Germany, Nov 2023, forward fold Practicing yoga in the gym. That's what I'm doing now and I'm thrilled. I can design my own exercise, but I'm among people who are also working on their programs. It gives me energy and I'm free. The space is big. There is a mirror to correct the asanas. There is a huge wall of windows on one side. When I look out, I can see people wrapped up in winter waiting for the trains. I'll be getting up at 5 a.m. again tomorrow. I'm looking forward to it ..read more

Urdhva dhanurasana, Germany, August 2023 I quite like what I see. The bridge is very symmetrical. I also manage to press myself straight into the position. The elbows are as good as stretched. I also see that there is still potential. - The hands could move even further to the feet or vice versa. - The hips could be stretched further. - The neck and also the upper body and also the shoulders could be stretched further. This is immediately a plan. The individual body parts can be trained in isolation. Strength is also needed. It happens to me again and again that I lie on my back and then thin ..read more

Back bending, August 2023 There are so many exercises that it can be difficult to choose. Stretching the shoulders and chest muscles in isolation helps improve backbends. Rarely do we stretch upward. In the long run, this limits our mobility. All beginnings are hard. Stretching the shoulder may be uncomfortable at first. However, this 'pain' subsides. In order not to waste the time applies: - Hold exercises for a long time. - Tense muscles. - Also dynamic movements, rocking back and forth can help to get deeper into the positions. - Daily practice, staying with it is also very important. It i ..read more

Urdhva dhanurasana July 2023 The next focus is on backbends. Again. I was already closer to my goal of getting out of the bridge and into a standing position. It has moved into the distance again. So the focus until the end of October is the backbends. That's a little more than three months. Something can already move within three months. I have many ideas how to improve the position urdhva dhanurasana. There are so many exercises that it's hard to choose. You can't do everything. My rules when I want to improve a position are: 1. repeat the position up to three times. 2. hold the pose for at ..read more

For over 12 weeks I focused on learning the splits, both forward and to the side. I have gotten much better during these months. My understanding of the positions has increased. The splits are far from mastered. The process and the insights are just as important as executing a perfect position. My insights: 1. when you practice the opportunity is there to get better. However, this does not necessarily have to happen. One can practice ineffectively or injure oneself, then the opposite of progress happens. But the opportunity is there. 2. if one does not practice, however, then one does not ke ..read more

The hips are a ball and socket joint. The human body has two ball joints. The second ball joint is the shoulders. All other joints are constructed differently, even those that allow great mobility, such as the ankle or wrist. When we practice the splits, we practice on the mobility of the hips. From the anatomy, a lot is possible. Most have a lot of potential to increase their mobility. Only, who uses their potential to the full? The opposite is the case. Most people sit most of the time. Over time, standing becomes a problem. Older people often walk bent forward because they can no longer p ..read more

Side split exercise, May 2023 The exercise in the picture is a little easier than the splits with legs outstretched. I usually practice the position without pressing the feet against the wall. But this variation gives more stability. It's also easier to get deeper into the position because you can move your feet to the side against the wall. The knees can then follow. That is as far as the body will allow. The legs press down or to the center of the body. The muscle that is tensed is called the adductor. This is probably not used very often by most people. Now I train this muscle additionally ..read more

Samakonasana, April 2023 The soles of the feet can remain on the floor when you slide your feet to the side. But there is also the possibility to turn the legs and slide further to the side with the verse. Oddly enough, I got a little deeper into the position with the verses on the floor. However, it is easier to lose control of the movement. Getting out of the stance is just as difficult as getting into it. Strong adductors allow the legs to move back toward the center of the body. Another option is to let yourself fall backwards. This is only recommended if you are already relatively deep i ..read more

Samakonasana, April, 2023 ..read more

View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize In Ashtanga Yoga, the splits are already introduced in the standing postures. Utthita hasta padangusthasana and utthita parsvasahita are standing splits. Since all standing postures are also balance exercises, it doesn't exactly get easier. Over the years I have gotten better and better at balancing and staying long and steady in the postures. I haven't noticed a big change in flexibility. Since my sacroiliac joint injury, I no longer bend forward toward my leg. I usually practice the splits (hanumanasana and sanakonasana) before these postures. Thr ..read more