me to enjoy a pretty superficial practice — which was what I wanted after some highs and lows recently that have spooked me a bit (my tip: avoid backbends if you’re feeling a bit emotionally vulnerable. It only ends in tears!)- Hubby met me from his class and we went for Greek coffee (and baklava, of course!), comparing notes about our respective classes: me wondering if I’ll ever be able to do Aṣṭāvakrāsana, him excited about exploring variations of Paścimottānāsana with curved or flat back.
- After lunch at home I’m onto my Sanskrit homework. Hilarious sentences with my teacher trying to find ways of using three or more cases but only limited vocabulary. “The father strikes the boy from the chariot with his sword” 🙂
- Before dinner I still need to figure out what to teach my friend who’s coming over tomorrow after work to do some yoga with me. Do I need to get back on the mat for this, or can I just do it on paper?
- And before I go to bed I would like to dip into a bit of my pre-TT reading which I’m not getting to as often as I’d like. Every time I start reading I get too interested and wander off looking up stuff and following references into Patañjali!
So in all this there’s no longer any inclination for a greasy fry-up and no time (or need) for an afternoon nap. I just hope I’m not becoming a yoga bore. Maybe I need to get out more! But first I need to finish my Sanskrit sentences…
Hope you’ve had a good weekend! x
babycrowyoga 
That sounds like an exciting Sunday! Good to hear the bounce in your post.
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Thanks Sonia. Glad to feel more bouncy today. And it’s not just the coffee and sugar I think! x
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Any advice for someone who has never tried yoga before but would like to take the first tentative steps in the comfort of their own home? Book? YouTube video? Your Sundays sound much more productive than mine!
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Hi Aidan, well I guess it depends on personal preference. I hate video instruction but many others totally swear by that, and that’s all they use. If you’re worried about quality of teaching on youtube, there are also some subscription sites with yoga videos at different levels (like yogaglo, ekhardt yoga). books can be great too if you like to digest the theory and then try it out — but you have to get on the mat at some point! Or be brave and find a class locally and have a chat to the teacher. I reckon it’s less daunting than you think! Mail me (details on about page) if you’d like more suggestions or advice! happy to! But you have to tell me how you get on 🙂 bc x
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Brilliant advice. Thanks so much 🙂
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…but I still want to hear how you get on!! This Sunday???
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Deal 🙂
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