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Archive for the ‘Everyday’ Category
Respiratory partners: the heart and lungs
February 25, 2010 at 8:02 pm in Everyday, Yoga Practice | Please subscribe!
During Pranayama last night I was shocked at how out of practice, my practice was: I could barely inhale for a count of 2 let alone a slow count of 6.. why? All we do is inhale then exhale, over and over again, 2 sets of 10; coupled with movements of our elbows up & down, and head back & forth. Simple right, but what’s really happening inside? I’ve heard the line, “warming up the body before class” so many times, I’ve even spoken it myself, haha, why do we all repeat the same cliched yoga speak?!
This morning I opened Bikram’s (2nd) book and read about, “breathing and our respiratory partners: the heart and lungs”. He has a great explanation about how the system works or doesn’t:
“True health requires that the lungs and heart work together, as in a happy marriage or a successful business relationship. The heart is like a trucking company under contract to distribute food (blood) to the rest of the body. The lungs run a supplier company, which provides the heart with fuel (oxygen). When business is good, the respiratory system and the circulatory system are a team, working together to deliver fresh, oxygenated blood to every system, internal organ, gland and tissue in the body.
Too Often, though, their relationship is dysfunctional and their joint business venture goes bad. Lungs Unlimited wants to know why Heart Co.’s shipments of blood are just sitting around at their deposit instead of going out to their shared customers. Heart Co. fires back that it’s not receiving the oxygen promised by Lungs Unlimited. The companies send sternly worded e-mails back and forth, then they threaten to sue. And all the while, guess who’s really at fault?
You are! Heart Co. and Lungs Unlimited are both wholly owned subsidiaries of You, Inc. You’re the owner – they’re in your body, after all – and if you’re not exercising properly, if you’re not practicing Hatha Yoga, you disrupt the supply chain and cripple the whole enterprise. You’re responsible for the lungs’ inability to ship oxygen to the heart and all the other customers in the body.”
Extract from “Bikram Yoga” by Bikram Choudhury.
I’m wondering that during my time off, if I had woken and just practiced a set of Pranayama every morning, I wouldn’t be feeling as crippled as I am now. I’m reminded of when I climbed “The Chief” with Sophia Ha, outside Vancouver during month 9. The valley was far behind me yet another huge mountain loomed ahead.
my back doesnt speak to me anymore!
February 23, 2010 at 7:15 pm in Everyday, Media | Please subscribe!
There was a time before Bikram Yoga, when I needed a good stretch and upon arching my back into a barely beyond vertical back-bend, nothing happened. After a month or two of regular practice though, I remember the first time: arching back one day and hearing a small thunderstorm roll up my spine.. wtf?! Oh yeah, that’s relief baby!
After 1 month, 11 days off, the thunderstorms were less regular and then.. nothing: wake up call! My first class back was hell, warmed up a notch; punctuated by nauseous spells, witchcraft and sorcery and I barely made it out alive. OK a little dramatic perhaps, but it did tickle.. and I wasn’t laughing!!
3 classes down, a few days apart and I’m nervous before every class. It’s so funny – like I’m starting my challenge all over again! Today though, I’m hoping, no, going to, jump straight into a 6 class/week routine – limber up, get strong in mind, and start listening to my body again.
Here’s good article to help you get back inside:
My home in Budapest
May 11, 2009 at 1:13 am in Everyday | Please subscribe!
Thanks to Krisztina, Diana and Scraby I’m now living in a little apartment till the end of the month in Budapest. Krisztina for asking around, Diana for offering her place to me to rent and Scraby (Diana’s boyfriend) for being happy with the opportunity for a “trial run” living with Diana. I’m not sure how excited he was with Diana’s two cats being part of the package but it’s day 5 and everyone is still alive so I guess it’s a good thing!
We went to Scraby’s on Friday night for a few beers, laughs and a couple of games of Texas hold ‘em poker before “we go to a party” which in Hungary basically means hitting the town for a night out. Unfortunately the only photos of the night were Scraby rapping a few tunes before we left for Cha Cha Cha, a club on Margit-sziget island in the middle of the Duna (the river separating Buda from Pest).
June Announced – Lucerne, Switzerland
May 10, 2009 at 6:54 am in Everyday | Please subscribe!
Well it’s been tough but I’ve finally decided my next location will be Bikram Yoga Luzern, (Lucerne) Switzerland! What makes it really special is that I’ll be there for the “Global Bender”.
I’ve had some tempting offers from various studios to host me for the Global Bender in June but something was telling me I should go to Luzern so we’ll see what the universe has in store for me. I’ll be in touch with all participating studios during the month and it will be great to hear the inspiring stories that surface.
Thank you to the following studios for offering to host me during the month:
Bikram Yoga Amsterdam, Netherlands
Bikram Yoga Luzern, Lucerne, Switzerland
Bikram Yoga Altona, Hamburg Germany
Bikram Yoga College of India Minneapolis, Minnesota USA
Bikram’s Yoga College of India Bonita, California USA
Here is the email I received from Liliane & Julie at Bikram Yoga Luzern:
Hello Matt,
Julie and i looked at your journey and we would like to invite you to come to our studio in Lucerne, Switzerland. what we can offer you is a 30-day yoga pass, free mat and towel.
maybe we can even arrange for a bicycle for you to ride around? Lucerne is a rather small town and we have been open for one year now. by having you come here, it would set a good example to our students that one can practice every day! Zurich is also close by so you could also check out the studio there. Lucerne is a very beautiful town and there are many things near by to explore: mountains, lakes and lots of history.
we hope to hear from you!
all the best to you,
Liliane & Julie
Find out more about the city of Lucerne here.
