What's Your Practice Like?

Yoga Discussion General Yoga
#1

Hey, everybody, here’s something that might be fun to discuss. What’s your practice like?

Where do you practice?
When? How often? For how long?
What style, or what’s it like?
What’s your favorite pose?
What do you struggle with?

For me:
I practice 3-4 times a week at home in my family room. It’s usually in the morning, for about 20-30 minutes. Sometimes I follow a program from Yogadownload.com or Inhale (on TV) and sometimes I just do my own thing. Usually it’s vinyasa flow, or if I’ve got time, I do most of the primary series.

I think my favorite pose is either Pigeon or good old Down Dog. They just feel good. I struggle with stamina and finding time to practice.

Your turn! :grin:

#2

What I have learned is that the more I practice the more I want to practice. Following link is to article about frequency of yoga practice and what you can expect -

How Often Should You Practice? Om Shanti: A Yoga Blog

#3

Timatlanta - thank you for posting that link. I forgot all about that blog until you posted it - I love his stories.

Now – my practice? I try to practice all day by being aware, conscious and kind in every moment. Asana? I do a few poses every day when I have a heavy schedule; when I don’t - I practice for an hour every day of the week if I possible. If I only have time for a few - I behave in an Iyengar mindset. If I have 60 minutes free, I practice a home-made vinyasa flow. If I have all day - I can spend hours moving from one pose to the next. Thats my favorite. I sometimes practice on a mat, before a shower, outside, behind the locked door in the restroom at work…
My favorite pose is chakrasana. If used to be my ‘unicorn’ but one day, not even practicing asana (just laying on the floor with a book), I spontaneously and fluidly entered it with a peaceful mind.

My biggest struggle - getting over the fact that I can’t have a perfect practice, perfect life and perfect mind. I make mistakes, I’m not as dedicated as I wish i was. Patience is a virtue. Asana? Any weight bearing poses on the wrists. This 70 hour a week desk job has beat them to death.

#4

I practice five-six times a week for 1.5-2 hours at my studio in Boston. When I take a led class it’s vinyasa flow and some teachers are very Forrest-esque. When I am in open practice I usually do primary series.

My favorite pose is always changing. Right now it’s probably Visvamitrasana II.

Right now I’m struggling with my foot staying behind my head without the help of my hand! :lol:

#5

I practice at least once a day every day. My practice is solitary i.e. not in a class.
I also practice in the evening with my wife if she is willing and able.
To me not practicing my asanas is like leaving out an important part of the morning, so the only time it is skipped is when I am unwell.

If you have a cold or are unwell ? do you skip?

#6

When I’m not feeling well, I don’t go to class. I usually just do some supine postures to keep my body open. No need to spread my sick germs!

#7

Where do you practice?

at home, mostly on my bed since it provides space, cushion and a wall that I like to use.

When? How often? For how long?

Morning: 20 minutes to a half hour before shower and work.

Evening, throughout night or just before bed, 20 - 30 minutes

What style, or what’s it like?

Gentle, probably closest to yin yoga, but pretty much any basic to intermediate pose I can get into.

What’s your favorite pose?

I have a few tied in first:

down dog: for flexibility. I’m proud to announce, I’m doing down dog with more flexibility than ever before.

wall shoulder stand: for strength and as a comfortable bridge pose where I can really get my arms under my back

goddess: when I’m watching tv

heart opening stretch with pillow under back for meditation

on my back extended mountain pose when i want to loosen up. alternating arms and legs.

climbing locust on the wall, after sphrinx, cobra, flying locust sequence

anything that twists

cat and dog

What do you struggle with?

I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to do a plow or anything involving standing on my head. I just don’t know if I have the neck strength for it, it’s never really been tested. I might be able to do a rabbit at the most.

#8

[quote=geekyMary;12258]Hey, everybody, here’s something that might be fun to discuss. What’s your practice like?

Where do you practice?
When? How often? For how long?
What style, or what’s it like?
What’s your favorite pose?
What do you struggle with?

Your turn! :grin:[/quote]

4x times a week, at work - lunchtime (45min to 1 hr) 1x+ on Friday, 1.5 hrs, at local studio (and other days when a restorative practice pops up on the studio schedule).
my personal practice varies on poses and progress based on what I feel like doing - always some easy ‘gettin-into-it’ starts and then I move from one to another, payin attention to balance one pose with something opposing soon after, and making sure I go thru the entire body.
Style? not structured so some form of anusara ???
I take my lead from my Friday teacher, who’s class I’ve attended since a year ago.
She comes to her class with clear ideas of what she’d like to emphasis in that day’s practice and builds around that. In over a year I’ve yet to feel she’s rehashed anything. Her creativity and repertoire is astounding!
And yet she does it in a way everyone can at least ‘try’ a pose.
Her’s is called ‘slow flow’ and is level 1-2. However there is no one who does her class who doesn’t feel extremely challenged in doing it. Poses are held for long periods and she always focuses on integrating to breath.

I have no favorite asana, they all have their challenges and all are joyful when I’m able to relax into it.
Because of current shoulder structural challenges, I have to stay away from anything which puts weight stress on the shoulders when the arms are aligned with the spine (as with overhead-inverted poses).
Dolphin is about as much as I can do in that vein.
Extended or extreme Back bending, such as wheel, are double trouble due to the shoulder issue AND three herniated discs along with some significant compression of many of the remaing discs.
backward bends are good (bridge) as long as I don;t take beyond a moderate point.
Otherwise they’re all good.
I struggle with maintaining my inner focus and breath control when the goin gets difficult.
I luv the 30 minutes of quiet, reflective time after a practice.

#9

Every day in the mornings for varying lengths of time (depending on how early I manage to get out of bed!) Always chakras, pranayama and mediatation for 30 minutes and some gentle hatha asanas if time. Asanas in the evening 3-4 times a week for 30 minutes to 1.5 hours depending on time and inclination. Mostly at home, and once a week with a private yoga therapist (do to injury can’t do regular class at the mo).
Favourite poses - tree pose for the feeling of peace, chakrasana for the physical joy and hanumanasana (split) for being so challenging and so great! I can only do it on one side … working on getting all the way down on the other. Once my teacher said when we had entered the pose - ‘notice how fast your thought have become, control your mind’ - and she was right! I like the energy this difficult pose brings and developing the ability to bring it under control.

#10

Wow, that’s so cool that you’re getting that level of support! I can’t imagine a teacher saying something like that in one of my classes.

Maybe I just need different classes. But I’m out in the boonies, so I have to take what I can get. :slight_smile:

Yay you for doing Hanumanasana!