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August 31, 2005
no sirsasana for me
i simply could not fathom the thought of getting into headstand this morning so i didnt. and i dont feel one bit guilty about it.....or do i?
yesterdays practice was so intense that all day long i felt so depleted that i convinced myself that i was getting sick. im not. and today after a stellar practice, in spite of the hopping version of uttitha hasta padangusthasana, i just didnt have enough left in me to stand on my head.
highlight of practice today was mari-d. i think the new process is that i take the pose as fully as i can on my own then eddie helps me complete it. this has progressed from a gentle halting gesture meaning to wait for him to help me from the beginning. today i was almost in the pose on my own, at least it felt that way, eddie had to help me bind and that was basically it. he said that it would probably be a couple more weeks until i get it on my own. did you read that a couple more weeks! i cant believe it, its soo exciting. of course on the second side were probably looking at more than just a couple of weeks but im good with that. actually its going to be a while for that side of my body to really loosen up in general.
reading my blog you might get the impression that this is purely a physical thing for me. this harkens back to an earlier post about why i blog in the first place. i do want to chronicle the physical aspects of this practice for my own edification, like it or not there is a purely physical aspect to yoga and it helps me to read earlier posts about how i was feeling or interpreting aspects of this or that asana (mainly good ol' mari -d) even when i contradict myself from week to week. love it when i do that. but its in the moment and where i am at at that time. the rest, the intangible i want to keep away from analysis so that it remains pure. suffice it to say that there is a profound effect that practice has had on me and im thankful for it and excited at how it continues to unfold.
namaste
Posted by jody at 9:08 AM | Comments (1)
August 30, 2005
aqua yoga
this morning as i left my house there was a slight drizzle going on which was ominous in that i knew todays practice was going to out do yesterday in terms of soggieness. i wasnt disappointed. i had done n o more than 2 surya a's and was already dripping with sweat. so as a repeat of yesterday, practice was a super limber one. eddie assisted me in utthita hasta padangusthasana and with it being so hot he said "you can take off your shirt." "uh ...okay." was my response so off came my shirt, it was kinda distracting to practice with out a shirt on. on the one hand it was definately more comfortable with all the humidity in the air and on the other im a little modest so for a bit i was somewhat distracted. doesnt make a lot of sense as i was nearly naked on swim team (speedo), but it is what it is. i dont think ill be practicing with a shrirt on when its this gross out but i doubt it'll be the norm. not to mention that soon its gonna be freezing out and Ill be looking for a good long sleeve shirt option to gaurd against the freezing cold shala. which ive heard about more than a few times. anyway thats a while away so we'll cross it when we come to it.
i have the worst marichyasana d -horse on both hips right now they are painful. for those that dont know what a Mari-d horse is i'll explain. a traditional charlie horse is when someone, usually and older brother, punches you in the arm or the leg really hard and the throbbing pain that is left over is called a charlie horse. being the youngest of 4 brothers i've had some experience with these. a Mari-d horse is the same throbbing pain that is left over from the point where the ankle bone presses into the thigh muscle during an assist, ouch. two days of assists with binds = major Mari-d horses.
other than that practice was pretty much as it normally is. i literally flew through closing postures, i didn't skip any but i counted pretty fast. i must have lost at least two gallons of sweat and i was feeling it by the end. luckily i bought a new juicer this weekend so i came home and made a cucumber, celery, spinach and carrot juice which did the trick it makes such a difference to replenish your body with actual nutrients from nature as opposed to a sports drink which is more sugar than anything else. and you wouldnt believe how fortifying a juice can be. im not what youd call a light eater but after a pint of juice im not really that hungry. i still eat but it makes a difference in my hunger level.
im excited about the upcoming pujas this week ive heard from a couple people that they are amazing. ive never been to one but i did see the AYNY documentary which i think had some footage of a puja or two in it. i dont know if there is anything that i should/can read other than what ive seen on the net or if there is anything i should be prepared to do, im just not sure. so if any of my shala mates are reading this id love to hear from you. email me or leave a comment.
g-d i hope that the people of new orleans are alright. i know the place has been devastated by this last storm and my heart goes out to those people that dont have the means (insurance) to rebuild thier lives easily. i found this site that is taking donations for those in need if anybody knows of other please send them my way.
p.s i had a reflexology session with anandamaya yoga last night it was awesome.
