Guest guest Posted February 1, 2005 Report Share Posted February 1, 2005 In the book meditations on the mat I found a nice picture that brought me back to the mat with a fun attitude and not with a duty attitude. Perhaps it's helpful for you too. "The daily readings that follow are an invitation to get into the canoe of your practice and flow down the river of yoga.You may go deep, into uncharted waters; you will surely encounter challenges and delights along the way. But first you must get into that canoe and let go. .......Get out of the driver's seat for a while and enjoy the scenery. Let the river of yoga take you where it will. If you hit whitewater, stay in the canoe and keep paddling. When you enter calm pools, do the same............Now, go to your mat and push off from the shore. (Page 7/9 Meditations from the mat by Rolf Gates and Katrina Kenison). Have a nice day. Alice sx3tony <sx3tony wrote: I am recovering after a bad bout of depression - something that it would seem my previous Ashtanga practice 'brought out' as so many people have described it. Anyway, after many months 'off the mat' I am feeling (nearly) strong enough to get back into my practice. However, every time I feel the urge to do a session (albeit a very toned down one) I feel this intense fear indise me. Almost as if I am associating the practice with the depressive state I experienced. My initial intentions for starting a practice was to turn my back on a self destructive lifestyle. i was pretty much living the life of an Hedonist really. I mean it wasn't debauched or anything, just not healthy. So out went the smokes. the booze, the women (LOL), and the late nights. Great, I felt fantastic!!! So light, optimistic and in a good way 'proud' of my decision to embark on the path of Ashtanga. Then suddenly I became very concerned about the potential damage I had done to my body in the past...it almost seemed I was in denial. Surely all those cigarettes must have done some damage, all the booze etc.... AGHHHHH! Panic set in and I felt like I couldn't get on the mat as it was almost a reminder of my denial. Sounds odd I know! But short of going for every test under the sun to assure myself that I had a clean bill of health (unreasonable) I couldn't do it anymore. All of this turned into an obsession of sorts and then into a sort of hypochondriac like depression! So here I am all geared up - with the same worries but equally determind that they're not gonna get the better of me! Can you see my concerns? Can anyone help or advise? Thanks! ashtanga yoga Gesendet von Mail - Jetzt mit 250MB kostenlosem Speicher Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 1, 2005 Report Share Posted February 1, 2005 Nice ashtanga yoga, ursula wenzel <uhwenzel2011> wrote: > > In the book meditations on the mat I found a nice picture that brought me back to the mat with a fun attitude and not with a duty attitude. Perhaps it's helpful for you too. "The daily readings that follow are an invitation to get into the canoe of your practice and flow down the river of yoga.You may go deep, into uncharted waters; you will surely encounter challenges and delights along the way. But first you must get into that canoe and let go. .......Get out of the driver's seat for a while and enjoy the scenery. Let the river of yoga take you where it will. If you hit whitewater, stay in the canoe and keep paddling. When you enter calm pools, do the same............Now, go to your mat and push off from the shore. (Page 7/9 Meditations from the mat by Rolf Gates and Katrina Kenison). > > Have a nice day. Alice > > sx3tony <sx3tony> wrote: > > > I am recovering after a bad bout of depression - something that it > would seem my previous Ashtanga practice 'brought out' as so many > people have described it. Anyway, after many months 'off the mat' I am > feeling (nearly) strong enough to get back into my practice. However, > every time I feel the urge to do a session (albeit a very toned down > one) I feel this intense fear indise me. Almost as if I am associating > the practice with the depressive state I experienced. > > My initial intentions for starting a practice was to turn my back on a > self destructive lifestyle. i was pretty much living the life of an > Hedonist really. I mean it wasn't debauched or anything, just not > healthy. So out went the smokes. the booze, the women (LOL), and the > late nights. > > Great, I felt fantastic!!! So light, optimistic and in a good way > 'proud' of my decision to embark on the path of Ashtanga. Then > suddenly I became very concerned about the potential damage I had done > to my body in the past...it almost seemed I was in denial. Surely all > those cigarettes must have done some damage, all the booze etc.... > AGHHHHH! Panic set in and I felt like I couldn't get on the mat as it > was almost a reminder of my denial. > > Sounds odd I know! But short of going for every test under the sun to > assure myself that I had a clean bill of health (unreasonable) I > couldn't do it anymore. All of this turned into an obsession of sorts > and then into a sort of hypochondriac like depression! > > So here I am all geared up - with the same worries but equally > determind that they're not gonna get the better of me! > > Can you see my concerns? > > Can anyone help or advise? > > Thanks! > > > Links > > > > > > ashtanga yoga > > Terms of Service. > > > > > Gesendet von Mail - Jetzt mit 250MB kostenlosem Speicher > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 1, 2005 Report Share Posted February 1, 2005 Dear Tony, Sure, you might have done your body some damage. But remember that you got out of it. That takes a lot of strength and its commendable. Now don't let it stop you here. Just grit up your mind and don't let anything effect you into depression. Life is too short to miss out on all the wonderful things around. Practice with that iron mind and focus it back to just simple breathing. One day, you will not need that mind control and breathing becomes spontaneous. Then you will know that you are on your right path. Gayathri. --- sx3tony <sx3tony wrote: > > > I am recovering after a bad bout of depression - > something that it > would seem my previous Ashtanga practice 'brought > out' as so many > people have described