Just a regular stiff practice

A regular stiff practice (hamstrings are tight, the right shoulder doesn't move well, etc etc) seems like a punishment after a series of nice and smooth practices. The best practice soon becomes the standard and anything below is no longer good.

We (that is the Teacher and I) tried the supta kurmasana the sitting up way today. The legs got up there quite nicely, feet well crossed behind the neck. Except that my hands didn't reach each other any more. With a little help I got them to join and landed down on the floor. After that it was just like a normal supta kurmasana. Maybe it hold a little better when getting out. Anyway, it was a nice try.

I am usually doing this little Iyengar (or something) thing on the pile of mats before urdhva dhanurasana to open my chest and to make my shoulder blades move better. I have become really addict of it, and my chest doesn't seem to open at all without this extra step! I pile blankets under my upper back, so that I have a really strong curve on the upper back and chest, and I tie my arms with a belt. Then I try to straighten my arms and set my hands on the floor. That is very intense for my whole upper body! Sometimes I am out of breath from just staying there for a while.

Nice Sunday morning

Today I wanted to try to get to supta kurmasana sitting up, putting one leg at the time behind my head (like John Scott). I tried it after having done my everything-on-the-ground version of the same. One leg seemed to go up and behind rather easily and the shoulder and the whole side came well in front of the leg, but then I was too scared to try to lift the other leg up. I tried the other side as well, same result. I asked the Teacher if we could try a sitting-up-supta kurmasana one day, he said "why not". I'd feel more safe with the Teacher by my side. It will be interesting.

One of the numerous jumpback-swings on the blocks felt like the real thing. I think I got the idea, or something towards it... Otherwise it is still just like before.

I like these Sunday morning mysores, although I rarely go there. It is a nice feeling to not to be in a hurry.

"But the sausage is good"

Some time ago there was a TV ad where a guy (it was an Indian guy, clearly a backpack tourist in my cold country) was camping, sitting in front of his tent, in the rain and wind, trying desparately to make a fire. Under miserable conditions, he was cold, wearing his sleeping bag over his shoulders, certainly hungry, and the wind blow his tent away! Then he gave out a big smile saying "But the sausage is good!".

Every time a see a ashtanga blogger saying how "the practice was good" I think about this guy.

Asana by asana

The way to do it is by no means to think about how many asanas are left! That drains out all energy. It's one by one.

Today was the second kick-ass practice all the way up to dhanurasana, which started by being lazy, I-can't-do-it-today-I'll-just-do-a-little-bit-and-then-stop practice and turned out to be very nice and calm and zen.

A lot of patience is needed now: still jumping back on the blocks (first I wrote: blogs!) with no visible progress, still coiling the shoulderblades and pushing those urdhva dhanurasanas, still trying to lower down well from the lower back in forward bends, and still trying to approach shoulder blades to the spine in twists. The assisted supta kurmasana was probably the best ever today, and the hamstring was only lightly tight... It is a power-building phase, teasing the body and insisting so that it will bend one day.

I was thinking today how lucky I am that after almost four years I have had no injuries!

The old age is getting me, Part 2

We went out with some yoga girls to eat in a Nepalese restaurant last night. The plate of okra and rice, accompanied with sauces, bred and a mango lassi was too much, and I was almost in pain for the evening and also suffering during the night... I was wondering if I could practice this morning, but then the food seemed to settle a bit and finally "the practice was good".

Cannot drink any more, cannot eat any more, cannot party any more, ashtanga yoga has truly changed my life! Cannot even support cigarette smoke from a distance any more! Or smelly people. It's a wonder I can still watch TV and chew gum.

Actually the practice was very good today. I felt strong and added once again one intermediate asana and did up to parsva dhanurasana. And since I have learnt from some fellow ashtanga bloggers that it is good to do a lot of urdhva dhanurasanas, I added one again today (its six now). That's how it will be easier one day? We are a funny community, learning from each other. I also did most of my vinyasas with the blocks again, trying to get the swingy movement into the body memory.

