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May 30, 2008
Dropping in
I've had a lazy sort of a day. Pretty much everyone in the group above me in the hierarchy at work is off today so I decided I'd come in a bit later, work my lunch and stay on to make up the time. I made it to the shala this morning around 7.30, nearly 1.5 hours later than usual. If Mr Mouse hadn't kept me up all night with his partying I probably would've been in better shape than I was.
It was great to go back to a later slot. Other than the extra bed time, the shala's a good deal warmer when you get to start, which is nice, as I soon warmed up. Ok, there's no choice about where you get to practice, which isn't much of a big deal for me as I've been in pretty much every spot in the place by now. I had quite a good practice. My mind was having a hard time with the cotton mat I have on top of my mat as I kept kicking it forward in jump throughs, or rather when I crash land following my attempts of a jump through. It was a bit off putting. I'll need to work on that. If I didn't sweat as much I'd do away with it all together but when I practised without one before my mat became really smelly really quickly. Yuck. Talking about cotton mats, I've just realised I've left it and my face cloth in the shala. Darn.
Anyways, yesterday H said "drop your hands to the floor" in drop backs, which I've been doing anyway on the 4th drop. He helps me do 3 half way, then 1 to the floor. A naff attempt at walking my hands in closer then pulls me back up. This morning I kinda wanted to clarify what he meant. "You meant drop my hands back on every one yesterday?" I asked. Sure, if you want to, he said. Jeez. It made a heck of a difference. H managed to get a wee pop out of my back, though he was holding me a good but further up, and I could feel it further down in my back where I'm really quite stiff. But now, 3-4 hours later sitting at my desk, my back feels amazingly free. Nice. I like that. Something to look forward to in the coming weeks.
Big Yoga weekend ahead. Look out for some notes following the visit from Paul Dallaghan. He's on the board of the yoga school in Glasgow that I went through, and a good friend of the teachers up there. I'm sure the class will be packed, full of eager faces. I'm looking forward to being in his energy again. It'll be nearly 4 years since I first met him now, and when I think back to what my practice was like then. :>
Posted by graeme at 12:39 PM | Comments (0)
May 29, 2008
Resigned to be in the 21st Century
So I'm finally succumbing to the 21st century and investing in some modern technology for the flat - yup, a chair! I've been sat on the floor every evening since I moved in but last weekend, with the extra day off and all the rain, it was all too much for my back to take. I guess it's one of those things. It's ok to sit for a little while but 3 days in my back wasn't happy. Not that I didn't get up and move around a little, it's just that working on a laptop, sat on the floor was never going to be the best of plans in the first place. Moreover, I'm actually quite excited about getting a table too (ebay is such a wonderful thing) and finally be able to get some stuff up off the floor.
I'm a bit concerned about my growing attachment to Mr Mouse, the lodger. I've been leaving out some of the scraps from the food I'm eating each night and it dawned on me that perhaps that's not the best thing for him (or her) health wise, in case he gets to fat to get out from underneath the fridge. Can't be much of a life underneath there, unless of course there's a Miss Mouse there with him too. :>
Posted by graeme at 2:50 PM | Comments (1)
May 28, 2008
Progress
I spoke with the vinyasa flow teacher this afternoon and she told me amongst other things that there's a place nearby setting up morning Mysore classes pretty soon. One of the teachers from the center, just back from her round the world trip, and fresh with enthusiasm from Mysore, is joining their setup to get it off the ground and running. It's been a long time overdue, so I wish them all the success in the world. If you're ever in Glasgow then there's a healthy place to go visit and practice. www.yogaglasgow.com
Posted by graeme at 6:32 PM | Comments (0)
Tuesday's missed entry
I should've stayed in bed. It's been one of those days, y'know when you feel like you're coming down with something and everything you say and do is all nonsense. And to top it all the network at work's been down all day. Multi-national company with no network. Bhah. Useless.
I did a massive shop this evening for food and managed to carry the 4 bags I had all the way back without putting them down. Ha, I must be mad. My arms were aching by the time I got to the front door, but I thought I'd use it as a mind over matter exercise to see how far I could go. Surprised myself by making it all the way home. Silly, silly, silly.
