616/325: Sore.

 .

Post title says it all.

615/324: Sentience.

Left off counting at 608/323 with Ashtanga; 614 for Iyengar 5ish months ago.

Sure I've taken classes since then - primarily Iyengar based (when I actually managed to make it there), some Bikram of late (when weekends permitted), some (semblance of passing thought of) practice on my own. In these 5ish months time there was a move and other bits and pieces of life and health stuff in there as well as some manifest time exploring options of existence.


Everything you do effects everything.

The initial idea in my mind was that I was done with Ashtanga.
My friends who practice Iyengar were shocked.


Then...
I started thinking...

...and decided that I would reevaluate my decision at the end of a year.

Well, it's been 5ish months.

I sunk into a yogasana-funk.
The funk was completely cured by Friday night pizza with my good friend from middle/high school - Tattoo'd Daisy and her friend Tea Blossom.

They got me on the subject of yoga and I couldn't stop talking or thinking about it.


I walked back into AYC this morning, with a little bit of trepidation and given the 5ish months of sporadic to non-existent practice:

1. I was surprised by the fact that I remembered the sequence, I admit, it's a little rusty - but not bad since I had banished Ashtanga from my existence and this morning somehow I made it through some semblance of a decent complete primary;
   
2. It was wonderful to see the familiar faces and some new ones;
   
3. D easily (almost too easily) slid me into supta kurmasana - I'm waiting for the honeymoon to be over on this one; and
   
4. Have been given yet one more sirsasana and strengthening technique, this one direct from runway (shala) of Paris.

More than anything, I have a new found respect for what is done in shalas and in homes on a morning basis.

Two Years...

320 Mysore Style practices.


Sweet practice this morning with a free standing Tiriang Mukhottanasana.


* * *

I proclaim this upcoming year for me: the year of Lolasana.
I will get my butt off the ground.

589/312: Contorture.

Torture.
Contortion.

Two sides of the coin. Same practice.

576/307 Consistency.

I have this sneaky suspicion that there is something to this regular consistent practice.

Wednesday last week D re-added supta vajrasana.
Yesterday bakasana was added <-- not that I can figure out how to "Sprung nach vorne, Balance auf den geraden Armen, die gebeugten Beine in der Luft*" nor do I have the correct / adequate strength yet. But progress is being / will be made.

And oddly enough, I'm finding supta vajrasana quite enjoyable.



Dare I say it?
I'm starting to enjoy 2nd series.


*jump forward balancing on straight arms, bend legs in the air, http://www.ashtangayoga.info/praxis/uebungsserien/intermediate-series-nadi-shodhana/item/bakasana-b/

* * *

I realize that I haven't spoken much about the workshop out in Charlottesville with John Campbell. I probably burnt out a bit on talking about it. Suffice it to say, it was an amazing experience - he truly is a fantastic teacher. Not one of those "big names," but certified and more importantly simply and honestly a solid teacher.

There was a lot of depth to what he had to say and his adjustments. And when I did pause my practice it was interesting watching him work with those there who were unfamiliar with Mysore style and the students who were more advanced. But of the two, it was really good watching/hearing him work with the beginning students. In lecture it was really good to hear him talk about the practice and the philosophy surrounding it - giving a depth to the practice which the academic in me believes is really important.

He talked a bit about how he goes about teaching Mysore style - really taking the time, spending the time to lay the foundation for the rest of the system. First week is sun-salutations A/B and the basic finishing postures. Period. Then going in to how this is a very conservative system, rooted in how things were traditionally/culturally taught - by pure memorization, something that is not valued in contemporary society. A lost art if you will. He gave the example of young children in India begin taught the Vedas, before they could even begin to fathom their meanings they learn the exact words and the exact pronunciations and intonations (like learning the vinyasas). Which of course also lends itself to learning Sanskrit and going back to the original texts to be able to understand the nuance of word and phrase choice.

In terms of asana there were nuance differences, but such is the nature of this practice or any other practice. A student picks up the habits and nuance of their teacher whether they like it or not, ultimate fidelity will always be lost unless going to "original" source material.

His work with me on tiriang mukhottanasana (a/k/a chakra bhandasana) on the Saturday was amazing and still dumbfounds me that my body/back could get that depth. He had me ultimately at my upper calves, straight legs standing by lightly holding me up by his fore and middle fingers pressed lightly on each ASIS. He really exploited my back flexibility by use of breath. I wasn't cranked and yanked into the pose. Of course, I freaked out and my breath got choked when I realized where I was and sprung up slightly bewildered.

