bangalore yoga teacher Archives - Page 5 of 7 - Pragya Bhatt

Yoga

5 Random Facts About Me

January 9, 2018

Enjoying the cold weather at @ Hauz Khas Village.

Happy New Year!!!!

I hope 2018 is amazing for all of us and brings us only the best in health, wealth and happiness. Actually, since wealth and happiness come from good health, I should ideally only wish that for you. In any case, this blog will help you with all aspects of your health.

I thought the first blog of the year should be one through which you can get to know me a bit better. A lot of new people subscribed in the last couple of months, and they might not know me too well. So below are a some random facts about me that will help you get to know me better.

1. I’ve lived in 6 different countries and visited three times that number so far in my life.

2. I’m actually a software engineer and even worked as one for 8 years.

3. As a kid I wanted to be Nancy Drew when I grew up.

4. I’ve been journaling extensively since second grade.

5. I never thought of myself as a cook. But as and when I started looking for healthy recipes I realized that my friends actually like the taste of my experiments and that I’m actually a very good cook.

And now for a bonus random fact about me:

6. Kolhapuri chappals and Birkenstocks are my favorite shoes. This completely irrelevant fact is probably very typical of a yogi.

A collage of pictures that hangs in my house in Delhi. Can you spot me?

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Yoga

Year End Musings

December 28, 2017

Hello Friends/Subscribers/Yoga Enthusiasts/Family (virtual & otherwise)/Students!!!!

The year started with my hair dark, long and straight. As the months went on I got bored and decided I wanted to add depth to otherwise staid hair. I got some streaks put in. After a couple of weeks I decided the streaks needed something more and I added fuschia (Manic Panic Hot Pink). This is the perfect analogy for the year. What started as another year of classes turned into much much more.

This year has been about immense growth both on and off the mat. Two months in Pune were challenging and difficult. The teachers remembered me from last year but that didn’t stop them from literally swatting me into correct alignment. It’s true, there’s no success without a bit of hardship.

The Dengue fever which followed soon after was my first experience with illness. The weeks after that recovering was a time full of experimentation, a bit of fear and slowly getting back on track.

My website went live and brought all my interests under one roof. So if you want to read what I have to say you’ve only got to click on a link. If you want information about classes, you can just scroll to that page and if you want to drop me a line, you can do that very conveniently too. From blogging/vlogging with no clear plan, I started to look for a clear structure. The task became easier with a friend of mine coming on board and encouraging me to use my grey cells to focus on growth. All the new content on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube (which I hope you’re enjoying) is a result of that.

As students we’ve seen excess weight shed, clocking more running miles, making long term diet changes, instinctively making better food choices, taking ownership of your fitness, introspection, more meditation minutes. Together we’ve done runs, 108 Suryanamaskars on chilly mornings, post class breakfasts. We’ve done an amazing and one of a kind retreat away from the rigmarole of life deep in the heart of nature. We have inspired each other and been inspired by each other. We have watched each other collapse on our mats and then also watched as we pushed ourselves up to move ahead.

This is my last blog for the year and I’m so grateful that we’ve made a connection/continued being in touch this year. This past week has been about reviewing the year and making plans for the next year. I hope 2018 brings lots of good health, positivity and abundance into your life.

See you next year!

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Food

You Really Wanna Drink That?

December 14, 2017

Healthy and hydrated.

My parents have been visiting with me for the past couple of days and we’ve been going around sight seeing and exploring the Bangalore food scene. Before I leave the house I always double check that I’m carrying my water with me. You’ll never find me carrying those ridiculously small purses which can only hold a chapstick and a Rs. 5 coin. My bag needs to hold a large bottle full of water and stay hydrated.

We don’t know conclusively how long a person can survive without water, but we know that its less than the time without food. You’re are likely to die of thirst before hunger. I’m surprised when I find out that some students haven’t had a full glass of water by the time they show up to class. Which is 8 am!

Tips to Stay Hydrated

Start your day with a little warm water. It kick starts your system, flushes out toxins and increases metabolism. Hello weight loss! Hello glowing skin! Hello luscious hair! Also warm water is easier to ingest so you will feel like drinking more of it.
Add a little something to your water for a little zing. You can add: mint, ginger, cinnamon, lemons/limes to your water to increase the immunity boosting properties. Make the H2O really work for you.
Now, make drinking this healthful, flavourful water a calm, meditative morning ritual.
Don’t wait until you’re thirsty to drink up. Because when your body actively indicates thirst, it means that the water volume in our body has already fallen below a certain threshold. Basically, you’ve already started to dehydrate.
Have a sweet craving? You might just be thirsty. Down a glass of water. Also consider trying this recipe.
Absolutely do NOT use a plastic water bottle if you hope to imbibe healthful stuff. Plastic in water bottles contains many chemicals and these chemicals seep into the water over time. Eventually, these chemicals will interfere with your hormonal balance.
Get a metal water bottle and never leave home without it. I’m actually suggesting a good grade metal water bottle, not a bpa-free, environment friendly water bottle made of some-percent recycled plastic. Get a metal water bottle. I’ve been considering getting a copper water bottle myself.

