तपः स्वाध्याय इस्वरप्रनिधनानि क्रियायोगः
2.1 tapah svadhyaya Isvarapranidhanani kriyayogah
Burning zeal in practice, self-study and study of scriptures, and surrender to God are the acts of yoga.
For Patanjali, the practice of yoga is the 'yoga of action', kriya yoga, composed of tapas, self-discipline, svadhyaya, self study and Isvara pranidhana, surrender to God.
Just like we all have certain methods and habits with everyday tasks, we also allow ourselves to have habits of comfort in yoga practice.
Do you practice the same poses, the same way, in the same order in the same place most of the time? Change terrifies us, but improvement cannot happen without change.
When you attend class, do you always place your mat on the same side of the room, always more to the front or back? Try simply setting your mat up on the other side of the room. Change can be exciting and bring unexpected joy, but only if you allow it to.
Do you practice only poses that you think come easily?
Padmasana would not be so difficult if you practiced it more often.
Kicking up into a handstand would not be so difficult if you took 10 minutes each day to practice kicking up 7 or 8 times.
Don't like backbends? Make them your best friend. Devote yourself to practicing backbends at least twice a week.
Hamstrings tight? Do Supta Padangusthasana, 6 days a week.
Can't do Chaturanga Dandasana? Every morning, work on the pose for 5 minutes.
When you regularly practice the poses that you say you cannot do, that you 'don't like', an amazing thing begins to happen. You get stronger, the poses become fuller and you actually begin to enjoy them, as well as enjoying the process of bettering yourself.
When I first began Iyengar yoga, I could not do Salamba Sarvangasana (shoulderstand) and most backbends. The actions of the poses eluded me. Having grown up on a farm and doing heavy manual labor most of my life, my upper body was bound up and stiff.
I began a morning routine that involved pushing up in to Urdhva Dhanurasana 20 times and holding Sarvangasana for 10 minutes. For weeks my lower back and shoulders screamed at me. I did not blindly push through these poses. I did them trying to accomplish the actions that my teachers taught me. My elbows flew out in my backbend, each time I pushed up, I worked on keeping them in. When I got too tired, I would take a one or two minute break before continuing.
Eventually, I was able to keep my elbows in when doing Urdhva Dhanurasana, and lift my lower back off of my hands in shoulderstand. It took time and hard pain staking work, but I love those poses now.
Adho Mukha Virasana
Dandasana- actually do this pose!
Paripurna Navasana- 5x
Chaturanganga Dandasana- 5x
Adho Mukha Svanasana-time yourself, go for 4 minutes or 2x at 2 minutes each
Uttanasana
Adho Mukha Vrksasana- 6x
Uttanasana- feet together
Utkatasana-hold for 1 minute
Virabhadrasana 1 into Virabhadrasana 3- 2x each side, be sure to actually do Virabhadrasana 1 before moving into Virabhadrasana 3
Sirsasana- Eka Pada Sirsasana- do the varation 2x
Makrasana-3x
Urdhva Mukha Svanasana- 3x
Bhoujangasana- 3x
Bhekasana- Yes! Bhekasana- 2x
Parsva Dhanurasana- 2x each side
Ustrasana
Chatushpadasana
Salamba Sarvangasana- dropping over into Setu Bandha and coming back up. Try to drop over 10x
Bharadvajasana 1- 2x
Paschimottanasana- supported for 3 minutes
Savasana- do Savasana, turn off the lights or cover your eyes. Try to stay there and settle yourself at least 5 minutes.
