Guest guest Posted December 27, 2004 Report Share Posted December 27, 2004 Yeah man, yoga in the AM is more difficult. Try taking a hot shower or short hot bath before practicing! BKS Iyengar highly reccomends this! You will not experience flexibility like later in the day, but it does help to wake up the mind and body a bit. Also, the more resistence that you feel in the morning is a great circumstance for practice. Really, the resistence, both mental and physical, is what yoga is geared towards diminishing! Your stiffness is really why yoga exists, on one level! So, don't fret...it is totally natural. Morning practice is tough, huh? Peace and good luck, Andrew >charlierom2003 <no_reply> >ashtanga yoga >ashtanga yoga >ashtanga yoga Morning stiffness >Sun, 26 Dec 2004 19:02:51 -0000 > > > >I'm a 46 year old guy and have been practicing ashtanga for a couple >of years, usually 2 or 3 times/week. I'm not particularly flexible >(but very strong) with a background in weightlifting and football, >and have been progressing well and really love the practice. Up >untill recently my schedule was such that I practiced in the >evening. Now I can practice first thing in the morning, which I've >always wanted to do, and understand that this is a more recommended >practice time. My question is, I am so very stiff first thing in >the AM that my practice really seems to be suffering, by the time >I'm done with standing postures I feel depleted from trying to >overcome siffness particularly lower back. I'm thinking what maybe >I need to do is just respect that I am less flexible in the AM, not >fight it but work and breath into it, and perhaps over time I will >adjust to AM practice. Or perhaps there is a bit of pre-sun >salutation stretching that I should do? Just trolling for any >related tips or insights, thanks all! > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 28, 2004 Report Share Posted December 28, 2004 Hello Charlie My experience is that practicing in the morning seems harder but over time it will help a lot and you will understand the reasons. If you practice for months in the morning and then you practice in the afternoon, you will see that the afternoon practice seems to go "deeper". But it is because of the consistency of the morning pratice. One should not be caught on how far you going on the asana but one should be focus on practicing daily (i.e 5-6 days a week) and also focus on where you can safely iprove and get progress without procastination. Reinaldo --- charlierom2003 <no_reply> wrote: > > > I'm a 46 year old guy and have been practicing > ashtanga for a couple > of years, usually 2 or 3 times/week. I'm not > particularly flexible > (but very strong) with a background in weightlifting > and football, > and have been progressing well and really love the > practice. Up > untill recently my schedule was such that I > practiced in the > evening. Now I can practice first thing in the > morning, which I've > always wanted to do, and understand that this is a > more recommended > practice time. My question is, I am so very stiff > first thing in > the AM that my practice really seems to be > suffering, by the time > I'm done with standing postures I feel depleted from > trying to > overcome siffness particularly lower back. I'm > thinking what maybe > I need to do is just respect that I am less flexible > in the AM, not > fight it but work and breath into it, and perhaps > over time I will > adjust to AM practice. Or perhaps there is a bit of > pre-sun > salutation stretching that I should do? Just > trolling for any > related tips or insights, thanks all! > > > > > > > Send holiday email and support a worthy cause. Do good. http://celebrity.mail. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 28, 2004 Report Share Posted December 28, 2004 Hey Charlie! Some warm up stretches for the back are definitely a thing I would suggest. The forward bends (Utanasana) in the sun salutations alone can be quite a strain for the lower back, especially when cold. Just remember those "Hammies" are connected to the ischeal tuberosities, and if they wont stretch, your pelvis will not pivot, thereby straining the lower back. So gently warm them up, and remember Udhiana Bhanda should be engaged and doing the work, not your low back. Try warming up your room....I practice in a small 8X10 room, that I heat up w/ a space heater for A.M. practices. I'm 48. Good Luck! Joey charlierom2003 <no_reply> wrote: I'm a 46 year old guy and have been practicing ashtanga for a couple of years, usually 2 or 3 times/week. I'm not particularly flexible (but very strong) with a background in weightlifting and football, and have been progressing well and really love the practice. Up untill recently my schedule was such that I practiced in the evening. Now I can practice first thing in the morning, which I've always wanted to do, and understand that this is a more recommended practice time. My question is, I am so very stiff first thing in the AM that my practice really seems to be suffering, by the time I'm done with standing postures I feel depleted from trying to overcome siffness particularly lower back. I'm thinking what maybe I need to do is just respect that I am less flexible in the AM, not fight it but work and breath into it, and perhaps over time I will adjust to AM practice. Or perhaps there is a bit of pre-sun salutation stretching that I should do? Just trolling for any related tips or insights, thanks all! ashtanga yoga Joey Manuel 1206 E. Palm Valley Blvd. Round Rock, TX 78664 512-716-0046 www.yogaforliferr.com A Sanctuary for the Mind, Body, and Spirit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 30, 2004 Report Share Posted December 30, 2004 hey charlie, being 46 i understand completely the morning stiffness and when my teacher informed us the shala was switching to morning practice, I was concerned because I knew that the morning was difficult. A very hot shower before practice has helped immensely, as well as certain pranayama (kriya) which can only be learned from a trained and very understanding teacher. This will help generate the heat necessary to enjoy practice while the sun is rising, and it is a truly wonderful time of day to practice, it just takes a little extra patience.... be well --- joey manuel <joey wrote: > > Hey Charlie! > Some warm up stretches for the back are > definitely a thing I would suggest. The forward > bends (Utanasana) in the sun salutations alone can > be quite a strain for the lower back, especially > when cold. Just remember those "Hammies" are > connected to the ischeal tuberosities, and if they > wont stretch, your pelvis will not pivot, thereby > straining the lower back. So gently warm them up, > and remember Udhiana Bhanda should be engaged and > doing the work, not your low back. Try warming up > your room....I practice in a small 8X10 room, that I > heat up w/ a space heater for A.M. practices. I'm > 48. Good Luck! Joey > > charlierom2003 <no_reply> wrote: > > > I'm a 46 year old guy and have been practicing > ashtanga for a couple > of years, usually 2 or 3 times/week. I'm not > particularly flexible > (but very strong) with a background in weightlifting > and football, > and have been progressing well and really love the > practice. Up > untill recently my schedule was such that I > practiced in the > evening. Now I can practice first thing in the > morning, which I've > always wanted to do, and understand that this is a > more recommended > practice time. My question is, I am so very stiff > first thing in > the AM that my practice really seems to be > suffering, by the time > I'm done with standing postures I feel depleted from > trying to > overcome siffness particularly lower back. I'm > thinking what maybe > I need to do is just respect that I am less flexible > in the AM, not > fight it but work and breath into it, and perhaps > over time I will > adjust to AM practice. Or perhaps there is a bit of > pre-sun > salutation stretching that I should do? Just > trolling for any > related tips or insights, thanks all! > Sponsor > > > > Links > > > > > > ashtanga yoga > > Your use of is subject to the > > > > > Joey Manuel > 1206 E. Palm Valley Blvd. > Round Rock, TX 78664 > 512-716-0046 > > www.yogaforliferr.com > A Sanctuary for the Mind, Body, and Spirit. > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been > removed] > > > > > All your favorites on one personal page – Try My Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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