Yoga BLOG

Enjoy outdoor time The sun is still shining: a great idea to try outdoor yoga. You can choose between outdoor classes and solo practice. Of course, you can always practice at home in front of an open window, but practicing on a meadow or a beach is definitely something different. Depending on the situation, not much more is needed than just sitting – a state of contemplation, simply leaving everyday life behind and just enjoying yourself; that is the goal. If you don't want to practice alone in public, then don't. You can breathe slowly and deeply, close your eyes, and feel the sun. Sitting is a very important aspect in Zen. Sitting quietly, in particular. Try a comfortable position that you can hold for a longer period of time. The reason: Once you begin to sit quietly, you shouldn't move for a while. Let your thoughts come and go; don't hold on to them. If you want, you can also practice listening: What do you hear? Explore your surroundings with your ears. Children laugh here, a dog barks there. The gurgling water, the crunching sand, the gust of wind in the trees – whether it's birdsong or people talking, screeching tires or the horn of a ship, there is an infinite amount to hear. And it's amazing how much you'll hear that you would have missed under other circumstances. By the way: You can bring your mat to sit on, or simply roll up a towel and pack it on your bike. Make the most of this time out. You don't have to sit for half an hour, but if you enjoy it, it's exactly what you need. Try ten minutes or fifteen minutes; then you can continue this break from everyday life with a book or a nap in the sun. You'll find that your experience of this "after-time" is completely different than if you hadn't taken any time to sit. You'll be calmer, perhaps a little dreamier. You'll be more likely to smile and simply feel completely at ease. If you want, postpone reading and sleeping and practice a bit. Don't be afraid of others watching you. They won't do it nearly as intensely as you might think. Sitting quietly should ground you so that you don't take such things too seriously. "Go your own way and let people talk," as Dante Alighieri once put it. We can only agree. By the way, you can also take someone along to sit and practice with you, so you won't be alone. So, take on a few simple exercises that you can manage, or ones you want to improve at. Stretch slowly and intensely, extending each exercise. In yoga , you often achieve your goals by staying still, by holding a specific stretch. Your muscles, which are sure to be tense, will only loosen slowly; you need to give them time. Depending on what your other exercise routine looks like—or doesn't look like—you might need a little longer. Be patient! Image © dasha11 / 123rf.com