Happy Friday, friends. A trio of backbends, flipping myself across the floor. That’s TGIF happy hour.
Video at http://instagram.com/p/6qhOg6Mrm8/
Do #yoga. Today. Everyday.
Peace and #practice,
Daisy, aka Yoga Nag
http://www.YogaNag.com
#yogaeverydamnday
Happy Sunday friends.
I don’t usually have a big practice on a Sunday. I sleep in. I lay low. I am lazy! But I am doing this funny challenge, #sisterhoodoftravellingyogapants. So, I had to warm up enough for this doozy of a pose, and it is getting easier, as do most things with practice. It no longer feels like a face smash but can take the weight off of my face and even lift my chin a bit. Practicing with blocks under shoulders helps.
Maybe this isn’t your Sunday pose. Maybe yesterday’s yoga feels more like Sunday for you. Yep. I get that. Whatever it is, do #yoga. Today. Everyday.
Peace and #practice,
Daisy, aka Yoga Nag
http://www.YogaNag.com
#yogaeverydamnday
#chinstand
Working on this crazy hard balance pose (for me) as spured by a friend’s post on one of my pages. I haven’t tried it in a while. Still hard for me. But I managed to hold it numerous times yesterday and today. And I learned some interesting things, like you really need to hug in. And up. No sinking into floor or your bones. Muscles are on.
Then I built a brief flow around it, ending with the extendYoga fun pose of the day: http://extendyoga.com/blog/fun-pose-friday-puppy-pose. Perhaps it will appear in tomorrow’s Hot Power Flow at extendYoga, 9 am . See video at http://www.YogaNag.com, or below.
After all of the work, look who joined me for savasana. This dog. He gets me. Bursting Charlie love. What a good friend.
Do yoga. Today. Everyday.
Peace and #practice,
Daisy, aka Yoga Nag
Happy Tuesday, friends.
Do #yoga. Today. Everyday.
Peace and #practice,
Daisy, aka Yoga Nag
http://www.YogaNag.com
#yogaeverydamnday #headstand #abs #walkquietly @trevorhallmusic #bepresent
Yoga Nag is back, whether you like it or not. My August break is over. It was lovely. Time slowed down. A bit. I learned a bunch about myself and my practice, blogs to come. In the meantime, with the beginning of September, I am joining a handstand challenge. Two very smart, sweet, and powerful friends have just started a 120 day handstand challenge, and as of today, I am on board. The full details are below. It is a wise and wonderful approach, with background in the martial arts. See what you think. And join us if it resonates with you. The beautiful timing of starting now is that we will enter the new year with the experience and perhaps the results in our pocket.
Do yoga. Today. Everyday.
Peace and pauses,
Yoga Nag
http://www.YogaNag.com
#practiceeverydamnday #practice #handstand #120daychallenge #nostretchpants @likadc @extendyoga
What is the Ancient Okinawan Handstand Challenge?
Hundreds of years ago, Okinawan martial arts masters created a most unusual training methodology. They started with the notion that performing a complex and challenging exercise (with complete sincerity) a certain number of times per day for a certain number of days will “change your blood.” What is meant by this is as follows: blood is the sacred fluid of life. A complex exercise performed in this manner will change not only the body and mind but will also cause a shift within the functioning of the practitioner’s central nervous system. After trial and error the masters concluded that the optimal formula is to repeat such an exercise three times per day for a period of 120 consecutive days.
Note that it has been explained that the actual number of days required if the exercise were to be performed with perfect sincerity would be 108. In Buddhism and Hinduism this is a sacred number. It is considered to be a “semi-perfect” number. 108 represents 9 dozen. Due to the fact that humans are imperfect and incapable of performing with perfect sincerity the masters demanded 10 dozen days of repetitions to compensate for human imperfection in efforts. Thus, there is in point of fact a method to the madness – a magic to the number if you will.
