the last class with Kiri was sweet. It was actually a moon day, but we went anyways. I took my time, this time properly breathing and focusing my breath on the postures. It was actually quite therapeutic. I got to (weakly) kick back after bhujapidasana. My supta K is still tight... K still positioned my feet on her knees instead of my neck. Maybe it's the injury... who knows. I told her I want to attempt setu bandasana... and she showed me, quite fast and abruptly, in my opinion. Maybe she felt I was more than ready for it? It was harddd, tough for the legs, and I foresee a looong time of supporting this posture with my hands before I got the guts to put them on my chest.
Went for a run this morning, and then did a 60 minutes of sweet flow with Jo t. she's fast becoming my favorite in yg! Her classes, like amy I, are always doable but at the same time challenging enough to break a sweat. It was a class filled with warrior 2 and 3, half moon, baksana, runners lunge, crescent lunge, twists, and a nice backbend to finish. Lovely!
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Sunday, November 11, 2012
urdvha
Fifth practice today with lovely K.
Nothing much, except that I felt soo tired and sweaty and out of breath. Maybe it is just lack of sleep... and a disturbed emotional state. My chaturranga was still mindful and proper; I skipped it sometimes if I feel I could not deliver it really well, alignment wise. My urdvha dhanurasana was good, the teacher asked me to walk my hands deeper and she helped me stretch. It felt good... only my armpits couldnt handle the stretch, the elbows always feel like splaying.
Fourth class was on a saturday. It was good, a bit fast because I didn't want to be the last one in. Again she helped me with urdhva D, it was good. Thankful for Noah M for the proper alignment and tips.
Thinking to attempt setu bandhasana tomorrow. Last class.
Nothing much, except that I felt soo tired and sweaty and out of breath. Maybe it is just lack of sleep... and a disturbed emotional state. My chaturranga was still mindful and proper; I skipped it sometimes if I feel I could not deliver it really well, alignment wise. My urdvha dhanurasana was good, the teacher asked me to walk my hands deeper and she helped me stretch. It felt good... only my armpits couldnt handle the stretch, the elbows always feel like splaying.
Fourth class was on a saturday. It was good, a bit fast because I didn't want to be the last one in. Again she helped me with urdhva D, it was good. Thankful for Noah M for the proper alignment and tips.
Thinking to attempt setu bandhasana tomorrow. Last class.
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Yummy Practice
I have noticed a pattern.
When I practice ashtanga, I do the full primary series in the comfort of my own place. I do it every other day, with either hatha or vinyasa flow or yin in between. Reason? I do not want to overwork my injury prone body. Or maybe that is only an excuse. Maybe I am lazy to commit, to devote myself to a full 6 days practice.
I will get there.
However, when a visiting teacher comes and teaches at the KL shala I go to, I would take the full advantage to come and commit to a 6 day classes. And usually, it would be back to back. Only then I get to practice straight.
The first time I did it, it was 2 months ago. And I noticed that I began to feel lethargic and sick on the third day. It was such a horrible feeling, that laziness, that urgency NOT to get up and practice. Wanting a break. I had fever. I had sore throat. I just did not feel good. I went anyway, pushed myself and it went ok. I left the practice wondering if it was normal but Google didn't really tell me anything. Maybe it is just me.
Then it is happening again. Yesterday way my second day. It was, to be honest, a simple good practice. My bhujapidasana jump back was still horrible, but my urdvha dhanurasana was the deepest, and the most pain- free yet. I felt nothing, not even a twinge. It was amazing. The teacher helped deepened the pose by pulling my upper chest back and it felt realllly good. I wanted to continue but she was pushing me to pashimottasana. My left shoulder felt ok. I was careful.
Later that day, I felt it, the fever building up. And then my throat started to get sore. My head feels heavy, I felt sick. The same timing, the same symptoms. This seems too... precise to be a coincidence. Maybe this is the result of a straight back to back practice. And this decides whether you're devoted enough to commit and push to establish yourself a full 6 day practice. I know committing to a 6 day practice isn't easy, but if this is the preview of how you are going to feel it is a little scary. All that strength emotionally to fight your internal laziness, your reasoning of giving space to your body to 'relax'.
Today was a delicious, yummy practice. Everything was going well. I focused on my breathing a lot; attention did stray but I quickly reigned it in. My vinyasas weren't getting better, but the best part about it is that I don't really care. I have kept at this for a year, long enough to know that when the time comes, it comes. So many poses held evidence to that testimony: upavistha konasana, UHP, navasana, garbha pindasana. Today as I flowed through my garbha I noticed that touching my fingers to my head as I rolled up felt effortless, as was landing on my calves in supta konasana. And a few months back these two were so hard, so unimaginable to me. It really does work in your favor - practice, and hard work, and mindful alignment.
The teacher pushed me deep in urdvha dhanurasana again today, which I did 4 just for extra work. It felt goood. And as usual, my the UHP was the most dreaded part in the practice. With her holding to my feet I kinda have a hard time balancing, but it felt nice to let the feet rest instead of doing all the work. But for Supta Hasta Padangusthasana she strongly pushed on my straight thigh and asked me to lift up to kiss my knees. I did it! alhamdulillah.
