Yoga Day

Yesterday was a yoga day. Class at 9 with A, then an afternoon workshop with J.

In A's class we did primary then 2nd up to LV and some dropping back to UD and coming to standing (assisted). Her new Saturday space is large and open, with mirrors but it is quite cold...took a while to get things warmed up. I used to love mirrors before I started practicing ashtanga...I found it helpful. Now I find them really distracting. Saw myself a couple times and the breath just evaporated. Not so good.

She assisted my standing to UD and the last time I am pretty sure I did it alone, I didn't feel her touch me...we talked about the process, she said lead with your pubic bone/hip, send all your energy there, then you can think about the chest and only last can you think about the head. My first time, by dumb luck, I managed to come up as a unit...trunk down, trunk up...all momentum, zero control. It made much more sense, splitting the body into modules, and felt much better and more stable. UD to standing will be back.

It is funny, with the backbends, I just have this feeling that they will take care of themselves...that as I practice they will just happen and turn into what they need to be. I am not inclined to worry about them or work on them outside of practice.

LBH is the opposite...I lack faith that LBH will be the happy product of consistent practice. I still believe I need non-ashtanga intervention to make it happen. I'm probably wrong - the difference is the faith.

J's workshop was mostly talking, which I was a bit relieved about because the practice with A was dynamic and all that I needed for the day physically. There were only 4 of us there and we talked a lot about breath (very helpful) and asana-wise we worked on chaturanga and sirsasana. I don't have problems with these but the refresher was helpful. I'm happy that I have quite a strong chaturanga now but it took me a long time to build the strength. I see people in the room looking dismayed and not having faith and I just wanted to say, "I was you!! It will happen!! Keep trying!!" but I thought that might be inappropriate.

I decided to skip my Karanda question, for fear of terrifying any beginners in the room. I did ask for some help on Mayurasana and I'm glad I did because it turns out I've been exaggerating the hunch too much and I'm basically flopped over my arms in an arc. Of course I am having problems! I had a respectable attempt and felt the difference. Mayurasana will happen someday.