Blog

Welcome to this Blog!

This is a place where I’d like to share and discuss topics that are connected to:

– communication

– personal development

– health conscious life style

 

Hi there!

The response on this Article in the NYC
“How-yoga-can-wreck-your-body”

 

Here some reflections on that:

“Yoga is there for YOU, not for Your EGO…

Unfortunately now and especially with Yoga having become such a hype !- teachers as well as the practitioners scramble this easy rule up, with the result indeed : injuries and damage for the body.

In my opinion t’s more interesting (and more healthy!) to practice with intelligent and individual guidance. That involves the development of Selfknowledge on a physical, but -even more important on a psychologogical and emotional level: to distinguish and recognize when the practice is driven by EGO….

And we all have EGO’s!

More or less pumped up, be it the size of a elefant or a mouse metaphorically speaking, and the size might change also in relation to whom we are interacting with.

It’s part of being human.

Crucial is to learn to detect and distinguish when an action is motivated by Ego – and again in regard to Yoga to choose or change your attitude in practice.

and not to be – in the case of Yoga – a slave to the Asana!
My definition of a Healthy practice technique (and that is for Yoga, Pilates, Dance or Sports) is
that Technique is Applied Awareness in Action.

Practically speaking that means to have solid technical foundation of the basics, regular practice under experienced guidance before attempting to more “advanced” Asana’s like Sirsasana (Head Balance) and other inversions.

I agree totally with Black’s view that it’s a dance to recognize in each one what’s healthy and what not!

It involves layers of responsibility…

For the teacher:
To have the experience, the knowledge -and the compassion to guide a practitioner and support them wherever they are at, recognizing and respecting the student’s capabilities and limitations.

For the practitioner:
To know when to do and when not to do a certain move. To be honest and open with them selves and neither be blinded by shere ambition (ego!) or shying away with bloody excuses…
To have the trust to listen to the advice of their teacher.

The examples quoted in the article of B.K.S. Iyengar on Hyperextension of the neck in case of Halasana (Plowpose) are terribly rigid and quoted like that out of context for sure not healthy.

That does not take away that Iyengar practice in general is a solid and reliable foundation for a Yoga practice (otherwise it would not have become so popular around the world!).

I also totally agree that Yoga is not the Cure for every thing.
I am happy that Yoga has become so popular, it’s a chance to grow self knowledge, tackle “ego constipation” and when done in a healthy way (!) grow old with grace.

Yoga and Pilates are excellent to complement for instance a vigorous sports Practice (like Tennis, Football, or Hockey, where fast movements – sprint and stop – sometimes repetitive movements (Tennis) cause one sided strain and injury on the body when done excessively.

Then indivually designed Yoga or Pilates practice can be extremely beneficial to counterbalance and heal these effects – or even better: prevent them from happening!

There are so many different forms of Yoga (Yin, Restorative, Therapeutic Yoga, Vijnana Yoga etc pp) that by all means it need not be only Ashtanga or Iyengar.
All those styles have their strengths! – and also limitations.

I recommend each person who’d like to practice Yoga to figure out for himself what suits him or her best for their body, age and life style. That requires curiosity and time to invest into different styles and get to know what is for you.

Or if they indeed do not do Yoga at all but go running , or walking or dancing or swimming or making love! – without guilt but the pleasure of enjoying life.

Or do Yoga and do some of the above….
And that’s why we need knowledgeable and wise teachers to guide them in that jungle!”

 

1)

Queen or Slave?

About the Turning Point of Royalty into Submissiveness

and vice versa?

a contemplation for all women and men

(Thanks to Jelena Voinov for inspiring me about this topic during a chat in the streets of Amsterdam)

In nature there are many species where the whole existance of males centres around impressing the females: Dances, Fights, Tarting up with exuberant outfits – all in the service to attract the attention of the woman.

– and all of course under the flag of keeping the race alive, the romantic or heroe like behaviour all under the primitive but essential goal:

sex = reproduction, life goes on!

Let’s transfer that to our human race:

Even though most of us are incredibly evolved and educated human beings and our primary goal is not only to stay alive and reproduce, in essence we (sometimes) might still behave the same -metaphorically speaking…

Imagine:

the early beginnings of a new love, the courtship phase, when everything seems to be possible, all doors are open…all possibilites lay ahead, time is never an issue, because the desire to be with is so strong that it overcomes all obstacles.

You are being spoiled, your man opens the door for you, he brings you your tea, champagne or coffee to bed, he runs a bath for you, cooks dinner for you –

does all that is in his power to be there for YOU- protect YOU and serve YOU.

then comes the turning point:

With getting to know each other better, maybe living together, maybe being absorbed in the care for the kids for instance the attentiveness wears off, and very often – the roles more or less gradually reverse:

then it is the woman who serves the guy, brings the slippers, prepares breakfast, cooks, organizes, keeps his back free, thinks for both and multitasks next to her regular professional duties -and he sits back – enjoys – and/or -in the worst case – takes it for granted.

Did you ever experience the same in one of your intimate relationships?

Why does this happen?

When does it happen?

What can you do to avoid it?

– and :

maybe most interesting of all:

what do WE do as women to allow this or even actively make this happen?

 

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if at any point we could easily swap between the roles-

to be there for each other as queens, kings, happy “slaves” and proud servants?

If the “labels” would disappear altogether and all interaction was based on appreciation, honesty and discovering each other new every day!

(hint: when you wear your crown – it’s much more likely you will be treated like a queen…!)

 

I am curious to hear what you think ,  feel and have experienced!

I’d love to hear your comments !