Posted by jody at 8:12 AM | Comments (2)
August 29, 2005
distress
looks like the shala is going to be closed for 6 whole days begining this friday. wow, thats a lot of missed practice. guess ill have to practice on my own in the interim, i wonder of there are any guerilla plans hatching with anybody from the shala. i seem to remember people congregating at The Shala.
Posted by jody at 11:06 AM | Comments (1)
sopping
is how i left practice today. it was so incredibly humid in the shala this morning. not particularly hot but WET! needless to say i was super limber. every asana was deeper thanks to the climate, which probably means that tomorrow im going to be sore sore sore. ill have to take a hot bath with salts and a little juniper oil tonight.
im getting "very goods" on Mari D pretty consistenly on my good side (right) progress is happening at a good rate and granted that nothing happens in the way of being out of practice or g-d forbid any more "openings" i should be able to get it on my own within this samskara. Jai Ganesh the remover of obstacles...
i had two new neighbors this morning one of which i saw for the first time last week and the other ive only seen for the first time today.the gentlemen to the right of me is devout, comes in early and begins his practice with chanting (silently) and the guy on the left of me as an awesome 2nd series practice which was inspirational to see on the odd glimpse that i caught during practice. it was nice to be surrrounded by such great energy.
Posted by jody at 8:52 AM
August 28, 2005
Kashi-Mahatmyam
71
As the Asvamedha is the best of scrifices, the Himalayas are the best of mountains, truth is the best of vows, fearlessnes is the best of gifts, pranayama is the best of austerities, OM is the best of mantra, non violence is the best religious principle, the favor of the goddess of fortune is the best of blessings, the science of the self is the best of sciences, Gauri is the best of women, You, O Supreme Personality, are the best of all gods, and a devotee of Siva is the best recipient of charity, so ganga-tirtha is the best of holy places.
...verse 71 of the Kashi-Mahatmyam which was included in the packaging of my Gently Down T.
Posted by jody at 8:54 PM
August 26, 2005
guess what i did....
pierced my nose! phsych! but it does seem to be the "new thing" doesn't it.
here are some things that i notcied today about my practice.
1. prasaritas are getting better my head touces in all but C.
2. all my bragging about Triang was premature my elbow has been firmly planted since monday. i have made progress tho...
3. baddha k was not a fluke knees and chin touched the floor again today.
4. 1 thru 3 do not matter as long as i continue to show up.
oh yeah and my Gently down tshirt is quite the hit. i was out to dinner last night and i got a ton of stares and a compliment!
namaste
Posted by jody at 9:38 AM | Comments (2)
August 25, 2005
forward marching
surprisingly good practice today considering i slept like crap last night. i forgot to charge my phone and so at around 3:00 am it started making this beeping noise every hour signaling that it was outta juice. id wake up, knowing exactly what is was, and then fall back asleep only to repeat the process over and over. the alarm came far to early and it was hard getting out of bed.
none the less asana is progressing smoothly even D! today i fumbled around on my own on both sides and i came the closest ive ever gotten on my good side, both hands off the floor, a good twist and no falling over! it was very satisfying, the bad side was even better. as i was getting ready to go to the back (after navasana) eddie stopped me and had me wait for him for an assist. while he adjusted a couple people near me i went into baddha konasana to open my hips a little in preparation, my knees and chin touched the floor it was quite a shock even eddie had a look of suprise on his face. what was most interesting was the feeling in my hips i could actually feel them opening, mind you this wasn’t forced movement, it was very natural. i soaked in the tub last night which im sure helped out a alot. anyway, with the assist D was awesome the good side was in relative terms almost easy and i got a "very good" from eddie which is always nice. the bad side was even better in that my body is learning what to do not being able to force into it is a major help,
no brute strength allowed.
** (I know...i sound like a broken record from day to day with this asana. what are you gonna do???)
Posted by jody at 9:04 AM
August 24, 2005
Jai Ganesh
Jai Ganesh Jai Ganesh, Jai Ganesh deva
Mata jaki Parvati, Pita Mahadeva.
Ek dant dayavant, char bhuja dhari
Mathe sindur sohai, muse ki savari, Jai
Ganesh...
Andhan ko ankh det, kodhin ko kaya
Banjhan ko putra det, nirdhan ko maya, Jai
Ganesh....
Pan chadhe, phul chadhe, aur chadhe meva
Ladduan ka bhog lage, saht kare seva, ,Jai
Ganesh....
Jai Ganesh, Jai Ganesh, Jai Ganesh deva,
Mata jaki Parvata, Pita Mahadeva.
