Eka Pada Rajakapotasana

Nice picture, by Andrzej Radka:

Today I'm taking a rest. It's so cold.. even in California! I went running this morning (freezing!!) by the graveyard, and got some great ideas for photos.. I want to do a full pigeon pose in the wildlife area with wild turkeys around me! The churchyard is connected to the wildlife area, and that's why I run there. I like the quiet, the lack of (living) people. The first time I saw the turkeys, I though they were an illusion. I thought about the horses that pull the carriages at Hogwarts, that these turkeys also were only visible to people who have witness death (not that I have, unless you count my guinea pig). They are big birds, and quite majestic in the wild!

On veterans day there were a lot of people at the graveyard, and this made the turkeys uneasy. It was such a magnificent spectacle! Everywhere; gravestones, american flags, old people and flocks of wild turkeys. And me, running, feeling like I somehow blended in.

Last Power Yoga class - Natarajasana

I had my last Power Yoga class yesterday - a class I signed up for involuntarily. I wanted to take an Iyengar class at the student gym, but it got cancelled due to lack of interest (what?!). This left me with the choice of finding another class after all registration deadlines or taking a power yoga class. I sort of regret my choice, but it might have been good for me to step outside my comfort zone and try something new. It made me realize that I'm capable of going further than I think in some postures, and I got to try some arm balances and stuff I would normally not do. It also made me realize that my arms really aren't that strong - they need some more exercise! 

The last class was really hard, my arms and thigh muscles were shaking afterwards. Almost at the end of class out instructor wanted us to do Natarajasana, the dancers pose. I like this pose, but it really challenges my balance. This time I was struggling even more than usual. My teacher wanted us to hold on to the outside of our foot, not the inside, like I am used to. I looked it up, and the moderate poses show the grasp being on the inside. But my teacher aims for the sky, and I notice that advanced versions of this pose has one or both hands grasping the foot from above the head. I will focus a bit extra on this pose in the future, as it fits my other ambitions; I am working towards a royal pigeon, and also being able to do the splits and enhance my balance. 

This is what I would like to look like; beautiful picture by Elena Ray:

Everyday Yoga

I want yoga as a part of my every day life, not something out of reach, mystic, weird thing that only hippies relate to. Yoga is being in your body, feeling your limits, moving, breathing.. My yoga can be both modern and ancient. I think it is more important to incorporate yoga into your life, and not set it aside to be some mystic thing you do twice a week at your local studio. Here is me getting into the dancer after an unsuccessful shopping trip:

My camera is kind of broken, so it's difficult to get it to take pictures. I wish I would get to see how far I am able to go in this asana, as I think I have gotten quite far. This picture was taken while I was still getting into the pose, but it still looks quite cool.

Here is my friend, Chrissy, trying to find balance at the outlet mall. Her hips are slightly unequal, maybe that's where she stores all her tension? My hips are almost too open, but my yoga teachers tell me that it's quite normal to store your tension at the hips. Anyways, there should be free yoga sessions at outlet malls to help people manage their stress and frustration. Maybe this could be a good way of introduce guys to yoga? Do stress-relief yoga after following your wife/girlfriend around the mall :D