It’s been two weeks since I started practicing yog. I have been exercising on and off for a long time but it has not been enough. I was always interested in yog, but always thought that serious yog without a guru is not possible. I do not have any serious health issues, but surely my health has not been what it used to be. My digestion, body flexibility, strength and stamina is not what it used to be. Age does affect us and we can’t stop time. What we can do is change our habits according to our needs and make sure we live the healthiest way possible without giving up our normal life.

I could have joined a gym but I don’t like the gym culture. The quest to look perfect is not what I am after. Not everyone goes to the gym to look perfect but most people do. Staying healthy is important and there is no single way. One must find their own way to stay fit and healthy. Doing something that you enjoy and keeps you healthy is I believe the best way. The probability that one would continue on a healthy path is maximized when that person does what they enjoy. I understand that it is not always possible to continue what one enjoys, in which case one must evolve and find something else. It is not easy, but shrug it has to be done.

I started doing some pranayamas initially by going through some videos but after two days realized that going on walking blindly down this path will lead me nowhere and can probably harm me. So, I decided to take up yog seriously by both studying and practicing. Going to a guru was not something I wanted to do immediately and I wanted to avoid any large organizations that have made yog a business. So, like everything else that I do, I started to look for good books on the subject. Little searching and finally I was reading Asana Pranayama Mudra Bandha by Swami Satyananda Saraswati and then finally discovering the amazing modern bible on yog, A Systematic Course in the Ancient Tantric Techniques of Yoga and Kriya.

After practicing some of the asanas from Pawanmuktasana Series Part 1 and 2, Vajrasana after meals (only dinner on weekdays), Breathing Practice, Nadi Shodhana Pranayama, Kapalbhati Pranayama and Ujjayi Pranayama, the transformation is visible. My digestion is much better, my ankles are much suppler and my mind is much calmer. By calmer I mean, I am starting to see why people are behaving the way they are and not getting upset or frustrated by it. Also, I realize when my ego is acting up pretty quickly. Today I tried Jala Neti and found it easier than I thought. I nose felt really clean and I plan to do it every day. All of the practice usually takes an hour in the morning.

There is some problem with my right leg, which I need to sort out. Vajrasana now is much easier, though my right leg hurts after sometime. I keep a very thin pillow under my ankles, without which they hurt a lot.

I must also mention that I have never been an early riser, not even when I was kid. My parents had to work hard wake me and send me to school. This practice of sleeping late and rising late has continued into my adulthood. I knew I needed some alone time with minimal distractions for my practices and what is better than early in the morning. So, I willed (with help of an alarm) myself to wake myself early and I have been doing it for last two week, weekdays and weekends. It has happened that I have reached home later after work and been awake late into the night to finish some work, but I did not miss rising early even for a day.

This is just the beginning and I plan to write about my progress every 15 days to keep a log and share my experience. The real challenge would be to keep practicing every day at the same time, whatever be the situation and wherever I am. Without full dedication yog would bring no benefits.