Guest guest Report post Posted November 11, 2002 This "zone" thing is an interesting concept, I'm glad others can relate to it, if not my friends who think I'm joining a cult... It occurs during a repitive activity where the body can predict where it is going to be, and the mind can remove itself from the task at hand. It doesn't happen for me climbing because I wouldn't spend long enough on a route to memorize it *completly*. I've gotten there swimming but the activity doesn't have to be athletic, I've been there restoring a car--cleaning thousands of small parts for hours (and days and years) at a time. I relate this to some Eastern philosophical practices (which I don't really know much about to be honest) where monks would spend all day making things with grains of sand, then leave it for the tide. The repetitive nature of the activity fostered deep concentration and self awareness. From what I gather detachment is a part of traditional Yoga, which I also see as the same sort of thing. All basically a form of meditation, and of concentrating on your inner self. And it is an enlightening experience-I always wind up feeling really happy with myself. It's funny that there are seemingly so many ways of achieving the same thing. (Some safer than others!) This is probably why the learned Yogi's value the home practice, as it is easier to concentrate without being prompted by the instructor. On Sunday I did a full primary series practice, and the instructor told us we were on our own and we were all to go at our own pace, with no instruction. I found that I could concentrate on breath much more, and started a powerful inner rythem that isn't quite there normally. It is a direction to go in once I'm satisfied with my asanas, and don't need the corrections. I bought David Swenson's practice manual which is terrific-there was a lot in there that has really helped my practice. But, there are no mirrors in our studio, so I had no idea what my asanas looked like, except from very odd angles. So, I took some digital photos of me (using the camera timer then trying to set up the full pose in like 5 sec.) and compared them to David's. I'm not sure it was a smart move, ego wise, because poses that I thought I had nailed looked terrible compared to his. But it was a productive exercize. But jeez, I have a long way to go! Cheers, Lawrence. --- "Gearhart, Margee" <mgearhart wrote: > Well, that is what I figured... > As far as the zone, it is a place during my practice > that I have come to > cherish, although not always able to get there > unfortunately. > Unless one has experienced it, it is quite difficult > to explain and my > "non-yoga" friends (mostly all of them) do not > understand and think that I > am just "out there" at times! > > It has been awhile since I have been actively zoning > and starting tommorow I > have made the commitment to myself to get my butt up > at 5am and go practice > again. I am very fortunate to have great friends at > my studio (KATHLEEN!!!) > that support and encourage me and also, the greatest > teacher. He has just > finished a full intensive with Manj Jois and PJ > again and I so benefit from > his knowledge. > > I think your race car driver should have taken up > Ashtanga instead !! > > Margee > > > > > lawrence romanosky > [sMTP:lromanosky] > > Monday, November 11, 2002 2:09 PM > > ashtanga yoga > > RE: ashtanga yoga time for yoga > > > > Margee, > > Yep, he was killed in a crash in 1994...Brazil had > a 3 > > day mourning which shut the country down. > Something > > like 200,000 people filled the streets for the > > funeral. He and Pele are Brazil's most famous, and > > beloved persons. > > > > No relatives that I know of in the US. > > > > Cheers, Lawrence. > > --- "Gearhart, Margee" <mgearhart > wrote: > > > Lawrence- > > > And the reason he is the "late" Arton Senna??? > > > Do you have any relatives in NJ? Work with > someone > > > with same last name. > > > Margee > > > > > > > > > > > lawrence romanosky > > > [sMTP:lromanosky] > > > > Friday, November 08, 2002 4:45 PM > > > > ashtanga yoga > > > > ashtanga yoga time for yoga > > > > > > > > Hi Margee, > > > > > I will come and watch him and Johnny > > > > > ride, but somehow I don't > > > > > think he will be on a yoga mat anytime soon! > > > > > > > > > You never know, before Yoga & Climbing, the > last > > > thing > > > > I got into hard was race car driving! I know > this > > > is > > > > going to sound ridiculous, but I've found that > > > there > > > > are some important similarities. When the > mind > > > > withdraws inward and the body starts to act on > > > it's > > > > own, as though you are "out of body" looking > down > > > on > > > > yourself doing something, you are said to be > "in > > > the > > > > zone" racing a car; everything smooth and inch > > > > perfect, right on the edge. This is the > ultimate > > > > high, and the fastest way around a track. On > a > > > good > > > > day, those feelings come to me in Yoga too. > One > > > of > > > > the most gifted drivers in the sports history, > the > > > > late Brazilian Arton Senna, described this > zone as > > > a > > > > union with God. Of course most people thought > he > > > was > > > > crazy, but then he was so much quicker than > > > anybody > > > > else, nobody dared to laugh at him! > > > > Cheers, Lawrence. > > > > > > > > --- "Gearhart, Margee" <mgearhart > > > wrote: > > > > > Lawrence- > > > > > Being an Aries, I am always trying to > achieve in > > > > > what ever I "decide" I want > > > > > to do. Practicing Ashtanga and learning on > the > > > mat > > > > > that I couldn't, and > > > > > didn't have to do it "perfect" was the > greatest > > > gift > > > > > that my teacher ever > > > > > taught me. Not to say that I still don't > try > > > hard > > > > > to practice well. I have > > > > > just learned not to expect so much from > myself > > > and > > > > > to take each practice as > > > > > it is and know that it is ok. Tough > lesson.... > > > > > I also, know, speaking from experience, that > > > > > relationships do take time and > > > > > effort, just as our practice does and I > think > > > our > > > > > greatest challenge is to > > > > > learn balance. Don't give up one for the > > > other, it > > > > > isn't worth it. > > > > > Sharing our lives and helping others is the > > > greatest > > > > > gift we can ever have. > > > > > I do know that sharing our love for > > > > > Ashtanga/climbing with another who has > > > > > the same interests would be great. Then you > > > could > > > > > do it together. I love > > > > > yoga and my husband loves motorbikes. I > would > > > say > > > > > that was a bit of a > > > > > difference. I will come and watch him and > > > Johnny > > > > > ride, but somehow I don't > > > > > think he will be on a yoga mat anytime soon! > > > > > > > > > > > Margee > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > lawrence romanosky > > > > > [sMTP:lromanosky] > > > > > > Thursday, November 07, 2002 > 6:06 PM > > > > > > ashtanga yoga > > > > > > RE: ashtanga yoga RE: yoga > and > > > > > climbing/time for yoga > > > > > > > > > > > > Hmmm. Point taken. > > > > > > > > > > > > There is something about the incremental > > > progress > > > > > of > > > > > > activites like yoga and climbing which are > > > > > addictive. > > > > > > Climbing a harder route or getting that > > > Vinyasa > > > > > smooth > > > > > > and pretty, gives enormous satisfaction. > The > > > more > > > > > you > > > > > > do it, the better you want to become, so > the > > > more > > > > > you > > > > > > want to do it. Seeing a skilled ashtangi > > > floating > > > > > up > > > > > > into a handstand from boat is inspiring > and > > > makes > > > > > me > > > > > > want to work harder to do it too. (that's > a > > > ways > > > > > off > === message truncated === U2 on LAUNCH - Exclusive greatest hits videos http://launch./u2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
