Well...
Crazy busy work schedule, and the occaisional late night out, has kept me from being able to make regular entries.
I am so grateful that this trip is turning out the way it did. Tarik has a great mysore program going on, and I get to be part of 5 days a week. And do a week with Hamish! I gifted Anna a little box of chocolates, as she and Hamish agreed to take on Dylan for the week. He'd never practiced asana before... and he gets his introduction from Hamish and Anna!! And quite a lot of personal attention as well.
Work assignment is porlonged by one week, and so is my time at Tarik's! I'm here in Tokyo for Golden Week!
On to practice notes then...
Basicly I'm having the opportunity to do my simple routine, up to tiriangMPP... or there abouts. Then finishing, so far I haven't tumbled out of sirsasana. I think it may have come close 2 weeks ago, as Anna had asked me to use open-palmed head clasp, the way most ashtangis do.
Several years ago during a workshop with Darby and Hart, I (Hart) changed my grip to a closed palm, and have been very comfoortable that way. It took about 2 weeks for me to adapt, as the contact with the surface is very different, and I had to re-learn the pose. I feared (not really) having to go through another 2 week sirsasana tumble session while re-re-adapting. I didn't want to be rude and ignore Anna's suggestion. Turns out Anna ended up practicing and I was free to close-palm with out risking being percieved as one of those students who thinks they know better.
Lately I've been having a quick coffee with Rieko after practice. I'm very happy that started happenning, as I've found out she is a massage therapist. And a superb one at that!! Merrits it's own entry indeed... as the therapy she facillitated for me last Thursday night was one of the most profound and touching healings I've ever experienced...
So my big thick cycling hamstrings, are... well... still big and thick. Though slowly slowly slowly I am being able to get closer to uttithaHPG, all phases.
I have agreed to work evening shifts for the client, which means practicing at the end of the work day, an ability to stay longer in the shala, and the hotel restaurant for breakfast. It'll certainly curb Tokyo's call to the night life. I hope my favorite standing bar serves mineral water. I'll be a killer to not be able to have some of my favorite food for the last week I'm here.