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.

Musings. and left out Navasana

I was excited to start Primary this morning. Maybe it's all the books I'm reading, or the high from yesterday's class, but I was looking forward to it.

 Everything was ok, my standing poses were strong, my focus were ok. My jump back is getting better, once i changed from exhaling when lifting to inhaling when lifting. My jump through has also improved, thank God cause I don't think I can survive another carpet burn on the outside of my left foot.

 I have forgotten to do Navasana! and it's when I'm in the shower that I remembered. So what do I do? Straight out of the shower, went and did 5 Navasana. Just because my abs needed the work. My Supta was better, need to not worry so much about my hair (really, now it sounds ridiculous) and work on getting the feet behind my head.

I wish Urdhva Dhanurasana would not feel that uncomfortable. I am trying now to work myself into 5 deep breaths for 3 counts instead of my ragged, harried 5 breaths. Maybe the next time it's 5 deep breaths for one round and then normal for the other 2. I need to do this because I am aware of the power of just pushing yourself through the hard ones. Who could forget the hard part of working my arms in the chaturangga to upward dog and then again in Lolasana? Hard work pays off. So longer, deeper wheel.

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.