Lovely practice today: A flow of inversion holds.

 Kathryn B never disappoints. She had us go through a series of strengthening flow - downward dog plank chaturanga plank chaturanga plank and downward dog - throwing in bakasana, handstand hops and dolphin in between. The real treat comes in 1 minute inversion holds - 1 minute in headstand, 1 minute in forearm stand, and 1 minute in handstand. I managed to balance with just my knees close to my body for headstand, working on the shoulder and core balance. Although I should practice keeping the knees stacked on my hips instead of towards my chest. I managed to hold for forearm stand in 1 minute, but for handstand I was already tired. Came down halfway.

 I am currently obsessed with handstand hops.

2012 Reflections

My yoga journey thus far has been such a great great help in my life. I went through very difficult times emotionally and mentally with the help - the discipline - of yoga alone. Last month, ashtanga has ceased to be somewhat a foreboding experience, in fact, if I approach it as a breathing exercise the poses just flew by quickly. I also began to enjoy surya namaskar because I am working on my jumping. Sometimes I get it, sometimes I don't. Today, I got it on the last try, the hip over wrists, balancing for milisecond.

I have been practicing Ashtanga for 14 months.

Here I wrote last January:

I've told you that my target list for 2012 is to:

1) master Jump Throughs and Jump Backs

2) Do a good Setu Bhandasana and Wheel Pose

3) Half Moon Pose

4) Try a Mysore class

So what happened here?

1) I have yet to 'master' them but I have somewhat a unique way of doing the jump through and jump back. My jump back, on good days after bandha konasana, I could swing through, but could not till chaturanga yet. My jump throughs are better, I could easily swing through, although right now I am practicing lifting my legs up and putting them down with control. Control is key.

2) I have decided to let go of Setu Bandhasana due to my neck injury. Attempted it again in November after feeling that my neck could take it, but just one try and I felt the repercussion all the way down to my left fingers. I am okay with a normal bridge. If I am feeling adventurous then I'd do a dwi pada viparita dandasana. Urdhva D is now my favorite! I love it. Could do 5 breaths 5 times. And currently working on walking my hands towards my ankles. It's simply simply amazing how this was the bane of my practice with the pain - it was a teeth grinding pain really - and now it feels wonderful, open, and intense (of course, its a serious backbend, you've still got to feel it!)

3) Half Moon Pose - forever a favorite pose. I could do it now, and currently working on doing it without my hand supporting me. 

4) Oh Mysore style class. I started with Ganesh's class. Then it was with Liz, then went to London and did it with Sarai, then Laruga and Kiri. As much as I love Mysore style class I also LOOOOOVE home practice where I don't have to worry about my body odor, or being distracted in UHP or my ego getting in the way. As much as that is a good practice to  strengthen my mind, I could sharpen it with once in a while classes.

What are the other benefits of practicing yoga?

1) Nailed Dwi Pada Viparita Dandasana. One of my favorites. I saw it first on Kathryn B, and I was intrigued with the degree of chest openess it requires. I worked so much at it, daily with a block, and once my Urdvha D got stronger I find it is effortless to drop into Dwi Pada. It's a goooood thoracic opener.

2) Nailed handstand and pincha on the wall. Slowly working on my strength, building the hold to more than 10 seconds. I have yet to consider trying to balance. My left shoulder is still refusing to open effortlessly, I still need to do stretches to make it feel good. 

3) Because I have been working on Dolphin and Pincha a lot, I could do a salamba sirsasana without wall assistance now, and FEEL the difference. Before, I did not even feel my shoulders. Now, I could feel it strong, engaged, steady, allowing my neck to breathe. In fact, my head barely takes the weight, whereas before I could feel the whole bodyweight pushing into my head. I only would do this in short spurts, just to strengthen my core so that I could learn to balance in pincha without a wall.

4) Chaturanga feels better - no pain on front of shoulders. I continously work on this, being mindful every time I drop down, making sure my alignment is correct.

5) Uttrasana feel great, can bend backwards now without support from my hands on the back of my thighs. PRACTICE!

6) Parsva Bakasana - can hold it for a few seconds now, without my butt resting on the shelf of my elbows.

Firelog pose still is hard to do, the funny thing is I can't figure out why, and which part needs work. I still can't do the full Bhujapidasana, nevermind the vinyasa. 

Arm Strengthening Saturday

Woke up feeling well rested.

 Started the class with Jo T, who is slowly growing over me. I love her sweet voice and her accent, australian, and the fact that her classes are similar to Stephanie S, strong but doable. She lead us to a bakasana twice early in the class, lunges, one legged plank and chaturangga, half moon, and then visvamitrasana, the peak pose, which wasn't hard, as our bottom leg is supported in the middle instead of straight out. But it was a good stretch holding the leg up. Love the way she provided access for us to work with advanced asanas.

 Then it was a no-nonsense 20 minutes class with tiffany c, where she taught us ways and asanas to strengthen the upper body. It was a 2 minutes long dolphin pose with a block, to omit the alignment worries and focus on the strengthening aspect instead. Then some core work, with a block in between the thighs and our arms cupping the head, lifting the butt up while exhaling. Then it was a handstand against the wall, holding up 1 minute. I couldnt make it, my arms were shaking so bad. Even pincha against the wall I couldn't do in 30 seconds. Then she made us the the L-handstand and L-pincha. which was good, and I am going to incorporate that during my menstrual time. Then it was a downward dog with slightly bent elbows which put the whole outer part of my arms on fire. That was good.

