Norman Blair, a yoga teacher known for mainly Ashtanga yoga teaching in England. It’s a beautiful book where you see why someone with a supurb discipline of Ashtanga yoga would feel drawn to this kind of practice. It makes for a well-rounded wholeness, that complements his advanced Ashtanga practice. It’s deep and therapeutic, more than a simple stretch – it’s not that casual stretch before your run … but what your body craves and needs… the yin.
Then, there are books like Yoga for Osteoporosis by Loren Fishman, MD… Boom ! Strenghtening weight bearing (all your own!) balancing ideas for a Boost of Osteoblast! It’s really a …blast to practice these poses to to reconfigure, re-organize to promote new growth and strenghening of our joints, our bones! Not just stretch but to ACTIVATE!
Then some Japanese books I picked up while there, pages full of remedies for headaches, eye fatigue … to boost our immune sytem … books I pick up in Japan whenever I visit there as there are so many health and wellness books flooding their market – just like in US and I am sure worldwide, we are so thirsty for any ways we can live a more vibrant life, disease and pain- free.
Maybe this Pause of a Covid-time is that time for re-visiting what you’ve learned before and reflecting on a deeper learning and practice. Ventured during lunch into the smoggy outdoors to pass by this incredible Sunflower, bigger than my face, drooping heavy with the weight of its seeds … petals were wilting but the seeds were abundant and bright … we plant our own seeds too so we may sow them into the fertile tilled earth … in spring. We have the seeds. So all we need is a re-start into that cycle, looping and circling around the SUN … to circle back into welcoming the Full Moon.
We celebrate even a small tiny brightness … not to overlook that light lit around us and … within. We hear all the noise, the turmoil … but there’s always that rock solid balanced core of you rooted to the earth and lifted to the sky. Here, we are.
Going over headache remedies along with natural eyes fatigue-busters and neck tightness cures… Yoga works. I am ready for the new day.