Posted by jody at 8:58 AM
August 23, 2005
Ho hum
todays practice was good, i think i did something like 10 of each surya's which took me half an hour, but im trying to start my actual practice at 6:30 (after eddie starts opening mantra) so that i can work on some of the earlier asanas, that im not quite getting on my own. its good becasue by the time i start standing poses im really warmed up. although once i progress i dont know that time will be so friendly with me as to allow such decadence. there werent the usual numbers of people at the shala so it stayed pretty cool throughout practice. it was nice having room if only a little odd.
for as limber as i was yesterday i was a little tighter today. it seems when i feel particularly limber i go for it and then the next day my body tightens up in retaliation. lotus was not as easy thing morning as yesterday but then i did go farther in the mari's. eddie helped me with D, i bound for a second on the first side (its usually not as hard on that side: ( on the second side he adjusted me in a different way than normal, it was very beginner i was no where near bound, but the interesting thing was that the approach was so soft that i was able to get much farther than i have been since the incident. which was interesting becasue it underscored advice that get all the time from edie, barry and even myself, which is to slow down take it easy and breath. i sometimes push so hard that i push past the point if you know what i mean. so the adjustment was very cool becasue it illustrated the advantage to bringing subtlety into the practice. i doubt that it'll be the end of my days huffing and puffing my into asanas but its a seed that has been planted. it pays to have a great teacher.
since i started doing yoga ive been trying to wean myself off meat and for the most part im pretty good. i never eat meat at home (i never really have actually) but when i go out to dinner or am at a friends house im like the biggest carnivore you've ever met. i think i feel pressure (self imposed) at not being the "vegetarian" at dinner who is being "fussy" about their meal. (the quotes are meant to be annoying.) but why not? why cant i ask for a vegtarian option when im out to dinner, this is NYC it can hardly be an unusual request. i probably need to be more decisive about it, meaning perhaps the weaning option isnt working and i just need stop eating meat and be done with it. so if anybody happens to know of any good vegetarian places that are off the beaten path or where to take some good cooking classes please let me know.
today feels like christmas, i got my Gently Down tshirt which is super cool, im torn as to wether or not i should wear it. its a medium and if it doenst fit properly then its going to be art. i also got these cool mens 72k.com practice pants they are designed by a guy which is nice. they go just below the knee and are tight with out being too tight, i wont need a towel for traction and i also got some soap from Soap Walla i was going to use it to shave but it smells so good im using it as body soap. should probably get more before its gone.
Posted by jody at 9:05 AM | Comments (6)
August 22, 2005
sunburnt
can i just say that i am happy to announce that the only pain or discomfort that i have to talk about from todays practice is the sunburn i got this weekend! woohoo, im back to a normal practice, well almost. this morning i did jumpbacks, jump throughs, janu sirsasana b with out pain from the weight, and was able to take full lotus with no pain! thank god!
im still mortally terrified of mari's b&d but even they are on the way back. lucily i was not assisted in either of the aforementioned asanas and thats just how i like it for now. with B, the good side is getting almost graceful, the bad side is an exercise in self control and overcoming fear. literally i couldnt even lean far enough forward to attemp binding, my ankle ,on its own volition, locks into place and will not budge.
C is coming along very nicley too, im almost able to take my wrist.
D is still a major stop gap on either side, however as C deepens its making my understanding of D better and easier to get into. i can almost wrap my arm around my knee to a position that would allow for a bind. i still have a ways to go but considering how far ive come thats pretty good. i cant wait for the days when i look back at this and have a hard time remembering just how hard it really was which isnt going to be for a while but its something to look forward to. i had that feeling today about triang, when i first started it seemed literally impossible to sit in this asana with out falling over to the side, i would lean over so far that my elbow on the striaght leg side had to keep me upright. today i can lean forward with my knees touching with out having to worry about the tip over. just goes to show ya what patience will get you.
all in all im content with my practice just as it is and am grateful for what is on the path ahead of me. its a long path but hey i got the rest of my life to walk down it so no worries.