Then a 45 minutes class with Jason C, whose voice irritates me a little bit but I love his classes because they are always delightfully dry but effective. He had us do repetitions of plank to chaturangga lifting up to downward dog again and again. I love when he asked us to pull our shoulders back and flay our palms away from our body, because I felt all the muscles and the sore parts engaging. That works the external part of the muscle but I felt the burning inside.

Great access to building strength in my arms shoulders and core to better prepare myself for arm balances and inversions.

Great day!

Backbend

Yesterday I worked with my backbends.

 Warmed up with core salutations.
 Then did the strength and grace sequence:
 utkatasana,
 standing forward bend,
 high lunge,
 downward dog,
 and forearm plank,
each for 15 steady breaths

then
locust
bow
headstand (in lieu for the tripod headstand)
ends in balasana

Then I worked on the sequence with high lunge variation, eka pada raja kapotasana variation (this one really pulled my quads) and then a while on the pincha mayurasana variation, where you're supposed to melt your whole legs on the wall.

I thought it would be easy, but it is hard! First of all I had a hard time figuring out which way was up and down. And then trying to get my butt there was the problem, either my lower back or my shoulders aren't open enough. But I managed after the third try... just lightly grazing my butt on the wall. This pose definitely going to be one of my favorites to work on.

Then the urdhva dhanurasana against the wall. Melting my heart to the wall isn't easy, could feel the lower back responding to the gentle squeeze.

Then I did the normal backbend sequence: sphinx, cobra, locust, bow and my favorite - camel.

 This time my camel were nice. I practiced really lifting my heart up and trusting my lower back could take it and FELT the difference. No intense feeling, just nice uplifting sensation. Lifting up I tried engaging my lower back and butt to pull me up and it worked! Definitely going to try this from now on, to strengthen my back and work on dropback.

Loved the session yesterday :)

Yoga Play

i enjoyed my yoga practice today so much.

Did the core salutations to warm up. Then picked a home practice:

- side bend
- utrasana variation
- forward bend standing
- cat and cow variation
- one legged downward dog
- frog pose
- uttrasana variation

Then I worked on trying to do the one legged pigeon arm balance but bailed out after doing a chaturranga variation. I worked on doing the side bakasana, which was fun. Then moved on to navasana, and half moon, reverse half moon, warrior 3.

Then I moved to backbends - from sphinx pose to the chair backbend. Camel pose felt nicer... but still intense.
Then I worked on the handstand, forearm stand and headstand. For one moment I could feel my body balancing before I lost my nerve and let my feet land on the wall. But it felt light.

I end with some seated seated konasana to stretch out my hamstrings.

Great workout.

Feathered Peacock

I find it funny how the universe works. When your concious mind keeps on thinking about one thing - its keeps on appearing everywhere you look.

For me it is Pincha Mayurasana. You guys know how I managed to do that pose just last Thursday. It wasn't perfect nor was it lengthy, but it was enough for me to get the feel of being upside down of one of the most appealing poses that i have ever come across to. I guess it's really true what they say - when your mind is ready you will execute it.

Have been wondering how Pincha would feel like ever since I came across it months ago. I love the name - feathered peacock - and the elegance of that pose. I felt like trying it on a whim that Thursday because i felt strong, and because I wasn't really scared of falling that day. Needless to say, I am in love.

And ever since that Thursday, been coming across magazine articles, youtube videos and blog posts on Pincha. It's definitely more than just coincidental, the way it keeps popping up in front of my face in whatever I flip, click or read. It's amazing, and inspiring. Very. I feel like flipping one now just writing about it. But Ihave to be sensible. I do not want to overwork my arms.

My things to learn now though, is to keep my elbows from splaying out. I noticed it and have read about it enough that it is not a desirable effect you want while attempting to do pincha. I am going to try to practice with blocks this evening for my primary monday.

Anyway, I love how cycling warms up your body for Ashtanga. Did a 28k ride sunday, and came home to primary standing sequence. I contemplated doing a full one but since I'd be doing it on Monday I though I'd better be conservative.

Nailed Pincha!

I nailed Pincha Mayurasana! Only for one second and a half , and against the wall - but still. It took me several tries kicking up. I kicked up using right leg, which felt stronger. Nothing happened. My feet grazed the wall but my arms faltered, so I fell softly on my upper body. I tried kicking from my left leg - and voila! a forearm stand. Yeay!!

Core Salutations x2

Happy baby variation, engaging TA

Toe taps

Bridge

Dolphin

Forearm plank

Downward Dog

Lunge variation

Tadasana

Pincha (in place of handstand)

Then closed it with my usual backbends routine:

sphinx

baby cobra

cobra

locust

flying locust

half bow

camel against the wall

chair upper stretch

Shoulder stretches, extended puppy pose, funky bridge, thread the needle

rock the boat, bandha konasana, upavista konasana, pigeon pose