Let's Make It Interesting

My new mantra. Aha, yeah! Let's Make It Interesting.  As I keep recovering and re-learning poses I already learned years ago in this Lyme disease recovery, some of them become 'easy'. Quickly.  Ever get that?

So now I am standing there in Utittha Hasta almost full of myself that I got it back, perhaps even showing off and without any regard for the fact that I was crying in bed over not being able to do it only 4 weeks ago.  Tricky how the mind works.

So that is when the "Let's make it interesting" mantra comes handy.  For example in U.H: What would 'interesting' look like? How about reaching forward on the airborn leg and really aiming to touch the belly to the tights while keeping the dristi into the big toe, how about that?  No way to have the mind wondering in that situation!

Also, how about not dancing, engaging those bandhas, make sure all 5 breaths happen. No rushing at all.  Suddenly the pose becomes a lot more 'interesting', not to mention challenging and/or edgy at times.  Suddenly I am present, working it. I am having an in-the-body experience.

Say in the sitting poses, any old janu sirsasana, like A, which is relatively easy.  How do I make it interesting? Well, opening the hips on the bended leg, moving the torso again all over the extended leg, grabbing wrist to hand around the foot, letting it stretch, counting to six, maybe even seven, with long deep breaths.  That makes it interesting.  [If you cannot see pictures go to ClaudiaYoga.com]

Janu C in 2009 [center]

Today I finally not only binded in Mari D, which was keeping it VERY interesting, I also did all of the core poses.  And in everyone of them, as I revisit them as if it is the first time, I take my time, I go deeper, I notice what I can and cannot do, and do not fool myself, if I can make it more interesting then I do.

There is one pose that is interesting enough no matter what.  That is the backbends.  3 months without backbends and believe you me, you will feel it.

Backbending last August

I have gone from pathetic to not so pathetic but I am still in the pathetic realm nevertheless.  My goal here is to make sure I do at least 3 of them, at five breaths each, no excuses.  Heck today I even walked my 4.5 feet from the wall and hanged in there.  For about 2.5 seconds.  It is a start.

I think recently I read about boredom and ashtanga, I frankly cannot find it.  This: 'let's make it interesting' works. It helps to keep going deeper.

Boredom can only show its ugly head when we are not keeping it interesting, because there is always a bit more to reach for in the quest for the elusive edge.