在瑜珈中找到了生活和諧

If you’ve been following my blog for a while you probably know that I am passionate about healthy living and exercise. I am even more passionate about telling people around me how beneficial healthy lifestyle is and how easy it is to follow it.

One of the ways to bring balance into my lifestyle is Yoga. I’ve been practicing it for a few years now (though I am not a real Yogini) together with Pilates and running. This combination of activities has proved to be the most beneficial for my body because it connects mind and body and lets me find inner serenity while giving me the body that I love. I am a certified fitness and Pilates instructor but Yoga has always been just my hobby.

        瑜珈是讓我和諧生活的一種方式。我將瑜珈與Pilates 和跑步一起鍛煉好多年了（雖然我不是一位真正意義上的瑜珈女修行者）。這種結(jié)合鍛煉已經(jīng)證明對我的身體大有裨益，因為當我做我喜歡的鍛煉時，我身心結(jié)合、內(nèi)心安逸。我是個持證的合格的Pilates老師，但是，瑜珈只是我的嗜好。

Recently I have found a new way of doing Yoga. I have started using Prasara Yoga Primer – an online course with 5 Yoga flows (each flow has 3 levels of difficulty and plenty of videos demonstrating transitions and movements.) At first I didn’t know what to expect from these flows, but now I absolutely love them!

        近來，我發(fā)現(xiàn)了一種做瑜伽的新方法。我和其他5位瑜珈愛好者開始使用在線網(wǎng)絡(luò)教程---Prasar瑜珈入門（每個級別有3個困難的階段和大量有關(guān)轉(zhuǎn)型和運動的示范視頻。）。起初，對于這些流程我不報任何幻想，但是現(xiàn)在我完全喜歡上它們了。

Here are 5 things that I love about Prasara Yoga Primer:

      下面是我喜歡Prasar瑜珈入門的5個原因：

1.It is not static. I love movement and Prasara Yoga gives me just that. Each asana flows gracefully into the next one creating a continuous flow that stretches and strengthens your body.

       1.非靜止類。我喜歡運動，Prasar瑜珈剛好是這樣的。一個接一個優(yōu)美的瑜珈姿態(tài)連續(xù)不斷地拉伸、加固著你的身態(tài)。

2.It is suitable for any level. The Advanced level is still beyond the horizon for me but I am comfortable with my Beginner level flows right now. If you decide to try Prasara Yoga I would recommend that you look through the manual and learn all the asanas (poses) before trying transitions. The first time I tried transitions I felt like a cow on the skating rink because flows require good coordination (that you will develop if you keep practicing Prasara Yoga).

       2.適合于各個階段。高級階段，我可望而不可及，但是，我現(xiàn)在悠閑地進行著我的初期階段。

3.It’s good for cross-training. If you already have your favorite workout (running, cycling, weight-lifting, swimming etc.) then these Yoga flows will maximize your results. It is great to work your body from different angles and challenge it with something you are not familiar with.

      3.可適宜于交叉鍛煉。假如你剛完成了你喜歡的訓(xùn)練（比如:跑步、騎車、舉重，游泳等）進行瑜珈鍛煉可使你的肌肉增至最大限度。從各個角度讓你的肌肉經(jīng)受你并不熟悉的挑戰(zhàn)，棒極了。

4.You get help and support. When you buy Prasara Yoga primer you also get access to the forum where you can ask questions about the practice or share your progress with other members.

      4.互相幫助互相支持。當你購買了Prasar瑜珈入門，你就同時獲得了論壇權(quán)限，在那里就可以和其他的成員一起交流和分享進步的快樂。

5.You can do it anywhere. I am not a big fan of gyms and I love workouts that do not require any equipment and can be done anywhere. All you need to do Prasara Yoga is your computer (or iPod) and a mat.

     5.隨時訓(xùn)練。我不大喜歡體操，但我喜歡沒有任何器材設(shè)施的隨時隨地鍛煉。做Prasara 瑜珈，你只要有臺電腦（或者iPod）和一個墊子就可以了。

I have decided to do a short interview with the creators of Prasara Yoga primer Andy Fossett, Jarlo Ilano and Ryan Hurst. Feel free to ask them any questions in the comments below.

