HEALTHY HAPPY HOLY

If everything happens for a reason then this time is a reminder for me not to get too eager in my practice. To stay aware. To pay attention to the body. To build a strong connection between it and the mind. Yoga with Adrienne's "yoga for when you are sick" is all that I've been able to do now for three days. It's good though. Without it I don't think I would have been able to get up at 3am and work for 11 hours. I was reading up on the types of yoga and found restorative yoga. Thinking that could be an option for the moment.

 What is restorative yoga? 
You use props like pillows, blankets and blocks to allow the body to completely relax and rest into the positions. It's meditative and of course restorative. No effort. No stress. Just allow yourself to breathe and be. Found a good example to try today after work. Yes, sorry it's in Swedish, but the pictures are universal. Yoga för dig - Restorative yoga med Sofia Norén

When one is sick we tend to get stuck in a mindset that is like a broken radio playing only songs about sickness. It's easy to focus on how bad it feels and how limited it makes you. It's destructive and can even make the sickness linger or worsen. Because the body listens to the feeling and the feeling depends upon your thoughts. So if you focus on the parts of your body that are good. If you focus on getting better then recovery will be faster.

 Affirmations 
I saw Dr. Masaru Emoto's water molecule experiments which were mentioned in the film "What the bleep do we know?" (2004). I think it's an excellent inspiration for us to use affirmations. To understand that we have power to affect ourselves and others. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the term "affirmation" it is positive words or sentances in present form what contain no nos, don'ts and nevers which we repeat to ourselves, sort of like mantras, to get into the mindset of what we want or where want to be. It's also the title of a song by Savage Garden, which I'm not refering to in this case, despite the catchiness. Here's some affirmations and mantras that the world has brought me to get better the last few days. Now I'm passing them on to you.

Raa Maa Daa Saa 
Saa Say So Hung
Sit in easy pose (legs crossed) with your elbows gentlyresting at the sides of your ribcage lifting your hands up at a 45 degree angle with palms flat and facing the sky. Ready to recieve. Breath in deeply and slowly and as you exhale chant the words above all in one breath. Chant powefully from the navel area for 11 minutes. To learn about the musical notes etc. here's a more detailed description of how to chant it. The meaning is:
Raa - Sun 
Maa - Moon  
Daa - Earth (reciever of totality)
Saa - Totality
Say - Spirit, energy
So - Manifestation
Hung - Experience of thou

Find what feels good
This is something I picked up from Adrienne. Whenever you're practicing yoga or doing anything physical, instead of complaining or struggling remind yourself to find what feels good. Adjust it. Change it. Rock into it. Swing into it. Lean into it. Gently roll into it. Breathe into it. Repeat until you find the way that works for you, paying special attention to what your body says. When you fint it, stay there for a bit and enjoy.

Healthy am I
Happy am I
Holy am I
Breathe in slowly and deeply and as you breath out chant the words above. Chant out loud for one minute, silently for a few minutes and then bring it with you the rest of the day. Whenever you catch yourself thinking a negative or destructive thought just patiently remind yourself of your healthiness, happiness and holiness.

The three lessons.

I went to two very different classes yesterday: Yin yoga in the morning at Drottning Victorias Vilohem in Borgholm and then Global yoga at Namayoga in Kalmar.

 What's Yin yoga? 
Yin means heaven or a force of expansion. A type of yoga based on the old Chinese Tao yoga. Through this yoga you work with your flexibility and endurance. You hold the asanas and for a few minutes as you focus on the breath, moving more and more into the position as you breathe out. The yin yoga puts emphasis on activating hips, pelvis and lower part of your spine. It's soft and meditative. You really listen to your body as you stretch.
The class I went to was short (ca 45 minutes) small and cozy. It doesn't feel like a workout, more like meditation in which the body sometimes gets involved. Nurturing and caring. The good thing about breakfast yoga was that us participants could stay in the mindset and discuss together after the class rather then rushing off into the rest of the day. I even stayed longer to reflect alone over a cup of tea, waiting out the summer rain.

