Ashtanga Traveler

Beach bagging weekend on the Coromandel....had a fabulous time, although no room for yoga in the single room cabins with me and 4 boys....I survived, however. Weather was great, although dramatic at times. One sure truth of life in NZ - you can never trust the forecast.

Cathedral Cove

Cathedral Cove 2

Cathedral Cove 3

Opotere

HHH - expecting rain, Haehi Beach

My practice on Tuesday afternoon was great...I so needed it. My teacher has now told me that I am to practice as I will in Mysore each time. So this means that I will not do the one added handstand in the prasarita series (after D I do a 15 breath split handstand to help with strength and balance). He is not sure what will happen in Mysore, whether I will do anything other than primary, maybe, maybe not. But at this point he is not going to assist me anymore. I am getting so excited it is hard to control.

Tomorrow I am picking up airline tix, getting me and kids immunized for a few things, and sending the visa apps off (hopefullly). When the director of the centre I work at returns (next week I hope) I am going to file my formal leave of absence...a bit nervous about that.

I assisted in yesterday am's Mysore class....it went okay. I was shown two new adjustments: the start to supta kurmasana - helping get the persons legs unto their shoulders, prior to the crossing of the feet, and helping to bind in Mari D, by pulling the wrapping arm in front of and around the knee. It just seems so easy when I watch it, but is a lot more difficult than it looks.

I practiced before assisting the 6am class, which meant I was up at 4am...YIKES. Just slow and easy. Warmed the room up well for the class.

I had my brother take a few pix during my sitting yesterday.....so I have a sore and swollen arm needless to say. I said in a post (July7th) when I started this arm work that I would keep posting as I go....sorry to not have been on top of that much. I have one more sitting before I leave for India, and then the rest to go next year.

Artist is Dean (Sacred) now at Illicit on K'Road, Auckland.

In control

Out of control

Being controlled

Controlling

I think some kind of balance between these 4 states has got to be found. Swinging too far in one direction is dangerous, unhealthy, damaging.

I am not feeling particularly good today.

....just saw the dates for the 2005 tour...and I start to think spring in Cali would be divine....

Going to plant my money tree.

I have not written much about my practice lately. It is much the same from one day to the next and also very different. I am feeling much stronger overall in my standing poses and forward bends.....more grounded and yet up-lifted - opposing forces. I had a wonderful adjustment yesterday in urdhva dhanurasana....my teacher helped my extend my triceps in the pose...which felt totally amazing...like I was flying up towards the ceiling. She did this while supporting my shoulders, holding them firm as I rotated my thighs inward and moved the arch up towards the top of the spine (at least that is how it felt, I am sure it looked way different. I could have stayed there for hours....suspended.

This morning's practice was sleepy....as I was up at 4 and at the studio by 4:30am.....in order to get something of a practice in before the 6am Mysore class that assist in. So I got the blood going anyway, and then had a nice rest before prepping the school for the morning session. It is quiet at that hour.

The Mysore class went well. I had two students ask me to help them in poses that I have not yet been trained to adjust....which was nice in a way...nice in that they have confidence in me. I practice alongside them and feel like the conversation between us is an equal dialogue...this is how I am comfortable. I feel like I can give little tips and also pass along the information that my teachers have discussed and shared with me....and it is all accepted.

One of the other apprentices helped me go through how to adjust her in supta kurmasana...which was great. She is so good at being exact and clear...and of course very patient. I felt like I actually was helping her. I am pretty excited by because she is going to be arriving in Mysore about 2 weeks after me. And then another student form here follows shortly after her.

We shot the kids passport photos last night (for their visas) so that should be sorted by the end of the week. As for shots etc.....the kids got typhoid and hepA....and I had those two plus a Polio booster. I am still thinking about Meningitis for them. I am hoping to enroll them in a creche for part of the time we are there so the "travel doc" was suggesting it. I think I am going to hold off with Rabies. Huxley will have to get his basic 4 yr old immunizations before we leave as well...not looking forward to that. Both of them were very brave....but beleive me they are STRONG...and after shot #1 wanted no part of shot #2. Somehow my husband has missed out on all this (and ones previous when they were little bubs). But in the end they were very proud of their little bandaids or I should say "plasters"...which is what they are referred to here.