Posted by jody at 9:03 AM
August 18, 2005
thursday
led primary today with eddie and barry so as usual it was a great class. i think im making progress in the prasaritas my body feels folded over rather than leaned forward. it was certainly a suprise i wasnt expecting it to happen, especially considering we only did 3 of each surya. it's possible that the influence of having barry seated right next to the space i practice had something to do with it. i guess we'll see in the days ahead if i can repeat it.
the ankle is getting much better, i can sit in lotus as long as i keep my feet flexed so that the ankle is stable. which is probably a good thing ive noticed in most pictures of sharath sitting in lotus his feet are flexed. not to mention that you need to use flexed feet to come into lotus with no hands. it certainly requires that your hips are more open. see there is a silver lining in every woeful tale isn't there. : )
maryichyasnas are about the same as they have been, the good side is getting even better and the bad side is well....the bad side, but there is progress so im happy. for the first time today i was adjusted in kurmasana, that asana is still a while away, but i am going to interpret the adjustment as displaying the minimal level of competency, other wise i think they would have let me be.
i had a chance to check out that tv station CURRENT i think al gore had something to do with it. its pretty good, it reminds of blogging in a way. its a continious loop of segments that look like they are mostly submitted by viewers about a wide range of subjects lightly political. its geared for a younger audience but it was still interesting.
Posted by jody at 9:54 AM
August 16, 2005
confrontation
today in marichyasana d eddie was assisting me and as usual the first side was pretty good ive figured out how to get into a position that makes it possible to wrap the arm etc... i still need help binding but whatever. so along comes second side and i could feel my blood pressure rising and im sure my eyes had that terrifed deer about to be run over by a mac truck look. i made gentle protests about my ankle not being able to go into the right position. which eddie, with the kindest tone, said something to the effect of it being a combination of fear and some pain. so i brought my foot into half lotus no problem, and moved deeper (not very deep mind you) into the asana which produced some fear/pain and i said that i didnt think i could go any further. eddie gently urged me to add a little twist and to lean on the arm that was behind me and coached my breating. i did, and we held it there for a moment. when we were done he said something like you've gone further than you thought you would and everyhting is okay. it was a good moment, i leanrned about trust, limits and my edge.
Thanks Eddie ji for helping me confront my fears, now how do i apply that to the other parts of my life.
the rest of practice was brilliant the weather is brilliant... lets hope it lasts!
as i was leaving the shala today there was a bike that belonges to a fellow yogi on the street. they apparently lock their bike to another bike that is locked to a post. well the guy whose bike it is was out side and needed to unlock his bike. mind you both the "permanent" bikes dont look like they are EVER ridden so its an honest mistake. i wasnt sure what to do, i went up stairs and tried to get the attention of eddie or barry but they were deep in the front room adjusting. i thought i would just move the bikes into the stairway so that they wouldn't be stolen as i was walking down the stairs another yogi was coming in and i asked him to help me move the two bikes that were chained together into the stairway. it wasnt going to work they were too big and one of the bike belonged to this irate fellow. to my relief the yogi going up said he would say some thing upstairs. lesson being make sure to lock your bike to a post not a locked up bike. the guy lives in the next building and is not a fan of the "yogons" i think that what he called us... i kinda like yogon.
Posted by jody at 9:16 AM | Comments (3)
August 15, 2005
undamged
i was perusing the ezboard escaping yesterdays monsoon when i came across a fascinating entry that referenced alan little's ankle opening. which describes exactly the same thing that happened to me, it also happened to sharath like 4 times. something to look forward to.
(look for the Nov 13th entry)
whew, you dont know what a relief it was to read that. i was really worried that i had screwed my ankle up. from what it sounds like its gonna take about a month or so to get back to normal, which is fine with me. i can spend that time refining what i can do and worry about progess later on.
it certainly helped today, i think the knowledge that i wasnt damaged lent it self to a more comfortable practice. i also ran into randy in the laundry room yesterday and we had a brief conversation about it.
apparently he had an opening of his shoulder early in the year that prevented him from doing any vinyasas in between asanas. he basically went from pose to pose until his shoulder was okay. he told me that eddie says practice should always be therapeutic, you should leave feeling better then when you walked in. which sounds perfectly reasonable but it seems the point can get lost when your "that" close to getting a bind or a pose and then you get hurt. so armed with all this good stuff i had an awesome practice this morning. i did no jumbacks or any jump through (attempts) and i felt good. i did mari b on my good side with no ankle pain at all and the modified version for the bad side. C is coming along nicely with effort i can grab my wrist but i think ill stick with the hand holding for a while.i also got a really deep adjust in A which opened my shouders and chest, i can still pleasantly feel th effect.
its not all together a bad thing that this opening happened. it has in many ways made me think more clearly about my practice and and how i approach it. its given me the opportunity to step back and apply the more subtle elements of yoga to asana. however, im not looking
i dont know if it was because i was gone for a month or if i just didn’t notice it but it sure seems like there are a lot of people doing 2nd series. its pretty amazing to watch, id like to watch the 2nd series led class on sundays but im not sure if that’s looked kindly upon. im not so sure id like to have someone gawking at me while i practiced.
off to earn a living.
