Date |
Time |
Observations |
Aug 21 |
Morning |
- Off-the-mat: weird/confusing day yesterday – decided not to practice.
- Physicality: Late morning practice, left shoulder feels inflamed – agitated by inhale movement. Body seems to be pulling to the left.
- Flow: Both nostrils slightly congested – overall flow OK
- Left-Right: Left side panick on exhale from the point at which holds are added. Overall better on right side – smooth consistent exhale.
- Presence: Good -steady counting with only a few mental distractions
|
|
Evening |
- Repetition was experienced as boring.
- Though a relatively short breath ratio demanded more subtle control in nostrils.
- Flow OK – there is definitely space for refinment.
|
Aug 22 |
Morning |
- Off-the-mat: hot practice last night followed by spontaneous late-night wealth-celebration dinner – including french fries.
- Physicality: Got up (a little later then usual) feeling heavy – did late-morning 20 minute practice standing & seated forward bends. Sitting was fine after practice
- Flow: Both nostrils slightly congested – overall flow OK. Grew tired towards end of practice – less endurance.
- Left-Right: Left side much more blocked then right side. Right side fairly smooth flow
- Presence: So so – background drilling and construction noises didn’t help.
|
|
Evening |
- Better adjusted but still adjusting to the 1-2 ratio which I haven’t been experiencing as frequently as this practice demands.
- Left side requires no physical nostril contol, right side requires nostril control to peacefully maintain the ration
- Left side is more congested then the right side.
- After practice left side felt heavier and tighter – right side felt more open and spacious
- Better overall presence then yesterday
|
Aug 23 |
Morning |
- Slightly compromised food day yesterday – getting over and through the unusual dinner from the previous day.
- Physicality: later then usual late morning practice – heaviness in body, short standing forward bend practice then Pranayama.
- Flow: echoes from last night neutral (40 breath) practice carrying over into quality of exhale, more attention to using finger for nostril control – led to a slightly refined exhale experience – softer & smoother.
- Left-Right: the same
- Presence – surprisingly OK – was expecting easy diversion – maybe heaviness had stabilizing effect?
|
|
Evening |
- Crappy energy day – a head-ache-like presence, still managed to be productive, just didn’t particulary enjoy it.
- No asana practice – just Pranayama
- Surprising quality of presence.
- Adjusting to 1×2 ratio – barely needed physical pressure on either nostril to sustain it.
- Left still more congested then right
- Thankful for practice.
|
Aug 24 |
Morning |
- Resumed complete morning practice
- Left-Right: same deal, left inhibited, better flow on right
- Presence – OK
- Added a bit of chanting at the end
|
|
Evening |
- Full practice – including mahamudra.
- Used a short mantra chant today (haven’t done that in a while) – both after morning and evening pranayama practices.
- nothing to add on breathing practice – same as before
|
Aug 25 |
Morning |
- Heaviness in practice – though it didn’t inhibit me from completing the entire practice sequence
- Left still less flowing then right.
- Surprisingly – it was difficult to sustain the crown of the practice on the left side – usually it’s easier because the blocked nostril acts as a natural valve – though today something wasn’t in place. Inhales in the crown practice (and partly in tht stage before it) were a bit forced. There was objection in my mind to doing the crown formulat – but I did manage it and though it began with friction – it ended on a softer note.
|
|
Evening |
- Long and mindful day – much mathematics and programming – left me with a mind in overdrive.
- No Asana practice – just Pranayama
- Poor presence
- Sides have been reversed – left side was more open and better flowing then the right side which was slightly more congested
|
Aug 26 |
Morning |
- Nice, full practice.
- Usual pranayama – nothing to note
|
|
Evening |
- Day included two demanding conversations – drained my energy. Second conversation stretched longer then planned – consciously overriding my practice.
- Objection to practice in mind and body
- No practice.
- No pranamaya
|
Aug 27 |
Morning |
- Had a very difficult time falling asleep – much disturbance in the body, itches that can’t be itched all over my body. Took time and patience to find sleep.
- No motivation/will to practice. Not forcing it.
- By not forcing it, appeared a space for Pranayama.
- Began with chanting which opened the door softly into practice.
- Surprising quality of presence.
- Surprising quality oe balance between the two sides (though both still a bit blocked)
|
|
Evening |
- Another day of math and code – softer, better pace and more rewarding then previous day.
- No asana practice today. We went for a short walk.
- Pranayama practice – ok presence.
- Again left side has better flow then right side.
|
Aug 28 |
Morning |
- Heaviness in body, late practice – standing sequence only + chanting
- Pranayama practice – with OK presence.
- Overal balance between the two sides.
- On inhales – physical pressure pain around left shoulder – reaching shoulderblade on back side and heart space in front.
|
|
Evening |
- Money is on my mind
- Short standing sequence, savasana + reiki + Pranayama practice
- Flow blocked more then usual – very prominent on left side.
- Basic presence
|
Aug 29 |
Morning |
- Woke up and practiced later then usual
- Nice practice – appreciation
- Pranayama was a bit difficult – especially sustaining the crown formula – especially on the left side
- The two sides were different – but not in a consistent/describable way.
|
|
Evening |
- Money fears and now the presence of death near by
- Good practice
- Good pranayama – refined experience of exhale control
- Fairly similar experience between two sides.
|
Aug 30 |
Morning |
- Again woke up late
- Shakuhachi + very short standing sequence + chanting + Pranayama
- Though nostrils felt blocked more then usual in regular breathing, Pranayama was surprisingly OK
- Funny – I can’t seem to recall anything about left-right experience
|
|
Evening |
- Nice practice + pranayama + short meditation
- Both nostrils slightly blocked – but with less noticeable difference between the two sides
- Nice presence
- First time in a while that I’ve felt pranayama usher me into a meditative space
|
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