99to1

Kitchen is clean and most of the folding is done...
Same resolution as last year... drink more water. Additionally this year I resolve to practice yoga more than once a week. Am setting my sights on daily practice Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday mornings, and Thursday nights with the boys. And once a month a small 108 evening.

Have managed a lot of sleep/rest this holiday season. It wasn't without streses however... close to a week with the inlaws etc... no asana, or other exercise and lots of overeating. Way too much TV. Unlike many others I know none of it was football. I did get addicted to Iron Chef america though... I think I watched 5 episodes back-to-back.

On track to do the 06:00hrs yoga practice at the gym (still nothing on the schedule in that slot).

Have got to start getting ready to do the next course, should be 6 weeks in Japan, Tokyo that is. Very much looking forward to that.

Off to 295 for a drum practice and sleep... it's already past 21:00... gotta get a move on...

Up to TriangMP this morning. Then the usual routine of therma-therapy [steam bath and sauna]. And today even a shave with my new cordless Braun razor.

In the yoga studio (at they gym), the mirrors are starting to get to me... At first I ignored them... now I get to a posture where I know there's lots of room to improve, I check out the available views, and there are many, as there's full length mirrors on all walls.

It is not easy to have a typical practice because dristhi is wandering. I don't really like that aspect of the studio.

Upside? I might see some postures getting better, because the instant feedback in the mirror is relentless and addictive.

Arrived at the gym right at 06:00...
Still only got out of there for 08:00 however. Where does the time go?? Oh yeah... likely it's evaporating in the steam room...

I was moving quite slowly today, that's probably where most of the time went. Got up to JanuB... [which reminded me of something Sharmila said to me] and then finishing.

At Sharmila's, when I'd loose track of which posture is next, I would ask with an abbreviated prompt-like question, raise my eyebrow and offer a slight head bobble.

Parsvo?
Uttitha Hastha?
Ardha Baddha?
Janu?

This happened to me quite a bit.
I typically practice alone at home, just me and my breath, it's a solitary experience with the posture. In contrast with Sharmila, I found when she is there just for you, offering her attention, her leverage [and knowledge and wisdom], it becomes like you both are sharing the posture.

This is quite an intimate experience, so I was bringing a much deeper level of focus to what was happening within me [and between us] in the moment. Way more than I typically do at home. I find it is a dramatically different experience practicing this way.

As a result, it was as if this intensity in the experience of sharing the postures eliminated my ability to recall what comes next...

Anyhow back to my point...
One day Sharmila says, "next one". I say, "JanuC?"
She giggles and says, "it's cute... calling asanas like you're calling girlfriend or lover."

Arrived at the gym right at 06:00...
Still only got out of there for 08:00 however. Where does the time go?? Oh yeah... likely it's evaporating in the steam room...

I was moving quite slowly today, that's probably where most of the time went. Got up to JanuB... [which reminded me of something Sharmila said to me] and then finishing.

At Sharmila's, when I'd loose track of which posture is next, I would ask with an abbreviated prompt-like question, raise my eyebrow and offer a slight head bobble.

Parsvo?
Uttitha Hastha?
Ardha Baddha?
Janu?

This happened to me quite a bit.
I typically practice alone at home, just me and my breath, it's a solitary experience with the posture. In contrast with Sharmila, I found when she is there just for you, offering her attention, her leverage [and knowledge and wisdom], it becomes like you both are sharing the posture.

This is quite an intimate experience, so I was bringing a much deeper level of focus to what was happening within me [and between us] in the moment. Way more than I typically do at home. I find it is a dramatically different experience practicing this way.

As a result, it was as if this intensity in the experience of sharing the postures eliminated my ability to recall what comes next...

Anyhow back to my point...
One day Sharmila says, "next one". I say, "JanuC?"
She giggles and says, "it's cute... calling asanas like you're calling girlfriend or lover."

Arrived at the gym right at 06:00...
Still only got out of there for 08:00 however. Where does the time go?? Oh yeah... likely it's evaporating in the steam room...

I was moving quite slowly today, that's probably where most of the time went. Got up to JanuB... [which reminded me of something Sharmila said to me] and then finishing.

At Sharmila's, when I'd loose track of which posture is next, I would ask with an abbreviated prompt-like question, raise my eyebrow and offer a slight head bobble.

Parsvo?
Uttitha Hastha?
Ardha Baddha?
Janu?

