Breathing and Exercise

Brushstrokes to Painting 

All that time spent in planks and side-planks...

I wnat to get stronger. I try to hold the poses by concentrating on breathing. It somehow feels that when something is the journey, we learn more of its essence than when its the destination. If we want to breathe better, we might find it harder, but if we are managing our breath to accomplish something, then the breathing skill get more utilised and perfect. 

Thinking of yoga, it is told that yoga was practised, so the rishis body would not feel any pain when they endlessly meditated. For a beginner, anything to be done longer is painful, initially the joy goes down and then starts increasing with accomplishment. In Vikra's case, after a while he couldnt even feel the arm he had raised had been like that for a long time. 

The cracked wheat on the stove brings you out of your thoughts, only after the water has reached a boiling state. 

There is a habit of asking loved ones, if they had dinner. One such question, made me recall that I hadnt cooked something that I promised. I had one more such self reminder earlier, but between kid's homework submission, it got relegated to a la-la land where people find that their lunch boxes are empty.

There is a box breathing technique that helps those who suffer from asthma by building their lung capacity. When we know the benefits or have a goal further out, we are likely to take the route that takes us there. With exercise too, if you choose a bigger goal, then it can help you get better for that, eg jumprope for agility or abs for pull ups and so on. A goal that seems huge but achievable through daily steps. If you can perceive the positive difference, you will keep at it. When you do strength training, you can tell that you are gaining strength by your ability to wanting to move onto heavier weights.

All that time spent daily in exercise are not boring looking similar brush strokes. But week after week, as you add the brushstrokes to the painting, you see the dog's ear and then more of the body as you keep continuing.