Urdvha Dhanurasana progress

I made a good choice resting my body last night. I do not know why, but I felt like I needed to not do anything. Yesterday's morning I took it easy with a slow yin class, nearly falling asleep (and did, from savasana until forever) because I was tired. That was my only workout.

 This morning, refreshed from a good rest, went for my ashtanga. It was more or less a good practice, with 50% concentration on the breath. Lost it halfway due to company of M, who came in while I was halfway through my first series. We talked on and off.

 When I did my urdvha though, I managed to hold for 5 breaths all five times, even walking my hands closer to my feet. But M told me she saw that I've been keeping all my weight to my upper body, and nothing on my legs. They were straight, bearing no weight. So with her guidance she made me grip her leg placed in between mine while I was in wheel, and that made all the difference. The first time though when she pulled me forward to transfer the weight to my legs, I couldn't tell which way was which. It was that disorientating. I would use this helpful tool to work the legs even more. Put a block in between and then learn to engage the quads. I cannot believe the progress I have made in my urdvha D. It took me a year to finally feel pain free, thanks to tips from Noah M and other wonderful teachers. It is all about patience and practice. I realized now that I love the journey and work put in the practice that I don't even mind not nailing it. Because after hard work getting it just feels amazing.

 No progress on Bhuja. Forget about the vinyasa. But well, its all about the practice!

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.

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.

Mooonday

Monday practice was a discovery. I love it when it comes to be like that.

Was feeling really really sluggish the whole day. Came back home from work and slept through Dusk. I hated that, because you ended up feeling more sluggish than ever, but time doesn't wait.

So I started. I told myself that I would not hate myself if I felt like stopping, that there's really no expectations in my practice.

My Lolasana was not as I expected it to be. Still failed to do the jump back, when I did it so beautifully the week before. My Chaturangga feels unorganized most of the times, didn't really pay attention to it because it would be very tiring if I did. This is wrong, I know, but I guess I'm still at that dumb period where it's quantity over quality.

The best thing comes in Urdhva Dhanurasana. It's the pose that I dread doing because I have to do it three times and stay for 5 breaths. Plus it hurts. I always dread this. But yesterday - the first time it was beautiful. I felt light, pain-free and open. It was easy to stay until 5 breaths. I couldn't believe it myself. The second and third time felt normal - with effort, and some discomfort. But it wasn't so bad.

I did Garbha three times. Because my breaths were uneven - exhaling to go up. Garbha was tiring, tiring for the arms, the core. It still didnt leave me satisfied, but I told myself to move on and get it the next time. Kukkutasana was slippery. The 'holes' on my arms too loose that I subconciously tighten my mula bandha (really? well, I think I did) to hold my legs up.

This time I practised half handstand, felt better. Modified headstand.

Jump through improving. Strength is cultivated.

Can't wait for tonight: Shakti kicks, core salutations and loads more!

Strong Monday

Monday felt lethargic.

I contemplated whether to practice or not. Thinking of the Lolasanas and the jump backs and the Surya Namaskaras. I lolled around with my husband watching the television, all the while looking at the clock, knowing that if I'd started just now I'd be halfway done by now.

I started at 8, not too late, not too early either (of course, I would like to practice in the morning but...) While doing Surya B I told myself to do just 3 rounds of that but I could not afford to have halfway warmed up leg muscles. God only knows how tight my inner thighs are. This time my downward dog and chaturanggas were harder - I kept my awareness on them to see how I progressed. Sometimes I faltered and my Upward dog became just a push up. My elbows splayed to the sides sometimes. Still not strong enough.

Inner left knee still has remnants of the pain, but after some rotation (inner? external?) it dissipated. I found out that I enjoy putting my head down in Prasarita Padottasanas, eventhough my legs have to be seriously wide when I do them. Despite Utthita Hasta Padanghustasana being my least favorite asana to do my legs are stronger because of them everyday. My Ardha Baddha Padmottasana felt VERY stable, surprisingly. I was very pleased. It's hardly ever I feel secured and rooted to the ground with one leg in lotus!

My Bhujapidasana was more grounded, thanks to the arm strength. My Garbha Pindasana was rooky, my rolling not so high as before, more haphazard. Perhaps it reflects my state of mind? Urdvha Dhanurasana still hurts, but I managed. I was sad that I could never do Urdvha Padmasana ever... but I let it go. Practiced the Dolphin and headstand variations. Tolasana, of course, was amazing.

It was a good practice. Can't wait to do simple yoga tonight. On the menu: Camel, Half Moon, Side Plank, Lolasana.

Estatic Practice

How do I start:

Thursday: Did not do any yoga. Body felt lethargic, I was down with the flu and cough, and just needed a rest.

Friday: Felt reallly sluggish, but dragged myself to Intro class. I think I took it easy that class, did not really push myself in all the poses. I did practice though on the new jump back style the teacher taught us, some sort of hooking one leg on your upper arm and swivel your legs back thing. It feels easier than the traditional jump back though. I'm really excited about

backbends. The teacher focused mostly on backbends especially the variation where you sort of slide your body back into a bend against a wall. I'm slowly working on that so I could feel an improvement, even in milicm. I could do my UrdvhaDhanurasana longer - 5 breaths 3 times even though it's painfully long but I managed to hold. So I could see an improvement in my backbend.

The best part came in my second class - some sort of an advanced class with arms balancing and inversions. That class is crazy! We were required to do double and triple chaturanggas for each sun salutations. And each sun salutations have their own variations - we did Camatkarasana (Wild Thing) which is one f my favorites, probably because I came across a translation to its name: "the ecstatic unfolding of the enraptured heart." Isn't that wonderful? I fell in love with the pose immediately, nevermind if I knew how to do that. But I was adamant to nail it, or at least half of it. And I did. Didn't manage to drop to a Wheel, but needless to say I fully embraced the meaning of the pose: I was estatic! Oher cool poses: Birds of Paradise, and Reverse Birds of Paradise. They were cool. Challenging, but great nevertheless.

One thing that I learned on that day other than that advanced class wasn't to 'intimidating' was the alignment - or misalignment - of my palms on the mat. No wonder my palms were not flat... my index finger sometimes isn't pointintg straight forward, in fact I realized that due to my spreading my palms out wide the index fingers sort of point towards each other insteadof straight forward. I spent most of the class staring down to my mat in amazement.

Saturday: Refresher yoga with our favorite yoga teacher. We did Side Plank which I nailed and also some sort of a hip opener, which I failed. I'm going to work on these poses to open more of my hip and adductor.