Rules of the Challenge:
The practitioner is to perform three handstand “sets” each and every day for 120 days. For the sake of balance, a “set” will mean two handstands – one handstand from a standing split with the left leg rising first and a second from a standing split with the right leg rising first. The sets can be done at any time in a 24 hour period. They can be done all at once or one in the morning, one at lunch, one at night – or any which way at all. As long as they are done every 24 hours. In other words, the practitioner is to perform 6 handstands per day (and not more) for 120 consecutive days for a grand total of 720 handstands. If the practitioner fails to perform the three sets on any day of the challenge then he or she must start over from day one. This is critical to the experience. As with all aspects of practice, safety comes first and foremost. For this reason, the handstand challenge is not a “for time” exercise. To do handstands for long periods of time under some of the conditions that might arise during 120 consecutive days could prove dangerous. The student is encouraged during this challenge to work through illness, congestion, headaches, emotional disturbance, etc. To attempt long handstand holds during challenging physical or emotional times could be dangerous. Danger or risk of injury is not part of the program.
This exercise is about transitions into the handstand – not about endurance. The goal is to smoothly transition up into the handstand, get steady and balanced (however long that takes – 2 seconds, 5 seconds, maybe 10) and then come out of it with control. Advanced practitioners can choose other methods of getting up into and out of the handstand. But, let it be clear that this challenge is not about holding the handstand for long periods of time. It is about transitioning into and out of the handstand with grace and ease. Those who need it are encouraged to use a wall to prevent themselves from falling.
PLEASE WARM UP BEFORE ATTEMPTING. A few sun salutations, some shoulder and wrist work, something that you know works for you.
What can the student expect to experience?
At some point during the 120 days a student will experience what it would be like if yoga became equal to their very top priorities in life. This is because the further into the challenge one gets the bigger the stakes become if a day is missed.
Note that a set of two handstands might take only 20 seconds or so. Then a moment of rest and repeat twice. So we might only be talking about two or three minutes of work a day here. But, these few minutes along with the challenging posture that is the handstand will be more than enough to put the experience into a student’s head – that for 120 days, yoga is a number one priority in life. It is a unique experience that is well worth having.
Are you ready to accept the challenge?
Seek your body’s playful puzzle pieces.
Do yoga. Today.
From my mat to yours,
Yoga Nag
Reach for it.
Do yoga. Today.
From my mat to yours,
Yoga Nag
Do yoga. Today.
Start with one pose. Build thoughtfully. Breathe deeply. 6-10 full but unforced breaths.
See where it takes you…. Another pose. Or the grocery store.
Both are good. You have done some yoga. Some is better than none.
From my mat to yours,
Yoga Nag
Some of you have already read these blogs on doing one yoga pose a day, but Yoga Nag wanted to make sure the links were easily available. After all, from them, Yoga Nag was born. Both blogs are published on elephant journal:
Do One Pose–Everyday–For 40 Days
From my mat to yours,
Yoga Nag
Want some nagging in person? Yoga Nag teaches in the Maryland suburbs of Washington, DC. Her class schedule–beginning on September 3, 2013–is as follows:
MONDAYS
9:30-10:30 am ~~ Open Flow
Allay Yoga, Kensington, MD
WEDNESDAYS
6:15-7:30 pm ~~ Yoga for Runners and Athletes
7:45-9:15 pm ~~ Yoga 1/2
Willow Street Yoga Center, Silver Spring, MD
THURSDAYS
8-9:30 pm ~~ Yoga 2
Willow Street Yoga Center, Takoma Park, MD
SATURDAYS
9-10:15 am ~~ Hot Power Flow
Extend Yoga, North Bethesda, MD
11:30 am-1 pm ~~ Pregnancy Yoga
Willow Street Yoga Center, Silver Spring, MD
Upcoming Workshop
Slow the Flow: Vinyasa Basics for Everyone
Saturday, Nov 9, 2013 OR Saturday, January 11, 2014, 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Allay Yoga, Kensington, MD
Whether you are brand new to yoga, or flow yoga, or have made your way around your mat more than a few times, this workshop will focus on alignment basics–such as where to place your feet, position your hands, or track your knee–for the most common vinyasa flow sequences. We will focus on posture and basic poses used in all levels of yoga practice, as well as some of the frequently used transitions, work that will also inform poses we don’t address. We will spend some time learning how to flow with your breath through various sequences, as well. For all of you apprehensive almost yogis out there, or those who want to practice with more alignment awareness, join us for this 2 hour workshop. You will have ample opportunities to ask questions. No experience necessary. All levels welcome. Wear comfy clothes. Bring a mat if you have one, or use one of the studio’s mats for free. Cost: $30 if registered ahead of time, $35 at the door.
Yoga Nag 