Anyone reading this in NYC should check out Take Me to the River premier.....made by some very cool friends.

*Take Me To The River* at the IAAC - Indian Diaspora Film Festival

Saturday, 6 November
1:00 PM @ the Anthology Film Archives

The Fourth Annual IAAC film festival Nov 4 - 7, showcases films made by, about, or featuring persons of Indian origin.
The Indo-American Arts Council (IAAC) supports all the artistic disciplines in classical, fusion, folk and innovative forms influenced by the arts of India. IAAC’s focus is to help artists and art organizations in North America as well as to facilitate artists from India to exhibit, perform and produce their work here.

Tickets available on Smarttix.com

cut and paste from email today.....

Gear up for Buy Nothing Day - Nov 26th.

ANd finally...pix from a lazy Sunday jaunt out to Piha...day one SUMMER.....

Me, Connie, Huxley, and Chad

Piha

Craig

I told myself I was going to hit the 6am class each day this week...back on track....well after a night out with friends and staying up til midnight...there was no way I was going to make it in. I made a quick change of plans and headed to work early to set things up for the day so that I could skive off mid-morning to practice. So I arrived at 10:30am and had a nice solo practice....just the primary, and then finished out in the meditation room because a class was starting at noon.

I really worked my breath today....slow in and slow out. I tried to move with each breath, few rests. I ended up with major cramping in the hips and feet which was really annoying....practice felt calm. The sun was shining in through the far windows. I also worked my jump backs....slowed them down, but tried to keep the breath going, no hesitation....it is coming, not there yet, but coming.

I am getting really curious about Mysore, about the entire trip really...Singapore, Goa, Mysore. It is creeping up quickly now....5 weeks today.

My teacher said he likes to have a little lunch to send off the apprentices to India.... I think that will be nice. I will bring the kids along and the hubster....

I have to lead both salutes tonight in the beg class. That should be interesting. The first salute I am reasonabley comfortable with....the second salute...EEK. Have to practice for awhile this afternoon.

I took my brother to the airport yesterday afternoon, and then sulked for the rest of the evening. I was sad, which is an okay reaction I guess....although I think I was getting on "other" people's nerves with my slothing around.

The holiday weekend started out great.....we caught an amazing show on Friday night...Salmonella Dub. Outdoor show under a tent....so packed you could feel people in front and behind you, like sardines. But it did not even phase me, maybe because it was outside. They are so much fun. I am not sure if they have ever toured in the US, I think they have been over to Europe....but believe it is so worth it. One of the singers is just so sexy....like in the category of "contemplating leaving partner" sexy (although I would never tell him that :).

The only downside of the show was of course getting home late and then having to get up for meetings and Saturday practice. Staying out past my bedtime and in the cold air was definitely not a good idea health wise either...as I was swamped by a yuck headcold for the rest of the weekend. Practice was horrendous. I was so dizzy, from the cogestion that I just stopped at navasana and finshed. I am surprised I made it that far, as I could barely standup straight in the sun salutes.

On Monday we headed over to Waiheke Island for a little Tiki tour and to visit friends over there.

Yesterday's practice was also stopped short...still not over this cold thing. Finally this morning I felt okay, able to tackle the full primary anyway. It felt good, refreshing almost. I was not strong though. Standing poses were dead on balance-wise. I am really concentrating on keeping my hips square in those poses in which they should be. I may be over-compensating alittle. I still have trouble grounding my back foot in parivritta parsvakonasana. On the left side (second side) parsvottanasana is also a bear, but that is because of the left hip issues mostly. It is hard to describe the "feeling" I get in this pose on the second side...unstable is certainly one feeling.

The seated poses were good. I am working on trying to extent my forward bends from the mid-thoracic region without lifting the shoulderblades...tricky. But if done properly, then the bend does go deeper. I watched one of the teachers today while I was assiting this morning...her back is so flat in all her forward bends.....it is really beautiful, and seems so effortless.

Kurmasana/supta kurmasana felt pretty good, esp. the former. I Have been going into the pose more deeply from the start, standing and wiggling my shoulders behind my knees before even sitting down....from there, descending by lifting onto my hands into balance, and lowere to the ground....doing it this way "narrows" the distance between my legs, and today seemed to create more space for me to flatten my back down. In supta K, I did my usual five moves into it,...I have no idea how people can transition effortlessly in this, but I have seen it. Coming up and balance was good, as was the exit through Tittibandhasana .

