Back to primary

After 6 days of time off, I returned to Primary. A visiting teacher is around, so I needed to take that opportunity to practice.

To be honest I caught myself going through the sequence in my head before I sleep, because it felt like forever since I rested!

I took extra care with my shoulder - skipping the chaturangga when I feel like it.

The teacher was sweet - why are they always sweet? - and didn't really adjust me much. Then came bhujapidasana. I took this chance to ask me questions - could I 'cheat' by walking my feet back and resting my head on the floor instead of slowly building strength to lower down? Yes, she said. You should do that, it will come to you later.

She taught me how to exist bhujapidasana. After bakasana, to lower my head on the floor, and kick back. By the time I wanted to try my arms were already fatigued, and when I kicked back the legs sort of fell in a heap on the floor, knocking my knees. Too tired to even kick back.

She said that I have strength.

Here's a thing I feel like I have to address: I hate practicing with other people because of my inner ego. I hate it when I mentally compare against other people... and feeling the pride when I know I am better, even to only one person. It sucks. I usually chastise myself, berate myself for feeling it but the feeling has come and gone. I do not get this when I am practicing alone at home.

5 days more!

Last day of Mysore style

Last day with the visiting teacher.

 She was amazing, and because this is the first time I've actually practiced with a teacher more than 2 days I kind of feel attached. I guess I miss the feeling of having someone knowledgeable to tell you the tips and tricks of doing ashtanga, someone you can just ask instantly, "Should I be doing this? should I be doing that?"

 What I learned today:
 Oh wow I can finally do the vinyasa for the supta konasana! It took me a couple of tries, but the teacher was gentle, asking me to really pull my legs toward me and them using my core strength to control the landing forward and I DID IT I landed on my putty calves instead of heels!

 We worked on Chakrasana as well and I'm still working on building the strength to lift myself up enough to allow my head to roll out, but I'm still stuck.

 The wheel now feels soo much harder now that I learned to use my whole arms correctly. Urgh, but it's a welcoming distraction from worrying about my lower back.

 Now that I'm back to my square self, I'm thinking of maybe enrolling to mysore while I'm here. Ramadhan is coming so the I have to be quick.

5th day :)

5th Day!

 I can't believe it. I never did more than 2 straight days in a row of ashtanga :)

 The third day was the worst. I felt tired, sluggish and weak. No energy to even jump or focus on the jump.

 Today was beautiful. Maybe it's all in the mind. I got to focus on my jump throughs, my chaturrangga, my poses my breathing. The teacher helped me on my Trikonasana A again, which when asked she said she was deepening my pose. I thought I was doing something wrong.

 She also taught me how to do the vinyasa from Padmasana after my Kukkutasana. It was hard but worth it. So much core power. She said it was ok to do less than 9 rolls but maybe I should strive for 5.

 I got her advices on the wheel. It was eye opening. All this while my arms weren't even straight... the elbows were splayed out, it wasn't stacked therefore did not feel light. It was hard work and I needed to rest before attempting again. I'm going to attempt to do 5... with rest. My usual practice was to just go through Urdhva Dhanurasana to finish it. Now I gotta change my mindset to really enjoy it even it if was the last pose.
 in primary.

Rest day for the weekend. Maybe some light running or cycling.

And last day with the teacher on Monday :( I really like her.

Good Practice

Day 4 of guided mysore style.

 Practising with sweet the teacher has been a blessing. She's gentle and has a soft voice and her adjustments are always appreciated.

 Today she adjusted me specifically again in Utthitta Trikonasana A. Something about my pelvis and back leg placement. I tried to commit the feeling to my memory but might need to be adjusted by her again to get it right. She also corrected me in Upavistha Konasana A, asking me to keep straightening my legs when I lift them up, using my core. She adjusted the placement of my hands grasping the feet, asking me to point my legs. I appreciated that she taught me on the Urdhva Muka Pashimottasana, which was hard work with toes pointing but felt better. I tried the Urdvha Dhanurasana properly, lowering my head to the floor and lifting up, but by the second round my 5 breaths were short and hurried, and the third time my right upper arm at the socket started to feel intense and my breaths were starting to be ragged. Definitely can't do 5 rounds.

 As usual the Utthita Hasta Padanghustasana really worked me. I find that my balance was out of control when I know I'm not alone. My standing leg burned, which has never happened before. This pose and the next two following it would remain as my dreaded pose ever. Because it's hard and requires strength AND flexibility. She left me alone today however for this pose, but helped me on the reclining version, the Supta Hasta Padanghustasana. Ooh the core work,

 My Supta Kurmasana is growing beautifully. Easier to bind my feet together. No intense pressure.

