BOAT POSE VARIATIONI have been practicing Ashtanga yoga for twenty
years. It is a pretty strenuous form of yoga that is
very challenging but also rewarding. I even got to
practice for a week in New York many years ago
with the late Pattabhi Jois, who was the founder of
Ashtanga. I was filming night shoots at the time; I
remember I would go straight from the set in the
morning to the studio, just to be in his presence.
It was an incredibly powerful experience. I could
do poses that I hadn’t previously been able to do
and haven’t done since.
Now as I’m getting older I can feel my body
changing. I don’t approach yoga the same way
anymore. I concentrate on stretching and heal-
ing, and on helping with circulation and mind-
fulness. I’m more gentle and don’t push myself
beyond my body’s limitations. I sometimes have
back issues, so I don’t jump from one pose into
another anymore.
I try to separate my body and my ego. That’s
easier to do at this stage in my life and leaves me
feeling energized and fulfilled.