Today I had this recollection of being a wee boy and meeting someone I liked. So what did I do? Yup, punched them in the arm. You'd think after all this time I'd have learned to grow up a little, though thankfully the physical stuff's gone. Sometimes I really ought to engage my brain a little. Today wasn't a good day.
Oh, and the other lesson for today. Not to be so hard on myself.
Posted by graeme at 6:32 PM | Comments (0)
May 23, 2008
I'll skip this blog entry
seeing as how it's my 666th.
Posted by graeme at 7:49 AM | Comments (0)
May 22, 2008
What the f.....
of all the things to think of on the mat.
I got to the end of practice this morning and I was lying there in savasana letting the mind wander and all when I thought about this girl that I hadn't seen for a while. We were playing about in the park in the sun, busting out some yoga stuff (as you do), when she toppled down playful on top of me. So I'm lying there with her head on my chest and I'm saying how happy I was. Next thing I know I've asked her to marry me. Jeez! I'll probably blush like crazzy the next time I see her now.
Funny how the mind works sometimes....
Posted by graeme at 8:54 AM | Comments (0)
May 21, 2008
Darn this work thing...
it keeps getting in the road of the things I'd rather be doing.......
Posted by graeme at 10:04 AM | Comments (0)
May 19, 2008
Chanting
Yesterday I attended a 2 hour chanting and sanskrit workshop at the shala. It was all very interesting as I'd never been in a class where they did the call and response thing for the yoga sutras. I've heard it many times before, often on CD or from a teacher talking about Patanjal's Yoga Sutras at the teacher training weekends, but I'd never actually taken part.
The teacher fairly made the sankrit and the sutras come alive. Her manner and approach filled each word with movement, sound and energy. "If you get lost just watch my mouth and lips" she said. And she was right. I'd been doing ok until she had to take a sip of water and we were all left to chant back on our own what we'd just heard seconds before. Having just heard the sounds a moment a go it a lot harder to recite what I'd heard without the visual cue from the shapes she was making with her mouth, or in fact, with the gestures she was making with her hand. All very elegant, and powerful stuff.
In one of the breaks I made a comment that I wondered if there was such a thing as sanskrit tongue twisters.
The teacher gave a great discourse on the opening mantra. I'd never heard it broken down so easily and clearly before. Maybe I had but it hadn't registered before, perhaps if it had all been very new, but this time it all seemed to make much more sense. I've got to hand it to her for making it so clear.
She went over the sanskrit alphabet very quickly, though giving enough to give everybody a taste of what each letter sounds like. I particularly liked hearing her talk about how kids learn to talk, bathing in sounds from an early age then overtime mimicing the sounds back, and then finally understanding the meaning behind the sounds and the 'words'. I also liked her description of how the sanskrit language became so complicated as it was needed to describe in very specific terms the very specific parts of the human mind. Great stuff.
I've not had the privilege of being in Jaysharee's class yet, one thing on the 'to do' list for the next trip to India, but being in class yesterday I got a sense of what it would be like.
Oh, and the teacher's name? Kimberly Williams.
Posted by graeme at 8:08 AM | Comments (0)
May 16, 2008
Not the best way to start a practice....
Lately I've been getting in to the shala in good time before the opening chant at 6am. I've been starting practice just opposite the pictures of SKPJ and as mark of respect to the lineage I often start with hands at Namaste prior to the first sun salute. I know the chant's coming later, usually about 4th or 5th Sun A or just into Sun B sequence. Today, after offering up a little thanks I managed to take my hands up the front of my torso and face but forgot to tuck my thumbs in and managed to almost lodge one of them up my left nostril. Hmnn, not the best of ways to start in the morning.
Thumb duly dislodged, practice was a quiet, deeply satisfying affair, especially with the 7am adjuster helping me in backbends. Just that little bit of extra lift on the shoulders really makes for a nice relaxing feeling which I can even feel in my legs. Nice.
