My weekend went something like this:
k1, kfb, k4, skpo, k2tog, k4, *(kfb) twice, k4, skpo, k2tog, k4, rep from *
Have you worked it out yet?
If you have, the chances are you do it too, so I don't mind admitting that, for almost two whole evenings (who said I don't lead an exciting life), this is the scintillating, mind-blowing, brain game I was ensconced in.
For those of you who haven't yet got a clue what I'm on about [hides in embarrassment] I was knitting. Well, if it's good enough for a 21-year old friend who, for obvious reasons, wishes to remain anonymous, then it's good enough for me. I've now got a nice pair of fingerless mittens and, what's more, I loved it!
But knitting (and you can substitute "writing" here too) doesn't come without its hitches (for me at least). Spending prolonged periods of time focussing on one thing (apart from the odd glance up at Strictly, of course) can cause a whole host of side issues, such as neck and back stiffness (not to mention the sore derriere), eye strain, repetitive strain injury (fingers and wrists), even headaches.
I'm not going to give a lecture about the importance of sitting correctly, drinking plenty of water (not wine!), taking breaks for relaxation, etc, at this point, although all the above are important. However, what I do want to talk about here is how the mind-body teachings of yoga come in handy in achieving better focus.
Concentration, in yogic terms, is to the mind, what the yoga postures are to the body. It can also be called single-mindedness or "one-pointedness" (aka ekagrata in sanskrit). This is the essence of concentration (and I'll talk about this more at a later date).
For now, the video below shows the importance of focus, not just on the outer body, but also on the mind within, to help achieve (a) balance.
If you are unable to see the video from this posting, click on/cut and paste this link: http://youtu.be/-CSFufVoeK8
k1, kfb, k4, skpo, k2tog, k4, *(kfb) twice, k4, skpo, k2tog, k4, rep from *
Have you worked it out yet?
If you have, the chances are you do it too, so I don't mind admitting that, for almost two whole evenings (who said I don't lead an exciting life), this is the scintillating, mind-blowing, brain game I was ensconced in.
For those of you who haven't yet got a clue what I'm on about [hides in embarrassment] I was knitting. Well, if it's good enough for a 21-year old friend who, for obvious reasons, wishes to remain anonymous, then it's good enough for me. I've now got a nice pair of fingerless mittens and, what's more, I loved it!
But knitting (and you can substitute "writing" here too) doesn't come without its hitches (for me at least). Spending prolonged periods of time focussing on one thing (apart from the odd glance up at Strictly, of course) can cause a whole host of side issues, such as neck and back stiffness (not to mention the sore derriere), eye strain, repetitive strain injury (fingers and wrists), even headaches.
I'm not going to give a lecture about the importance of sitting correctly, drinking plenty of water (not wine!), taking breaks for relaxation, etc, at this point, although all the above are important. However, what I do want to talk about here is how the mind-body teachings of yoga come in handy in achieving better focus.
Concentration, in yogic terms, is to the mind, what the yoga postures are to the body. It can also be called single-mindedness or "one-pointedness" (aka ekagrata in sanskrit). This is the essence of concentration (and I'll talk about this more at a later date).
For now, the video below shows the importance of focus, not just on the outer body, but also on the mind within, to help achieve (a) balance.
If you are unable to see the video from this posting, click on/cut and paste this link: http://youtu.be/-CSFufVoeK8
Over the coming weeks we'll look more closely at balances and how you can integrate these into your yoga practice to improve your powers of concentration and focus.
Meanwhile, happy writing (or knitting)!
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