Ultimately, the weekend showed just how important the correct vinyasas with solid breath are as the mechanisms for delivering a solid asana within the sequence.

527; 532/281; 534/282: A Whole Different UHP

In Iyengar class, 13 days ago, 10.01.07 we compared the Ashtanga and Iyengar versions of utthita hasta padagusthasana.



Huge mathematical difference between the two. Ashtanga one hand, two fingers to big toe raise leg to π/2 or at most 2π/3, and then forward fold, chin to shin (if going "old skool"). Iyengar, lift leg to π/2 or to position where foot can be grabbed by one hand and then both hands and raise leg as close to π as possible then chin to shin. Of course theoretically the pelvis should be kept square and level and perpendicular to floor - in both versions.

Then to work on correcting the alignment of the hip and femur and leg, Spirited C had us line up against the wall, butt, heel, and back against the wall. It's hard stand like that - let alone to keep everything aligned and raise that leg, then to grab the foot with both hands - not even considering personal anatomical (short arm) issues. Thank goodness for straps.

Fast forward, 10.01.17, AYC DC Sunday morning, cruising along in the standing sequence. D walks by my mat and points towards the ropes wall and directs me to put my butt and heel against the wall and instructs me to enter UHP. I maybe was able to lift either leg to π/3 without toppling - reaching an arm to the big toe, not even able to merely speculate the possibility.

This morning, exiting parsovatanasana, I stood at the front of my mat, glance around and decide that humility is the best option for a Wednesday morning. Back to the ropes wall...



Are they knowingly or unknowingly in cahoots?

* * *

Three things of personal note when I wasn't toppling all over the place and hanging on the ropes:

1. Padabandha of the standing leg very important.
2. With D's assistance to actually get the raised foot, I was able to get this amazing stretch in the outer hip and inner calf of the raised leg.
3. Correct alignment, seems to accentuate where flexibility and strength are lacking (and it's quite amazing how the body can easily compensate).

495/261: Smooth Sunday.

One of those Sundays where I was very tempted to linger in bed, take another day of bed rest from the Friday and Saturday's asthma difficulties - treated with multiple tisanes, water, soup, rest and more episodes of Lost than should probably be watched in one sitting.

SilentSpeaker easily convinced me over GChat to practice - basically reminding me that I could stop at any point I wanted to - my original plan was to go simply do Primary. Breath came so rhythmically almost like a metronome, each pose floated into another. I ended up easily smoothly practicing through laghu vajrasana and as I move to backbends D comes over and adds kapotasna a and kapotasna b. Very surprised and excited by this - still trying to work on the illusive "stall" thing when transitioning between ustrasana, laghu and kapotasana.

Thinking maybe break dancing lessons next..
or maybe give capioera another shot...

After three long holds in urdhva dhanurasana, three quick standing to dropbacks and immediately into assisted, and down half way on the last drop, D grabs my wrists and firmly plants my hands right to the lower calves. Of course, my hands slipped down a bit, and heels came up a teeny tiny bit - but oh, that hold was glorious.

There's been a bit of a return to backbending work in the cybershala - and after this morning's fairly successful exploration of tiriang mukhottanasana (LOY 418-9) decided to see where things are in the backbending department.

Started with a little chair work from Iyengar class, really working to try to get the pelvis tucked, extension through the front body, spine deep into the backbody, and lots of rotation through the shoulders.



And then of course, a little play with urdhva dhanurasana and dropbacks.

492/259: Rules Pondered.

We hated Bauhaus. It was a bad time in architecture... All they had were rules. Even for knives and forks they created rules. Picasso would never have accepted rules. The house is like a machine? No! The mechanical is ugly. The rule is the worst thing. You just want to break it.

Oscar Niemeyer.

* * *

Why do we push the boundaries? Over time, the chance of radical breakthroughs seems to increase as rules and their nuances are simply and slowly explored. The "rules" in place are pushed to the limits and ultimately broken - but concurrent to the exploration/deconstruction a new structure comes into formation. So, really, the original structure doesn't completely disappear - pieces remain.

Each successive pose feeds another - how they all link together - how opening/strength in one assists multiple other poses down the sequence. But can and usually does deepen expression in earlier poses.

There's truly a lot of depth to Primary.