      我決定對Prasar瑜珈的創(chuàng)始人，Andy Fossett，Jarlo Ilano 和Ryan Hurst做個簡短的采訪。下面是我隨意問他們的問題。

1. What is Prasara Yoga? What are the benefits of doing it?

     1.什么是Prasar瑜珈？做它的好處是什么？

Jarlo: Actually, the development of Prasara yoga is very interesting. Our teacher, Scott Sonnon, has a varied background in Russian health and movement training, as well as martial arts, yoga, and other fitness disciplines. During his explorations, he learned and adapted a variety of “biomechanical exercises” which emphasized dynamic joint and whole body mobility. The focus was less on static positional holds, and more on flowing movement to improve freedom in all degrees of motion. As he studied more yoga, he incorporated the dynamic mobility exercise with the traditional hatha postures, and developed a system that connects the asana in a free flowing, graceful manner. When you view the various flows, you can see that they are both similar and distinctly different from other vinyasa style yoga.

Jarlo:  實際上，Prasar瑜珈的形成是特別有趣的。我們的老師Scott Sonnon，在俄國健康運動訓(xùn)練、武術(shù)、瑜珈和其他健身訓(xùn)練方面有著不同的背景。在他研究的過程中，他學(xué)習(xí)并且適應(yīng)了各種各樣“生物力學(xué)練習(xí)”，注重動態(tài)關(guān)節(jié)和全身運動，減少靜態(tài)姿勢保持，增大運動量，從運動的各個方面來提高自由度。當他更多的研究瑜珈的時候，他將動態(tài)運動練習(xí)和傳統(tǒng)的瑜珈姿態(tài)結(jié)合起來，形成了這門姿態(tài)優(yōu)雅，行云流水的瑜珈體系。觀看不同的動作，你會發(fā)現(xiàn)，同其他流派的瑜珈風(fēng)格既相似又迥乎不同。

Each flow that is created by the various 。teachers has a specific focus as well as full body mobility. For example the Cricket Flow, is very good for hip opening and strength, while the Vine Flow emphasizes standing posture and balance with leg mobility. The focus on flowing movement and a specific focus on particular areas (while still maintaining whole body awareness) are two of the great benefits in Prasara.

       每個動作具有創(chuàng)造性。老師既注重特殊區(qū)域又兼顧全身運動。比如：蟋蟀這個動作，它對你的臀部肌肉收縮是極其有幫助的，而站如一棵松這個動作，著重你的站姿和腿部運動平衡。注重運動流暢，強調(diào)區(qū)部訓(xùn)練（同時有不忘全身），是Prasara瑜珈的兩大亮點。

The dynamic movement appeals to many who don’t enjoy holding the static positions of asana that much, and the specific focus of the flows allow people to choose particular flows for their current goals. With this, we believe that Prasara can help many people to enjoy the benefits of regular yoga practice.

        動態(tài)運動極大的吸引了那些不想做靜態(tài)瑜珈姿勢的人，而特定動作的選擇允許人們按照目前目標進行訓(xùn)練。說完這個，我們相信，Prasar瑜珈能使人們在規(guī)范的瑜珈練習(xí)中獲益。

2. What is life balance for you? Does Yoga help you find life balance?

         對你來說，什么是生活和諧？瑜珈對你的生活和諧有幫助嗎?

Ryan: Life balance for me means being able to do what I want, when I want, and how I want. And that unfortunately means that I can’t say yes to everyone in my life. When you spread yourself too thin by putting too much on your plate, nothing gets done and you start hating what you are doing. Taking little bites and focusing on that, and solely on that, is much more rewarding than trying to cram it all in. Yoga can help with life balance. But just like anything, when you try to cram too much into your yoga practice you lose that balance. That is why breaking your practice down into smaller chunks and focusing on the meat of your practice will teach balance. And when you can learn to focus on the balance within your yoga practice, it carries over into life balance.

 Ryan:    對我來說，和諧生活就意味我能干什么、什么時候干，怎么干 ，遺憾的是，在我的生活當中，我不可能對每個人都說。  當你花太多的精力進行瘦身訓(xùn)練時，其實你什么沒有得到，你開始憎惡你所做的。淺嘗輒止，注意力稍微集中勝過你全神貫注的投入。瑜珈能使人生活和諧，和任何事物一樣，過分的進行訓(xùn)練反而會使生活失調(diào)。為什么要將訓(xùn)練分解為幾個階段，每個階段側(cè)重各有不同？是為了教會你和諧啊。當你在瑜珈訓(xùn)練的過程中學(xué)會了注意和諧時，生活就自然和諧了。

Andy: Life balance is one of those things that didn’t have a name until recently but has become a pretty hot topic. I think the biggest thing to consider is that you have to choose your level of granularity when you talk about balance. I mean, are you trying to balance everything over the course of a single day? Because that would drastically compromise the depth at which you pursued any of your responsibilities or interests. With only 24 hours in a day, the only way to really “get it all in” is to do much of it badly.

