30 days of 40 day report

[Guest guest]

ADAPTATIONS TO SPINAL FLEX SERIES FOR A HURTING NECK

I have been doing the spinal flexes with the shoulder stands and fish. I'm

now on day 30. Like Christa, I have had neck pain for years. It is part of

general upper back pain that doesn't bother me so much recently. The neck

got worse for the past week, but I kept going. I move the arms with long

deep breaths as Gary Kraftsow (a student of Desikachar) teaches. One arm at

a time for a Dvipada Pitham adaptation (lift em up hips) and Jau Sirsasana

Parivitti as an adaptation for Jau Sirsasana (see Yoga for Wellness). I

have many left-right physical unbalances, so these one-side-of- the-body

activities are good according to Gary (p. 176). It seems to be true.

 

ADAPTATIONS FOR STRENGTH

For cat-cow, because I am trying to strengthen my arms for ashtanga yoga, I

bend my arms and keep them in (not splayed out) while standing as if in

triangle (or down-dog). I could easily keep my knees straight or kneel in

cat-cow, but I am aiming for strength more than the flexibility that I

already have. So I keep both knees and elbows bent. Today my neck is

feeling much better, but who knows about tomorrow? I would not teach a

beginning class with all these variations, but they are good for my personal

needs.

 

PRANAYAMA

I am also doing a pranayama taught by Siri Atman to Sat Siri in New Mexico

this summer. It is supposed to relieve anxiety. 3 minutes of breath of

fire and 1 minute of a one minute breath (approximately 20 seconds breathing

in, 20 seconds held and 20 seconds breathing out.) You are supposed to do

40 minutes, but 31 minutes is plenty for me. I have recorded a bell sound

interrupting a Japji Sahib tape to indicate the times. I am also leading

this set for Sadhana so this way I can completely focus on pranayama.

 

BUDDY SADHANA

Usually no one comes, but I have to be prepared. Sat Siri is my sadhana

buddy. She comes when she can and I telephone her at 4:30. Just the

intention of leading sadhana has gotten me up every morning at 4:30 and the

promise to wake Sat Siri up get me up.

 

DISRUPTION IS OK?

Four of us teachers did Yogi Bhajan's birthday with 2.5 hours of Long Ek Ong

Kars. So that disrupted the 40 days. I don't know if that special day

counts as a disruption, but I intend to keep going for a good while with

this schedule.

 

I feel so strong when Angad, Sat Siri and Sat Tappa come to do sadhana with

me. I dream of the day when we can come together more regularly. The

current warm weather is ideal for group Sadhana. It is also good weather to

slide easily into winter cold showers.

[Guest guest]

Sat Nam, Gian Kaur and all,

 

> ADAPTATIONS TO SPINAL FLEX SERIES FOR A HURTING NECK

 

I would suggest lying flat on the gound with the feet up in the air on a

couch or wall to replace shoulder stand.

> DISRUPTION IS OK?

> Four of us teachers did Yogi Bhajan's birthday with 2.5 hours of Long Ek

Ong> Kars. So that disrupted the 40 days. I don't know if that special

day> counts as a disruption, but I intend to keep going for a good while

with> this schedule.

 

I would not count that as a disruption.

 

Great you are keeping up so well.

 

SAt Nam,

 

Gururattan Kaur