To be honest, I'm not the biggest fan Intermediate yet.
There I said it.

Back on 10.28 D added parsva dhanurasana, ustrasana, and laghu vajrasna to my practice. I was ok having through dhanruasana. Prior to that, it didn't really "feel" like I "had" a second series - those first poses seemed more like an amuse-bouche.

Don't get me wrong I think parsva dhanurasana is quite enjoyable, while laghu vajrasna is pleasantly kicking my butt - or more specifically the rectus femoris, satoris, and would venture the tensor fasciae latae (thank you AP Bio anatomy textbook). From Primary, lolasana and bhuja pindasana are still slightly enigmatic to me. But, Intermediate seems to be doing amazing things for my backbending - Simply? Wow.


As I type this, I think - maybe it is the rules and their nuance that are close to the core of the beauty of this system.
As a result, there's hope for Intermediate.

After all, Niemeyer works in concrete with grids and structure - just with a different perspective on the rules.

Class# 410; AYC DC Mysore Class # 219: Rules.

1st rule of Ashtanga: No Iyengar-esque adho mukha svanasana.

2nd rule of Ashtanga: No Iyengar-esque adho mukha svanasana.

3rd rule of Ashtanga: Go until the teacher taps you out *or* you hit the end of your given sequence *or* you start your back bends and your teacher decides to give you another pose.

4th rule of Ashtanga: Mulabanda.

5th rule of Ashtanga: Uddiyana banda.

6th rule of Ashtanga, No futzing with towels or clothing during vinyasas.

7th rule of Ashtanga: Chaturanga is a pose.

8th rule of Ashtanga: You must breathe.

Class# 402; AYC DC Mysore Class # 215: Squish.

Most awesome adjustment ever in bhekasana this morning.

As I pulled myself into bhekasana and noticed D walking over I thought he was going to do his standard bhekasana adjustment - which I have yet to figure out how one does with only two arms. However, generally, things seem to kinda fall into proper place but I've really never quite found it comfortable. At. All.

But, no! This morning my frog was quite literally squished into place as I had a long and velvety exhale, D sat directly on my addcutor magnus muscles (what C calls the "thigh butt") and ever so gently lifted my shoulders. Heels straight down to the floor and deep backbend running the length of my spine.


Absolute pure heaven.


Now just to figure out how to get that exhale into the thigh butt on a regular basis.

Realized like everything, it is more a matter of breath than flexibility or strength at this point. Both of those come from the breath.

Class# 388; AYC DC Mysore Class # 203: Question 6.

How'd I'd get there?!

Finished primary and realized all of a sudden that D was assisting my bind on the first side of pasasana. I had intended to stop at primary as my last practice was Saturday and had a really late night Monday night. Why did I do second through bhekasana? How did I get there? Oh well.

After bhekasana, played with urdhva dhanurasana and drop backs and D brought me straight into chakra bandasana - no quick trip to the floor and walk in - right to the lower calves, just above the ankles. Let me tell you, I was quite surprised to find myself there.


I am about ready to head back to bed.

* * *

I'm finding that I have the hip flexor flexibility with bheakasana - just really lacking the flexibility in the upper part of my sternum and the front of my shoulders to really lift the chest. Salabhasana a/b don't nearly feel that tight in that area. I'm pretty sure my difficulty with bhekasana is not stemming from the lack of length in my arms.

Any thoughts on opening in the upper part of the chest and into the front of the shoulders?

Class# 373; AYC DC Mysore Class # 191: One Year Passed

One full year has passed since that rainy morning I first walked into AYC for a Mysore style class at what I thought then was bright and early (6:00am).

Since May 12, 2008, I have practiced Mysore style 191 times (including today) primarily at AYC, with a couple visits to Back Bay Yoga, one at Yoga Sutra, and one at Ashtanga Yoga Charlottesville.

I have managed to stick with this for a year now. One year of commitment that really seems to be sticking and feeling so right. This coming from a gal who won't renew her PO Box for more than 6 months at a time. (Aristophanes was completely floored by my lack of commitment to a PO Box.)

Only after 9 or 10 months of Baptiste I got a serious case of wander-lust and fluttered around a bit - catching classes here and there between Down Dog, Flow and AYC. Baptiste, played with some Jivamukti which was/is fun, and attended a couple Ashtanga classes. Gentle A was covering D's Ashtanga level 1 classes at the time and after my first class he asked me if I was hooked, drenched in sweat and already beginning to feel a bit sore, I said most certainly.

