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Dear
Larry,
Now
that I sit down to write a few tips, it's difficult to remember
them all. When I'm there 'in the moment', every mistake, misstep,
errant thought is vivid. I think that I talk of my experiences because
I want to save others that wasted time. (Surely others have encountered
the same problems.) But I do wonder how far along I'd be now, if
I hadn't been hitching up my pants, pulling down my shirt, or shifting
my hair, so that I could "be" in the pose. My job is an adrenaline
rush, so the focused thought part is always a struggle - very similar
to the WWF bouts you see on TV. My mind picking up and slamming
negative thoughts/situations/people to the mat, and them getting
back up and jumping off the ropes into my consciousness again. So
here goes, things that I've learned that I think that every beginning
student in yoga should know.
Tips
for Beginning Yoga Students
- Do
not put lotion on (or have a manicure/pedicure) before practice.
Your feet slip and your hands have no grip. You may hurt yourself
(unintentional splits) or others (I couldn't keep my hands clasped
behind my back and they shot apart, belting the guy next to me.)
- Wear
pants that have a drawstring or belt that keep them up, so
that when you do tree pose and your foot starts sliding down your
leg - your pants don't follow.
- Wear
underwear if you don't wear pants that stay put. See #2. If
you wear a loose shirt, make sure that you wear a tight one underneath
or that the large top is long enough to tuck in. So when you do
inverted poses your shirt doesn't come up and expose your top
or fall into your face and thoughts of suffocation cross your
mind.
- If
you have long hair pull it up on top of your head. If you use
hair combs/claws do not put it at the back of your head. When
you lie on your back onto one of those things, you can't help
but think that the pain is excruciating and wonder if you are
bleeding. On the plus side, after pain like that, 3-stage leg
lift seems easy.
- Do
not eat six candy bars in the hour before practice. Not only
does your head spin a little bit more than usual, your balance
is much more off and your stomach is queasy with a sugar high.
- Leave
enough room between you and everyone else so that when you lose
your balance - you do not take out those around you. I think
that I toppled six others (think lines of dominoes) during my
first tree pose.
- Bring
a towel during the summer, you'll sweat more than you think
and then slip in the wet pool you left behind when you were lying
on the floor for cobra pose. Don't look around, look in. There
will always be someone more flexible, more beautiful, more color
coordinated, more whatever. The best part of yoga is the individuality
of your practice, and the unity of mind, body and spirit.
That's
it Larry, can't remember anymore. Use this whole letter or edit
it for the parts that are the most relevant.
Namaste',
kim
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