Last week Tanya wrote me with some interesting questions. Here are the answers. Thanks Tanya for being open to having others read as well.
I was wondering what kind of health regime you follow? Do you take specific supplements?
I have found that the practice itself has informed me of what my body needs. To give you an example, In the book I talked about how I lost weight right away [Tanya mentioned she had read it], but after I wrote it, and as I kept going with the practice some other changes came to me, new information, new notices. For example, my immune system got so sick and in poor shape last year and after decades of enforced vegetarianism that I almost died when I got Lyme disease.
One change that the practice informed me I needed to do was that much as I did not like the idea, I still NEEDED to eat meat.... Not very "yogic" I know, I even get a bit of heat about it, but I am trusting that my body knows better, and frankly I rather not be sick. I know that when the time to go vegetarian is right (if it ever is) the body will tell me.
I also stopped eating wheat, I had no idea but I learned, again through listening to my body through the practice, that I am pretty intolerant to high sugars and carbs. I wrote about that in this post called: My Big Fat Wheat Belly.
I do take some supplements yes, like probiotics (VSL are the best I have found), vitamin C, etc. But the important thing here is that what I take is related to my own body and its specific needs, DNA, challenges, constitution.
I think the best advise would be to trust yours, it is already talking to you loud and clear, since it is telling you that it loves this practice, 5 or 6 times a week (Tanya shared that at the beginning of the email before the questions).
Maybe the question to ask is: How do you feel? Then, if there are issues it might be useful to research what are the best supplements to help imbalances.
Do You add other workouts to your routine?
Other workouts? No thank you, I get enough with my practice! Seriously I feel the practice takes care of my needs when it comes not only to exercise but also purification, breathing, internal cleansing, etc.
BUT... I loooove going kayaking/canoeing or to playing tennis with James, so I do that for fun.
Fun being the key word.
I do not subscribe into "having to build core" or "whatever the latest trend may be". No need, the practice is complete and purifying and toning in itself. Then again, I don't know all about you, maybe you are super high energy and feel a need to workout a bit more? If that is so, then you go girl!
When working one-on-one with a teacher, with respects to the practice, what do you tackle first? I am lost as to what I should be asking, or do I allow the teacher to take the lead?
I've never taken an ashtanga one-on-one class, guess I prefer going to a class where I get instructor attention "sometimes. Don't think I could handle it all the time.
I do however remember one time watching a very senior teacher here in NYC giving an ashtanga one-on-one class to a woman, as you can guess, my eyes were away from the dristi points and focused on what was going on through that window. He let her go through primary series and helped her in specific poses. Did not do the counting or anything, just observed and helped where necessary.
I imagine a class like this being a bit like a dance between two people rather than either you or the teacher taking the lead, for example, you could show what you got, trust adjustments when the teacher sees them and offers them, and also, if you have some areas of difficulty you can single them out, talk to her or him about it.
I would get feedback, especially I would ask "how am I breathing"? And in poses that are difficult for me I would ask "what is it I am not doing here?" or Where am I putting tension which should not be there?
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Appreciate the questions and love receiving them. Send me yours! :-)
I was wondering what kind of health regime you follow? Do you take specific supplements?
I have found that the practice itself has informed me of what my body needs. To give you an example, In the book I talked about how I lost weight right away [Tanya mentioned she had read it], but after I wrote it, and as I kept going with the practice some other changes came to me, new information, new notices. For example, my immune system got so sick and in poor shape last year and after decades of enforced vegetarianism that I almost died when I got Lyme disease.
One change that the practice informed me I needed to do was that much as I did not like the idea, I still NEEDED to eat meat.... Not very "yogic" I know, I even get a bit of heat about it, but I am trusting that my body knows better, and frankly I rather not be sick. I know that when the time to go vegetarian is right (if it ever is) the body will tell me.
I also stopped eating wheat, I had no idea but I learned, again through listening to my body through the practice, that I am pretty intolerant to high sugars and carbs. I wrote about that in this post called: My Big Fat Wheat Belly.
I do take some supplements yes, like probiotics (VSL are the best I have found), vitamin C, etc. But the important thing here is that what I take is related to my own body and its specific needs, DNA, challenges, constitution.
 |
| Best probiotic I found on the market but this is related to my issues with the amount of antibiotics doctors gave me during Lyme Disease! Not for everyone |
Maybe the question to ask is: How do you feel? Then, if there are issues it might be useful to research what are the best supplements to help imbalances.
Do You add other workouts to your routine?
Other workouts? No thank you, I get enough with my practice! Seriously I feel the practice takes care of my needs when it comes not only to exercise but also purification, breathing, internal cleansing, etc.
BUT... I loooove going kayaking/canoeing or to playing tennis with James, so I do that for fun.
Fun being the key word.
I do not subscribe into "having to build core" or "whatever the latest trend may be". No need, the practice is complete and purifying and toning in itself. Then again, I don't know all about you, maybe you are super high energy and feel a need to workout a bit more? If that is so, then you go girl!
When working one-on-one with a teacher, with respects to the practice, what do you tackle first? I am lost as to what I should be asking, or do I allow the teacher to take the lead?
I've never taken an ashtanga one-on-one class, guess I prefer going to a class where I get instructor attention "sometimes. Don't think I could handle it all the time.
I do however remember one time watching a very senior teacher here in NYC giving an ashtanga one-on-one class to a woman, as you can guess, my eyes were away from the dristi points and focused on what was going on through that window. He let her go through primary series and helped her in specific poses. Did not do the counting or anything, just observed and helped where necessary.
I imagine a class like this being a bit like a dance between two people rather than either you or the teacher taking the lead, for example, you could show what you got, trust adjustments when the teacher sees them and offers them, and also, if you have some areas of difficulty you can single them out, talk to her or him about it.
I would get feedback, especially I would ask "how am I breathing"? And in poses that are difficult for me I would ask "what is it I am not doing here?" or Where am I putting tension which should not be there?
---
Appreciate the questions and love receiving them. Send me yours! :-)
I go to an early mysore class once a week and mostly I'm the only one who makes it out of bed, so practically it is a one-on-one class. I do my practice like I do it at home, but have my teacher's full attention, which is wonderful. She can adjust me whenever I need it and when a question arises, I can ask them and she can answer them. It is doing wonders for my practice and my progression! I also had a couple of one-on-one classes and they worked in exactly the same manner.
ReplyDeletecandid observations, useful "stuff".
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