A weekend planned for getting more glitz added to the Project. 5 people have seen bits of it now and all have put forward some good words of encouragement. I look forward to the time where it will see the light of day. Watch this space.
Posted by graeme at 9:02 AM | Comments (0)
May 15, 2008
Struggling on
I've noticed over the last couple of practices how much I'm struggling in backbends, how much effort I'm putting in to get myself into some rough semblance of the posture. Everything seems to be hard work, shoulders, legs, arms, you name it, it's aching by the time I'm done. And of course I'm missing out the sukham (or is it the sthira?) part of the posture where I'm supposed to be able to relax. Ok, I'm a believer in that adage "As hard as it is in the beginning, as easy it will be in the end", so I'm trying to work on this part of my practice, but it sure ain't easy. I know there's no short cuts, it's all in the doing, though I've had some great advice both verbally from teachers and written ones both here on the web and in books. Still, there's nothing like practice. Naturally enough it plays on my mind, the little green envy monster lurks around from time to time for sure.
Posted by graeme at 8:21 AM | Comments (0)
May 13, 2008
Back to class
It's nice getting a break away from the shala for a while. I had an interesting weekend, though my mother joked that my friends would laugh that I'd been to Church and a garden centre with them. Still, it's not very often I get to see my parents and I kinda thought it would please my mum to tag along to church.
Yoga wise it was nice to learn the teacher training course in Glasgow's evolved to letting the students practice Mysore style as part of their Friday evening practice. There was 6 adjusters in the room, though 2 of those were newly qualified teachers themselves so they just tended to watch. From a personal perspective I faced the somewhat daunting prospect of adjusting one of the teachers from the very first course, someone's whose practice I admire very much, so getting in close to adjust her was a bit of a mental challenge for me. I did ok, nothing to spectacular but there again, it's not about the bells and whistles, just getting in and helping where you can.
Helping the yoga flow teacher with her 1-2-1 was excellent, seeing how she interacts with a student at close quarters. I;m very lucky.
I didn't practice much, which isn't bad in itself as I was glad of the break, but it was nice to get back into the shala to practice least of all as my hips were feeling a bit stiffer than at the end of last Friday. It's also nice to get back to some warmth and the sun!
Posted by graeme at 8:57 AM | Comments (0)
May 9, 2008
A day in the life
Well I escaped the heat from London back to bonny Scotland where, yes, indeed it's over cast and just about to rain. Nothing new there then. I woke up this morning in the yoga flow teacher's house as she'd asked me to pop over to help her with one of her students that she's been doing 1-2-1's with for the past couple of months.
It's really interesting to see how people can get caught up with the practice of ashtanga and what it can bring to their daily existence. And, moreover, how it's a great leveller for people from every walk of life who have to confront their own limitations with no means of by-passing the practice. Short of paying someone to put you out cold, and then manipulate your limbs whilst you're under, there's no real short cuts to the practice other than getting up every day and just doing it. In many ways there's a lot to like about that. Ok, you can get held back on a specific posture for a while, but there's good reasons for all of that, and at the end of the day the "so what?" factor kicks in.
Anyway, it was certainly nice to be part of my teacher's day and get an idea of what it's like to live that kind of a life. Lots to aspire to.
Later on this evening there's the teacher training module to look forward to, but for now, there's a good chance to breath in and soak up some late afternoon... rain.
:<
Posted by graeme at 3:04 PM | Comments (0)
May 8, 2008
Long Weekend
I'm off for a couple of days. Heading out into the daylight sun back home to see the folks and catch up on some sleep. I found it really hard to get out of bed this morning but I'm glad I did as the shala was almost full by the time H started the chant. I took my good time this morning getting through things as I knew practice over the next couple of days is going to be a bit sporadic. When I'm home I'm going to nip across to Glasgow to help out with the teacher training course and maybe replay the Sanskrit lecture again as the Vinyasa Flow teacher's request. Ha! Hopefully I won't be so nervous this time around. Will be interesting to see if the stress causes my arm to break out into a rash like it did the last time. It's only just clearing up now and looks more like a love-bite on the inside of my bicep than anything. Least it's not as itchy as it was.
