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September 30, 2005
Ganesha Astottara shatanamavali
Stotras are rhythmically-composed verses in the praise of a deity.
Om Gajananaya namah
Om Ganadhyakshaya namah
Om Vignarajaya namah
Om Vinayakaya namah
Om Dwimaturaya namah
Om Dwimukhaya namah
Om Pramukhaya namah
Om Sumukhaya namah
Om Krutine namah
Om Supradeepaya namah
Om Sukhanidhaye namah
Om Suradhyakshaya namah
Om Surarighnaya namah
Om Mahaganapataye namah
Om Manyaya namah
Om Mahakalaya namah
Om Mahabalaya namah
Om Herambaya namah
Om Lambajatharaya namah
Om Haswagrivaya namah
Om Mahodaraya namah
Om Madotkataya namah
Om Mahaviraya namah
Om Mantrine namah
Om Mangalaswarupaya namah
Om Pramodaya namah
Om Pradhamaya namah
Om Pragnaya namah
Om Vignagatriye namah
Om Vignahantre namah
Om Viswanetraya namah
Om Viratpataye namah
Om Sripataye namah
Om Vakpataye namah
Om Srungarine namah
Om Ashritavatsalaya namah
Om Shivapriyaya namah
Om Sheeghrakarine namah
Om Saswataya namah
Om Balaya namah
Om Balodhitaya namah
Om Bhavatmajaya namah
Om Puranapurushaya namah
Om Pushne namah
Om Pushkarochita namahya
Om Agraganyaya namah
Om Agrapujyaya namah
Om Agragamine namah
Om Mantrakrutaye namah
Om Chamikaraprabhaya namah
Om Sarvaya namah
Om Sarvopasyaya namah
Om Sarvakartre namah
Om Sarvanetraya namah
Om Sarvasiddhipradaya namah
Om Sarvasiddaye namah
Om Panchahastaya namah
Om Parvatinadanaya namah
Om Prabhave namah
Om Kumaragurave namah
Om Akshobhyaya namah
Om Kunjarasurabhanjanaya namah
Om Pramodaptanayanaya namah
Om Modakapriya namah
Om Kantimate namah
Om Dhrutimate namah
Om Kamine namah
Om Kavidhapriyaya namah
Om Brahmacharine namah
Om Brahmarupine namah
Om Brahmavidhyadhipaya namah
Om Jishnave namah
Om Vishnupriyaya namah
Om Bhaktajivitaya namah
Om Jitamanmadhaya namah
Om Ishwaryakaranaya namah
Om Jayase namah
Om Yakshakinnerasevitaya namah
Om Gangansutaya namah
Om Ganadhisaya namah
Om Gambhiraninadaya namah
Om Vatave namah
Om Abhishtavaradaya namah
Om Jyotishe namah
Om Bhktanidhaye namah
Om Bhavagamyaya namah
Om Mangalapradaya namah
Om Avyaktaya namah
Om Aprakrutaparakramaya namah
Om Satyadharmine namah
Om Sakhye namah
Om Sarasambhunidhaye namah
Om Mahesaya namah
Om Divyangaya namah
Om Manikinkinimekhalaya namah
Om Samastadivataya namah
Om Sahishnave namah
Om Satatodditaya namah
Om Vighatakarine namah
Om Viswadrushe namah
Om Viswarakshakrute namah
Om Kalyanagurave namah
Om Unmattaveshaya namah
Om Avarajajite namah
Om Samstajagadhadharaya namah
Om Sarwaishwaryaya namah
Om Akrantachidakchutprabhave namah
Om Srivigneswaraya namah
Posted by jody at 11:28 AM
Freezing
Today I had a taste of what winter is going to be like on a couple of different fronts. First I took the train to practice seeing that my back tube was punctured. Ill have to get it fixed this weekend. Bums me out because its not cheap.
Taking the train isn’t all that bad I got to the shala at 6:00 which on normal days will be fine. today was a led class which was good to gauge timing I made it to work shortly after nine which is acceptable. So at least on that front its all good.
Now, lets talk about the shala this morning it was FREEEEEEZING I’m sure the windows had been open over night. I can only imagine what its like in winter, sure the heat will be on but I have the impression that its doesn’t work all the time. Not to mention that the shala is basically one big empty room which always seem colder. Ill definitely being wearing full-length log johns (tights).
In spite of it all practice wasn’t all that bad I didn’t want to push with the temperature being what it was but I was pleased with how it went. Practice seemed short today not because the counts were short because they weren’t they were actually pretty long.
But it somehow didn’t seem as long as it normally does. Being a led class there weren’t any major break throughs .
But here are some observations that I made through class. Setu Bandhasana scares the crap outta me, not in and of itself but getting into it is scary I think if there were, god forbid, anything that would go wrong it would be while straightening the legs. luckily I don’t have to worry about this for a while. Urdhva Dhanuasana was good today although I was pooped by the time we got to them so I only held the 3rd for 4 of the 5 breaths. Barry gave me a wicked adjustment it Sarvangasana he straightened out my back, and I thought it was straight, and then moved my arms closer together which was almost painful because of my damn mat which rubs my elbow raw, it was rougher this morning than normal I’m guessing because the latex didn’t warm up. But also my shoulders were being stretched from the adjustment in a way that they were not used to. It really changed my understanding of the asana, Barry is good like that he makes refining adjustments that completely change my approach to the asana. Sarah almost got me into Baddha Padmasana and Yoga Mudra I was surprised I didn’t quite make it but I could feel my toe with my finger tip on the left side which is farther than I thought was possible. I doubt that it will be happening on my own but at least I’ve tasted the experience for now.
Posted by jody at 9:17 AM | Comments (2)
September 29, 2005
Ehhh...bad man Chatvari
No practice for me today. I woke up got ready got on my bike and started on my way only to realize that my back tire was completely flat! Considered taking the subway and then decided that I would just go back up stairs and sleep. Which I did and now I regret it, not becase I missed practice although that does suck, but now I feel as though I’m catching a cold. Which I will not be pleased with I’m hoping that my system is just confused after I had it get up and prepare to do yoga only to fall back into bed. Lets see what the day brings... I am amazingly sore I will tell you that.
