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Maintenance, Yoga, & Pickle Rick

Wednesday, December 2, 2020 (Part I), 
I've made reference to "Pickle Rick" before.  Stolen from an episode of the brilliantly crafted animated series, "Rick & Morty".  The genius/mad-scientist Grandpa (Rick) arbitrarily turns himself into a pickle to avoid going to family therapy.  While he gets out of going to the family therapy session, a series of mishaps occur to him while he's an inert pickle, and Rick has to figure out a way to save himself.  Rick ultimately ends up on the therapist's couch (still in pickle form) with his family, where he explains why he doesn't hold therapy, or therapists, in any high esteem.  The therapist replies, explaining that, due to Rick's brilliance, he would be bored senseless by therapy, as it's maintenance...it's work....it's not fun....and, as the therapist explains to Rick, there's no way to do it so wrong, that you might die; maintenance is not an adventure.

I can't say how often I feel like not hitting my mat in the morning.  My alarm sounds at 4:15am, and I get up for an hour of coffee before hitting my mat at 5:30am.  Very often, the practice is work....it's not fun....it's maintenance....and it's not an adventure.  It needs to be done anyway, and getting used to doing things that aren't always "fun" makes you grow.  

Time to begin... 

Wednesday, December 2, 2020 (Part II), 
I write my Part I before I practice, and update with Part II after I practice.  I came to my mat yesterday and the day before to practice but, for whatever reason, couldn't bring myself to go through my full Ashtanga Primary Series.  Yesterday, and Monday, were maintenance....work....boring...unexciting.  Naturally, one always feels better having gone through it anyway.  

Today's practice, however, was my full primary series ending with backbends.  Even having maintained a practice for 10+ years, I forget how rejuvenating back-bending is.  It changes your mental outlook on life.  Starting one's day with a yoga practice is great, but ending that practice with a series of backbends, like the ones shown below, will change your mind into something calm, cool, and collected.  

Namaste



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