Developing a home practice 11b staying motivated

Continued.

Find a good place to practice then stick to it.
Every time I ended up changing where I practiced, I would feel my whole practice become disrupted. Even when the new place was a little better than the last, I would just find it hard to settle. Looking around this room I can count eight different places I've ended up unrolling my mat. Sometimes I changed due to squeaking floorboard, sometimes because I wanted to be facing a wall so I could practice handstands in my Sury's, or a wall close by for Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana. I also remember changing because I wanted more space behind for my lousy Chakrasana. The first couple of weeks after a change I would be restless, unsettled and this doesn't make for a good practice. So choose wisely.

Now I have half the ground floor partitioned off with bookcases and if I practice at an angle facing the corner I have plenty of room. I'm close enough to the wall if I need it, but being a corner, far enough away that I don't depend on it or feel closed in. Again being a corner I can reach out to the side, in case I need to stop myself falling sideways. I've put curtains up to keep the heat in from the radiator and electric heater in winter but there's space at the top of the bookcases to keep it well ventilated. With the curtains closed it's my own private space and anything else can go on in the house without me feeling disturbed. It's still not perfect...that would be the room upstairs, but Nietzsche, my Chinchilla bagged that one as soon as we moved in.

The Jump back became one of my main sources of Motivation.
For many, I hear this can be the aspect of Ashtanga that frustrates them the most and can drive them to giving up. Accepting it as a challenge, as something that was difficult, but believing that it could be attained without having to rely on some mysterious force made all the difference. Making the videos helped most of all. Even if you don't feel like setting up a blog, just making a series of Jump back videos can be encouraging. I made a point of making one a month and when you look at them altogether you can see progress.
http://grimmly2007.blogspot.com/search/label/Jump%20back%20monthly%20progress%20videos%20Feb%2008%20to%20present The jump back worked well because it was something you could work on and video outside of your normal practice. Giving the Jump back all my attention this way diverted my mind from the struggles with the other asana. It was as if I just left them to get on with it. I didn't stress out about still not getting Mari D or Supta Kurmasana, more often than not they would just surprise me one day and I would find I could do them. Of course I would think about them but not in the same way and to the same degree that I tortured the Jump back. Theses little triumphs become just as motivating as the big ones.

After I managed Jumping back the Dropback took over and then Kapo, Karandavasana and now it's Dwi pada Sirasana. Focusing on one pose for a while to work on seems to take the pressure off all the others. I worked on Karandavasana quite intensely for two weeks a couple of months back, since then I've let it come along on it's own. This morning I was thinking it was time to give it another two week intensive.

Get on the mat and Ride the breath

My old Aikido Sensei used to say that the hardest thing about a martial art was getting on the mat in the first place. This is especially the case after a bit of a lay off or an injury. It's the old get back on the horse chestnut. You know this practice is good for you, you used to enjoy it, you can and will again. Cowboy up and get on the mat. It starts with the Sury's, easy. Focus on the breath, You start thinking about giving it a miss? Bring yourself back to the breath, make your Ujaii louder, stress the inhale, wherever the mind goes bring it back to the breath. So many times I've felt like cutting the practice short or giving it a miss but once I get on there and keep myself coming back to the breath this way I've always ended up getting wrapped up in the practice and forgetting that I wasn't in the mood in the first place. Sometimes those practices I didn't feel like starting have turned out the best because I've made myself focus on the breath or the count.

Treat yourself

A new mat
A yoga towel
Books
DVD's
.....a neti pot????

Every now and again treat yourself. Don't overdo it all in one go perhaps, but every now and again when your feeling a bit restless in your practice splash out a few quid. A new yogitoes will get you over the feeling that your in a bit of a rut. And by the time you've got used to the yogitoes chances are your in love with that extra inch you've gained in Baddha Konasana, or of finally landing bakasana B.