Last night at the recommendation of a fellow yogi I bathed in salts with Castor oil on my lower back (and knees and ankles) I also slept with Ben Gay on my poor aching hammies which felt great last night and is better today than yesterday but that Kurmasana is kicking my ass or more precisely my hamstrings and area behind my knees where my shoulders jam into them. Led class tomorrow which should be fun. I have mixture of love and distaste for led classes nowadays. On the one hand I love them because you get to try out all the asanas that you aren’t at in Mysore practice on the other hand it’s all so fast and rushed you don’t have enough time to really get into anything before the 5 count is up. I used to love them funny how things change.
Posted by jody at 8:41 AM | Comments (3)
September 28, 2005
Wednesday
Highlight of today’s practice...
I fell over TWICE trying to bind on the first side or ABP (standing version) TWICE. I will say that they were elegant side tumbles that were contained within the space of my mat so no one was hurt in the process.
I almost had a hold of my foot when someone brushed by me on their way to the restroom which spooked me and I completely lost my ability to balance while grabbing for my toes. I’m going to bind on that side in Yoga Mudra from now on, hopefully that'll open me up a little.
My forward bends are getting very deep pretty consistently which is having a positive effect on my jump backs. Today I was able to shift my weight from my legs to my arms before my feet left the floor (with straight legs) which makes for a more controlled jump back of course this is all very subtle and I don’t think that my JB's look any different but I think I’m beginning to understand what its supposed to feel like. When you see someone very advanced practice you'll notice that when they prepare to jump back it almost looks like they are going to do a handstand because their lower back area moves forward bringing their legs off the ground which allows them to control the jump back. Make sense? To do any of this it takes a long hamstrings and a long lower back area. I need a lot of work on lengthening my spine especially the lower back region. When I first started doing yoga consistently (which was roughly March of this year) I couldn’t even touch my behind to my heels in Childs Pose because my spine is sooooooooo tight. It still is and there is even a little space unless I make an effort to push down. Its opened up tremendously so far and I think that Kurmasana will help it open up even more I think this is where the root of the stretch is in this asana. I mean your hamstrings can only open up so much and to get nice and flat your lower back has to open up at least that’s what it seems like please share your thoughts.
Posted by jody at 9:50 AM
September 27, 2005
Upanishad II
SVETASVATARA UPANISHAD
Find a quiet retreat for the practice of yoga, sheltered from wind, level and clean, free from rubbish, smoldering fires, and ugliness, and where the sound of waters and the beauty of the place help thought and contemplation.
(Perhaps this is why so many yoga pics and videos are shot in beautiful settings ala David Swenson)
When the yogi has full power over his body composed of earth, water, fire, air, and ether, then he obtains a new body of spiritual fire which is beyond illness, old age, and death.
(Post 6th series???)
The first fruits of the practice of yoga are: health, little waste matter, and a clear complexion; lightness of the body, a pleasant scent, and a sweet voice: and an absence of greedy desires.
(No greedy desires even more reason to love where your at and not sweat the next asana.) (And Im looking forward to the rest sounds nice!!: )
Posted by jody at 1:40 PM
Tuesday
I was able to test out my theory about UHP this morning, from what I can tell it works. I centered my focus on my core and bandhas as the source of balance and I was able to get closer to a full realization of this asana than usual. Of course I had only done the right side and then Barry came over and helped me so I didn’t get to test the other side. I bound on both sides of Arda Baddha (standing) for the first time, I have been able to bind the second side for a while now and today I was determined to get the first, my neighbor was a little worried about me falling over (for good reason) my balance was a little off but I did it. I’m excited about this because It means that my hips are opening up which is a good thing. I’ve bound in the sitting version for a while now and if I can keep this up it means that my practice is tightening up at least up to D. Although today I swear I though I was gonna crack a rib in the sitting version on BOTH sides my forward bend was deeper today than normal which was the reason but nothing a little adjustment didn’t fix (self).
I screwed up the sequence a bit today I almost forgot to do Ardha Baddha (sitting) and Triang I went straight into the Janu's. Janu C was a little tough today, depending on how my hips are doing this asana can be killer on my pinky toes, and today it was not pleasant.
Again, my right hip not being as open as the left hovers about a quarter inch above the floor while my left plants nicely also much less "sensation" in the toes in general.
Marichyasana's were not so bad today A-C have become second nature head to knee in A, head is getting closer to the floor in B and I’m trying to really focus on the twist and the length of my spine in C so that it can translate into D. Eddie Ji helped me with D today and we got the bind on both sides and I’m learning how to really relax which is helping but I still really do not like this asana, its such a fickle beast some days it almost seems friendly and I think I could grow to love it (which will eventually be true) and others like today its just an agonizing little monster that I never want to deal with again. And I just realized as I’m typing this that I completely forgot Navasana Ha! How do you like that, I went directly into BP and then K. Perhaps it had to do with the fact that my neighbor on the left was in Upavista Konasana and Eddie was on the right Getting someone into D so I just sort of hung out and waited for the area at the front of my mat to clear up, but really my head was already at BP so I don’t think that had anything to do with it. Oh well, the sky hasn’t fallen so I think it'll be alright. Closing was quick and I nixed Savasana as there were so many people waiting.
Its been really crowded this week. I hope it stays and continues to be get more busy so that a need for afternoon sessions will be necessary. I have it in my head that in the winter I would like to practice in the afternoon. Mainly because getting to and from the Shala in the snowy cold weather will be a major time commitment without riding my bike not to mention how hard it will be to get out of bed!!!
Posted by jody at 8:57 AM | Comments (6)
September 26, 2005
Missing
The past week or so there has been something missing from my practice and I couldn't quite put my finger on it. I mean I was glad to be at the shala of course and thrilled to work on everything that I am working on (D, PB and K) but somehow things just weren’t right. If I were still going to the gym I would have said that I just hadn't gotten that "burn" from my workout. Well today on my way to work I figured it out...it's the HEAT that’s what is missing. Practice in NYC during the summer is a very special thing you might even call it an acquired taste. There's nothing quite like 90 degree weather with 80% humidity to get you nice and limber and deeper into asanas than you thought was possible. I love the feeling of walking out of the shala literally floating from the heat, the moisture and oh yeah the endorphins. I think Im going to miss that the most this winter.
