Nadi Shodana

A friend of mine was giving a workshop called "Intro to Second Series" and I decided it would be fun to check it out....boy was I right, and very wrong. First let me say that I do not think that I should be moving on to second any time soon, I was just curious. Then, I'd like to say that anyone practicing second should stop reading this and do something nice for themselves instead. Second series is no joke! I feel like a piece of chewed bubble gum today.

I'll start mysore in the mornings tomorrow. I told Mary at a party for her this weekend that I would be in her morning mysore classes, so that I couldn't back out. I hope I adjust to the new schedule quickly, I've never been a morning person, but I can't pass up the opportunity to study with her. Any advice on making the transition?

Ha!

I bound my hands in Supta Kurmasana by myself for the first time ever today! :) Hurrah....more to come....

For a Dear Friend

A close family friend, Lynda C Malone, passed away very recently from cancer. My husband has created an endowment in her name to donate to the American Institute for Cancer Research every year for the life of the fund, for years and years to come.

The website is http://www.lyndamalonefoundation.org . If you can spare it, please visit the site and help us honor her memory and the memories of those lost to cancer around the world.

Strength and Stamina

You know how sometimes you will have a practice where you begin to wonder if you are capable of practicing ashtanga yoga? Anyway, I hope you know. I'm still gaining speed from the month off I think. I can't for the life of me make it through an entire class without skipping vinyasas left and right. And my jumpbacks are excruciating. So much effort in each one that I poop out right around Mari A.

I realize that this is part of the journey, and I love that, I just feel so weak sometimes!

My last class with my mentor was last night. He has told us he is moving to a different studio downtown, so I could still see him every so often, which is good... The torch is being passed to Mary Flinn this weekend at a potluck dinner. Her first public class is Saturday, and I will go. I'm excited to have the chance to study with a teacher certified by guruji. And a different point of view is always helpful.

All the "cool kids" are going to the potluck, and some of them have even acknowledged my existence over the past few days. I hope that having some social interactions outside the studio will help us bond. Thanks for the enlightening comments about this situation, my perspective was a little narrow, and realizing that has made me feel better.

What am I, Like 15?

I feel silly writing about this, but it has bothered me for a little while now...

I'm sure that it happens in other lineages as well, but does anyone besides me ever get annoyed with the cliquishness of some groups of Ashtanga practitioners? I've also been getting a really bad vibe from some of the women in my classes ... a cattiness if you will...

Now I realize that adults act like teenagers everywhere, at work, school, in the grocery store, and even in yoga class, but I do feel like it is a little rampant with Ashtangis... wonder why...

It bothers me more than it should, I start wondering why they don't like me, and how I can get them to like me....then I realize I am being ridiculous and try to forget about it.
__________________

In other news, teacher training was good this weekend. We've transitioned from lecture type classes about yogic philosophy, literature, and history to teaching asana. Only four months to graduation. Crazy.

Also, I think that my mentor leaving is affecting me more than I thought... I had a dream the other night that I was so late that I missed his last class, and I was really upset. I guess I subconsciously feel that there is something I still want to learn from him before he goes.

Have a great Monday everyone.

I so got called out...

On my way to led primary tonight I realized that I was actually dreading practicing. It happens every once and a while, I just imagine all the asanas to come, and I want to start just to get it over with. So, I came up with an "awesome" plan, I would ask my teacher to assist so I wouldn't have to practice.

Here's the thing, when I came in and said "I was thinking I could assist instead of practicing tonight", he saw right through me and said aloud to the whole class "Sounds to me like someone just doesn't want to practice!"....How the eff did he know that! I got called out....and then something amazing happened, I had a wonderful practice. It may have been destined to be awesome either way, but I'll never know. Kurmasana with heels off the floor, binding to the wrist in all the Mari's (except D, don't be crazy! :)), and hands to floor in prasarita padottanasana C (okay, that was with an adjustment, but it was still the first time I've touched, help or no help).

This will keep me motivated for a while, you never know when that really great practice will be, so when the urge is there to skip it, don't.

In other news, teacher training is this weekend. And in just over a week, I'll begin a regular morning Mysore class with Mary Flinn! :) She is recognized by Guruji, and is going to be by far the most experienced teacher that I've studied with long term. I figure weekend workshops with David Swenson don't count. I'm really excited!

To all a good night!

Adjustments

I am learning to adjust practitioners from my mentor. It is so strange being the one giving the adjustments as opposed to receiving them. I have to say I am having a little anxiety about adjusting people. I know that I love them and will take them from anyone who knows what they are doing, but for some reason I am worried (projecting) that people will not think I'm "worthy" to adjust them. I guess since I am a new teacher?

Hmmm...tomorrow I will adjust the class that I normally practice in, I'll let you know how that goes...

Anusara: Nit-picking or Helpful Hints?

During teacher training I had a workshop today about teaching back-bends. I love back-bends, so I was really excited for this. It was taught by Christina Sell who studied with John Friend. She, not to mention the other teachers from the anusara tradition that I have had, is very very concerned with alignment and adjustments of every joint, and even the most subtle actions of those joints.

One the one hand I love breaking the movements and postures down to that level, on the other it sometimes seems kind of annoying. When I am trying to incorporate so many things at once, I often feel overwhelmed and lose focus in the posture...