The old age is getting me

This morning was struggle from bed to bus to mat and to finishing asanas.

Had some energy, however, for some interesting (but certainly not beautiful) block-buster-jump-backs with supposedly one foot ahead all the way back and the other supposedly following. And coming back to front with legs supposedly straight before hitting the ground with bottom. Its called the "Operation Snowflake", reference to a couple of my more advanced friends' much more elegant way of doing all that.

Yesterday evening's half primary was not very reasonable before morning mysore. The night just doesn't allow enough rest for an old lady like me. Note to self: do not practice in the evening before morning mysore.

Pity to all ashtanga blog readers

It is funny how the routine of writing a little something about the day's practice takes its place. Even when we have nothing to say, as most ashtanga bloggers seem to be... I guess it is called practice-practice-practice; as we try to do our little something on the mat every day, we soon create the same routine on the blog. I became especially critical towards my boring ashtanga nonsense after having found the excellent entries by Jason on his Leaping Lanka. His Ashtanga Yoga BlogBot TM (May 26, 2006) is hilarious and so true!

Friday's practice was a hassle: I wanted to do mysore in a corner of a led class. The led class had been moved to a smaller room due to some event in the bigger room, and I and my friend H. ended up finishing the series in the corridor. Well, for once, there was a lot of distractions and the practice went by on its own. Hmmm, maybe not the best possible way of doing it, but we always have to be glad that we did it anyway, right? Better than nothing.

Saturday was holiday, and Sunday was jin yoga. Some niiiiice looooong streches. Today, a afternoon mysore is planned, so you may hear about it tomorrow. Hopefully something interesting (please Teacher give me something to write about!).

Iyengar is good, too

I was the first one at the school this morning. Light up some candles and started with the little one, M. She was early, too.

Somehow I am much cooler with the practice these days. No big emotional storms or "highs" and "downs" like I used to have. It was almost scary to never know what kind of feelings the practice will bring up. Sometimes just a thought would bring tears in the eyes, or a least critical word from the Teacher would just drain out all power from the body. Today I made a comment (or two) that I shouldn't have, and got a gentle "mind your own business", and I was cool with it. Well almost... In general, I should continue learn to better concentrate on my own practice and not pay attention to what happens around. It is not easy, I am too social and it's too interesting to see what happens around.

I was doing a not-so-official little adjustment in marichi A and B, and the Teacher said that is the Iyengar way. Instead of lowering the upper body in the front, I twisted it towards the back keeping the back straight, before going down. I went all the way to dhanurasana today and did a lot of coiling and shoulder-blade pulling etc. for the urdhva dhanurasana. Thursday is the max effort day!

No sweat !

Today's practice was cool. I was just doing my thing without any special feelings. That feels great - I mean afterwards, when you realize that you feel something again. Sort of being somewhere else, and then coming back.

... So, until marichis, when my right shoulder was very much stuck again, and the shoulder blade refused to move close to the spine. As if there was a little lego brick between the two. I only started sweating in marichis.

I was also working on my back-jumps with the blocks under the arms, lifting, swinging and landing on one foot behind my behind. One foot because the Teacher said so: land only with the front foot and straighten the other leg in the meanwhile. It's not simple to figure out which foot should do what... and I imagine that I should change feet, too.

Very short finishing asanas without any upside-downs.

Pampering

This morning I was pampered by myself.

First, I woke up later than usually, took a shower and went to the yoga school.

Then, I did the woman's day practice (from "Relax and Renew" by Judith Lasater). It takes less than an hour and feels really nice. It gives a lot of energy.

I used to curse these days, because I had to miss a day's practice, but now I see it as an opportunity to a legitimate "day off" and rest.

Green tomatoes

Today was a ladies holiday and I had suddenly much extra time and extra energy for the day. Had to plan what to do instead. Ashtanga takes so much time that missing a practice leaves me with extra hours!