Practice today wasn't so bad it was a little humid so I worked up a nice sweat and instead of going full throttle today I decided Id pull back just a bit so that I wasn't over sore or tired for the rest of the week. It felt good. Nothing overly exciting to report today Randy helped me in UHP
and also in Mari D. Yesterday I was on the subway and I was thinking about UHP and how difficult is is for me on my own. When I have help my leg is so high so its not a question of limberness (?) I think it has more to do with where your focus is. On my own I use my thighs (quads and hams) to keep my balance which I believe makes it difficult to relax them enough to really lengthen. So I’m thinking that if I shift my focus to my core and bandahs and really work on keeping those contracted while letting my legs stay loose that perhaps Ill be able to realize this asana more fully. I think that KJS in a past posting hit on this same topic (sorry I couldn’t find the link) she basically said that she loses her balance the minute that she lets go of her bandahs or something to that effect. I was all ready to try this theory out and of course I got help, Ill have to work on it tomorrow.
Come to think of it I got a lot help this morning. Randy also helped me out in D which came together on both sides for me. Cant say it was fun but it happened. Navasana was good and long and strong I’m not exactly sure why but I felt like a capital V ...That's Hot!
BP was good this morning, something must’ve clicked because it took very little effort to get down and back up with no loss of balance, hope its not a fluke. I waited for Eddie to do Kurmasana he was adjusting the woman next to me in D and then had to say good bye to someone in the back so I waited for a few minutes for him to get back
I went into it and he didn’t give any major adjustments in the K part he did gently push on my back but I felt like I was going ver far forward. Then he started to lock my feet and adjust my hands which was great I don’t know how far my hands were from each other but my legs were well up my arms near my shoulders. And can i just tell you that all the other musings I’ve had about this asana really don’t mean much because the fact is that the higher your legs are on your arms nearer to your shoulders the better prepared you are to do this. When I came out of "almost Supta Kurmasana" and Pushed off the ground with my hands I didn’t quite look like the pic but because I was adjusted my arms were very near my shoulders so preparing for the jumpback was easy because there was SOOO much room between my foot and the ground on the way back. Does that make sense? Anyway it was cool. I bungled thru finishing the only thing that was good is that in Yoga Mudra I did bind my left foot. Its gonna to take me a long time to get both feet I think I might have to lose a couple of pounds around my middle too...
In keeping with the spirit of everybody getting new winter outfits for their blogs I thought I would spruce my place up a bit too!
Big shout out to my friend Michelle who is an awesome make up artist and webdesigner who helped me out. Thank you I love you!!!
Posted by jody at 9:14 AM | Comments (5)
September 24, 2005
Upanishad
ISA UPANISHAD
The spirit without moving, is swifter than the mind; the senses cannot reach him: He is ever beyond them. Standing still, he overtakes those who run. To the ocean of his being, the spirit of life leads the stream of actions.
KATHA UPANISHAD
Know the Atman as lord of a chariot; and the body as the chariot itself. Know that reason is the charioteer; and the mind indeed is the reins.
The horses, they say are the senses; and their paths are the objects of their sense. When the soul becomes one with the mind and the senses he is called 'one who has joys and sorrows'.
He who has not right understanding and whose mind is never steady is not the ruler of his life,
like a bad driver with wild horses.
But he who has right understanding and whose mind is ever steady is the ruler of his life,
like a good driver with well trained horses.
PRASNA UPANISHAD
Be favorable unto us, O life with that invisible form of thine which is in the voice, in the eye, and the ear, and which lives in the mind. Go not from us.
The below is from Hindunet
Upanishad means the inner or mystic teaching. The term Upanishad is derived from upa (near), ni (down) and s(h)ad (to sit), i.e., sitting down near. Groups of pupils sit near the teacher to learn from him the secret doctrine. In the quietude of the forest hermitages the Upanishad thinkers pondered on the problems of deepest concerns and communicated their knowledge to fit pupils near them. Samkara derives the word Upanishad as a substitute from the root sad, 'to loosen.,' 'to reach' or 'to destroy' with Upa and ni as prefixes and kvip as termination. If this determination is accepted, upanishad means brahma-knowledge by which ignorance is loosened or destroyed.
Posted by jody at 3:11 PM | Comments (1)
September 23, 2005
Im mad bloggin' yo...
Okay so yesterday I was in a crappy mood and I think I figured out why. Growing pains. Ive been working on Bhuja Pindasana and Kurmasana for the past couple of weeks and Im just tired and sore. I had been going thru Navasana for so long that my body knew exactly what to expect from practice and I would get a little sore but nothing like these past two weeks. My hamstrings haven't felt like this in a long time and my shoulders and believe it or not my booty are all sore sore sore. It seems now that Im working on new asanas and my body has openened up in different ways, some of the things I had been doing feel different now. As an example since I started Kurmasana and my lower back is begining to open up I can tell a difference in Trikonasana, the main adjustment Ive always gotten in this asana is to lengthen my spine so that my butt isn't sticking out and my hips and shoulders are in more of a straight line than angled. Its much more natural now which is why I think I was given new asanas, to open up some areas and to expand my understanding of the practice in general at least thats been the by product. Ultimately I think it'll all come back to D Im almost there (tiring), what doesnt at this point. But all these connections that Im making about my body and the linkages in the practice has been been good if only a tad but exhausting; )
I think I love my Eco mat, finally after a week of practice I think I figured out the trick. I noticed today that mositure goes completely thru it so by the end of practice it doesnt move anywhere. I think Ill give it a quick little spay on the underneath before practice and that should take care of the splippage. Its has awesome traction for the feet I never feel one bit unsure even in Urdhva Dhanurasana Im solid. I would caution anybody who is thinking about this mat that if you have soft sensitive skin this may not be the one for you. I noticed to day that I have a little kiss of road rash on my elbow from Sarvangasana, my toes are holdiong up but they are begining to get a little raw too. Otherwise its a great mat, Im washing it this weekend( I think its machine safe) its begining to smell a little unpleasant Im sure this will change it maybe soften up the jute a little.
