Namaste!
When college asked us to return home due to the increasing COVID-19 situation, I was relieved to be back at home! It meant I would get time to practice everyday or at least it gave me the option to do so everyday.
So I returned home, determined to master some poses
Here are the Asanas I could NOT do at the start of lockdown, which was around March 24th, but now I can hold them long enough to get a decent picture!
1. Pincha - Scorpion pose/ forearm stand
2. Padprasad paschimottanasana - Flat forward bending with legs separated
I've never been able to bend so comfortably in this pose where my whole horse is on the floor, but over these months my flexibility has improved to allow me to do this!
3. Variation of Nirlamba Paschimottanasana - Seated, balancing leg lift
This one turned out to be much more complicated than I thought, it needs a good combination of balance and flexibility in the shoulders and side muscles to manage the hold. I realised last year when I tried it that I didn't have the amount of flexibility this pose demanded, but worked on my shoulder mobility to get here!
I have of course tried to practice all of the above before, but without much progress! However this summer was different, my body was suddenly, well maybe not so suddenly, ready to surprise me!
If you guys recall, sometime last year I mentioned I was trying to do a Forearm stand, and I would update you as to how my practice progressed. I am happy to announce that I can now HOLD a Forearm Stand! I could not be more happy! It has been my dream for such a long time!
Doing Advanced poses come with their own challenges, sometimes you have to develop strength in areas you had never thought of before, for me this was specifically in the shoulder region. Mind you, I still cannot do a single push-up properly but I CAN do a Forearm Stand pretty decently. I've struggled with this pose for 2 years, and with consistent practice, learning techniques that worked for me, strengthening the core, arms and shoulders, I can only now hold for a good 15 seconds without feeling like my arms are about to melt.
I guess my point is that the body and the mind take their own time to do certain things, and there's a reason why they call these poses "Advanced", it really does need a certain level of patience and dedication, and the knowledge in the pose so you don't hurt yourself while doing it.
It took me 1 year to do a headstand, and now 2 years to do a forearm stand, my next target is a Handstand, how long do you think that's going to take me? 3 years? Maybe it will take me that long or even more, but I know I'm going to keep at it until I can reach my goal. I'm sure repetition is the way to achieve these goals, my goals are very asana oriented at the moment, and I'm okay if it takes me years to learn them.
What are your goals? However small or big, fitness or non-fitness related, start now, with baby steps to achieve them. WILL yourself to achieve them, and I'm certain that you will!
Stay Safe! Stay Aware!
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