 Also today I greatly tuned my Chaturranga. I have always worried that my upper back sinks when I do them, and that this contribute to my rotator cuff problems. Today while doing my Surya Namaskar, saw the lady behind me doing her Chaturranga. Her back was rounded, and she kept her arms close to her. I tried it and it felt better. Not much work on the arms like yesterday. It was really nice.

 Two days left before she leaves. I'm reconsidering upping my days with her.

Getting sick

Third Day of Guided Mysore Style.

 And I think I have a fever. Either that or I'm very very very tired. Woke up at 540 every morning. Left the house at 630 and start practice at 7am. After that its full on working till 5 where I'd drive and prepare to sleep.

 I don't know if this lethargy is due to lack of sleep or the hazy weather or the fact that I did full practice for 3 days in A ROW. I've never done that before. Id be too scared to hurt my rotator cuff or to get bored of it. But there's something about practicing with the visiting teacher. She's sweet, not to demanding and I love the energy in the room.

This time she helped me with my Urdhva Dhanurasana. I am told to practice to get 5 breaths, lower my head to the floor, lift up again and repeat up for FIVE rounds. I can barely do 3. I hate that my lower back feel intense, not painful, just intense... bordering on pain. Also that my left arm is longer than my right, which makes my urdhva dhanurasana a bit wonky and unstable. She corrected the placing of my feet, they were splayed out a little bit. I was wondering why she didnt offer to do a dropback to me when she did to another practitioner, but I decided that I am not ready for it, and she knows.

 I am researching about the possiblity of feeling sick after doing primary straight for days. I certainly do not feel good.

Guided

Today I went for a guided Mysore.

 The teacher was beautiful, soft spoken and sweet. I felt embarrassed that I sweated so much. I was also hoping that my deodorant works this time. But soon I got into the practice and kinda forgot about the little things.

 She adjusted me in Utthita Trikosana A, asking me to lean my whole body back. I didn't know this before. Also she saw me doing the hovering thing in Bhujapidasana and asked me to sort of use my legs to propel me back, which was what I was doing before I worried I wasn't developing strength on my arms and putting too much pressure on my head. So I guess I would do the 'cheating' feet guiding thing with her but practice the hovering before I go to sleep.

Overall it was a sweet practice. I was a bit tired from lack of sleep but will try to rectify that tomorrow. I guess I will be coming the whole week to make full use of her while she's around!

 I practiced Ashtanga on Wednesday still, and a good hatha and inversion series on Thursday. I am soo happy I could easily lift up into a handstand! against the wall but still.

Friday Primary

Friday morning was sweet. Practiced at the small studio that my teacher once told me about. Nobody was there when I came. I went ahead, warmed up by the heat.

My jump through, funnily enough, made sense when I stopped being too technical about it. I got tired of either banging my foot or roughly grazing them on the mat that I stopped thinking and 'arranging' my positions and just jumped. It went in smoother than I expected. One was almost perfect. My Garbha Pidasana was good. My Bhujapidasana made me worry - after the vinyasa I think too much weight is on my forehead. Need to seek advice about it. I need to figure out how to play with the weight so not all of it are on my head. And seriously one day when my hair isn't a hassle would love to work on the Supta Kurmasana.

My Dolphin is getting better. Technically, today was a good, solid, simple practice. I skipped Urdvha Padmasana because I didn't want to hassle my neck anymore. Fish was a normal non-ashtanga fish. My Shavasana was bliss...

Would definitely practice here again :)

Mysore style with Sarai

When I knew I was going to visit my sister, I looked for a Mysore class. Jason Crandell was teaching a workshop the weekend I arrived in London, but we had plans to go to Amsterdam so I had to pass that. Then I saw the 20 pounds for 3 mysore classes at the yoga center. And the teacher is Sarai Harvey Smith.

I've read about her when I was checking out the Ashtanga instructors. I also knew she assisted Hamish from the Ashtanga Yoga Center London and that her credentials were awesome. I decided the pulling factors of the center with the price and location and the teacher were enough to make me sign up.

The first day I was nervous. Walked into the heated room and saw a few people already in the midst of their practice. Sarai was there, small and unassuming. I had to calm and center myself before I started my practice.

She corrected my feet placement whenever I moved from Downward Dog to Upward. I knew I had a problem with that but I didn't think it would be an issue. She corrected me by firmly adjusting my heels so they were straight instead of splaying out. It took a while of awareness while doing the poses to assert the correct placement. My lower back definitely feels the brunt.

She also corrected me on Bhujapindasana - right foot over left.