I am so ready for a restday!
Posted by jody at 9:12 AM | Comments (20)
September 22, 2005
No it couldnt be
Practice has been really though these past few days and Im not sure why. Monday was alright because I was excited about getting back after the weekend so I pushed, of course Tuesday I was tight from all that enthusiasm on Monday. Thursday was okay I didnt get any adjustment in D so I bungled my way through it, IT IS REALLY frustrating that I cant get this asana I dont know how long I will have to practice before it becomes a reality. Patience Patience....Practice Practice it will happen
just relax and let your body move into it think less about it. Know that it does not matter where others around you are they were once where you are right now. Take your time in the long run it will take less time if you do.
Oh yeah and I am sore like you would not believe. I think Kurmasana is going to help with the shoulder opening. Having my legs on top of them from behind has to stretch them out at least it feels that way.
I think that I will be able to bind feet and hands very soon in Supta K today Eddie adjusted me and pushed me pretty far forward and brought my hands and legs together. I was nowhere near my edge and I think I could have gotten my head under my feet and hands bound with very little assistance. However who knows if I would have hurt myself which is very possibly the case, so thank you Eddie for you wisdom.
Shoulder stand has changed I think for good for me. Last Friday Barry adjusted me in it and now I take it more fully my hands are in proper postion meaning higer on my back and near the middle and I can tell that the form is better. Headstand on the other hand is awful well not awful but I cannot get up with both legs at a time I dont exactly kick up but its not smooth. And I cannot do the halfway down pike. I try but I fall over, basically I need some assistance on this one and I dont know whenit'l come. I should start doing it at home with the wall. Perhaps this weekend.
Posted by jody at 4:25 PM
Could it be true...
out of the blue and I dont if its permanent but I dont feel like blogging about my practice. The last few days have been a struggle to get anything out and today I just dont feel like it.
Wierd... Here is picture instead.
Posted by jody at 10:07 AM | Comments (4)
September 21, 2005
changing season
This morning on the way to practice it was kinda CHILLY I almost wished I had a sweatwhirt on. I woke up super early, 4:30 got out of bed at 5 to 5 had some javachai (which did not bother me at all today) and said good bye to my roommate. He travels all the time for work its a good situation its like I live alone 80% of the time. The only drag is that he's a smoker, only in his room, but I still hate it. Great roommate otherwise.
I left earlier than usual so I tried to take a liesurly ride, I like to get there right at six, I was still early and everybody was upstairs. I think it was 5 till and people were in full swing. I did my usual warm up stretches for an extra long time gave in at 15 after and began my practice. I'm still a little unsure about the new mat. It slid around a little bit but I think that will subside if I roll it up with the topside facing in,it will lie flatter on the floor that way. No need for the top towel either so thats good too. I definatly want to like it but its taking some warming up.
Practice today was good nothing special really which is the theme for this week. BP is progressing nicely Im in the stage where Im trying on all the different outfits of the asana to see which one fits just right for my body. My balance was good and Im making progress in the Tittibhasana part of the jump back preparation which I think is key to success. (Input appreciated). Kurmasana is good too although I think its very early to talk about it, the subtleties aren't yet apparent although I can feel my lower back begining to open up which feels like the key to really being able to flatten out and get your legs up.
So Ive started reading the Upanishads as translated by Juan Mascaró its a Penguin Classic and its very beautiful. There are some passages in them that just make so much sense. Ill try and post some of the ones that I found that I like.
One last thing...Im sharing this mainly for the comedy of it but on the ride home I started thinking about where I am at in Primary and how it feels exactly right where I need to be. I began to worry about getting any new asanas. I mean what If I get Supta soon then how on earth am I going to manage refining those that Im working on now and what about my energy levels.... it continued for about a minute until I realized what I was doing. I laughed out loud a little it just so like me.
Posted by jody at 9:11 AM | Comments (4)
September 20, 2005
eco mat
Yesterday after practice I noticed that there were little blue "pills" all around my mat which were basically my Tapas mat crumbling beneath my feet. So I decided to get a new Eco Yoga Mat. They are made of jute and latex and are for all intent and purpose bio degradeable. Im not so sure I love it yet for a couple of reasons first, I bought the 2mm version and I think it might be just a bit tooo thin although I usually prefer a thin mat to a thick one. Second it doesnt really stick to the floor my mat slid around this morning and I had to realign it, not in a dangerous way but space is limited at out shala. Third it kinda smells funny it basically smells like a rubber band which Im sure will go away but its pretty strong you can really smell it on your hands. On the positive side I didnt need to roll out my yogi toes towel which I kinda like the jute makes it non slippery even when wet however the jute is kinds rough so I think my toes are going to take a beating at first. Ill keep you posted.
Yesterday I mentioned that I had a queasy stomach from having some rice milk before practice. Well it was suggested that I try not to drink at all before class which I did but I think Ill start making tea again. I found that I was parched early into practice, I sweat like MAD and if I dont fortify myself with fluids before hand then I lose concentration. Not to mention the lack of caffiene which also has quite an effect. So tea it is from now on...
Practice itself was okay, I was tired (sans caffiene) so I took it nice and slow no major progress anywhere really. Eddie Ji helped me with D the new drill is I get as far as I can, he gets me bound, then very tentatively releases me once Im bound to see if I spring open or fall over, Which I did not on the good side but the bad side is well still the f*%&ing bad side. (Yeah I know All is coming...)
BP was okay Im not falling backward but there is a point during the balance shift (getting the head to the floor) that I have to pause before actually bringing the head down. Kurmasana was alright my head is all the way to the floor (which reminds me the new mat is REALLY rough on the forehead!) and I started to work my legs towards my shoulders.
