Ashtanga yoga - effective stretching

Back bending, August 2022

In Ashtanga yoga asanas are hold for five breaths. A vinyasa follows that connects one asana with the next one. Yet the holding time of an asana is only five breaths.

I learned that in the beginning of the Ashtanga movement asanas were held for eight breaths. Even this is rather short. But a practice becomes quickly very long if one holds every asana for a long time. I used to practice more than two hours when I was learning second series. This is too long for most people.

Practicing every day without any visible progress is frustrating. Within five breaths not so much can happen. It’s scarcely time to relax in a pose.

It’s possible to stretch more effectively. One must know how?

Staying in a position for one, two, three or even five minutes makes is more effective. To start modest helps to avoid injuries. Quickly it’s possible to prolong the holding time of an asana. Yet one also has to feel the stretching discomfort. Without any sensation, nothing will happen. Usually the discomfort fades away after a while. I know asanas that let me experience the opposite. The longer I hold it the more painful the position becomes. It varies from asana to asana. To breathe evenly and to relax helps to stand the stretching position. Only when the body is relaxed stretching will happen.

I usually pic a few asanas that are difficult for me. These days I work on back bending. Again! And forever!

Repetition is the second key. Each time stretching will get easier. The body allows to get deeper into a stretch.

I usually hold urdhva dhanurasana for 1 minute.

I’ll add two more asanas that I’ll hold 1 minute next week. It will be split pose and a pose that will stretch the upper body. This seems to be a realistic goal.

My timer is a precious tool. One minute can feel like five minutes. To have an external clue is useful. It is as if a trainer stands next to me.

The yoga week starts tomorrow.

Hold, hold, hold....

We obviously learn in waves. I know plateaus, I now set backs and I know highlights. Right now I experience that my learning has speed. This additional hour of stretching before going to bed makes a difference. I hold poses up to 5 minutes. The hamstrings, the hips, the shoulders, the back, the wrists become an extra treatment at night. I always forget how much discomfort this is to hold a pose for 5 minutes. To give up before the peep is not an alternative. That is I cannot hold the stretch for the hips for 5 minutes. It got easier already, but I’ll need a couple of weeks till I’ll be able to hold it for 5 minutes. All the other exercises are possible. I realize already that some of them became more comfortable. When I start getting bored I’ll have to look for another challenge.

The shoulder stretches and the hip stretches improve my back bending. Back bending is my focus this year.

It makes sense to explore what different yoga styles have to offer. There are very good teachers on that globe who share their knowledge. Poses that seem impossible, become doable with a useful training.

After this evening practice I’m so tired. There is no dynamic when I focus on stretching. Important is to relax. At the end of this hour I’m exhausted and I sleep at once. I even practiced already in my pajama.

Yesterday I discovered Vimeo. That is I ignored it by now. Cyogalife is on Vimeo and I wanted to participate in a back bending class. I decided to go for an on-demand class. Time difference doesn’t allow me to attend classes. This is also not important for me. I bought a back bending class. I watched it to learn what it is about. The exercises are challenging but doable. Some of the exercises I can integrate in my Ashtanga Yoga practice in the morning. Next time I’ll do the exercises. Sixty minutes is a reasonable time span.

Summery:

1. Try to hold the difficult asana longer.

2. Look for additional exercises for shoulders, hips…… and hold these exercises for three or 5 minutes.

3. Explore what other yogini or sportive people do. Learning never stops.

The gravity training I mention is by Lucas. The website is yoga body.com. This is unpaid advertising.

It’s rather difficult to find good tutorials, so this is why I like to share what I consider as good for me.