Posted by jody at 8:56 AM | Comments (2)
August 14, 2005
swimming upright
today in NYC the temp is 83 with 78% humidity which basically feels like your swimming down the street instead of walking, not nice. so this morning at 6:00 when it was 81 i tried to talk myself out of going to the shala like you wouldn’t believe. can you imagine doing a led class in a room that is already hot with this kind of humidity, i couldn’t. but better judgment prevailed and i made it down there i usually ride my bike but today i took the subway, its better to ride anyday and it take far less time.
so i walk in to the shala with what i thought was 10 minutes and everybody is already in full swing. i kinda freaked out thinking that i was late or that the start time had changed. (a tiny piece of me was ready to walk right back out the door.) but then i realized that it wasn't led it was mysore. WHEW thank g-d i guess that eddie ji had the same thought as to how hard a led class would be in this weather . so i found a place in the main room and begin practicing and i get through all but my last surya b by this time i was pouring with sweat and i mean pouring. i couldnt take it i grabbed my mat and found a lovely spot next to a window in the backroom where i could almost breathe. its strange to practice in the back room the energy is noticeably different, but it was where i needed to be today.
my practice right now is at 75% with this ankle condition. it’s really a pain in the, well, ankle. once my practice starts flowing i get this sharp little reminder that my ankle is still there and not so happy about being at the shala so im constantly having to appease the little pain in the ass by pulling back and generally interrupting my practice. it hasn’t gotten any worse since last monday but at the same time it hasn’t gotten any better. when my foot is fully extended as in urdhva mukah svanasana it feels okay but once im in say utkatasana its painful. which makes me think that based on how the injury happened that something is out of place. (the ankle took too much of a stretch while being adjusted with a mari d bind.) i keep rotating it through out the day and gently stretching it hoping that it will find its alignment on its own. if its not any better this week i think ill see my doctor although id rather not, maybe a chiropracter??? i dunno i just hope it feels better. eddie told me to do all my asanas but not all the way, just up to the point that i feel pain. so i am doing modified mari b and d's. i did figure out that wearing a tshirt during practice is probably not the best thing, for the mari's it give the foot in lotus traction that you probably dont want. i pulled my shirt up in these asanas and my foot moved into a better position taking the stress off my ankle (on the good side)so i think ill try to do that from now on. i dont know if im ready to practice shirtless g-d only knows why, but im modest what can i say.
so overall even though practice isnt what it once was, it was a lot better than i had imagined it was going to be.
Posted by jody at 9:14 AM
August 12, 2005
Pooped
dude! todays practice pooped me out! its hard to believe that when i started doing yoga i was doing led primary 4x a week. albeit with every concievable modification necessary and at a gym but still thats a lot of energy. ive gotten so used to going thru navasana then to closing that these led classes are rather a shock to my system. im glad that we are doing another on sunday, i need to reacclimatize myself to longer practices. i can only imagine what practice in mysore is like when a 5 breath count is more like 20 breath count. today there were a few times that we were held in an asana for what seemed like forever!!!!!
of course the ankle is STILL tender i wont go into details but suffice to say that i modified more than a few poses. none the less practice was still great. i had heard that eddie ji's wife was going to lead the class. that didnt happen it was eddie and barry. i think the reason i most enjoy those two is because they were the ones on my first day at the shala, so i have a comfy familiar feeling with them.
in mari d i modified it so that my bent knee (the bad one) was not in lotus and i still had problems getting my arm around my other knee. this is wierd becuase i can bind no problem in C. all is coming i kno w, i know ;)
anyway, i thought i would share this quote from Ramana Maharshi i think its beautifully moving.
"The idea that there is a goal...is wrong. We are the goal; we are always peace. To get rid of the idea that we are not peace is all that is required."
which is just as hard isnt it. on to lighter fare, I just got tickets to Rufus Wainwright.
hari om
Posted by jody at 9:14 AM | Comments (6)
August 11, 2005
rest day
so i decided not to practice this morning,yup the ol' ankle is still sore. i didnt make an appointment to have it checked out it was going to take a while to see my doctor. in the meantime im going to take it easy in practice. tomorrow is a led class which should prove to be interesting im going to be doing some serious modifications. i think ill practice in the back room tomorrow to save the space in the front.
you know its times like these that make me happy that i am a shameless consumer. in the past 5 months ive gone thru two mats and two separate rugs. lately ive been using my old tapas mat with the yogi toes towel i like that its not all cushiony makes it easier to jump through. well i think for the time being ill switch to my black mat which is thick and very cushiony with a mysore rug that way there will be some nice padding between my foot and the floor.
