It’s been several weeks since I last posted and in that time, the impact of the corona virus continues to overwhelm. It seems a world away since I just casually hopped on my bicycle to pick up a few bits of shopping or hugged a fellow yoga-buddy. I can – and do – practice on my own but I miss the sense of unity from sharing the same space with other yogi’s.
I admit that I struggle to cope at times but I find that keeping my yoga practice going – sometimes at a less intense level – to be key in helping me find small moments of calm. Cultivating a steady breath and moving methodically from one pose to the next, usually an abbreviated ashtanga sequence, helps me find some calm and stability and also creates a sense of normality.
By following the ashtanga sequence, albeit with some modifications and omissions, this helps me create a sense of routine, and with a regular practice, I find space to go deeper into a pose or sometimes find more space in a pose which has been difficult. Some days I need to pull back to take account of injuries which can flare up, other days I focus more on my breath, other days more on my alignment but adjusting in any case my practice to what I feel is needed.
This is the beauty of yoga… there is always a way to modify to adjust to change, yet always something new to learn or simply to feel.