After that, I went to London for an AcroYoga workshop and while there realized that Ashtanga really was where I wanted to be - I met many people with many different practices and the ones who really had strength and grace were the Ashtangis. At the time, little could I fathom how much more there is to this practice that has the potential to be both as frustrating as a Chinese finger puzzle and a sweet as the first spring day.

I must confess, I have been dabbling with Iyengar, once a week since the start of the new year; however, I've found that Ashtanga/Iyengar can really inform one another quite beautifully. The main difficulty I seem to have is remembering how far to distance my feet in trikonasana between the two traditions.

One of the many things I love about practicing Ashtanga this way is that I've learned to accept the vagaries of my body on a daily basis, work with it, and still appreciate the way strength and flexibility develop through practice. When there is even the smallest breakthrough it gives a sense of accomplishment. However. There are always refinements that can be made and there's always something more ahead or already in the practice to continue to hone, observe and study. There's a level of discipline and meditation inherent in the practice that I find hard to find within every day waking life.

I would go so far as to say 4:45am - 7:15am are my favorite hours of the day.

After 1 year of Mysore style practice, where am I?
Standard practice is Primary up to and including Bhekasana.
But more importantly, loving every minute of it.

* * *

And a gratuitous Drop Back clip from after this morning's practice, simply in celebration of 1 year and 1 fraction of this 1st year: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yzyraVAh1o

Class# 353; AYC DC Mysore Class # 176: Take it to the Core.

I have a secret.
I cheat myself out of my finishing postures.

Specifically, when it comes to sirasana.
My always lurking nemesis since I was given this pose.

My shoulders, neck and arms are fine - it's the bendy bit from my belly button to butt. Maybe I find balance and stability for 2 minutes, if I'm lucky. In reality, it's more like 1 minute. This morning after collapsing to my mat in my customary sirasana heap, D looks at me and tells me to go over to the wall. "Headstand there. Stay up."

Arms, shoulders and neck, strong and solid really not tiring. Legs from knees to feet solid. From the belly to the butt? The solidity of Jello. I literally had two halves of my body at work and D trying various verbal cues and adjustments to get me to engage all those muscles. I would think that I should have the requisite strength for this. It's almost as if I can't figure out how to use those muscles in that way - somewhere along the line I think I lost that section of the users manual.

Not knowing how long I've been up D walks away for a bit, returns and tells me to come down. Walking back to my spot D asks what was getting tired, I look at him and block out the area of my body from my belly to butt. Then I comment that this is quite possibly the same strength that I'm lacking when it comes to those pesky transitions. He seems to possibly slightly nod in agreement. Yes, I know I have short Polish arms, but I'm starting to realized that it's that lower core connection I'm missing when it comes to jump backs/throughs.

I'll be honest. I rely too much on bone stacking in sirasana and not enough on strength. Which creates a flimsy structure at best.

I know. I know. It's a simple fact that from relationships to buildings to jewelry fabrication to writing the key to a solid structure lies not only at the foundation but also within the core, the internal structures. A lot of that comes from a willingness to push limits and a willingness to be open.

So here's to bringing things to the core, to very heart of potential.

My goal: By July 30, minimum 7 minute headstand.

Class# 351; AYC DC Mysore Class # 174: Doh.

This morning, D pointed out to me that I *might* be trying too hard.

Class# 350; AYC DC Mysore Class # 171: Integration

After a bit of a hiatus from writing due to life in general, (asana practice, work, social life) I'm back. I had so many plans for this weekend thwarted by the warmth of the sun and recovery from some evil stomach bug that knocked me on my butt for the better portion of last week.

When I have made it to practice, averaging 4 days per week, things keep on opening up - save for one part. My left shoulder - man it has felt stiff. But binds really haven't been that much of a problem, if anything they' generally felt pretty sweet. I emailed K on Friday asking him about this and if he had any suggestions or thoughts. It's not injured, just feels disproportionately stiff to my right.

So this morning K took some time with me and my shoulder during down dog, parvritta trikonasana, and urdhva dhanurasana. The "problem" with my body, is that I can be too bendy and really need to engage much more so that my upper back and shoulders collapse into themselves. In DD K gave some very precise Iyengar style tricks. Which means for me, really rotating my arms in a manner that feels somewhat like the rotation in urdhva dhanurasana. (Fwiw, my triceps are currently on fire.) For me that shoulder rotation really resulted in broadening my upper back and I was able to really engage my legs, and might have found a bit of that elusive mula bhanda.