I got back home from work early and did my pickled green tomatoes (the last ones from my garden) and the famous Swedish plate Jansson's something (with potatoes - from my garden- anchovies and cream in the oven). Guess what my family prefers; mama doing her ashtanga practice or cooking?

But as usually, no day goes by without yoga. I have done bandhas all day long, and some coiling and shoulder blade pulling as well. And, yes, I have been accepted in the ashtangi.net!

Its much easier to do a led class

Friday's led was nice and very useful, although at some point I was really physically tired (not just the normal whining-tired). It must be the day of work taking its toll. The Teacher M (it's another one) kept reminding us about bandhas, which is exactly what I need now, since I decided to start thinking about them!

M said after the class that my practice has changed enormously since she has seen me the last time. I believe that. I feel that since the May workshop with Chuck Miller and Maty Ezraty (they are so famous and excellent so there is no use keeping them "anonyme". If you have a chance to go to their workshop somewhere, do go!), having put everything I had learnt so far in little pieces and since then, rebuilt everything with a considerable effort, must show somewhere. We had like 3-hour primaries after the workshop, putting every little finger and muscle in its place in each asana... The quality of the practice is now so much better, and it feels better as well. And it is healthier and safer, and I feel confident that it is possible to build on this practice without any danger. So many people hurt their knees and backs, it is a shame.

Yesterday was a day off, and this morning I did the litte sun salutations routine: 3As, 3Bs, little forward-bending and little upside-downs. And now I'm going to that nice Sunday-afteroon jin class.

Going easier and - not sore at all

I got my first comment - thank you, you Anonymous! Nice to know someone is reading this. I don't know, however, why your comment doesn't show anywhere on the blog. I should study the set-ups etc...

Yesterday was a short practice, only up to navasana. The Teacher was sick, and since I had planned a lighter practice, at the end I helped a girl in her sirsasana. I was doing all my jump-backs with two blocks under my hands, trying not to touch the floor with my feet on the way and trying to keep the bandhas... Had some success: instead of tapping my feet on the ground under my butt as usually, they touched the ground about half-a-meter further back. Is that progress? I never really got the idea of bandhas, and I never really think about them. Maybe I should start now? Lots of questions.

Today I will do an afternoon led class. A nice way to leave the working week behind and start the weekend!

A little holiday with a friend

For me, doing the ashtanga practice and NOT having to rush to work afterwards is a luxury, a holiday. My firend "K" and I had agreed to go and have a nice no-hurry breakfast in a nice café after the practice today, and that felt like a day off work, although I went to work towards 11 am.

I am tired of having pain somewhere all the time (well, most of the time). To get rid of the tightness in the hamstrings, I studied the trigger point theraby book last night and massaged them. Resutl: they are sore now... But trigger points would explain the troubles: the shortened muscles and tightness, slight pain, and the fact that for a muscle with the trigger points, stretching does not bring any benefits. So I was sitting on the floor with a baseball under my "hams". My right shoulder was also sore from the triggering effect of shoulderblade yesterday. One day all this will be gone (and new problems will have arrived!). I am, however, convinced about the benefits of the trigger point therapy, but it requires some effort and patience.

Did up to bhekasana today, and it went almost smoothly. I am getting stronger little by little.

Back to the intermediate series

It seems that enough time has passed from the April 2006 slight burnout and the slow, very slow crawling back to full primary series to start building up the beginning of the intermediate again. Almost five months, not so very long. It is almost scary - I had planned to go for it really slowly, like one asana per month, maximum, and now I was told to do four first ones. Pasasana was allright (for my standards) already, and tried krouchasana on Sunday, so that was like only two more. I missed (forgot!) the bhekasana and did dhanurasana instead.