Is it me being naive, or is it okay to sometimes just feel your way through an asana? To enjoy it and find what feels right?

Now, I don't mean to bad-mouth this class I had, despite what I've just said, I learned to open my upper back much more, which allowed much deeper back-bends in every posture we did. The techniques I learned will stick with me through the rest of my life. And I LOVE Christina, she is the most amazing teacher, super funny and friendly, and just the right amount of intensity plus compassion.

Just some random thoughts....

On another random note, I may have been offered a job replacing my mentor who is leaving the studio...weird....I'm not sure if anyone would take me seriously and want to learn from me when I have been practicing beside them, and I would all of a sudden be the instructor. I doubt I would react well to that....but maybe some people would !?

My schedule has really been getting in the way of a regular practice for the past (and probably future) few days. Not to mention a nasty head cold. Hard to do udjayi pranayama with so much mucus! Gross! Did I just say that? :) I hope to get back to it on Tuesday....

Here's hoping you are all feeling well and happy! Will post again super soon!

Dog Days

We took our boston to the vet today. He needed heartgard, and we found out he has an ear infection! It took four grown men to hold down my 20 pound dog to give him ear drops! I was embarrassed and proud all at the same time.

Went to the campus ashtanga class that I used to attend months ago. It was really nice to visit, but I was surprised what my practice used to be like. The room was air conditioned (70 degrees), with mirrors, and the primary series was extremely modified. We skipped about half the asanas! It is an intro course for college students, so I guess it really isn't that surprising, but it is strange for me to think about how much my practice has changed. I feel more "official" now, which really means nothing, but I think you know what I mean. Maybe more "traditional" would be a better way to describe it.

I've added a couple new pics on the side there, the state of the backbend, and Mari D :)

Slow and Steady

Ventured out in the cold (37 degrees) and rain this morning to go to led primary. Took it slow and easy...some strength coming back slowly. Plus I usually practice in the evening, so I cut myself some slack. It's funny how much more grateful I am for my practice having had to give it mostly up for a month.

My husband and I seem to be perpetual students....or maybe just perpetually stupid:)...we keep enrolling in long-term higher education programs, straining ourselves financially and for time. We are known as "the busiest couple" in our family. For a while I thought it was because we were forced into this situation, but then I realized that we are making conscious decisions to do this. I chose to enter a PhD program, and then chose to enter an intense 9 month yoga teacher training program at the same time. He chose to enter an MBA program in the evenings while working full time at a job.

I'm hoping we get this out of our systems after this round and just settle down and enjoy the fruits of our labor for a while. I feel like I am always striving for the next goal, swimming against the current as hard as I can. I'd like to let go, and float, let the current carry me for a while.

This is true in my Ashtanga practice as well. My teacher was saying today during final breathing that it is important to relax and remove some of the intensity in your practice. Otherwise you are just tightening up and impeding your progress. I love the idea of this, that as soon as you give in, let go, and relax, it comes. Going to meditate on that for a while. Make it my resolution during yoga nidra for a while.

I couldn't resist

So, after telling myself it would be okay to practice every other day while I get back up to speed with my practice....I practiced last night. That's two days in a row, no day in between...and I was super sore, and skipped almost all the vinyasas, put my legs up the wall during most of the closing sequence...and loved it. I'm thinking that doing a 50% practice every day or a 90% practice every other day is about the same thing :) Regardless, I've missed practice so much. I couldn't resist. I would say I'll take today off, but who knows.

Wait a Minute Mr. Postman

The Grant is gone...I sent it last night to Bethesda, Maryland. Hurray! I slept better last night than I have in almost a month.

That could have also been because I went to my first mysore style class in a month. It was only my second class practice back. I'm surprised how much strength and stamina I have lost over the break. I am sore in places that I haven't been sore in for almost a year. I can tell my body needs to rebuild. But don't think I am disappointed. I enjoyed that practice so much. I like having to slow down a bit and be mindful of every posture and every vinyasa.

I think I'll practice every other day for a while to work back into a daily practice. Slow and steady...

Back in the Swing of Things?

I went to led primary yesterday morning. I modified quite heavily to be safe, no jump-throughs or backs, no arm balances, I refrained from sweeping my arms over my head, etc. It was a really really nice practice. It felt sooo good to be back in the group.

Today, the arm feels fine, which makes sense because of all of the modifications, but I am super duper sore today. It was weird because during practice, I was extra bendy, even though I thought for sure I wasn't going to be able to touch my toes. I hadn't practiced in three weeks! But, I was laying on my legs in all the seated forward bends, my head was touching my shins in uttanasana...and today my muscles are wrecked. It didn't feel like a ton of effort at the time, but I am more sore than I have been in a long time. I sorta love it though, it reminds me that I am finally practicing again. I'm a sicko, what can I say :)

I've been continuing to observe/assist with my mentors classes. That is such a nice experience. He teaches ashtanga, hatha, and hatha flow, so I've gotten to see a lot of different types of classes. Tomorrow night I'm going to go observe a beginner's series. I'm really excited about that because the people who attend my mentor's classes seem to be fairly advanced, and I feel like I'll learn more teaching/observing beginners. I'll blog about that tomorrow!

Until then you little sweeties!