I think eddie may have forgotten that he told me to go to Kurmasana this week. This morning I finished my practice and was on my way to finishing when he asked if I went to BP I said yeah and was about to say Kurmansa too but I didnt. not exactly sure why not... He asked to see me do BP so I did and then he says "Tomorrow Kurmasana."
Posted by jody at 9:13 AM | Comments (3)
September 19, 2005
Some cheese with my whine....
Practice was not fun today. My stomach was upset the entire time and it made for a few difficult moments. Im pretty sure its from my pre yoga pick me up of Oregon Java Chai with rice milk, which is delicious but the milk makes my stomach upset and there is no way you could drink it without. I think I need to go back to really strong tea but it just feels like Im making tea all the bloody time when I drink it. I cant drink coffee because that REALLY makes me queasy but
I need some caffiene so I have to figure something out.Anyway whatever, maybe its just that I ate so late last night (7:30)....
I got all of zero adjustments today which Im bringing up because obviously on some level it bothers me. There is absolutely no reason that it should, other than me being a baby about it. I know you've heard this before on here but Im just trying to work in on out, know what I mean.
I did figure something out in Utthita Parsvasahita which is if you find yourself losing your balance take your hand from your hip and bring it to your soulder with the elbow pointing away from your body in the oppsotie direction of your leg. Think of picking a quarter off the top of your shoulder also keep the tips of your fingers and thumb together, think sock puppet. It creates a perfect counter balance and makes getting into the asana a ton easier. Thanks to Amy for that one I saw her do it last week and it works like a charm. The Marichyasana's were not fun today, my tummy was not in the mood to be twisted to and fro and I had to lay back flat for a brief second at one point all from the rice milk, yuch. D is still coming along it shouldn't be not long now.
Bhuja Pindasana was good I had no problem getting over and thru and back up and I think I really "felt" the way the pose should be done, preparing for the jumpback was probably not that pretty but I think I caught a glipmse of what that is supposed to feel like too so Im happy. I went to Kurmasana today and it was a lot better than I had expected. My head reaches the floor and there was even enough space if thats the right word for me to begin to straighten my legs. In the past Im usually so far above the gound that trying to lengthen my legs is pretty much impossible. Whats kind of strange about ending here is that its not very graceful. Today I basically just got up once I was done I suppose I could unwind and do an ending vinyasa which Ill do tomorrow but its kind of awkward.
I know its only been a week (and one day for Kurmasana) that Ive had these new asanas but I feel like progress will be pretty quick in relation to D. I mean perhaps not but I dont feel like Im at my edge with either of these asanas. I know Supta is going to be a different story and thats probably where this all becomes more difficult so check in with me then and I might be singing a different tune. But for now I think its all pretty smooth.
News flash, so I am remembering that when I started at the shala I thought D would come quickly too and its been how many months now???
SO please dont take the above to be fact or arrogance its just where my head is at today. Also, as I sit here typing Im thinking that my head in relation to D is in a vastly different place, there is an element of fear that I have to work thru with D and its not there with BP or K. You might remember that I had an "opening" in D and that memory is still fully lodged in my ankle so it makes D and progress slow.
There were a few people doing 2nd series today and more than once I got mesmerized in between asanas, this girl was going from forward bend to hand stand to back bend and back again. Im sure my jaw was somewhere near the floor. Barry was practicing today too his practice has that finesse that makes it look like special effects almost. Its inspiring to practice with advanced people like that, it somehow makes it more real. I mean Im not gonna make it anywhere near there for a long time but its certainly cool to see.
I am a sucker for yoga videos I have Darbys, David Swensons (2nd &3rd) and Nikki Doanes intro dvds. And you what I think they serve a good purpose at least for me. I rarely practice to any of these videos but when Im having problems understanding asanas Ill watch them and see how they get into it or what they look like in the fully realized asana and it always helps me in my own practice. Its true that some of it is lost on me as I dont have the full control of my bandhas as someone who has practiced for 20 odd years but it does help to understand. I have also gained some insight on what I need to work on in primary to be successful in the later series. Before you sigh and wonder why I cant just be where I am at this moment the answer is that I am. But seeing what Pasasana looks like in its fully realizes state makes it very clear that getting as deep into Utkatasana right now is vital to less pain and frustration in the future. Basiclly it helps to make the connection of Primary asanas.
Have a great day!
Posted by jody at 7:53 AM | Comments (5)
September 16, 2005
The littlest things
can make such a HUGE difference. Have you ever experienced an adjustment that clicks I mean really clicks? I had one of those today in Upavistha Konasana B it was the tiniest thing, Barry literally touched, with his big toe, a point on my lower spine and said "open up here" and I did and it clicked, my balance came together and the amount of energy I was using seemed to go down. Eureka. I also became aware of the source of movement in my body. Before today the source, say from updog to down dog, was generated in my arms and shoulders or at least my focus was in that area, well today I switched it. Rather than use my arms to send my hips back I used my hips (or legs I guess) to guide my body back into down dog. It made a world of difference and heres how. First, my stability was tenfold what it normally is and again there was definatly some energy conservation going on. Second, my shoulders naturally went into proper position with my shoulders spread and moved down my back which kept (as Darby says) the eyes of my elbows looking forward. Third, this was big and a suprise my jump thrus/forwards were en fuego there was ample space for my body to come thru or to stand with straight arms, it was a suprise because I wasnt expecting it but it was the same all through practice. Hopefully this is a permanent thing not just a fluke. Although I must say that room or no room you still need advanced control of your bandhas to make the process glide, I still make a little thump when I come to sit. The rest of practice was the typical super sweaty version, you know super flexible deep into asanas from the heat and moisture. I think I lost about a pound in water weight the floor in fromt of my mat was a little lake Im not kidding Barry Adjusted me in D and as he got up realized that he just sat in a puddle. Sorry.
Today is kinda a sad day, Ananda Maya (Blissful Yogini) leaves for Toronto. Luckily I got to say bye in person this morning. The sweetest girl! My new friend!
Anyway, no practice until Monday so see you then.