This happened to me quite a bit.
I typically practice alone at home, just me and my breath, it's a solitary experience with the posture. In contrast with Sharmila, I found when she is there just for you, offering her attention, her leverage [and knowledge and wisdom], it becomes like you both are sharing the posture.

This is quite an intimate experience, so I was bringing a much deeper level of focus to what was happening within me [and between us] in the moment. Way more than I typically do at home. I find it is a dramatically different experience practicing this way.

As a result, it was as if this intensity in the experience of sharing the postures eliminated my ability to recall what comes next...

Anyhow back to my point...
One day Sharmila says, "next one". I say, "JanuC?"
She giggles and says, "it's cute... calling asanas like you're calling girlfriend or lover."

Arrived at the gym right at 06:00...
Still only got out of there for 08:00 however. Where does the time go?? Oh yeah... likely it's evaporating in the steam room...

I was moving quite slowly today, that's probably where most of the time went. Got up to JanuB... [which reminded me of something Sharmila said to me] and then finishing.

At Sharmila's, when I'd loose track of which posture is next, I would ask with an abbreviated prompt-like question, raise my eyebrow and offer a slight head bobble.

Parsvo?
Uttitha Hastha?
Ardha Baddha?
Janu?

This happened to me quite a bit.
I typically practice alone at home, just me and my breath, it's a solitary experience with the posture. In contrast with Sharmila, I found when she is there just for you, offering her attention, her leverage [and knowledge and wisdom], it becomes like you both are sharing the posture.

This is quite an intimate experience, so I was bringing a much deeper level of focus to what was happening within me [and between us] in the moment. Way more than I typically do at home. I find it is a dramatically different experience practicing this way.

As a result, it was as if this intensity in the experience of sharing the postures eliminated my ability to recall what comes next...

Anyhow back to my point...
One day Sharmila says, "next one". I say, "JanuC?"
She giggles and says, "it's cute... calling asanas like you're calling girlfriend or lover."

Arrived at the gym right at 06:00... a good early start...
Still only got out at 08:00 however. Where does the time go?? Oh yeah... likely it's evaporating in the steam room...

I was moving quite slowly today, that's probably where most of the time went. Got up to JanuB... [which reminded me of something Sharmila said to me] and then finishing.

At Sharmila's, when I'd loose track of which posture is next, I would ask with an abbreviated prompt-like question, raise my eyebrow and offer a slight head bobble.

Parsvo?
Uttitha Hastha?
Ardha Baddha?
Janu?

This happened to me quite a bit.
I typically practice alone at home, just me and my breath, it's a solitary experience with the posture. In contrast with Sharmila, I found when she is there just for you, offering her attention, her leverage [and knowledge and wisdom], it becomes like you both are sharing the posture.

This is quite an intimate experience, so I was bringing a much deeper level of focus to what was happening within me [and between us] in the moment. Way more than I typically do at home. I find it is a dramatically different experience practicing this way.

As a result, it was as if this intensity in the experience of sharing the postures eliminated my ability to recall what comes next...

Anyhow back to my point...
One day Sharmila says, "next one". I say, "JanuC?"
She giggles and says, "it's cute... calling asanas like you're calling girlfriend or lover."

Charles couldn't make it last night, so it was Colin and Gilles and myself. Now that we're recommencing the Thursday night routine, the approach is a bit different... it's not being lead by audio.

We had pretty regularly been listenning to the audio portion of David Swenson's primary series video, or Darby and Nicole, or John Scott. Now however, I think it's a good time to try to switch to a more personalized (internal) way of practicing... for the next month or so I'll call the basics of the postures and they'll listen/look/follow, and I'm hoping in pretty short time they'll have it memorized and will truely have the foundation of thier own asana practice.

We did up to Janu B, no back bending and no finishing...

Then cheese, salmon, squash, and a beer.

Once I cam back from India I was mourning not having a mysore teacher to help with the postures... Still am really. I first thought that I could train Loren to do the same kind of adjustments/help/supports whcich Sharmila was giving me... and then I thought she really wouldn't have interest or energy, and that it was kind of a selfish request. This was confirmed by actually asking.

Gilles came next to mind... I offered him the opportunity to practice another night where we'll do 2 individual practices... his then mine.
I'll give him the kind of help I got from Sharmila, and then visa-versa. He's game... we're going to start next Tuesday. Time to brush up with Leno's book for exact vinyasa and dristhi details.

I'll be laying off the intensity with the Tuesday and Wednesday morning sessions at the gym now... likely scale it back to sun sals, back bends and closing.