Posted by jody at 9:55 AM | Comments (2)
August 10, 2005
Samtosa
Samtosa (sub category of Niyama)= contentment
""Contentment counts for more than all sixteen heavens together." Instead of complaining about things that go wrong, we can accept what has happened and learn from them. Samtosa encompasses our mental activities such as study, our physical efforts, and even how we earn our living. It is about ourselves-what we have and how we feel about what God has given us. It is about our whole outlook on life. Do we look at a cup as half empty or as half full?"
Practical application = don't worry about what you can or cannot do in practice. do what you can do and do it with intention and care. all is coming.
practice today was so so. the ankle is still sore and i think i might get it checked out just for peace of mind. i decided to fore go jump backs, i dont have enough control of my bandas to land softly and the jar irritates the ankle. i went thru Mari A and then went to finishing i might be coddling my ankle but i seriously dont want any damage. knowing that i wasnt going to get that far in practice today i decided that i would hold asanas a little longer than i normally do which put my timing just right eddie ji called samastitihi as i was finishing surya b. so i was adjusted in UHP and then again in ABP
two cool sightings today! amy who teaches yoga at the gym i used to belong to was in the shala, she is so nice and a great teacher. didnt get a chance to say hello but it was nice to see her, she has a beautiful 2nd series practice.
and riding home from practice this morning up 2nd ave there was a guy with a guitar getting into a fancy black towncar, it was Gael Garcia Bernal, he is super CUTE!
working from home today kinda nice but i like being around people.
anyway, until tomorrow.
Posted by jody at 8:45 AM | Comments (3)
August 9, 2005
no grapefruits
thankfully i woke up this morning with no grapfruit on my ankle! i debated for a minute wether or not to practice but decided that it was probably okay . im glad i did, practice was great. it was eddie ji and barry, they work so well together there is this synergry about how they approach the room. there were more than a few people doing second series and they seemed to get everybody for adjustments.
barry gives amazing adjustments he helped me out in in utthita hasta padangusthasana and then again in triang mukha eka pada paschimottanasana he seems to know exactly how far to go in the adjustment. my ankle is definately tender and in triang i was nervous about it bearing alot of weight but even thru the adjustment it was fine, i think it was due to the focus of the pressure being applied. he was pressing on my back but the weight was directed towards my extended leg to open my hip and make it more level and so no ankle pain.
i did have to modify the practice a little and i should probably speak to eddie or who ever is assisting tomorrow. i cant bind my right foot in either arda baddha the stretching of my ankle hurts way too much and i cant do any lotus postures period the weight from the opposing leg kills. so i dont know if i should stop at marichyasana A or modify B and D. I should ask tomorrow. i hope its not quite as crowded as today because it'll be hard to get their attention. it was packed today, a few people ive never seen before, and a few that i havent seen since before my hiatus.
no other news other than ive been reading Namarupa and its full of interesting articles. i believe its the most current issue that i have it has an interview with SKPJ, Iyengar and Desikchar which was very interesting. there is also an article by Peter Lamborn Wilson who traveled thru india when he was young searching for spiritual enlightenement (and ganja) its very interesting to hear his perspective on things he is definately a hippe and very knowledgeable about indian spiritual thought. and of course the photo essays are awesome.
anyway time to get some work done.
Posted by jody at 9:00 AM
August 8, 2005
Crunch
okay its almost the end of the day and my ankle feels alright (a little sore) thank god. whats strange is that my ankles usually pop and crack when I rotate them and its not happening on the right side anymore. could it be that today was an "opening" of sorts. i think ill wait to rejoice until after tomorrow morning and i wake up with NO swellling.
i hope i dont have any anxiety issues in practice tomorrow.