it. Anyway, after many months > 'off the mat' I am > feeling (nearly) strong enough to get back into my > practice. However, > every time I feel the urge to do a session (albeit a > very toned down > one) I feel this intense fear indise me. Almost as > if I am associating > the practice with the depressive state I > experienced. > > My initial intentions for starting a practice was to > turn my back on a > self destructive lifestyle. i was pretty much living > the life of an > Hedonist really. I mean it wasn't debauched or > anything, just not > healthy. So out went the smokes. the booze, the > women (LOL), and the > late nights. > > Great, I felt fantastic!!! So light, optimistic and > in a good way > 'proud' of my decision to embark on the path of > Ashtanga. Then > suddenly I became very concerned about the potential > damage I had done > to my body in the past...it almost seemed I was in > denial. Surely all > those cigarettes must have done some damage, all the > booze etc.... > AGHHHHH! Panic set in and I felt like I couldn't get > on the mat as it > was almost a reminder of my denial. > > Sounds odd I know! But short of going for every test > under the sun to > assure myself that I had a clean bill of health > (unreasonable) I > couldn't do it anymore. All of this turned into an > obsession of sorts > and then into a sort of hypochondriac like > depression! > > So here I am all geared up - with the same worries > but equally > determind that they're not gonna get the better of > me! > > Can you see my concerns? > > Can anyone help or advise? > > Thanks! > > > > > > > ===== In silence, teachings are heard In stillness, the world is transformed Read only the mail you want - Mail SpamGuard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 2, 2005 Report Share Posted February 2, 2005 Often when you make major changes in your life, you have to go through a period of rejecting the 'bad' things you did before (I know I had to become a militant anti-smoker to be able to give up), but these feelings are tools to help you get over your addictions and habits. In time, they mellow and you can come to accept the things you did, and they won't seem so terribly harmful (after all, it only takes a few years for lungs to completely recover from smoking for instance - the human body is amazingly resilient!). Try and have fun with your practice - maybe you can find a friend to practice with, who you can laugh with and not get too self-judgmental when practising. Enjoy what you can do without thinking about what you should be able to do. It was a huge moment for me when I realised I didn't have to be the healthiest, strongest, most flexible, etc. and instead could just find it fun that I can do headstands, handstands - like when I was a child! It seems to me that people can lose their humour when making a significant improvements to their lifestyle, and then find life dull. At first I felt I'd lost most of my social life, and my opportunities to really enjoy myself, and yoga became almost a punishment to me - I must practice six times a week regardless of how I feel, after all the harm I've done to my body! I think I've found a better balance now, I still spend time with the friends I used to go out and drink and smoke with, but we practice together, or swim together, or go out but without drinking and smoking, having the same fun different ways. And I love my practice now, but if I don't feel like doing it, I won't. --- sx3tony <sx3tony wrote: I am recovering after a bad bout of depression - something that it would seem my previous Ashtanga practice 'brought out' as so many people have described it. Anyway, after many months 'off the mat' I am feeling (nearly) strong enough to get back into my practice. However, every time I feel the urge to do a session (albeit a very toned down one) I feel this intense fear indise me. Almost as if I am associating the practice with the depressive state I experienced. My initial intentions for starting a practice was to turn my back on a self destructive lifestyle. i was pretty much living the life of an Hedonist really. I mean it wasn't debauched or anything, just not healthy. So out went the smokes. the booze, the women (LOL), and the late nights. Great, I felt fantastic!!! So light, optimistic and in a good way 'proud' of my decision to embark on the path of Ashtanga. Then suddenly I became very concerned about the potential damage I had done to my body in the past...it almost seemed I was in denial. Surely all those cigarettes must have done some damage, all the booze etc.... AGHHHHH! Panic set in and I felt like I couldn't get on the mat as it was almost a reminder of my denial. Sounds odd I know! But short of going for every test under the sun to assure myself that I had a clean bill of health (unreasonable) I couldn't do it anymore. All of this turned into an obsession of sorts and then into a sort of hypochondriac like depression! So here I am all geared up - with the same worries but equally determind that they're not gonna get the better of me! Can you see my concerns? Can anyone help or advise? Thanks! ashtanga yoga Terms of Service. _________ ALL-NEW Messenger - all new features - even more fun! http://uk.messenger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 7, 2005 Report Share Posted February 7, 2005 < It was a huge moment for me when I realised I didn't have to be the healthiest, strongest, most flexible, etc. and instead could just find it fun that I can do headstands, handstands - like when I was a child!> I suspect thats my problem. I have always been inpulsive and only recently put this down to a form of OCD. Its bizzare but there it is. If I can follow the path that makes it fun I may be onto something. Its difficult though as a lot of us turnd to yoga in an attempt to make ourselves more healthy LOL It's like I have two choices: 1) I am the man who made a change for the better and should be proud of the fact that I have made major changes in my life that are for the better. 2) I am the idiot who led an hedonistic lifetyle and shouldn't kid myself that I am a new man just because I have embarked on a yoga trip. Cheers! T... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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