Think About Your Bottle

The thing I see people defaulting on most? It’s the water bottles. It’s simply horrifying to see people chugging water from a ratty old plastic Bisleri bottle to quench their thirst. Bottles that have been sitting in their car for days, with water of questionable integrity. With all you do (or don’t do) for your health, do you really want to drink that?

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need a glass of water.

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Yoga

Spine Is a Metaphor for Life

December 6, 2017

In the Ashtanga system of yoga as propounded by Shri K. Pattabhi Jois, you practice backbending daily. In the closing series, you practice the Urdhva Dhanurasana followed by the Sarvangasana and Halasana.

If you’ve been following me on Instagram and Facebook, you know that I’m focusing on my backbends a lot these days. Backbends have always been challenging for me, and for this reason I favor forward bends in my practice. It’s easier to do the stuff that comes naturally to you. But doing that which you know you’re not good at, now that requires real discipline.

I have forever intended to work on my backbends in my personal practice, but I never got around to it. But in Pune we devote an entire week of the month to backbends. So you see advanced practitioners doing the Urdhva Dhanurasana 108 times etc. There was one particular class that I feel changed my practice forever. My spine became accessible and I became open to the idea that I CAN do backbends in this lifetime. I resolved to continue the practice and I practice a back bending routine on most days. You can see a snapshot of a typical backbending practice in this video.

I often see students lamenting their inability to bend backwards (I’ve been there myself). Over the years I’ve learned that when it comes to bending back, more doesn’t always mean better.

The flexibility of your spine can give you a clue about how you approach life. Do you have a tendency to bend over backwards to accommodate people and situations ? Bending like you don’t have a spine can also be described as being ‘spineless’. Conversely, are you unable to bend back at all? Not able to be open to an uncomfortable situation or a different point of view?

In terms of yogasanas, a certain amount of resistance is necessary to execute the full expression of the asana. A body which can fold easily at every single joint has to work hard to provide the counterforce to hold an asana steady. So we see the inability to gauge the centre in Sirsasana and Natrajasana. We see an inability to hold Parsvakonasana.

Being too flexible is not always a good thing. Too flexible with your time, with your emotions, with your boundaries, with yourself…

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Yoga

Getting My Asanas Back

October 29, 2017

The Lake as the sun comes up. Notice the little boat in the water.

I think just a little bit of effort towards health can ensure that we prevent most ailments. But what do you do if you get attacked by a virus in those rare moments of low immunity? I’ve already done a blog on what to do if you have Dengue fever.

My only concern after I started to feel better was my yoga practice. I spoke to a few friends who had experience with Dengue and realized that it will take me some more time to get my strength back. Until then I had to work with where I was and do what I could.

So I practiced a lot of patience. I took it easy and experimented in equal measure and made some progress. Here’s a snapshot of the week. I’m writing this after a delicious lunch of rice and kala channa; satisfied with how this week has been for my practice.

I started Tabata workouts on Monday. I didn’t expect myself to be able to do it, and I didn’t. I had to take breaks, but I didn’t give up. I wanted to focus on stretching my lower body so I did the Janu Sirsasana and Paschimottanasana. The Adhomukha Svanasana had my legs shaking and I decided to stick to the seated postures. Interesting enough, the Hanumanasana came to me!!! I took classes on Monday but rested for the rest of the day.

It’s difficult to get out of bed, but this view makes it worth it.

On Tuesday my legs and shoulders ached like never before. From the Ashtangis and the Kalari practitioners I learned the benefits of massaging sesame oil on achy muscles and creaky joints. Before I went to sleep I tried to rub the aches away, knowing full well that they would still be there tomorrow. I tried to do as much Tabata as I could and focused only on seated asanas. I ended with the Hanumanasana again. Any kind of inversion was out of the question.

Things started to improve on Wednesday. I felt stronger and decided to practice a few standing asanas. I did the Tadasana, Uttanasana, Trikonasana, Parsvakonasana, Virbhadra 2 and felt my energy levels flagging. I tried the Downward Dog and sure enough, my legs started shaking. I closed the practice.

However, by Friday I felt markedly stronger. I did standing poses and the seated ones after Tabata and felt energized instead of drained. I registered for the Go Heritage Run Srirangapatnam run and decided I would test my stamina over the weekend.

Saturday – did Tabata and headed to the lake to do a 5 km walk. Legs were a bit shaky, but overall I felt good. I also felt encouraged to head out for a 5km run at Cubbon Park with a friend.

Sunday(Today) – Tabata is becoming easier and the aches are almost gone. Did the 5 km with no problem. Very thrilled and determined to get all my strength, flexibility and asanas back!

Next week is to build strength for the Go Heritage Run and to experiment carefully with handstands. I’m also focusing on good wholesome meals since I have a tendency to be a bit lax about that. All in all, a great weak.

Hope you guys are having a great day too!