Second practice: Sirsasana Issues

Yesterday was my second practice over at my parents.

I'm a pretty much strict workout person. If there is a routine I have to do, I rarely ever cheat, and force myself to try to do a complete one. That is because I hate the thought of having it easier today because then I would almost definitely want to have it easy the other days too.

My normal Primary Series practice would be:

5 sun salutation A

5 sun salutation B

Standing postures complete

Seated postures - with only Lolasana in between legs and a full vinyasa between poses.

Finishing postures

This would usually take me about 2 hours. For the seated postures I try to do everything, but they are not perfect. I think up until Kurmasana I would do it as 'perfect' as it could be in astanga, ans I couldnt really do a good supta kurmasana - or even Kurmasana, I struggle with straightening my legs over my arms - so it stops there. I also struggle doing a perfect Bhujapidasana, especially from the preparation to the actual pose, unable to contract my bandha to allow my body to lean forward seamlessly. Once settled in that pose, it is hard for me to keep my feet off the ground.

Anyway, my sirsasana issues. It continues from two days back and I think my foreboding of that pose keeps getting stronger. I youtubed like crazy and found out that maybe my base alignment is all WRONG. My wrists, my hands, my elbow width. So yesterday in practice had me trying to do a few sirsasana, trying to get the feeling of shoulders lifting, wrists perpendicular, etc. It was crazy. I felt demotivated, but I try to tell myself that this is the point of yoga - to let go of the fact that you should try this today and let it rest. Your body, when it feels like it, will make you do the perfect sirsasana, once your mind is fully able to embrace it. I just have to have faith and keep practicing.

What I adjusted yesterday was the width of my elbows. I thought that my normal sirsasanas I sort of keep them a bit closer in, so yesterday I tried it with a bigger 'pyramid base' and it was very hard for me to lift and stay.Today as I was trying ti again, and talking to my husband, I noticed my voice sounding pinched, as if I am putting too much weight on my head. It never happened before, cause I have been talking while I was on my headstand.

So instinctively I tried making the base smaller and lifting up, and it felt effortless and easier, and my voice was normal. So rejoice! I guess there is nothing wrong - or nothing wrong, much - with my sirsasana base after all. You don't know how that realization lifted off a huge weight from my shoulders. Now I can just focus on correctly stacking my trunk and legs above my head in a 90 degrees alignment.

so yay!

No practice today, except for the Bakasana and sirsasana I did just now. And the shoulder stand to prep for the headstand.