I guess that I was all prepped up for this "huge, monster-like extra effort" today, and the whole primary went quite lightly. I was sweating only very modestly. My hamstring on the right leg is tight, as usually. The shoulder-blade pulling is actually giving me a trigger-point-therapy-kind-of-massage on the little tight muscles between the shoulder blades. The bone itself is pressed against the muscles, and it feels - ah so torturing good. And it all works very well for the urdhva dhanurasana.

I made a world premier, and no-one saw it

A beautiful summer night.

I was sweaty and shaky even before starting my pratice. Since, for once, I was driving and heading directly home from the yoga school, I didn't even bring my little towel. So I tried to wipe out the sweat with my hands, and against my knees in the sitting poses... It started not so well.

But it ended well! At the finishing asanas, entering into urdhva padmasana, I managed to do what I have been practicing for months: getting the feet into lotus without help with my hands! I was so happy I was bursting with a big smile, and I looked around and nobody noticed... For months I have "spied" the more advanced students to see how they do it. I have managed to get the right foot there and with just a little help with the right hand, pulling from the left big toe, the left foot. Today it went just on its own, easily. We'll see if that will last.

The shoulder-blade thing that I learnt last week is making the marichis very intense, but it is also very helpful in grabbing from behind the back: I did the easiest pasasana ever today. And I did the krouchasana as well. Haven't done that since last May. Teacher said we'll go forward two more asanas next week.

Looking forward to a day of rest

My body said stop today: I did only the standing asanas and was completely shaky and out-of-breath at the end of them. Slow and lazy final positions, and let us call it a week!

This is a brilliant exercise

My Teacher keeps giving me little bits and pieces to fine-tune my asanas. As soon as any asana becomes easier, he will make a small adjustment or make me think that asana another way, and boy, it is difficult again! "That's my job" he says and smiles...

Today's little adjustment was to aim at moving the shoulder-blade closer to the spinal column in the sitting poses where the arm reaches to the other side behind the back. ...While keeping the elbow close to the back. This makes much more space and allows the arm to reach much further. Just never thought about it before. It changes the Ardha Baddha Padma Paschimottasana and all the marichys completely. This and my other on-going efforts with the shoulders and upper back have a smashing effect!

I like the way how understanding one little detail in one position changes your perception of a whole series of related positions: the series is very well-structured so that asanas are built on previous asanas, just taken further. In the beginning of the series, the gravity does half the job, and further on, we have to work more. It is brilliant.

Today I had to go to the corridor to have some light for my balance: the house was "full" and there were some people I don't know so well as to bother them with turning on the ceiling lights...

Turned on the light and found interesting articles on the yoga sutras

So I turned on the light today. Just for the one asana, and nobody seemed disturbed. I guess others are having the same problem, and we are only few and we like each other, therefore can be tolerant.

I found interesting interpretations on yoga sutras from here. It's all new for me, and very interesting. Especially the description of constant battle and hard work to keep practising. The texts are very motivating, so instead of whining, I should just read them from time to time.

Someone on ashtangi.net wondered why ashtangis are crazy about blogs. This quote from Cloudshadows' page might explain it. Blog is the only way of "being together" for many of us.

"Those Who Are Supremely Quick And Cheerful Are Drawn Together

Yoga Sutra I.21

When you are very good at something and enjoy it a lot, you will naturally want to meet other people like you. You’ll want to share experiences, tips & tricks, and simply enjoy the company of like-minded people. You should be around people that will push you forward and inspire you with their abilities and happiness."

Darkness is hitting my Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana

After six o'clock in the morning there is no light at all when I leave the house, and our little but beautiful shala is almost equally dark with just a couple of little lamps and candles. It is very cozy and warm, but my Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana is suffering again. The Teacher says it is physiologic, no light, no balance. I don't know if I can do anything about it, except to turn on the big lights (and make everybody mad?!) or go to the corridor for that asana. What do you guys do?

Sunday I went to a jin-yoga class. Very relaxing and usefull. Like little pampering in the tough world of ashtanga.