Posted by jody at 4:53 PM
Crunch....
was the sound my right ankle made this morning in D. scared the holy bejesus out of me! the first side was great i was even able to get my arm around my knee on my own and once i was bound my breating was even and normal.
then on the second side everything was fine until i was tryng to bind. on the first attempt there was a slight pop which is normal, right. there is always an odd pop or two at different times during practice. on the second try came that disturbing sound, it was like a nasty crunch that i could feel and hear at the same time. needless to say i came right out of the asana sat there a little stunned for a second. randy was great very calm and made sure that i was okay then i went into surya a and finished with navasana. truncated the finishing postures, i did sarvangasana thru karna pidasana attempted urdhva padmasana but my ankle was a little tender and i didnt want to irritate it any more so i went right into shavasana.
i think im fine as i can put weight on it and it isnt really swelling . the ride home was fine the only time it smarts is when my toes are higher then my ankle like when you are pushing down on a pedal or climbing stairs. walking is fine. im a little nervous that its going to get worse throuout the day. pray that it does not, we'll see.
in any event i think tomorrows practice is going to be interesting i dont think Im going to push to hard on the padmasanas.
Posted by jody at 8:48 AM | Comments (3)
August 7, 2005
Why Blog?
an interesting question seems to be popping up lately with people i know, and that is why do i blog. my non yoga friends have a common response which is "you have a whole blog about yoga?! what do you write about?" and some of my yoga friends have responded " yoga isnt about this posture or that posture its a non verbal process of learning."
which is right on point, asana is only part of the practice ,how appropriate that a fellow blogger heard guruji speaking directly about this in india just today! in all practical terms i started blogging because you can only talk about yoga so long before your non yoga friends start rolling their eyes and making comments like "here we go again..." (gotta love em!) and right now i dont have a ton of yoga friends that i see outside the shala. that being said i have to get all this stuff out in some fashion otherwise it all just bounces back and forth in my head.
strangley i was thinking the other night that most (not all) of the blogs that i come across are prople who are practicing primary there are a few who blog consistently that are beyond but in my experience it seems like more primary folks blog. it seems natural that the longer you practice the need to communicate about it lessens.
or at least i can see that for myself, its similar to my need to practice with others as opposed to practicing on my own. i can do either but i prefer to practice with others because it enriches my expereince. as i continue to practice i can see that need not being as important as it is today. although i will always practice with others itll be easier when i cannot.
on to practice, today was great it was like the first days in the shala for me. everybody is back from india so they were all in class. it was as i thought pretty crowded, i practiced in my normal spot again its a nice spot, but i think i'll move now and again so i dont become attached. practice was HARD today i dont know if it was me or if the counts were long. but man o man was it difficult,in a good way.
i got through kukkutasana and then had to go to the back. which was the first time that i was sent to finsihing early. but i did make prgress in everything up to that point i even saw progress in D.
going to the back room gave me an opprotunity to observe others practice while waiting for finishing poses to start which is always interesting. they are serving breakfast at the teastall again and i had planned on going today but it is closed, maybe next weekend.
om shanti
Posted by jody at 9:29 AM
August 5, 2005
Friday
so this morning i went to AYS to practice. they start later 6:45 but i got there at 6:30 and started right in. i like the space its comfortable they have a full on kitchen right off the studio that has tea,spices and pots and pans it looks like someones actual kitchen. i must say that it felt wierd to be in my own city and not practicing at my regular shala but ive just been away from practice for so long that i felt compelled to practice this week.
there werent very many people practicing i think there were perhaps 10 at the most. i attribute this to there being afternoon sessions as well as morning sessions. which makes me wonder if the shala will be less crowded in the morning during the winter season as there will be afternoon sessions as well, (I think so anyway.) i wonder if I'LL ever make it to morning practice if there are afternoon ones available. i do prefer practicing in the morning to the afternoon because i feel so much better after yoga. althought the temptaion of the warm blankets will definately be a test.
practice was good today i got good adjustments first in trikonasana with a hand on my hip and shoulder (front) gently pushing in opposite directions that created length in my spine.
then again in marichyasna a again with a hand on the knee and a push forward which makes a lot of difference in B as well it felt like i was deeper than normal in the pose. marichyasana d was pretty good today too. i have this tendency to lean my weight back in an effort to get a good twist which presents the problem of not being able to get my arm around my knee. well in an earlier post i thought that perhaps i would try not keeping my foot as close to my bum for this asana, it didnt work the way i thought it makes the arm wrap impossible.
today i was shown that i should keep my foot back nearer my bum but to move it out to the side a bit. that allows me to keep my weight forward and gives me the ability to use my hand to push on my bent leg to get a twist in preparation for the arm wrap. i still needed a whole lotta heaving to actually get me into the pose but i did bind on both sides (cut the inside of my finger with a fingernail) and did not hyperventilate in the process!! so i feel good about it. now at this pace i think that i can safely say that instead of a decade long primary series practice it might only be five years!!!
im excited tomorrow is rest day and im getting together tonight with a group of friends that i haven't seen in months ,well before i went away on my sojourn, it should be fun.