Posted by jody at 9:32 AM | Comments (1)
September 15, 2005
Vishnu in the Cosmic Ocean
Posted by jody at 10:11 AM | Comments (4)
September 14, 2005
Wednesday
Practice was really bloody difficult today. I dont know what it is but when I think I am getting enough sleep Im really heavy the next day and those nights when I dont think Ive had enough Im light. Go figure.
Nothing exciting to report Bhuja was alright today and I learned just how important bandha control is in this asana. If you lose it for even a second you fall on your ass, which is exactly what I did. But, once I got back into it my balance was pretty good and the forward lean was to, at least until I touched my head on the ground. I read that a key element in this posture is to never transfer the weight to the head always keep it in the hands. (Thanks SMN!!) But this seems almost impossible when you are touching your head to the floor. It also makes getting back up to prepare for the jumpback a major bitch.
The weight distribution is the crux of this asana for me the rest seems to be in a good place even getting the feet thru was okay today. Im going to try some different approaches like having my head hover above ground or touching my forehaed in stead of the top of my head. Maybe thats what Eddie means anyway, Ill ask him tomorrow.
A thought kept nagging at me yesterday that I want to get off my chest. I wrote yesterday about being adjusted by Eddie and after
re-reading the post it almost seemed like I was implying that the others at the shala werent as aware as he is of people or their progress and this isnt really the case. I do think that Eddie can read even the slightest hesitation and knows exactly where a persons limit is he has never "pushed" me beyond mine but Ive certainly gone far beyond it thanks to him. Thats what makes him such an amazing teacher. The guys are good too and they know what they are doing but in the end Eddie is the teacher and has a game plan for his sudents. So thats what I meant yesterday.
Anyway, I love practice and even if it is for posers I still love bloggging about asana!!! ; )
Posted by jody at 9:05 AM | Comments (2)
September 13, 2005
bhuja pindasana
Good practice today lots of energy and very warm in the shala. I wasn’t quite a supple as I was yesterday which probably has to do with the fact that I was in a freezing cold movie theatre last night until right before bed so no time to stretch out my body. I saw that Emily Rose movie it was scary and I don’t think its time well spent seeing movies like that. But it is good for a major adrenaline rush, so not only was I tense from the cold but also from all the adrenaline. None the less practice wasn’t too bad. Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana was miserable this morning ughhh, I think I’m just getting in my own way mentally, I’m not sure, but there are days when its so much easier than others. Not from a strength perspective I’m not sure how to explain, I know from the minute my foot goes out in front of me whether or not ill be getting it that day. If I’m in my head rather than my body at that crucial moment then I don’t get the asana because all these thoughts on strength ,balance and where my foot is and its position throw me off balance and it’s a lost cause. However when I’m not caught up in all that my foot goes surprisingly high and my balance is good. I still have a ways to go before this becomes a graceful posture but it can be better than it was today by a long shot.
Randy gave me some advice on Utkatasana and how bent my knees should be in the asana. I can achieve a deep bend at the expense of my arm position. I can’t get as deep a bend in the knees with my arms straight up. I am conscience of this and try to deepen the bend as much as possible while still keeping my arms straight up . Randy had me deepen the bend which made my arms go out forward. So which makes more sense, deepening the bend in the knees and working the arms straight up or keeping the arms straight and working on the bend? I‘ll probably do a combination of both and see what feels more effective for me.
I’m really proud of the progress that D is making. I can’t quite get it on my own but I can seriously feel it beginning to happen. The arm wrap around the knee is just about where it needs to be for me to start really working on the behind the back wrap and even the bad side (2nd) is shaping up. My breathing is light years from where it just recently was, I used to, no kidding, be this close to hyper ventilating once I was in this asana and now my breathing is almost normal…well maybe not ‘normal’ but reasonably unburdened. Thankfully Eddie helped me today on both sides, I say thankfully becasue Eddie knows exactly where Im at in this asana so it feels more like a mutual project with him. Anyway, he took note of the progress so I feel good.
At my shala it’s customary to do a vinyasa between each asana and each side of each asana, so lots of energy! I’ve decided that I am going to skip vinyasa’s between sides in D and maybe C for a little while, so that I can reserve some strength for Bhuja Pindasana and Kurmasana. BP definitely requires more strength than flexibility so I’ll need the strength. Today’s attempt wasn’t really all that bad I need to refine the placement of m legs so that I have enough height to send my feet thru , of course getting back up to prepare for jumpback will be another project. But it’ll come no need to fret. Only three more days and then on to Kurmasana!!!
Posted by jody at 8:07 AM | Comments (2)
September 12, 2005
what a monday
i didnt sleep for crap lastnight. i turned out the light at 10:20 and was up until i dunno it felt like 1:00 am i wouldnt look at the clock so im not sure but im sure it was late. needless to say getting up this morning was difficult. but i am sooo glad that i did. i even made to the shala a little early. the crowd was pretty swollen by the time 6:00 am rolled around and the door, which had been open a little bit before 6:00 was now locked. this after everybody had lined up the stairway thinking we could get in. its not an uncommon practice for someone to "break in" ,if you will, to the shala when the opener is running late. and today was no exception, the nicest sweetest and shyest lady was opening the door and poof what do you know the door opened as she was mid entry. of course the guy opening it was aghast that someone broke in and basically said so. im sure she feels awful.
okay so it probably isnt the the right thing to open the door without a key, sounds awful doesnt it. but at the same time why not open the door on time especially when you can hear a crowd in the stairway and some one has knocked on the door. i seriously doubt there will any more break ins in the future after today. on to practice...
today was a pretty normal , things went smoothly enough i was pretty supple and flexible. i was tired but the energy in the room was good and i was surrounded by advanced people which is good for me because i firmly believe in osmosis!! my old teacher amy was in front of me doing second series she has such a gorgeous practice. well i went through my entire series and finished at navasana. on the way out eddie ji asked where i had gone to and if i had help. barry had helped me with d.
well wouldn’t you know it but eddie said to do buja pindasana and watched while i did it, then he said that for this week I should stop at BP and then next Monday stop at kurmasana!!! i could hardly believe it i was and am soooo excited and it was obvious that i was ready to break out in a little tap dance number that i had prepared specially for this occasion. seeing this eddie then says to me� remember to go slowly, breath deeply and clear your mind and everything should be easy�. so that’s how my practice went today and i feel pretty damn good!
i think it helped that lastnight i watched the e true hollywood story about brooke sheilds in padmasana. not solidly through but i would sit for as long as i could then undo my legs and then go back in. i also reversed my legs (so left leg first) and it made a HUGE difference with my right hip today. i had suspected that padmasana was the reason my left hip is so open. i hope im not breaking any major cardinal rules here or anything but im going to continue to do this in the evening.
woohoo i love mondays...this one at least!
