Two Years of Yoga

I have kept at it every morning for the past year. (The only
disruption was when I visited Dad.) Right after waking up,
I'd go through the Five Tibetan Rites and then 30 rounds of
Surya Namaskar. Together, they take about 15 min. At the 
end my body warms up and often starts to sweat.

At this point, it feels good, or at least less painful to get
into something cold. Twice a week, I take cold showers
after yoga. Then, I would slip into huaraches and plunge
into the chilly North CA morning. The warmth from exercises
keeps me comfortable through the commute to work.

There have been a few new developments. For a couple of
months by now, I could spin 21 rounds at the start of the
Tibetan rites (I used to do 10). I don't know what this signifies
in scientific terms but I guess science is not as important as
simply doing it when it feels good.

The downward dog position has been very good for my ankle
flexibility. My heels are getting closer to the ground
(about 1 inch). This is important for me because I still
love running. I ran 5 miles in 35 mins last Sat and Sun.
The next mornings, the right foot still felt different than
the left. The delta has been ever-shrinking since I started
yoga but never completely gone.

I also need more ankle flexibility to do a single-leg squat,
a beautiful human movement and one of my goals. It will take
good care of me as I age. I might do some weighted stretch
to speed things up.

I have tried to include some form of breathing exercise and
meditation in the morning. After a few trials, I found Wim 
Hof's method promising. I have already been taking cold
showers which I first heard from Maxwell. So I might as well
add the breathing, which takes about 15 min for three rounds.
Science hasn't caught up with practice in this area. It'll be
exciting to explore.

What a wonderful world and how lucky we are ;-)

[7grizzly]

I should add fasting to that list.

[7grizzly]

Thank you, 暖冬, for reading and your comments.

Surya Namaskar has been great for me. It's not about a particular style, however. I came to realize it's about practicing, certain things to do daily, weekly, etc., for life. No need to push for goals; they will come in good old time. To encourage others, what's better than to keep doing it yourself?

Cold showers/bath, hypoxia/breath-holding, sauna, losing a fight, losing a job, etc., are all good for humans, to a point, of course. The idea of Anti-fragile holds true in so many areas.

[暖冬cool夏]

This is great and inspiring. Ever since our hiking team fell apart, and my heel and kneel bother me now and then, I have been thinking of finding a substitute exercise. Yoga is the one I thought of, but the bad experience I once had (I almost vomited one time) intimidated me. Regardless, I believe in yoga, and have been encouraging my daughter to go for it, though she has not take any action. Thank you for telling us from your experience, and I am a bit surprised that you take cold shower:). Must be good for you too.