Wholistic Fitness

Hi Steve
I am in the process of reading your TBT book and think it is wonderful. I am a 68 year old woman and I have let myself become somewhat unfit and certainly inflexible. I am determined to follow your program and just had a question. Does it matter if I start off not doing the positions perfectly (e.g. I can’t get anywhere near a lotus pose for the zazen. I can sit on a cushion and cross my legs somewhat, but my knees stick up in the air at present and I find I can only do it for a short time at present. I thought I might keep trying doing it for as long as I can in the hope that the pose will improve and I will be able to do it for longer each time. Does that seem okay?
COACH: Absolutely okay if you need to modify even further from the sitting positions i outlined in the Green Tara Meditation Chapter in TBT.   Nearly all of us WF students have had to sit with the ugly truth of our hip tightness due to furniture addiction and other addictions of ‘modern American comfort.’   Just do your best to slowly, gradually rid thyself from the cushion as the years go by.  Most important thing is to keep up the Noble Effort to maintain an elegant spine while sitting.

I also have a lot of trouble squating lower than 90 degrees. In fact, I have become chair shaped, and I don’t know how to get myself any lower. My body just refuses to do it. Any suggestions?

COACH: Another Ugly Truth from our lifetime of habituated patterns.  Stay Noble in your effort.  Widen your foot stance as wide as a ‘Sumo Wrestler’ if need be in order to keep the heels in or near contact with our Precious Mother Earth.  Just do your best to keep the kneecaps ‘tracking in alignment’ over the middle toes of each respective foot as you dance the Dance of releasing into your yogi squat or other deep squats.  Spine stays elegant as possible here, as well.  Breathe.

Thank you so much for your wonderful book. I am very grateful and any time you give to these questions is greatly appreciated.

Cheers
Trish