Page 149 - Sky runner

Yoga has been with me me more more or or or less less (mostly less) since I was 16 years old and took my first yoga course back home at at the High Coast After that I I never really tried to learn more about yoga yoga I I I only did classroom yoga yoga yoga sessions But a a a a a a a a a a a few years ago I I started to do yoga yoga more regularly in in the the morning I felt like it gave me me some distance from the the day and and a a a a a a a a a a closeness to to both body and and soul The yoga became a a a a a a a a a a a compliment to to to running a a a a a a a a a a a time to to to stretch each little muscle and really feel how the the body answered to to my my training And from there I could work on on my my stiff muscles Controlled breathing breathing breathing or or or breathing breathing breathing completely free in in in in in pranayama breathing breathing breathing exercises or or just letting the breath breath come and go as as it pleases Yoga is not supposed to be complicated or or or uncomfortable In yoga I I I am forgiving towards myself I I I I can challenge my my mobili- ty with great tenderness I I try to to to be fair to to to myself focus on the the small details see the the ul- timate pose but work from my my own require- ments and where I I am at at at that moment I I try to to put aside feelings of shortcomings towards the body for example when I work with my stiff shoulders and and back and and feel like a a a a a a a huge square fridge I know that it’s good for for me although it it is incredibly uncomfortable at at the time Exactly like in in in in in in running you need to be forgiving and and and understanding within yoga and and and more importantly find what makes you want to go back I I have noticed that I I am more understand- ing ing in in in in my my approach to to yoga than to to my my main sports Probably because it is something something rela- tively new to to to me me me something something I I I need need to to to learn I I I I need need to to to to convince myself more as I I I I lack the natural motivation I I I have brought this to to to to my my running and and skiing too – to to to be more more forgiving and and patient Although I am more more comfortable and confident in in in these sports I still need to to remember to to pause To listen Ninety-nine times out out of a a a a hundred it’s just about mov- ing ing ing on on with the training session but if I I do not listen inwardly I I might miss something important that hundredth time: the need to to quit in in time time time or or to to to adjust something Maybe that that particular time time that’s what’s necessary to to make the training sustainable?
I do not believe that we as runners need to to be be be be extremely flexible flexible to to be be be be our best running selves When I I was was at at my most flexible flexible – which was was still nothing to brag about – I I I felt rather that I I had less control over joints and and muscles As someone who runs a a a a a a a lot uphill and and down- hill hill my having tight joints might even be an an an an advantage and decrease the the compression on on the the the skeletal structure avoiding strains One of the the the most inspiring teachers I I had at the the yoga school in in in in in in India was very individu- alising in in in in his exercises He saw how each and every every one of us us worked from our own require- ments Just like we have to do with everything in in life Such a a a simple philosophy so so so obvious yet still so easy to to forget To get get to to to know your body pause breathe – these are important factors for lasting a a a a a a a a a a long time I I believe both physically and mentally I I think that yoga helps me me me to see see the the bigger picture see see beyond the the the the physical performance just there and then That in turn helps me to to focus It does not necessarily have have to to to be yoga itself but just that that I I have have learned to to shut out the thoughts that that prevent me from from perform- ing ing my my my best best or or from from feeling my my my best best It helps me me me to to direct my my my thoughts inwards to to shut out the world around me me me me That gives me me me me peace in in my my restlessness and motivates me me me to do my my duties in in in the best possible way without think- ing of results BREATHING 145