Sexy Platform Fairy
May 7, 2009 at 12:37 am in Everyday | Please subscribe!
Rocking up to a Bikram Yoga class after flying through the night was going to be tough but wow… was I in for a class to remember!
Hungarian dialogue, oh my!
I floated through one of the strongest classes in months, lulled by Krisztina’s singing voice conjuring un-yogic thoughts with tantric countdowns and numerous calls to “platform fairies” who were obviously floating above us somewhere, at the ready to guide us in and out of our hot, blissfully sweaty asanas.
It was my most pleasurable Bikram Yoga class to date and a perfect introduction to Hungary!
Please explain, you ask? After class I met Robert aka RAM (an American living in Budapest since 2004) and as we chatted with Krisztina about the all Hungarian dialogue, Robert exclaimed he’d managed to pick up a few snippets of the Hungarian during his last 6 months of practice, namely “platform fairy”. With a laugh Krisztina hastily corrected this misnomer to “Plafon Felè” which roughly translates to “towards the ceiling”.
Too late Krisztina, those sexy platform fairies have been whispering in my ear ever since!
Saved by Couch Surfing
May 6, 2009 at 11:17 pm in Everyday | Please subscribe!
Finding a place to stay in Budapest was proving a challenge. Krisztina, co-owner / teacher at Bikram Yoga Kozpont was on the ground chasing leads while I was working cyberspace – emailing friends, posting on Facebook and sending out Couch Surfing requests.
Staying in a hostel is my last resort as I want to immerse myself in the culture of each country and the best way to do this is to stay and hang with locals, experiencing the culture through a mix of everyday life and days lost in exploration rather than through the eyes of a tourist following the lonely planet trail. Hey, I’m not bagging it but with 30 days in each location I can afford the time to do it, that’s all.
So I was lucky enough to receive a reply from Gergely (Gary) Mathe, an active Couch Surfer in Budapest with an offer to host me for 3 nights. With my own room, a cycle tour by Gary, followed by a home cooked lunch, I was in great company. Thanks mate, a bed will be waiting for you in Australia anytime!
Manori Island Getaway
March 25, 2009 at 5:17 am in Everyday, On The Street | Please subscribe!
After a few weeks of the hustle and bustle of Mumbai life, Akhil promised us a little getaway with his extended family to Manori Island.
To get there we zig zagged on rickshaw through the quaint Versova Fishing Village, caught a ferry to Madh Island then set off on a mostly airborne bus ride to the end of the road. We then walked to the end of a whitish sandy beach, climbed aboard another ferry and motored quietly toward Manori Island. From the wharf a 4wd took us to our very basic and hidden away resort.
After lunch we wandered down onto the wide open beach before realizing none of us had brought beach towels! I guess we didn’t expect to swim, however we found a large grass mat hanging over the palm fence, set up camp and before long the girls were fast asleep.
Thankfully Manori beach is a lot cleaner than Juhu so a few of us braved a swim, followed by a little kite flying before lazing around and watching the sun set over the ocean.
More Manori Island getaway pics here!
short days, long sleepless nights
February 22, 2009 at 5:59 pm in Everyday | Please subscribe!
A bout of insomnia lingers. I’ve done my best to kick it but each night my soul takes my restless conscious for a ride. It’s hungry for experience as much as I and if I don’t feed it enough during the day I’ll pay for it after midnight.
I lie in the heat, drawing as much comfort from the spinning fan, eyes wide, alert. Sleep seems as far away as the 12th month so I roll over, scratch some pencil notes in the diary, try to clear the mind through meditation then lie back in Savasana… and wait.
Momentary flashes of sleep torment me, my guardian angels consort with demons and packs of street dogs run beneath the house. In the early hours I wrestle back what’s left before unfamiliar birds clear their throat and bark, not a note amongst the colour and the sunlight slowly climbs over the window sill and creeps up the end of my bed.
Is it the endless days of yoga, new landscapes feeding an acitve imagination or just too many chilies in the wok?!
Bangkok – Sunday 1st Feb!
January 29, 2009 at 2:38 pm in Everyday | Please subscribe!
Things have been a little crazy of late with a serious incident concerning a member of my family. All I can say is CPR saves lives! Although nothing can really prepare you for performing CPR on a lifeless body until the paramedics arrive (it will haunt my yoga practice for months to come) a first aid course will get you started.
Thankfully the person is making an amazing recovery and after considerable family discussion I’ve decided not to postpone my journey and I will be flying into Bangkok on 1st February to start my 2nd 30-Day challenge.
Rich Nichols from Bikram Yoga Bangkok has kindly hooked me up with a room to rent and unlimited complimentary hours of torture in the hot room… er what have I got myself into?!
If you’re in Bangkok and want to join me in a class or two or the 30-Day challenge then I’d love to see you there!
True Fitness
Zen@Central World, 9th and 10th Floor
Rajadamri Road, Phanthumwan
Bangkok
www.truefitness.co.th