Andy:生活和諧是近來才有這個名字的，但是現(xiàn)在已變成了熱點話題。當你在談?wù)摵椭C時，你最關(guān)注的是你所選擇的尺度。我的意思是，在一天中你企圖使所做一切都和諧嗎？因為你將會在你的職責，你所感興趣的東西中做最徹底的折中處理。一天只有24小時，“真正全身性投入”的唯一方法是做你急需要做的事。

And that’s where granularity comes in. You can choose to set aside a certain amount of time for each thing, but what happens when you have to re-prioritize? I believe that real “life balance” occurs over the course of your lifetime. You have to make choices that may seem unbalanced at times. When I have friends visit from other countries, I don’t meditate every day, and I drink more than I should. But then things level off, and I return to my disciplines.

        現(xiàn)在來說說尺度的問題，你可以采取做任何事情要留有余地這一方式，但是當你不得不要進行優(yōu)先考慮時，會發(fā)生什么？我認為“生活和諧”會貫穿于人的一生。有時我們不得不選擇似乎不和諧的事。當我的外國朋友來時，我不會每天深思冥想，而是和他們一道酩酊大醉，但是當生活正常后，我會重返常態(tài)--嚴格要求自己。

Making space for the things you love doing may mean that truly balancing your activities and time each day is impossible. But you can also balance over the course of a week, or a month, or a year. As long as you are consciously deciding how you spend your time (instead of simply reacting to external forces), you’ll be more balanced that most people. The internal focus you build with Prasara practice helps.

        對于自己喜歡的事情要有尺度，那就意味著你不可能每天在活動和時間上保持平衡，但是你可以在一周內(nèi)，一個月內(nèi)或者一年內(nèi)保持平衡。只有你有意識的安排自己的時間（而不只是應(yīng)對外部壓力），你就會比大多數(shù)人和諧。練習(xí)Prasar瑜伽有助于修身養(yǎng)性。

3. Can you remember a story of the most inspiring Yoga student that you have ever had?

       在你的瑜珈學(xué)生當中，誰的故事最讓人鼓舞？

Ryan: That’s a tough one because every single person I work with inspires me on a different level. But if I had to give an example it would be the student who comes day after day and never gives up on their daily practice. I’ve seen a lot of very talented people. Those who could just ‘get’ it right away. But it is always those that must work especially hard and with extra diligence on the mat that constantly reminds me of why I am doing yoga. And that inspires me. Achieving a certain pose or movement in Prasara Yoga is impressive. But it is not the pose nor the movement that is truly inspiring. It is the journey, the hard work of daily personal practice that is what inspires. That is where we truly grow and can in turn inspire others I believe.

    Ryan: 這個問題很難回答，因為和我一起工作的每個人都不同程度的激勵過我。但是，如果確實讓我舉個例子的話，那就是在日常訓(xùn)練中，日復(fù)一日，從不間斷的學(xué)員。我見到許多很有才華的人，我馬上就可以說來。但是，那些在墊子上非?？炭嗯Φ娜?，是他們時常提醒我，激勵我----為什么要做瑜珈。完成瑜珈中的某個姿勢、動作給人以深刻的印象，但并非是姿勢和動作鼓舞了我，而是過程。每天艱苦的個人訓(xùn)練鼓舞了我，它使我們確實成長起來反過來又激勵了其他人。

4. Who is Prasara Yoga for? Is it a workout for regular beginners or is it an enhancement for athletes? Some of the stretches and transitions are quite difficult for a regular beginner. What are your tips to ease into the routine and to stay successful as a student?

        誰更適合于練習(xí)Prasara瑜伽？Prasara瑜伽是為初學(xué)者，還是為提高階段運動員設(shè)計的？對于初學(xué)者來說，有些拉伸和轉(zhuǎn)換動作太難了。在步入正常訓(xùn)練和成為成功的學(xué)員方面，你有何建議？

Ryan: This might sound cliche, but Prasara Yoga really is for anyone. It is divided up into levels and within those levels broken into parts so that a person of any level can benefit. It can be a workout, a cool down, and even a restorative practice.

        說起來似乎有點陳詞濫調(diào)，但是，每個人都可以訓(xùn)練Prasara 瑜伽。他分為幾個級別，不同的級別又分為幾個階段，所以任何級別的人都會獲益。你可以把它當做賽前集訓(xùn)、賽后冷靜反思，甚至恢訓(xùn)練。

Like anything, you shouldn’t just jump into Prasara and expect to be able to do it all. Choose a flow and start with the beginner level. Work on the components of each breakdown and focus on your structure, breathing, and movement. Don’t look at this as a quick fix for something. Take your time getting into your practice and stick with it! Slow and steady.