Posted by jody at 9:31 AM | Comments (5)
September 11, 2005
sunday
led class today with a sub and a very good one at that. i had seen him around during last weeks puja and he has an amazingly advanced practice check this out he is definataly a member of the yogarati (think illuminati)the shala was packed to the GILLS this morning there was not a single free space on the entire floor seriously ive never seen it that packed before. i was in the front row which was kind of interesting and very nice to be right there under the watchful eyes of Ganesha, Kali and Hanuman.
practice was good, although i seem to have a very subtle dread of led classes these days. mainly because im so used to taking time getting into asanas that led classes feel rushed while at the same time slow. meaning that there isnt much time to get into an asana and at the same time the counts seem much longer than what im normally used to. yeah i know it sounds like a complete contradiction but...
so a second of future tripping, i cannot wait to get further along in the practice there is so much to learn and and do later in the primary now if only i can get that darned D!!
after practice i went for chai with a few shala mates for the first time it was nice, good conversation, good chai and great company, thanks for the fellowship guys!
today is the 4th anniversary of 9/11 please take just a moment for all of those suffering still from that tragic event.
Posted by jody at 10:38 AM | Comments (3)
September 10, 2005
Ganga Ma -
I found this image on the web, it's the same one that's on the Gently Down tees.
Posted by jody at 8:28 AM | Comments (1)
September 9, 2005
in spite of it all
my day started by getting up late 5:30 instead of 5:00 and SORE.
then i no sooner get on my bike than my back tire pops, it literally sounded like a car backfiring. ughhhh, so i had to lock up my bike go back upstairs get my wallet go to an atm and finally take a cab to the shala because i didnt have time to take public transportation.
once at the shala i knew i wasnt going to get my normal space and it was gone, (ilonka you can have my space anytime youd like! ; ) which was a good thing becasue it forced me to let go of an attachment and i practiced in a different areae which i think ill stick with for a while. there was some confusion about wether it was led or mysore today, some people were doing mysore and most were waiting for led, turns out that the class was mysore after all which was a relief to me. but i think generally a disappointment to everybody, mainly because eddie wasn there again today. practice was only so so today, i fell over in ardha baddha padmottanasana i had bound and was on my way back to standing and suddenly i was sitting instead. but the bind was a good one. no adjustments other than utittha hasta padangustasana, both barry and randy were in the same row as i was when i was going into mari D and no adjustments, which either means that they just didnt see me (but randy looked right at me) or im at a point where i need to figure some stuff out on my own, ehhh whatever. i thought about doing a double shot again today to see if it helped me get further but didnt. straight to navasana then closing. todays closing was lightening fast but i kind of needed to get out of there becuase i was on the train which takes forever for me to get home. i know a couple of people go straight to work from practice, i wish i could do that but i just sweat way too much.
so back to my title, inspite of the day getting off to an unexpected expensive start and things not going as smoothly as id like im still in the best mood. as i was falling asleep last night and then on my way to work this morning i was struck by the greatest feeling of contentment. the earth didnt move and there were no angels singing but i felt so comfortable and full of love it was really nice.
oh and a shout out to my friend april she rocks!!! she came over last night and helped me with my resume. it looks awesome! i just might make it off of the french fry line to the RESGISTER! Woohoo!!!!
Posted by jody at 9:25 AM | Comments (1)
September 8, 2005
ahhhhhhhhhhh.........
that’s how todays practice felt what a pleasure to be back. i almost didn’t even notice that it still smelled like a campfire from this past weeks ceremonies. i did notice that where the firepit was in the middle of the room there was a discolored spot on the floor. (there were fire ceremonies all week in the morning and yesterday from 7:00 to 3:00.)
i was shocked at how supple i was this morning i expected practice to be not so fun after this last hiatus but suprise suprise it was pretty good. this may seem utterly obvious but both suryanamaskaras have the most intense prepatory asanas for the entire practice. i know in theory it just makes perfect sense, right. but ive really come to see that when im focused and try to fully realize each posture contained in the surya's that the rest of practice comes more easily. so when im in virabhadrasana and ive come to the fullest realization of it then everything after this pose that requires opened up hamstrings and hips is far easier for me. chaturanga dandasana if done properly will create strength in the upper arms and shoulders for all the asanas that need strength. ive noticed today that i was "hanging from my shoulder blades" in this asana meaning that i was relying on my bone structure to keep my chest above the floor instead of engaging my muscles so now my shoulders are sore.so rather then getting thru these two littel gems to "build the heat" and get to the good stuff. it makes a world of dfference to slow it all down feel the movement from the inside out and see how they connect to the rest of practice.
eddie ji was not there im sure he is beat after puja and all. so barry and the AYNY cover girl were leading class. and i just realized that there was no group opening mantra. i was adjusted in utittha hasta padangustasana and that was it. no asjustments in D but it is really making progress. i think when randy said "twist from here" pointing to my waist it clicked and now there is a light at then end of the mari d tunnel. it also helped that i took two shots at it.
tomorrows a led class that should be great fun.
oh i almost forgot to mention that yesterday i came back to work after being at puja smelling like a campfire which prompted a grip of questions which i answered to the best of my ability now i think the guys that i work with are convinced i joined a cult. HA!