She encouraged me to jump through. Her techniques were: to spread my arms apart a little so my legs can go through, then looking ahead and when I lift up my hips (knees to my hips) I had to move forward so my shoulders go either directly above or over my wrists and then sliding my butt through. she asked me to do it again which scared me. She told me the problem was because my arms were not straight - strength in the arms. I didn't manage so she asked me to try it again. This time she asked me to lift my butt up and scoot through. It happened... just a little. I was thrilled!

She helped me in Supta Kurmasana. Lifted my feet up behind my neck. It felt sublime.

She gave me tips on Dolphin pose: to scoot my legs closer to my palms, and engage and lift my butt up high in the air to activate my core and shoulders, and to use instead the headstand hand arrangement, pressing the wrists straight down.

She helped me with the bow pose - to flare out my palms and look forward to lengthen my neck.

She said my thumbs should not be on the floor in prasarita padatosana D.

And that my knees should be straight.

Mysore style with Liz

Friday: went to a class with liz.

had the opportunity to attend her workshop before, and she was a humble, gentle and great teacher with tips on modifications. she remembered me, asked whether she's seen me before.

Her changes/adjustments: bow pose - to drop my butt or relax them so my thighs are doing the work.

she also encouraged me to do shoulderstand and plough pose everyday a little bit to introduce them into my practice instead of completely chucking it out. one day I might be able to do all the finishing asanas fully. Not that it matters.

First Mysore Style!

I guess I can cross that off my list :)

I loved it when I did things unexpectedly. The decision was brief and quick, last evening. I did a very minimal Ashtanga sunday morning before work - just Sun Salutations and the first 3 standing poses and didn't feel it was enough. So I checked out my local yoga center that does Mysore style and it is open for the CNY holidays! I confirmed my participation, and got ready for the class.

Truth to be told, I was nervous about Mysore style practice. So many things I needed to know: can you make a toilet break? Are you supposed to wait for the teacher to guide you everytime even if you knew the coming pose? Can you sit and rest? What happens if you want to stop? I searched the net for questions like these and nobody wrote about them. But I figured well, it's CNY holiday, so not a lot of people are going to come anyway.

I didn't know what to think when I was driving to the center. I purposely kept my mind blank and to just accept anything that comes when it does. Got lost looking for the center - at 640 am in the morning! - and had to google it to find it. It was obscured, small and definitely not flashy. I walked up the stairs and saw already some practitioners deep in their practice.

Ganesh asked me to put my mat (borrowed their mat, brought my own mat towel) in front and left me for a while. I didn't know what to do, so I started in Tadasana, and started to do my Surya Namaskara A. He gently guided me throughout the room, telling me to inhale, lift up and exhale, jump back again and again. His counting was slower than my own, and I relished that. After I was done with A, I stood for a moment not knowing whether I should continue, then I started with Surya Namaskara B. He adjusted my feet and then let me be. He added one extra Surya Namaskara B and I thought he was punishing me for continuing on without his guidance. But then he proceeded to let me be with standing poses.

I was confused at that time whether I should wait for his instructions or continue. Didn't know whether it was rude to continue, or whether it was considered selfish if I expected him to keep guiding me. In the end whatever he could guide me I followed, and if he paused for more than a few moments I continued. No big changes to how I was doing my standing postures back home, except that it was true - you lift up by INHALING. I guess I have to secretly do it while at my Intro class. Also I thought I'd be embarrassed by the fact he was guiding me with the whole studio listening, but it wasn't like that. I AM a beginner, a first timer, they all know that, and some of them were engrossed in their own postures to even care.

Seated postures, I keep on waiting for Ganesh to stop me, considering this is my first time, and I expected him to stop me after Mary D, which I did and he let me. But he asked me to continue to Bhujapidasana and I did. Didn't manage to swivel smoothly down though. The vinyasa to titibhasana, then Bakasana. For the Kurmasana it felt good, and then he adjusted me to Supta Kurmasana, which hurt a little bit as he pulled it in place, but I managed to be bound in that position - head behind my neck!!! It felt nice.

Wondering if he'll ever stop me because I don't really memorize the pose after Kukkutasana, but continued anyway to Garbha Pindasana, which went well. So GLAD for my own home practice! Honestly. Kukkutasana was awesome. Then moved on to Cobblers Pose... onwards. Chakrasana, etc. I only skipped Setu Bhandasana and Headstand.

Doing the Wheel pose was a bit excruciating as he pressed my body up higher. Now I know my target poses - backbends. My spine is tight from the backbends, and it hurt, good hurt. Though. Didn't manage to hold it until his count. So I did the finishing sequence.

All in all, it was good. Great. Felt just like doing it at home, except you have someone to guide you. Would definitely do it again! Maybe tomorrow.