Getting the Ego Out Of “Everest For Everyman”

Got my ego out of the 108/30 yesterday (108 Sun salutations a day for 30 days). It happened when I realized I needed to shift my focus from “exercise” to “practice.” I’m not “grinding out reps” I’m “neurologically grooving the most elegant form of a motion.”

I came to this realizing that I need to study different people performing the Sun Salutation. Do this daily, I saw a range of versions, some very easy, some very hard. The point is to stay within the breath, right? So choose an easier version.

In fact, choose several versions. There is indication that varying the versions is not just allowable, but SMART to avoid repetitive stress injury, as well as integrate twists and surges. So if I’m feeling froggy, I can do a “B” salutation with the warrior pose integrated. I can even twist and place my palm on the ground. That’s a very nice variation.

But the biggest breakthrough was thinking about the fact that people spoke of taking little breaks. Well, why the hell not, says I. And when I realized my methodology was to use the “Five Minute Miracle” track to increase volume, starting with 1 rep every three hours, then two, then three, and today 4…heading up to 20…something occurred to me:

If this is an analogue to climbing Kilimanjaro, what difference does it make how many breaks I take, as long as I produce that day’s energy output/distance traveled? The answer…in most ways, NONE.