Posted by jody at 8:45 AM | Comments (5)
September 7, 2005
a quick little
apology of sorts. ive been reading some of my earlier posts and have found that on a number of occasions there are some unintentional grammar and spelling mistakes. almost to the point where i sound like a. i am almost illiterate or b. english is my fourth language.
none the less this is my "diary" and as such i dont really feel the need to correct myself, unless of course its absolute gibberish, so here it is. sorry if my posts are a bit messy from time to time. ill try to be more aware of what i am writing. i will of course refrain from making any promises as i cant gaurantee that i can keep it.
namaste
Posted by jody at 8:44 AM | Comments (3)
September 5, 2005
Ganesha Chaturthi Puja
no practice for me since thursday because Puja is taking place at the shala. what an amazing experience, ive went friday evening and this morning.
i dont understand a single word being chanted but i can occasionally catch a word i recognize from practice and thats about it. though this in no way affects the potency of the ritual itself. on a purely non verbal plane you witness such devotion that the meaning emanates from the actions taking place. the presence of the deity in the room is palpable through out the entire service however there are points when it becomes super present. it may have to do with the intensity of the chanting and the bells but i can tell you it was moving. this morning/afternoon they basically washed Ganesha then anointed him with oil (or Ghee?) and then milk and then what seemed like really heavy cream then washed him again. it was the most amazing thing to see, i could literally hear him speaking. by the end of puja Ganesha had been washed anointed and redressed beautifully in white and he wore beautiful flowers.
puja is COMPLICATED in and of itself and not to mention that it is in a different language. one thing that ive noticed is that the chanting at some points was a bit off rhythm. there is an indian gentleman who is sort of the coach. i think eddie is taking a lead role (coached by the indian gent) as its his temple so it seems that he is chanting the things that the main "priest" would. there is also an austrailian gentlemen who also speaks indian ( i dont know what else to call it)fluently and has performed this ceremony many many times. if youve ever seen the AYNY documentary its the same two gents that are in the film.
anyway, so there are some rough edges and you can tell that at a few points eddie is a little unsure and the indian gent has to coach him through, which has had a very profound effect on me. i am so glad that my teacher is still a student, to watch my teacher completely immersed in his spiritual pursuits was nothing short of amazing. it lends an authenticity to his practice and is a compass for my own. having experienced puja will have a definate effect on my practice and of the shala as i see it more as a temple to Ganesha (as well as a place to do yoga). the larger picture of the true meaning of yoga becomes clearer and clearer.
i hope that everybody has a chance to practice with one whose actions speak so loudly. there are many many dedicated and profound teachers out there im thankful to be guided by one.
i miss practicing at the shala though, as ive mentioned before im not so good at self practice. i dont know what it is but i just cant do it. perhaps one day i will but that time isnt now.
oh before i forget, lunch was served after puja it was delicious!
i was worried that i wanst going to like and steeled myself finishing the entire plate no matter what. well the food was yummy. there were potatoes, cauliflower and peas in a spicy curry sauce, rice and this sweet cream of wheat type thing almonds raisins and maybe cardoman not sure but it was GOOOD!
Posted by jody at 2:36 PM
September 1, 2005
thursday
okay this morning was a first for me on a few insignificant fronts but here it goes. i arrived later than i ever have for class probaby becasue i was up until almost 11 lastnight, more on that later. there was no eddie ji in class today, randy and barry were in the hizzzouse. and i was kicked in the forhead!!!
last night i went to a friends dual bday dinner party, it was make your own taco night for my friends ben and darelene. it was a blast. darlene is cuban and her partner christina is puerto rican (they hosted) so the food was homemade and DELICIOUS and realy easy to stay away from any meat. although i did sneak a bite of chicken ; ) there was pleanty of beer and alcohol which i stayed away from but i dont know if it was from the soda i drank (dry grape ginger ale which is also delicious) or what but i felt like i had a slight hangover this morning. it went away pretty quickly. i mentioned that i was running late this morning so i was pushing those pedals hard to make up for lost time. i think it took me like 11 minutes to get to the shala from my house, thats good time, so no more hangover symptoms.
so the guy in front of me this morning is super tall and the way that he prepares his leg that goes forward in virabhadrasana is by pushing it backand poff the ground far enough to get a bend in before bringing it forward underneath his body. (does that make sense?) anyway while i was looking up/forward in uttanasana the sole of his foot made complete contact with my forehead, it was very gentle almost like he was placing his hand on my forhead so it was more comic than anything and you could tell he was mortified that it happend. i chuckled and smiled and we readjusted our mats to prevent a repeat performance.
it was hilarious.
practice itself was pretty good, although my shoulders are REALLY sore, my right one to be precise. its from mari-d because the soreness is the same as it was in june when my practice was in full swing and i was getting into mari-d consistently. im noticing that my vinyasas have a tendency to become a little sloppy during practice so ive been making an effort to be more aware of them instead of slopping through them to get to the next asana. that might also be contributing to the shoulder pain. barry helped me in D today and the first thing he says to me is "jody....relax soften your body...." which is all good and well if your one who can get into padmasana while in a headstand!!! but when your trying to figure out how to get into D its a little hard to look graceful. but the truth is im not relaxed and the lesson is without a softening of the body D is going to be more difficult than less. ive said this before but barry is excellent, he is so no nonsense about his adjustments its like boom your in the pose you hold then voila, which may seem like there isnt alot of thought to the adjust but he knows how to listen to a body and knows exactly where my edge is. also it wasnt quite as warm or wet today as it has been so D was more difficult than it has been. so for that i miss the heat and humiduty but i do welcome the coolness. i imagine that ill be in a full on long johns this winter for practice.
there is no class until next thursday so its home practice which im going to try to be as disiplined as possible about. although thus far i havent been so great about doing self practice. i wont be doing any jumpbacks because i think it might be a bit loud at the crack of dawn for my down stairs neighbors but this is a great opprotunity for me to work on self discipline.
excited about puja tomorrow night i didnt think i was going to go because i have dinner with some out of town friends but its not until 9:30 so im gonna make it.
Posted by jody at 9:13 AM | Comments (2)