18/04/2020
HOME PRACTICE:
Deze post kwamen we tegen in een ashtanga yoga groep hier op facebook. Misschien heb je baat bij een van deze tips. Onze favoriet is nr 11! Hij is van Gretchen Elizabeth:
I’ve been practicing Ashtanga at home for 11.5 years. Throughout that time, I have learned some tricks to make home practice easier. I figured I would share, as it sounds like many folks are struggling with home practice right now. Maybe this will help some of you.
1. Pick a time of day to practice that actually works with your schedule. When I started practicing Ashtanga, I could not bear the thought of practicing in the morning. So, I practiced at night for several years. Eventually, I shifted my schedule and started practicing in the late morning, before lunch. After several years of that, I eventually was able to practice in the morning before breakfast. Better to practice when you can, or when you actually will, than not at all.
2. Leave your yoga clothes out where you can see them. Their presence can serve as a reminder to practice.
3. Spend the money and buy a mat you like…clothes you like…props you like. A good mat will last you years and using equipment you like can be motivating. (I like the Manduka Pro mat.)
4. Listen to music. Traditionally, Ashtanga yoga is done listening to nothing but your own breath. However, when I am struggling to motivate myself to practice, putting on some music can motivate me to get on the mat.
5. Trick yourself into practicing. If you practice Ashtanga, tell yourself you only have to do sun salutations and finishing series, and then you can be done. Often after completing sun salutations I find I have the motivation and energy to keep going.
6. Read yoga philosophy. In the mornings before I practice, if I am feeling especially unmotivated, I read some philosophy to get in the right headspace. For example, I like Gregor Maehle’s translation of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras.
7. Get enough sleep. For real. If you are trying to practice in the morning, it will be SO MUCH EASIER if you went to bed at a reasonable hour. I usually put my phone away by 8 pm and read or do Sudoku puzzles for a half an hour ish and then go to sleep. Getting enough sleep also means no caffeine for me after noon at the latest.
8. Stop eating and drinking alcohol at least two hours before bed. I know, I know: Ashtangis “shouldn’t” drink “shouldn’t” eat dinner blah blah blah. Life is meant to be enjoyed. If you are going to drink, drink minimally and stop early. That will make morning practice much easier.
9. Compliment yourself when you do practice, even if all you did was child’s pose for 5 minutes. Lay it on thick. Reinforce yourself for practicing. You did something! Awesome! Wonderful! Incredible! How proud of yourself you should be. Keep it up! You can even set up a reward system for yourself. For example, if you practice X number of days this week, you can buy a new book or that shirt you’ve been wanting (or whatever reward works for you). The key is, keep your promise to yourself – if you said you could buy the shirt after practicing three days, BUY THE SHIRT.
10. Remember that you don’t have to put 100% effort into every practice. Any amount of effort is better than none. Discipline is important, but it won’t help you if you repeatedly injure yourself pushing yourself to your absolute max every day.
11. Be nice to yourself. This is the most important tip. Seriously. My practice, my dedication to my yoga, is a marathon, not a sprint. If I really need a rest, I take one. If I really can only do sun salutations and finishing poses, so be it. Tomorrow is another day. I think Ashtanga practitioners are especially vulnerable to feelings of guilt if they fail to practice the proscribed 6 days a week. Try not to let the voice of guilt overpower the voice of reason and kindness. You are good enough, and your practice is good enough.