Note from Drew, published here without his consent (not may people I know, are aware of 99to1 as I don't talk about it or push it in any way) [if I ask for his consent, then I'd have to tell him where and and and]:

Drew, if you ever find this please forgive me and please don't sue...

"shout out from Gangland.
just back from my month long christmas vacation. chris will not be mis(sed) anytime soon. hosted way too many people. try to get em all infuck. the first time i sprayed potatoes i thought "i'll drive up and down a different row each time, that way i will disturb each potato plant once and it'll be like a communist field: everyone suffers a bit and everyone is happy". but no. the real trick is to drive up and down the same rows, completely destroying those two rows but having 30 others that are perfect ... so chistmas, tried to make everyone happy and everyone suffered a bit. next year i'm thinking about cutting something completely out ... like visiting and jesus, then the rest of my christmas rows will be perfect, tra la la.
um, i have no-fo-toes. been a little uninspired as of late. but things are good. trying to find a CD by a canadian group called oh-be-jay, errly beautiful music but hard to find.
learned how to skin a beaver, not a youth-a-mism. it's what you'd expect but a little groser.
kisses
drew"

Eeeesh... it's is cold! I happy the bangalore bunch were not here for this, don't think they would do well at all.

Monday, gym 06:30-07:30, heavy practice stopped at paschimattanasana, then closing. Got caught behind a train in the AM on the loop to the Bonnaventure expressway, and spent over 2 hours in PM traffic in the 15 cm snow storm. 2 hours to travel 25 km...

Tuesday AM, gym 07:00-08:00, kept the routine simple as a 2nd practice was to follow in the PM. Did Sun Sals, standing, then finishing.

Tuesday PM, Gilles came over and we each did until uttitha-H-P. We stopped at his favorite posture (not). He first, while I gave the same kind of help that Sharmila would give me. Very simple assists, usually a light pressure which at the same time slightly deepens the pose, and pushes into the standing feet. Gilles may be a natural adjuster... we'll see...

Wednesday (this) AM, gym, none... felt like 3 practices so close together was not a great idea... so just the steamroom/sauna routine.

Thursday (tomorrow) looks like our first full house since about a month before I left for India. Colin, Gilles, Charles. I've extended the invite to Donald as well, though I don't think he'll ever come along.

(OT We'll just nd up having more sort of deperate doorknob syndrome phone calls. He seems to be getting closer to realising that he should be in therapy).

I'll bet Charles will bring way too much food, and probably alcohol too (harder than beer)... it's going to be difficult to break that. I'll get Gilles and Colin to help out...

This grassroots approach could be a good alternative to the tradidtional method given, the popularity AYRI is currently experiencing. Will it be only a matter of time before the Ashtanga studios and teachers in the rest of the world are as busy as Guruji et Al?

This week looks good...
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday AMs at the gym, Tuesday night with gilles, Thursday night with the gang. I forgot to invite Donald (mybad). I'll be sure to get him on the invite this week.

The one thing I haven't sorted out yet is the monthly 108. Hmmm...

One of my colleagues who has done some vinyasa classes is looking to get back to class. I have been inviting her to join me at the gym in the mornings... turns out with the family routine she has it's not possible. However she seemed to be able to get one of her colleagues interested (some one I don't know that well). Looks like I'll have company Monday morning... we'll see...

Nice sunny cold weekend (-26c??).
Loren and I are getting ready for a contractor to come tomorrow and do some repairs to Loren's computer/art room. We're essentially emptying it... lot's of work. I'll see if I can dig up a photo of what it used to look like...

House is a mess/warzone...

Well I did have company this morning after all. Maria's a beginner, she's taken a few gentle hatha lunchtime classes at the company where she used to work, and a few classes with the lunchtime teacher at the gym near us. The Gym advertises that it's class is based on the Ashtanga method... I've never been...

Anyhow, we did sun sals and standing postures, then I was left alone to do finishing postures, (I go in to work later than she). Hard to judge her reaction, I'm not sure she'll be comming back. We'll see...

Quick touch base with Gilles today will inform if tomorrow's early practice will be lite or not. If not I'd like to get back to the seated postures to retain the forward bend.

Did my Uttitha hastha Padangustasana research last night:
2 min leg up on ledge standing straight
2 min leg up on ledge UHP
2 min sidways stance holding toe
2 min leg up on ledge in forward bend clasping foot with opposite hand
Repeat other side...