Posted by jody at 9:29 AM | TrackBack
August 4, 2005
Wednesday
went to a led primary tonight at ashtanga yoga shala and boy did it kick my butt. the combination of not really practicing for the past week or so and my recent food choices made for a difficult practice. but im glad i went, gary from denver was leading the class which was a welcome surprise. apparently he is town for the next week so i am going to drop in on friday morning seeing that the shala is closed.
there were two others in the class which made for an intimate experience i wish i could go to classes that small all the time.
it's hot here in nyc and by the time we finished the surya's i was dripping wet. i have to say that i really like my yogi toes towel because unlike the regular carpets you dont need to get them wet for traction. and i definitely needed traction as the puddle on my mat was almost a pond.
here is a question in utthita hasta hadangusthasana i think it is more important to fully realize the extension of the lifted leg along with keeping your grounded leg as firm as possible, before working on leaning over, what do you think? when i am assisted in this asana i can lean over and touch my chin to my shin but the minute i have no help im hopping all over the place like a bunny.
the rest of practice was okay, by the time marichyasana c came around i realized that a big salad for lunch was not the best idea before a yoga class. D was alright tonight with assistance I bound on both sides. recently i read an article about a yogi who had met Guruji early in their practice and Guruji said that fear can hinder your practice which is something i come up against all the time especially in this asana. im trying to remember to put the fear aside and let my body move into the asana. it helps that my ankles and/or hips are opening so that there is no pain when i am finally bound and im confident that i wont go overboard and injure myself. it would suck to over do it and be set back.
tonights kurmasana was probably the best ive ever done, my legs aren’t exactly straight yet but I was far enough forward that my forehead was touching the floor. (in a huge puddle). from there we went to urdhva dhanurasana which are getting better considering how rarely i get to do them. i find it almost impossible to breath in paschimottanasana from all the heat and moisture rising from my legs. i literally have lift my head and turn to the side, which inevitably leads to a major adjustment. i imagine that as time goes by and im not exerting as much energy as i am now that this will fade away, my eyes also get so bloodshot from practice it fades pretty quickly but i wonder if this is normal.
anyway, its almost 11 I gotta go to bed.
Hari om
Posted by jody at 2:52 AM | Comments (2)
August 2, 2005
Tuesday
i didnt make it to the shala this morning. :( i cant seem to find the happy medium of air conditioning for my apartment. i feel like crap! not to mention that i couldn't fall asleep lastnight, the last time i looked at my watch it was 11:54.AND there is no class until sunday.
Posted by jody at 9:50 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
August 1, 2005
Monday
okay 2nd day back to the shala and today was far more crowded than yesterday. the regular guy wasnt there to open the doors so as i rode up on my bike there was a crowd outside. suddenly without warning the door opened and we all filed in.i could have easily gotten my regular place but i decided to move. it looked so cramped where i normally practice i thought that being closer to the center would be better. it wasnt. for some reason the gold squares that are used to mark places in which to lay your mat seem to be closer for the 3rd and 4th spaces from the right. so my neighbor and i were super close. it wasnt bad but i think ill go back to my regualr space tomorrow. practice was alright this morning i was right on target up until marichyasana d. which wasnt happeneing for me at all, seriously it wasnt even near a reality. even with assistance from the sub i just couldnt do it. it took like three tries on the the first sideto bound and then came apart. the second side was two tries with no bind. its soo frustrating because yesterday i was so much closer than i was today. i think its best not to think about it becuase its potentially embarassing ; ) thinking about those around me watching the debacle.
i think that my bum is too close to my foot when im preparing for the asana because i cant seem to keep my weight forward. which makes getting into it impossible. tomorrow im going to make space between my foot and bum and see if that makes a difference.
i did figure out that in order to get my foot into the proper position in lotus that i first need to lift my knee as far as possbile creating the necessary stretch and assuring that the strecth is concentrated in the hips rather then the knees or ankles. this helped out a lot in APB
i still wasnt able to bind but i do feel more comfortable in the psoe and will try to bind going forward. i hope that i can get the attention of someone so that they can help me out in the begining.
oh theres no class from wednesday - sunday which is a drag. i think ill drop in on a class or two around the city just for kicks.
Posted by jody at 9:47 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack