Workout
Yoga Breakthroughs
- Crow Pose (via ingridtaylar)
The continuing adventures of this week's "Featured Body," Matty_G_Fresh. When he's not making videos about locker room etiquette or singing about his diet, he's achieving personal yoga greatness...
So do you ever have one of those yoga sessions where you might have a particular pose that you've struggled with and struggled with and struggled with when all of a sudden you're just able to do it perfectly? I had that happen to me last night on FOUR different moves.
I think I mentioned a few post ago about how I finally managed to get into Crow and hold it for like 3 or 4 seconds. Well that was with a bolster/safety net in place to keep me from hurting myself. Last night, without a bolster I got into Crow and held it for close to 10 seconds and I wasn't really struggling to hold it either. Small movements of my palms and fingers were all I needed to keep it in place. It was a weird, but awesome feeling. Who knows? Maybe in a few months I'll be working on Side Crow or even a handstand?
One of the other moves I've been working on was a wide leg forward fold where the goal is to get your head onto the mat. Last night I was finally able to do that---easily, AND it felt like I had more room in my hips and thighs to go down even farther into almost a split, but I didn't want to push it too much. If I should manage the splits sometime, color me astonished at the progress I've managed to make in the 4 or 5 months since I started practicing yoga.
Prior to class I worked on Lotus a little bit and managed to get a pretty good Half Lotus going. I had my left foot high up on my right thigh and my left knee on the ground which I've never been able to do before so I was really excited to see that.
And lastly, I have difficulty in Tree Pose getting my foot high up on my leg like it's supposed to. Usually I rest it below the knee. Yesterday I managed to do it properly on both sides. If my workout pants weren't so darn slippery I might have managed to hold it for longer than 30 seconds, but my feet kept sliding. :o)
Anyway, I've written all this as an encouragement to those of you who may be thinking about trying yoga or who do practice, but get frustrated with it. If you keep at it, eventually positive things will start to happen. I'm the most shocked by it of anyone. A dude of my rather large musculature should not be able to bend like I've been able to bend lately. :oD
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Comments
yay! so encouraging haha I should really do some more Bikram. you're more flexible than me... oops.
Submitted by ashleigh0723 on 02.16.10 at 02:10.
Ash, most of my progress has been made since I started doing yoga 2-3 times a week per the suggestion of my Monday night hot yoga teacher Kerrin. I was just going once a week and while it was good there wasn't a whole lot of progress made. I actually only do hot (warm, really) yoga on Mondays and Fridays. Wednesdays is just a really easy normal yoga class.
I think if you can commit to yoga (Bikram or regular) just twice a week, you'll be astonished at the progress you can make. You can do this. ;o)
Submitted by Matty_G_Fresh on 02.16.10 at 02:25.
high five!
Submitted by sassletics82 on 02.16.10 at 02:52.
You. Are. Awesome.
And kinda my yoga-life twin because I just had the same experience as you with headstand and side crow. Best feeling ever -- you get there and hold it and feel so....alive.
Now if only I could get pigeon to work with me.
Submitted by runleenarun on 02.16.10 at 02:53.
congrats!
I too struggle with the slippery pants failed tree. they should make sticky pants so that we can hold tree longer :P
although....that sounds....weird....
Submitted by sandyliz on 02.16.10 at 02:55.
Congrats! It's wonderful to have that accomplishment under your belt! I'm in the middle of struggling with mastering (or even doing right) the plank with alternating legs. I can't keep my butt from pointing up into the air. I feel it happening, I know I'm doing it... but alas, it won't stay put - and slippery socks don't help either, but I can't use that as an excuse anymore.
Submitted by kornflowers on 02.16.10 at 04:01.
@Sass Thanks!
@runleenarun I don't have too much trouble with pigeon. King pigeon however...
@sandyliz Maybe we should sew a couple of velcro patches into the inseams of our pants and glue the other half of the velcro to our feet. :oD
@kornflowers Why are you wearing socks? :o)
Submitted by Matty_G_Fresh on 02.16.10 at 05:09.