Backbends were straight forward, 3 UD, and then 3 dropbacks. I am working on really using my left innerthigh muscle to help elongate the left lower back area (lumbar region)...which is where I cave. It is helping heaps, b ut makes it alot more work. I also focused on extending in the triceps...which creates an amzing lift feeling.

I am still frustrated in my inability to get through all my poses each time I practice. The next three practices should be all full though.....maybe by Sat I will be able to land Bakasana B on the first attempt.....x-fingers.

Assiting in the morning mysore was challenging this morning. I was learning two new ones....MariD and Supta K....okay the MarID adjustment "looks" alot easier than it is....I tried to get the students arm far enough in front of her knee so that her knee was basically right at her armpit, so that she could bend that arm around the knee and then bind the "wrapping" arm.....but it is really tricky...I found that I was pulling her too much IN towards me and that what perhaps I should have been doing was pulling her with my entire body not just my arm...for more leverage. This is all done sitting next two the student supporting the bent leg hip with my foot...abit hard to explain without a photo.

The supta K adjustment was really cool. I was fortunate to work on someone who could do the pose, and who had very long legs. First thing is to help lift and bend legs, bring the feet in close to the mid-line. Then push shoulder down while lifting and rotating the calf of the leg on that side, repeat on the other side. The go for the arms, pulling out and then turning up...then going for the cross of the feet.....strongly lifting the left leg up onto the neck, holding it in place with my leg and left hand, while grabbing the right leg with right hand and quickly lifting, turning inward to cross feet. It was quite intense really. I talked with my teacher a bit afterward about those two poses and whether "everyone" is able to do them. he said that eventually everyone can do MariD....but maybe not everyone can do Supta K, especially if they have short legs. SO I asked if that would necessarily hold them back (like in Mysore). He said no, not necessarily.

So now it is one month to go, as of tomorrow. I am going to speak with the director this afternoon about my leave.....nervous. I HATE doing stuff like this.....will report back soon.

Okay…boss number one is supportive of my leave. I am now trying to meet boss number two. Then I will have to apply to my funding agency, via the research office….so there are probably at least 2 more people within the university whose support I need in order to go ahead. But I think having the director on my side is a good start. But talk about anxiety.

I HATE doing things like this. I always feel so small. But why should I…it is what I want and is my life so why does it matter so much. Anyway, hopefully it will go smoothly……

Practice this morning was really good, although I was tired at the start and the finish. I went through my entire practice but at the end had to whiz through the finishing poses…no headstand and a very short rest…consequently I feel rather rev’d. Second series poses went okay….Bakasana B in 3…..still not at the point of getting it each time. I used to be really anxious about getting new poses, not anymore. I have a lot on my plate now. I have been working on this pose since…hmmm…June/July I think. But I do not practice second series poses every time I practice, more like 3 times a week cuz I just do not have the time….when I do my entire practice…it is a good 2.5-2.75 hours…I think I am a slow poke…..but this includes doing vinyasa between sides in the seated poses, and generally doing full vinyasa to samasthitih in the second series poses from Dhanurasana onward (to cool the head). And I do a complete backward bending series (or at least I think it is complete). Anyway, it takes me awhile….probably because my transitions stink.

I started early today, at the studio by 5:30am…..in order to leave earlier than usual and be home so C could get off to work early by 8am. I have a lot to do today….including teach the Salutes A and B in my Beg class tonight…will have to go over again for a bit prior to class. Last week there were 6 new people (including 3 people from my lab), so my teacher decided to do it so that I would not get flustered.

I really love teaching (or I should say learning to teach)….and being with other students during their practice. I had some positive feedback today about the Supta K adjustment I gave yesterday….It was really nice to get that bit of encouragement. I hope that down the road I become a teacher that people would like to have….That they are comfortable with and have confidence in. But it is a long journey.

I have to think about, write about, discuss Sutra 1.8 by Saturday……misunderstanding, misconception, error, how it leads to suffering, how you can learn from it…why it is one of the things that we do…..on the one hand it is straight forward….on the other it isn’t.