In college, I remembered seeing on TV a girl
doing yoga by the sea. It was of course no
use to me, I thought, and just some exotic
calisthenics from a remote people whom
XuanZang the monk dragged his feet for many
years to visit. I would never meet them (Wrong!). It was much more profitable
for me to pour over books and pass tests.
(Maybe I was right.)
Fast-forward 20 years of passing tests,
pouring over books, and computer programming.
My health went through a makeover in the
past three years and it seemed the mind
underwent no less. Suddenly, almost middle-
aged, I thought maybe it was time to try new
things. A few months ago, a research study,
an article, and discussions with my Indian
colleagues kindled the imagination. E.g., it
was said that yoga exercised 95% muscles. I
had to try to see for myself.
So for the past three months, I did 30
repetitions (reps) of Surya Namaskar(SN) or
Sun Salutation every morning. The first two
were the hardest. The body felt stiff fresh
out of bed and each move took effort.
Sometimes the right wrist hurt supporting the
upper body and the right toe dorsi-flexion
almost always hurt. (This was not new.
Plantar Fasciitis became my friend through
running. The causes seemed the same.) Things
started to improve from the third rep. Each
came more fluid and accurate than the
previous. The last 10 were the most
enjoyable. 30 reps in 15 minutes always left
me sweaty, energized, and ready for the day.
So are there standards to meet or measureable
levels to achieve and feel pumped about? From
what I read, one idea is to do 100 SNs per
day. Others say 108 in a row. At my current
pace, 100 would take about 50 minutes and
would be very challenging. If I keep pushing,
someday, I might be able to cross the finish
line without fainting.
The real goal for me, however, is not a
number but the daily practice itself. I would
like to think that I am laying down a
framework now and it will be a true blessing
if I keep doing it till the end. SN, like
kimchi, seems untainted by modernity and
another real deal: it costs almost nothing
but gives back in abundance.