Stress, who needs it?
Posted by graeme at 9:23 AM | Comments (0)
May 7, 2008
Back to the sand pit
Practice this morning was nice and open, the warmer weather is helping me feel a bit more open and more at ease. Along with a wonderfully deep adjustment - "relax your shoulders, let me take you arm round" - in supta kurmasana which had my fingers easily touching each other behind my back, I had a very happy practice.
I was standing, folding up my mat at the end of practice, clearing the space for the next yogi to start when I had a major flash back to being 4 - 5 years old at play school playing and running around the room with all the other kids. The shala very much looked like a grown up version of all of this. Kids standing in groups talking with each other, others playing quietly in the corner, others making a racket down the way, and some getting hands on time play with the 'teacher'. It all looked the same, except we're all a lot older and a lot bigger. Of course there's all the stuff that goes on around all of that, the kids that seem to get all the breaks and always seem to get to play with the best toys, others, who come in, play there on their ownsome quite happily and leave, and the social butterflies who are happiest flirting from person to person making sure everything is ticketty-boo. The kids playing grown up putting the makeup on and the big shoes like the big people.
The only thing that was missing was there was no mom or dad to come pick me up after class. Funny thing to miss this morning.
On other news! Mouse certainly likes cheese. He's a crafty wee soul as well. I laid out some grated cheddar just as I finished doing the dishes then went through to the living room to read, thinking maybe he'd come take some during the night when everything was quiet and dark. 20 minutes later when I went back through to pull the blinds down. Gone! Almost all of it, save one or two scraps. Was he trying not to draw attention to the fact that it had gone? I think he liked it as the rest of it was gone in the morning! Ha. Neat.
Posted by graeme at 8:31 AM | Comments (0)
May 6, 2008
Moose in the hoose
I was sitting reading a book late last evening when I heard a little rustling in the bag beside the bin. I keep recyclable stuff separate from the bin bag that sits on the floor. I'd heard it making noises before but thought that as it's got tins an cardboard in there it was just the containers working themselves to the bottom of the bag. When I looked up the bag definitely moved, though not by much. Hmnnn. I went back to my book but when I looked up again there he was, Mouse (as I've taking to calling him) standing there bold as brass with his huge ears scanning for sounds.
I was like - oh my gosh, I've got a mouse!
Then, of course, it dawned on me as soon as called him (or her, how do you tell) "Mouse" I knew that I couldn't put down a trap to get rid of him. Then I thought, ok, if it isn't too unhygenic for him to stay there (I think he's living under the cupboard behind the fridge) is there something I can do to make his wee life a bit better than having to rummage through my rubbish? What kind of cheese (if any) do you actually give a mouse?
Then it dawned on me that perhaps I'd have to tell the council. Not that I've got vermin (though I don't think of them that way) but that I'm now sharing my flat and perhaps I'd lose my single occupancy allowance on my council tax! If only I could get him to clean the place up a little while I'm out that'd be great!
Had a great bank holiday weekend though I may have pulled my right shoulder a little bit working out in the park. The sun tan lotion I had on my forehead didn't protect me as much as I thought it would so I'm sporting a rather red face this morning. Forecast has it warm and sunny for the rest of the week. Looks like summer's finally here.
Posted by graeme at 8:35 AM | Comments (1)
May 1, 2008
Knock out (almost)
I did a silly thing last night. I went to the toilet about 2am, nothing unusual about that. Thing is I've gotten into the habit of not turning the lights on, I pretty much know where everything is and for accuracy (!) I always sit down. Last night, however, I felt something down by the floor and when I bent down to pick it up promptly head-butted the sink. Knocked some sense in to me for sure. With my head kinda throbbing I found it really hard to get back to sleep so ended up missing class this morning. There's not so much to see, not even a lump, though it was a little bit embarrasing, though no one was there to see it. My head made a health klunk though.
:>
Posted by graeme at 11:21 AM | Comments (0)