Friday Surprise

What usually becomes a normal Intro class to me, was turned into a whole fascinating overview of the handstand instead. My teacher cheerily suggested that since there were only 2 of her regular students in class, she would change this to arm balancing poses instead. We worked on the prep to Birds of Paradise and Half Moon - which really worked me and as you all know is my absolute favorite... because I couldn't do it. I realized that I love most of the poses that I cannot do.

Then we worked on the handstand. To be honest nothing about the handstand attracted me. It's a pose I see often and most people who don't do yoga seemed one way or another to me, to be able to do it. Only once in yoga that I fully understand the complexity and the challenges of this pose. My teacher suggested that I do handstand in lieu of headstand, which I only listened to halfheartedly.

We warmed up by doing splits against the wall. Which realllly only highlight the fact that I am STIFF and not as flexible as I was when I was younger. But my splits were decent, as confirmed by my teacher. Next it was the Crazy Dog. It was pretty easy for me to do Crazy Dog because I have sort of practiced it before a few times at home, so the sensations came easy and did not scare me. Therefore, when she asked me to straighten my leg up I did it easily, and she asked me to lift both legs up, engage my abs, and then .... a handstand. I did it. For a split second I did it and then I fell, came crashing down, sloppily, on my arms, shoulders, everywhere.

The next variation she asked us to do was facing the wall, and kicking up a storm to the wall. That didn't happen. For some reason I felt that this was even more dangerous and scary than the Crazy Dog because I do not have a feel of my legs as they are transitioning from floor to wall. That is scary. I think the way I approach inversion is by having a sense of being upside down, hanging out there, getting a feel of it, and then only would I feel brave and secure enough to attempt.

So you can guess that the second variation did not happen. Also I was too stiff to be able to kick gracefully. I did a handstand using the Crazy Dog this time, and did not fall.

Love this practice... love my teacher.