Lost a longer post in the text editor... isn't that why I use a text editor pre-post... so that I don't loose live posts on the blog gui? Quick-hack post in place...

Tuesday AM good, PM good with Gilles... me stopped at U-HP Gilles after warriors...home made pesto by Gilles (and kooky shuffle on the 295 playlist)

Wednesday AM 5&5 sunsals, and finishing... am trying to slow down the rate of descent of legs out of sirsasana... such hard work...

May do gym session again tomorrow... same like today.

Now? Bath, folding, sleep...

Monday Wednesday and Friday nigths open for Loren and life in general. Starting in Feb one Friday night per month will go to Amber for drum lessons.

Tuesday and Thursday nights 295 (Tuesday with Gilles, and Thursday with the boys).

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday Mornings self practice at the gym.
Thursday and Friday morning to sleep in.

Not lots of time for my own drum practice, or practice/jam sessions with Ed, or taking photos or general galavanting/visiting.

Weekends for now just Loren and me, and whatever we feel like.

Sometimes I'd like to hear Queen's We Will Rock You, all by itself, without being followed by We Are the Champions. Ya know what I'm talking about?

Arrived early... just before the doors were unlocked. Took care of most things last night, so not too much to do this morning. NPR reception not good...
To the mat earlyish as well... didn't drag my feet getting ready.

Practiced to Janu B and then finishing... got to the change room by 07:40. It's taking me about an hour to do 3 sun sals and then go to that far. It's a slow pace. Feels good...

Am staying with the paschimatanasana D approach as well, followed by a few extra breaths in the next updog... just long enough so that lower back releases and the pose actually becomes a backbend.

I'm starting to tune out the mirrors...

Slightly shorter therma-therapy this am... didn't make it back to the steam bath for a second go...

To work for 09:00... good start to the week.

Most people would have considered the dream I was having this morning as my alarm rang, a certain nightmare. Even though the details of the dream were definitely horrific, I was not horrified. My reaction featured no fear, or panic.

In the dream I was looking at the bottom of my foot, and I noticed several skin blemishes. They looked like blackheads, or perhaps enlarged pores. The natural thing to do was to see if I could apply my secondary school pimple-popping skills to these new found features...

Oh my god...

I succeeded in draining these micro openings in my skin, and what seemed to pour out under the assisted pressure I was applying, was a stream of dark brown, rather large spiders. They flowed out like some sort of bodily fluid being drained. I had to deal with the notion that there seems to have been some sort of subcutaneous spider colony parasite living in me... it was totally disgusting... and rewarding at the same time.

Part of the process which was unpleasant (to say the least) was the fact that it was hard to keep clear of the sticky spidery goo which oozed out, it seemed to stick to me almost as if the spiders were trying to re-establish a connection to their host...

I got pretty good at clearing my body of these organisms... I moved the operation to the other foot and then on to my abdomen... I was working a rather large hole on my stomach when the alarm finally rang.

It truly was the oddest feeling trying to reconcile the waking world with the dream world... it gave me the strangest sensation. Above all I was perplexed how I had a calm mind absent of panic or fear dealing with a situation as shocking and vile as what I had just been through... and I had the sensation that I had actually cleansed myself of old residual unwanted stuff.

It was a transformative dream for sure.

Well that dream did put me in a wierd frame of mind and I didn't get up with the alarm. So I was about 1/2 an hour late this morning.

3 and 3 followed by paschimatanasana A,B,C,D, and then finishing.
A very gentle (non-intentinal) self administered chiropractic cervical spine adjustment coming out of relaxation. It addressed the right side where I feel most of my discomfort.

Just received an email from Gilles confirmming for tonight, so it is good that I kept the AM practice light.

Gilles and I decided that on Tuesday nights we're going to alternate routines.
Standing one week, seated the next. Last night was the first try at seated. He was really working in the postures, I think he's going to be sore today, perhaps right through to the weekend. We did up to marich B. Even though we used to do those postures on Thursday nights, he had the impression that most of them were new!

And to the gym this morning about 10 minutes late, did sun sals and finishing. And a full round of thera-therapy, wet-dry-wet (steam room, sauna, steam room)... obviously punctuated by cold showers.

The boys would like to get Christine over for another private class... looks like it'll be next Thursday.

Big crazy moon hovering low over old Montreal this morning. A day or 2 until my next mezcal rendez-vous?

Looks like if things go well, we'll see more Bangalore friends here in Montreal.
Excellent news...