In parvritta trikonasana, as he pressed against the extended arm to align my hand arm and shoulder (apparently I'm hyper-extending my shoulder), he used the word integration. A concept I've been thinking about a lot recently.

Anyone who knows me knows that I talk a lot about trying to find balance and oft comment that I'm just trying to find balance. Flippantly stating or offering that it's just trying to find balance. But I'm starting to wonder if it's more of a process of integration. When I "integrated" the muscles of my arm, shoulder and back, the energy of the pose completely shifted. It was much more work, but the way it felt made the work all worthwhile.

I brought the concept of this to the rest of my practice and there was little stiffness apparent in my shoulder. Save for pasasana on my left where I couldn't get the proper rotation of my shoulder to reach the bind.

But back to integration. I'm almost tempted to say where balance can ultimately be stagnant, integration provides and promotes strength, growth, and forward movement. It's really like a relationship, friend or lover - there are many who come and go overtime, but there are a select few who become so deeply integrated and entwined with your existence that they grow and (promote) change with you. These are true friends - when they are not present there is a void, when they are around life becomes that much more full.

* * *

My blogging here might become a bit more sporadic as I have started a little project for myself - journaling about each practice, each class I attend. Something I've intended to do for awhile now and finally getting around to it.

I'm sure some thoughts will migrate from here to there and quite possibly from there to here. I've come to see this a bit more like a composite of my life - from yoga to art to food to life in general and the things that make it blissful. For me, this really isn't the place for the nitty gritty detailed analysis of each and every asana practice.

Class# 343; AYC DC Mysore Class # 167: Beginnings of Deeper Openings.

Drop backs this morning felt wonderful, spacious, light and the most free since that workshop with SD out in Charlottesville. There was so much space in my upper and lower back.

D came over for dips.

After the third dip, down and into a complete and total freak out / panic attack as D attempted to assist me into chakra bhandasana. After a little over 5 minutes in paschimottasnasana, I recovered enough to complete my finishing postures.

It's really true what others have said about heart-opening and how change manifests in this practice.

Class# 333; AYC DC Mysore Class # 158: You might be a little tired...

...when placed into what feels to be the best supta kurmasana you've ever been in, and you find yourself dozing off.

Mantra Monday: The secret is to begin. (Revisited)

Four to six days a week, you'll find me up and and on my way to practice bright and early in the morning. Systematically over the past nine months, my asana practice has evolved. As I see it, one of the many beauties of the ashtanga system and practicing Mysore style is that as your body grows in strength and flexibility there is more to discover within what you've learned. If you had said to me that in nine months, I would have received pasasana, the first pose of second series this morning, I don't know if I would have believed it possible. Granted, my pasasna did not look anything whatsoever like the link provided, but it was a start.

Over the past couple weeks I've been thinking, there has to be a way to apply this systematic growth of an Ashtanga practice to Art. I have had so many ideas jumbled around in my head, back logged and beginning to slam against the breakwater. I just didn't know where to start. Just welling up inside, like right before I began standing from urdhva dhanurasana.

But how to begin?!
Do I go back to my painting? What about my bass wood? Do I pull out my hammers and torches and begin pounding on metal?

Then I realized, I just needed to look around my apartment, pick something and begin. Like the first sun salutation, I just need to start. Like self-practicing, I just needed to stay with it and work through it. No dawdling making tea, writing emails, baking cookies, or cleaning. Just let it come on its own.

I set up a drafting lamp on my dinner table and pulled out my $2.99 Benny's chess set. A pencil and just kept on sketching pawns. One, two, three - moving the light. I kept myself from using an eraser to allow myself to make "mistakes" and work with them. Soon they smoothed themselves out. I've always had a thing for the Knight. So at some point, I added him to my sketches.

I lost track of all time.

Over 4 hours of sitting. Sitting with my chess set.
A sketch book. An HB pencil. A pencil sharpener.
An eraser. A drafting brush.

Sitting. Drawing. Loving every minute.

Ashtanga Fortune Cookie_001

Class# 295; AYC DC Mysore Class # 131: Another Eureka Moment.

Brought to you by Post-it Notes.
I did it - I dropped back.

No crash.
No drama.




Just a little assist from a simple post-it note.