Thursday, November 22, 2012

What Rafa and I have in common



I always talk about Roger Federer but this week I read the news that Rafael Nadal is back training on the courts, after a long layoff due to injury


 That got me thinking about certain similarities that Rafa and I share ;o)
  • Nadal is one of the most dedicated, hard-working athletes on the tennis tour.  Tennis plays a huge part in his life.  Yoga has the same role in mine.  I practice 6 days a week on average, and have been doing so since 2004.  It requires a lot of discipline and sacrifice.
  • Rafael has had problems with his knee for the past few years, but has continued to play competitively.  I have been having shoulder problems, but have never had to disrupt my 6-days-a-week practice.
  • This year however, Rafa had to stop playing completely after a partial tear in his patella tendon.  I had to stop practice too, after an incident in Sydney.
  • Rafa probably did a lot of physiotherapy and rehabilitation exercises to strengthen the proper muscles.  I went to see a physiotherapist for the first time and am doing exercises on a daily basis.
  • Rafa is back on the courts and hopes to compete in the Australian Open.  He wrote on his Facebook page, "My first tennis practice after all these weeks.  Getting better and hope to continue with the positive trend."  My sentiments exactly!!  I am back in Mysore and (touchwood) am slowly starting to build up my practice.  My hope is that I will be able to do a proper backbend again.
  • Oh, one last point - Rafa could not play in Wimbledon, the Olympics and the US Open this year.  Neither could I.

3 comments:

  1. Hi Denise,
    You have a nice blog. I follow it sometimes. Liked the anecdotes on your life in Mysore
    The comparison on this article is between two established professionals who take their work seriously. Good luck on your practice. How did you decide which form of Yoga to learn? I am asking this,as I not sure what factors to consider to decide on one. There are many forms of Yoga.
    Take care
    Anstar
    take

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  2. Hi Anstar,
    Thank you for your comment. My interest in yoga started because I wanted to increase my flexibility. I had been an athlete all my life and was strong but very stiff.
    So, I tried Pilates and different Hatha Yoga classes. I was quite bored ... then I tried an Ashtanga Yoga class. Wow, I almost didn't survive. I was sweating buckets, couldn't lift my arms and walking was so hard. I ached for days but I loved how it flowed like a dance and how it made me feel after. I have been practicing almost 12 years now and hope to continue for many more years to come.
    Ashtanga is tough but it works all aspects - strength (upper body, legs core), flexibility, balance and most important of all, the Breath which helps you develop a calm and quiet mind.
    I would advise you to try different forms and teachers until you find something that resonates with you. Good luck!
    /denise

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