how yoga saved me

I don’t know what magical formula yoga has, but......thanks for my hard-headed stubbornness that insisted me to practise at least 4 times a week, my injury has...finally left the building! That's right. Gone. My right calf still hurts on occasions but nothing to the extent of what it was 3 months ago at the start of the marathon program, where I cannot even walk properly ( I was shuffling to and from place - no painkillers in the world could help...)

Anyway 3 weeks to go and I finally feel I am ready for Amsterdam. I am of course acutely consciously aware of all pains and niggles I get now during my runs. But all in all, I have no more pain.

Thank you yoga!

Source: http://www.theironyou.com/2011/03/awesomeness-of-bikram-yoga.html

Reflection

It’s my birthday today, and every birthday I wake up reflecting on…well…life.

I think about what the sports and recreational stuff I have done has taught me about life. Here’s a list:

• Yoga - my very talkative instructor have repeatedly said – “the most important skill in life is to know how to be detached and know how to let go”.  It is the attachment to things that stops you from progressing as a life force. Wise words…from the sweaty one…
• Martial arts – taught me how our body is like jelly, and avoid fighting at all cost. Fighting is so inefficient.
• Paddling – has taught me how to do things by feel – you paddle according to the feel of the water beneath you – the ebbs and flows. It is this innate feeling that will make you move in the most efficient way.
• Ocean swimming – relax and let go of all fear. Fear is what will holding you down.
• Water polo – have a go – even though a ball in your face hurts (my stint at this sport was so short I only managed to learn how to be a broken eggbeater) – I still gave water polo a season…I bail once we were getting into competition mode…
• Gymnastics – awareness
• Running – taught me how to be humble. There is always someone faster than you out there!

In other news…well it’s almost one month till the Amsterdam marathon, and once tapering starts I will blog a bit more.

Anyway – I am proud of being alive and healthy for another year. Happy birthday to me J