Thank God it is Friday

It IS ONLY first series on Fridays, thank God. Even if I don't practice 6 times a week, I try to keep the Fridays to first series.

The first series was like a nice, warm re-welcome to the family's arms this morning. I feel at home, I feel welcome, and most of the time I know what I am doing, and I play a little. And I am not dead exhausted afterwards.

All this was contrary to my last practice this week (which was Tuesday). I've been doing most of primary and the second up to a "sort of Kapotasana". It is actually quite an effort to bend the upper back back and intensively use the muscles of the front of the thighs (whatever they are called) during several similar postures following each other! But it has been a continued hype experience, new victories day after day, getting better each practice... So it was only normal that I would come back down one day. Last Tuesday I started crying (!) because I can't get my feet straight in my jump-backs! What a sucker... Well, we all get emotional sometimes, don't we? And I had the ladies days coming... And it sucks that I can't get those feet straight! So a couple of days off did me good, and even the jump-backs went further back, before toes touched the ground (not all the way straight, though).

I was at the school on my mat at 5.30 and finished at 7. So I have a moment to write before work calls... Nice weekend everyone!

Jihaa, I touched my toes!

Dear three readers, I managed to touch my toes today in Kapotasana A while elbows were touching ground. This was weird, since the toes felt like somebody else's toes, they were not where I thought they were.

I did the shortened version of first series: up to supta kurmasana, then second series up to Kapotasana the "gentil" (some would say Iyengar) way. Ursula, here comes:

I sit down on my behind, my knees bent, heels next to my butt. I go slowly down on my back, my knees bent and my heels next to my behind on the floor. Usually I stay there for a while, then I start lifting my pelvis by putting a block under the tailbone. The tailbone must be well towards the knees and the position must remain relatively comfortable. The knees should not spread too much. I usually put another block under my back. I stay there for 5 minutes and let the fronts of my thighs stretch.

When I am fed up with this position, I take the block away from under my back and put my hands "above" my head on the floor. I lift my back, put the top of my head down and try to make a nice curve with my back. Opening the chest... I "walk" my fingers towards my feet and I pull myself up with my knees and legs. I move my head, and try to put it straight towards the floor. I try to keep my elbows in line. There, little by little approaching, I managed to touch my toes today and have my elbows on the floor at the same time. It took three weeks...

I wouldn't do this if my back is not hot enough and I wouldn't go down the "usual way" yet.