 What's Global yoga? 
East meets West in a pretty new type of yoga by Swedish founder Johanna Andersson. What signifies this style is that it's a faster playful and energetic mix of different types of yoga from many of the corners of our globe, but it's made for the fast paced urban humans of our time in a society where the body doesn't move around as much as the brain does. So it's a lot of physical exercise intertwined with stillness of the mind. Every class has an "intention" - a message to reflect upon. You can also have a free intention which is you pay extra attention to something, like focussing on healing or bringing energy to a certain part of your body or soul. Here's global yoga's manifesto:

Yesterday's intention was 

"Have faith that everything you need will come to you." 

I've been to global yoga before at Ananda yoga studio. This time it was different. Since I still have some kind of infection I was sweating furiously and experiencing a major "setback". It was a 75 minute session, noone was a beginner and we were about 8 participants. Since it was the first time I was with a friend at yoga class I think my showoff side woke up and even though I heard my body saying no I didn't always listen. So today my knees are barely good for walking and I'm feverish and cold. At first it made me angry having to "surrender" to my physical limitations but I realized this was the third lesson of the day. One which I will never forget. An important lesson that I had to learn. The suffering is mostly of my own making for I wasn't humble enough to accept it yesterday. If it's a lesson you're ignoring the test will come to you over and over until you pass. 

Thank you dear body for your patience with me when I'm a stubborn child. I'm sorry I didn't listen. I'm sorry I hurt you. Thank you for teaching me to be humble. It was much needed. 

In our family it seems we're really good at getting passionate about things, always up to something, getting involved to the point where the rest of the world is seemingly forgotten. This is sometimes said to be characteristics of an artist which of course I was proud to have. We do need to get better at simply being without analyzing or thinking "what can I make out of this?" without wanting. Without judging. Without doing. Only breathing and accepting

this is me now

this is now

this is

it is

Sick and yoga?

- Morning -

I was stiff yesterday so I was a bit careful with the yoga, but I still did it because I thought it would help me loosen up. When I woke up this morning it was even harder to move. The head heavy and hurting. The nose basically closed off despite the season. Tired even though I slept well.

Most definately dealing with a case of the common cold here. 

So, can you still yoga while you have a cold? 
Note that although I have an interest in yoga and health I am not an expert of any sort.
If you're really sick you should always consult a physician.

First off listen to your body. When you're sick it makes the rules. You need your body get where you want to be, do what you want to do and experience the world. When you're sick your body needs you. Appreciate it. Respect it. Take care of it.

If you feel you are able to yoga then you can, but very very gently. Start off in short sequences with simple asanas and gradually (within a few days...don't pressure yourself, it can take longer) get back into it. It's best to avoid any upside down poses like the plow and headstands... even savasana should in some cases be avoided. There are some standing up or sitting down asanas that are really good for the occasion. 

If you don't feel like you can practise yoga then just take care of yourself.

Honestly I don't dare to try the luck before work, in case I'd be feeling worse. I'm just going to drink ginger, get a bit of sunlight if I can find it and have large quantities of water. When you have a cold, don't forget to keep it cool, no stress.

This is an excellent time for reading, catching up on theoretical practise (if your head agrees) and for me it's also a time of learning to accept. I usually have a hard time accepting that I'm not invincible all the time. The only super hero I can be today is super chill. Don't push it and don't feel bad for having to take a step back.

Here's some more upon the subject:

Yoga Journals article "Tips for practicing yoga while sick"
Yoga with Adrienne's video "Yoga for when you are sick" (20 minutes, calm session)

Brett Larkin's video on "Yoga for sickness" (30 minutes, more movements)

Elephant journal's article"Should we practice yoga when we're sick?"

- Evening -

I managed yoga with Adrienne (and the downward dog without any discomfort)! Feeling slightly better, but we'll see about the mornings. Booked for 7:30am breakfast yoga and then 6:00pm global yoga class. Inbetween there will be math, master chef ingeniousness and feeling good.
Golden milk and Murakami. Sweet. Dreams.