Wandering Mind

So I’m coming to understand something about my bandhas that may seem elementary to some but it is actually a great revelation for me and yet it’s very simple. I have a tendency to overeat sometimes and this fullness seems to have an obvious immediate effect on mulabandha and uddiyana bandha by just packing everything so tight that the bandhas can’t be engaged. I think it might even have an affect on jalandhara bandha as often when we are full you feel something in the throat that is almost the same sensation as the fullness in the body. And by fullness, I’m not talking about a simple contentedness, but more of an over-full sensation. And I’m realizing the affect that the bandhas (or lack thereof) have on my practice both in the asanas and in my life practice. There is a strength and upliftedness (for lack of a better word) that seems to exist when I’m eating well but I lose that when I overeat, even if what I’m eating is healthy. As I mentioned, loss of bandhas immediately following the large meal is not surprising. What I’m coming to realize is that a big meal can affect my practice for 24 to 48 hours. This may be a great break-through for my eating habits as I have curbed many things in my life that adversely affect my practice so if I can implement more control over my overeating I might be able to kick a bad habit I’ve had for a very long time. I think I knew that there was a correlation between the two, but I think it just clicked in my brain the profound effect one has on the other.

Practice update: Was a good practice yesterday. I went into the studio in the morning before I had a chance to really wake up and talk myself out of practicing. I wasn’t super motivated so I put on the music and didn’t count my breathing. I think that is something I need but sometimes it’s too much and I don’t want to feel like I can’t practice if I’m not doing everything perfect. I did pay more attention to my breathing and tried to keep each breath long, but I didn’t count. I did three sets of Urdhva Dhanurasana from the floor and then used the wall for three more up and drop-backs. I didn’t have the strength and lift in my legs that I have had recently and it wasn’t until I was writing this that I realized it was because I didn’t have much in the way of bandhas. I ate way too much the night before…Damn! I’m glad I figured this out now. So here is the experiment. I ate too much again last night so I’ll just observe my bandhas tonight in M’s Class but I’ll eat well and lightly today and see how my bandhas and practice are affected tomorrow and I’ll do the same tomorrow for Thursday… I’m so easily amused…

Looks like a beautiful day, gorgeous moon last night. And I think today is the summer solstice (would be a good day to sell a house!). I’m off to build furniture for a bit, meet a friend for coffee, build a little more, then mow the lawn, take a shower and off to the studio for a bandha observing practice. This looks like a fun day! Oh, and I’ve been listening to Richard Freeman’s Yoga Matrix this morning which has been really interesting (I just listened to section 1) but I found my mind would run off on tangents and I had to back it up to hear everything he said. The bandha realization was one of my tangents…