The next asana of primary is tirieng mukha eka pada paschimottanasana.

Usually I jump to a sitting position from downward facing dog with the bent leg already in the above position. Before getting into the pose I feel the impulse to adjust my calves. Yet this is not necessary. It’s a redundant movement that only distracts. Every movement, also the small ones need energy. Hundred small redundant movements add up. The energy is no more focused. There is a pause. The even breathing is interrupted.

There are a lot of such little movements. I name only a few here: adjusting the hair, looking around, pulling the clothes, scratching, checking the time, drinking water. For me my yoga practice teaches me to use up my energy wisely. Yoga is a concentration exercise. What needs to be done to get into a pose has to be done. This shall be done with the required energy, not slack and not too hard. Body tension is great. Movements that have no purpose are redundant. All these little extra activities exhaust in sum and make a practice longer than it must be. The practice looks tattered, unfocused.

Imagine a ballet dancer adjusting the clothes during a performance, or scratching the body.

The more professional someone is, the more focused she is on the necessities. This all comes with time and a lot exercise. But one must also realize these movements. They are often not conscious.

Lately we saw a politician who was blinking with the eyes all the time. I’m sure he was not conscious about this nervous tick. Filming might help to find these distractions of a untrained mind and body.

Another example is cooking. When I cook I search my spoon, my oven cloth, the knife a hundred times. My cooking activities are not streamlined. I feel like a beginner and that’s what I am. This is why cooking is sometimes so stressy. I guess I could do half of the movements I do if I were better organized. If every single movement were clearly defined my meals were ready to eat much faster. Every tool needs a place and there it should be found always. Before starting everything should be mise en place. And so on. I cook every day something new. In order to establish a routine one must repeat a meal, an exercise.

In all the cooking shows it can be seen very quickly if someone is a cook with good routines and a focused practice or not.

Back to the asana above: When I want to get out of the pose and when I lift the upper body therefore, I don’t through back the head. The neck keeps in line with the spine. It has no purpose to do this wild thing. I guess this used to be a yoga posture fashion to move the head backwards as much as possible.

No adjusting the calves tomorrow for me!!! It’s not necessary to follow each impulse.