7 - Adho Mukha Svanasana

Adho Mukha Svanasana, Downward Dog: "Exhale as you push the hips up. Lengthen the spine from your sacrum through the top of your head. Press the heels toward the floor and lift the kneecaps. Gaze at your navel. Engage the bandhas and remain here for five deep breaths." David Swenson, Practice Manual

Drishti is a point of gaze or focus, yet it has little to do with our physical sight. The real "looking" is directed internally. Directing the attention...

To complete the sun salutation A, you do Uttasana A and B -8 & 9, Urdhva Vrksasana -10, and Samasthiti  -11. This takes 15 breaths. See what we all can accomplish in 15 breaths. Amazing isn't it?

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Photo via emmasblogg

I also loved this bedroom. Still the white one is my favorite. Today I am a bit stressed (You can tell from me looking at  comfi room photos :)). It's been quite a fast week. I am back in Izmir. Finished the foreword and sent it to the publishing company. Ordered the book I need for my workshop presentation and got it today. I am also working on our internet project and changing some codes for translating the website into Turkish. 

In Istanbul I went to swimming almost everyday. Was doing my practices briefly :) Today I had two practices. The morning one was quite short, only warm ups, few surya namaskars and a short meditation. But the afternoon one was an almost full primary. That's good. 

This post via Mandy helped a bit with my day:

"The solution is not to suppress our thoughts and desires, for this would be impossible; it would be like trying to keep a pot of water from boiling by pressing down tightly on the lid. The only sensible approach is to train ourselves to observe our thoughts without following them. This deprives them of their compulsive energy and is therefore like removing the pot of boiling water from the fire." ~Lama Thubten Yeshe, Introduction to Tantra

I am working on that...

Focus and perseverance

I am grateful to my body that I can do all these asanas. I did 3 Surya Namaskar A and 3 Surya Namaskar B, then I did all the primary series. My paschimottasana is developing. I can almost feel my abdomen on my tighs. Joy...

When I do Uttasana, especially in the end of Surya Namaskar A, the transition to Urdhva Vrksasana could be a bit painful for my hip joints. So I always try to activate my muscels in my legs and butt as much as possible. Then they do not hurt. Hence I need the utmost concentration for that transition. I wish I could go to Mysore classes. At this stage I definetely need a trainer to watch me. Sighh. Well maybe when I am in Berlin I can start... Hopefully

I am glad yoga is in my life. It makes me a sane person, my shoulders do not hurt when I do it regularly, and I am learning to treat my self in a much better way [Negatively put I stopped torturing myself :)].. Namaste..

I cooked traditional Urla Ravioli today...

I do not want to forget how to cook it. So here is the remedy:

The dough:

Only water, salt and flour. Two globe shaped pieces dough, as big as the poi balls :) Put sunflower oil between them after flattening. Then thin and enlarge them with the pin. Cut them in squares

Filling:

Cooked chickpeas, blackpepper, parsley, salt. Squash the chickpeas, chop the parsley, mix them all.

Put the filling on the squares, put another square on thop then fold the four sides by kinda entwisting the corners. Fry them, put some garlic yogurt on top. MMmmhhh my favorite dish in the world!