Practice ab 5:30 a.m.

[Guest guest]

Celeste, Dear, you are (my dictionary says)

inexorable/unmerciful, why you're putting the decision on me - bad girl!

A cup of tee as fee. - But, I don't want to bore

the folk with my (our) obstacles, getting up early in

the morning to practice. Dirk is getting up at 5:00

a.m. (good boy, isn't he?), so we beginners will try

it at 5:30 a.m. - next year... No, we can try just

this month, but how many times the week we want to

practice? What do you suggest? Beginning softly once a

week, or monday till friday? It all seems to me like a

great decision, like changing a part of life, but it's

only ashtanga. But, who knows what will come? May be

we'll get other people then. - Lots of words for

nothing, sorry, let's start and try.<br>(Sometimes this

chat seems to me like a great family and it must be

nice to meet all this members in Mysore or elsewhere).

by, Lu

[Guest guest]

Lu, Celeste, and all others who aren't early

birds and are facing the challenge of doing an early

morning practice: I opted not to do it "cold turkey", and

instead incremently started getting up earlier and

earlier. First, I started just consistently practicing at

9am for 6 days a week (for two or three weeks I

think), then jumped down to 7:30 for a month, now I'm at

6am (for the past month). I can't tell you how

invigorated I feel for the rest of the day. I even wake up at

5:45 on Saturdays when I'm not practicing. It's

painful in the wee hours - but that's what makes the

practice so inspiring: knowing that you'll feel so much

better after the sun salutations. Talk about using the

mind over matter (the analogy of muscles as wet cement

was very poignant for me), which hopefully will lead

us to focusing the soul over the mind. <br><br>What

time do I go to bed, Lu? I'm a student, so it depends,

but between 10:30pm and 12:00am. I don't feel sleep

deprived in the least bit. Then again, I only have a small

dog to worry about licking my face in downward facing

dog (sometimes he joins in the poses when he can).

So, I'm not worn out during the day dealing with

family pressures as many practicioners trying to fit a

daily schedule into theirs might be. <br><br>Gabita

[Guest guest]

Excellent advice, Gabita! I shall try starting at

6am (any later, and the kids will "join" me).

<br><br>Lu, I'm thinking 3 days a week would be a good start.

(Read: "I will drag myself out of bed for 1 week, curse

the day I agreed to practice so early, end up

sleeping even LATER than I normally do during weeks 2 and

3, just out-and-out LIE about weeks 4 and 5, try

again week 6, catch a cold week 7...) :oD<br><br>What

the heck, what's a little chest

cold?<br><br>Love,<br><br>Celeste