8
Chapter
Yoga in everyday lifeExamples for integrating the spirit and practice of yoga into everyday life Examples for integrating the spirit and practice of yoga into everyday life
Examples for integrating the spirit and practice of yoga into everyday life Examples for integrating the spirit and practice of yoga into everyday lifeThen be aware of your breath. Feel the slow soft
breathing in your nostrils first. Then feel the inhala-
tion from your lumbar area and costal arches to your
middle and upper chest. Be aware of your upper
chest lifting at the end of inhalation and maintain
this lift when you exhale. This renders the exha-
lation slower and subtler. In particular observe the
end of your inhalation and the end of your exhala-
tion and the pause between the exhalation and the
new inhalation, the inner calmness of this moment.
Before you get up in the morning it can be very
helpful to start with a few basic exercises to stimu-
late the body and mind gently. The following pro-
gram selected from Chapter 6, or part of it, would
be suitable:
• Feel your breath for a few cycles.
• Move your eyes (Chapter 6, exercise 5.10).
• Do side-lying rotation (Chapter 6, exercise 3.2).
• Carry out rhythmic relaxation (Chapter 6,
exercise 1.3).
• Straighten your legs either on the bed or
perpendicularly and perform the foot movements
as explained in Chapter 6 (exercise 10.3).
• Before getting up, lie on your side with bent
legs, close to the edge of the bed. Let your feet
drop to the floor and at the same time push
yourself up to sit with the help of your upper
hand.
• Before standing up remain seated for a few
breaths: feel your feet on the floor, and the
inner lift from your pelvis.In the bathroom
• Standing in front of the sink, perform the
weight-bearing exercises for the feet, as
explained in Chapter 6 (exercises 10.6, 10.9,
and 10.10).
• While brushing your teeth, stand on one foot or
perform Vkāsana (see Chapter 7).
• While looking into the mirror practice some of
the exercises for the head:
• relaxed jaw (Chapter 6, exercise 5.7)
• moving your tongue (Chapter 6, exercise 5.8)• moving your eyes (Chapter 6, exercise
5.10)
• While drying yourself after your bath or shower
you can also integrate a few movements:
• Stand on one foot to dry the other one; also
stand on one foot while putting on your
socks.
• All-embracing shoulder work (Chapter 6,
exercise 4.11): instead of the belt, use your
towel between your hands; keep it loose
enough so that you have some range of
movement and you can dry your upper back
at the same time.Housework and gardening
Even if your muscles are well trained and you are
aware of your movements, much of the work in
the house and garden needs special attention as to
how you engage your body. Moving economically
and performing the movements so slowly that they
can be reversed at any time helps to avoid injury.
This is supported by being centered in the work-
ing position, and avoiding leaning over. For vacuum
cleaning, ironing, opening bottles or glasses, using
a broom or spade or lawn mower, this means hold-
ing these objects as close as possible to the center
of the body. When making the bed or cleaning the
bathtub, avoid leaning over as much as possible. You
can use a long-handled brush to clean the bathtub.
If you support yourself with the other hand on the
edge of the tub, you will greatly reduce the stress
on your back. When you have different tasks to do
in one day, change around often, so that you do not
spend too long on one type of work: for example,
alternate between cleaning, watering the flowers,
and desk work. If your knees can cope, squatting
is a healthy posture for shorter work on the floor,
and is very relaxing for the pelvis, the abdomen,
and the back.Going out
Whenever you do not have to carry anything swing
your arms while walking, as described in Chapter 6
(exercise 4.1). If you are using carrier bags, distribute
the weight evenly between both hands. Every now