When I practice ashtanga, I do the full primary series in the comfort of my own place. I do it every other day, with either hatha or vinyasa flow or yin in between. Reason? I do not want to overwork my injury prone body. Or maybe that is only an excuse. Maybe I am lazy to commit, to devote myself to a full 6 days practice.
I will get there.
However, when a visiting teacher comes and teaches at the KL shala I go to, I would take the full advantage to come and commit to a 6 day classes. And usually, it would be back to back. Only then I get to practice straight.
The first time I did it, it was 2 months ago. And I noticed that I began to feel lethargic and sick on the third day. It was such a horrible feeling, that laziness, that urgency NOT to get up and practice. Wanting a break. I had fever. I had sore throat. I just did not feel good. I went anyway, pushed myself and it went ok. I left the practice wondering if it was normal but Google didn't really tell me anything. Maybe it is just me.
Then it is happening again. Yesterday way my second day. It was, to be honest, a simple good practice. My bhujapidasana jump back was still horrible, but my urdvha dhanurasana was the deepest, and the most pain- free yet. I felt nothing, not even a twinge. It was amazing. The teacher helped deepened the pose by pulling my upper chest back and it felt realllly good. I wanted to continue but she was pushing me to pashimottasana. My left shoulder felt ok. I was careful.
Later that day, I felt it, the fever building up. And then my throat started to get sore. My head feels heavy, I felt sick. The same timing, the same symptoms. This seems too... precise to be a coincidence. Maybe this is the result of a straight back to back practice. And this decides whether you're devoted enough to commit and push to establish yourself a full 6 day practice. I know committing to a 6 day practice isn't easy, but if this is the preview of how you are going to feel it is a little scary. All that strength emotionally to fight your internal laziness, your reasoning of giving space to your body to 'relax'.
Today was a delicious, yummy practice. Everything was going well. I focused on my breathing a lot; attention did stray but I quickly reigned it in. My vinyasas weren't getting better, but the best part about it is that I don't really care. I have kept at this for a year, long enough to know that when the time comes, it comes. So many poses held evidence to that testimony: upavistha konasana, UHP, navasana, garbha pindasana. Today as I flowed through my garbha I noticed that touching my fingers to my head as I rolled up felt effortless, as was landing on my calves in supta konasana. And a few months back these two were so hard, so unimaginable to me. It really does work in your favor - practice, and hard work, and mindful alignment.
The teacher pushed me deep in urdvha dhanurasana again today, which I did 4 just for extra work. It felt goood. And as usual, my the UHP was the most dreaded part in the practice. With her holding to my feet I kinda have a hard time balancing, but it felt nice to let the feet rest instead of doing all the work. But for Supta Hasta Padangusthasana she strongly pushed on my straight thigh and asked me to lift up to kiss my knees. I did it! alhamdulillah.
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
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!
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!
Monday, November 5, 2012
Backbends and Injury
For Sunday I did an easy backbend. Well, maybe I should change the key word to detailed. And focused.
It was Marc h teaching, and his classes are superb for alignment in backbending. He taught us the basic of curling the upper body back for backbend while standing and clenching the block between your inner thighs to feel your tailbone tucking in. It was surreal, the backbending your body is doing when you are aligned. Not to say that it felt easy, it just felt right. I do not know whether I could bend more than I normally do, but I felt 'bendier'.
A lot of cobra with good alignment. I only have to remember to suck my lower ab in to protect my lower back and my cobra automatically felt good. One bow pose, more standing and clenching and bending. Then urdvha dhanurasana, which was magnificent! He gave really good tips: lift the tailbone up, then move your shoulders back, physically moving the hands back, and curl your upper body more... and then lift. You will not feel it in your lower back. The bend is evenly distributed along your lumbar and thoracic spine. This is a class I could see repeating over and over for easy backbend days just to slowly cultivate that strength to dropback.
Then Monday I did a slow hatha with Steve E. It was a really good slow class - sun salutations, lunges, crescent, one bakasana thrown in, half moon, and ustrasana. Really relaxed and slow, with fairly strong poses.
My left shoulder cuff is reallllly injured. Hurts to even lift it up.
Tuesday: easy hatha with Amy I. did not even break a sweat, but it was a simple good session to stretch. I failed at the half moon arm circling thing btw!
It was Marc h teaching, and his classes are superb for alignment in backbending. He taught us the basic of curling the upper body back for backbend while standing and clenching the block between your inner thighs to feel your tailbone tucking in. It was surreal, the backbending your body is doing when you are aligned. Not to say that it felt easy, it just felt right. I do not know whether I could bend more than I normally do, but I felt 'bendier'.
A lot of cobra with good alignment. I only have to remember to suck my lower ab in to protect my lower back and my cobra automatically felt good. One bow pose, more standing and clenching and bending. Then urdvha dhanurasana, which was magnificent! He gave really good tips: lift the tailbone up, then move your shoulders back, physically moving the hands back, and curl your upper body more... and then lift. You will not feel it in your lower back. The bend is evenly distributed along your lumbar and thoracic spine. This is a class I could see repeating over and over for easy backbend days just to slowly cultivate that strength to dropback.
Then Monday I did a slow hatha with Steve E. It was a really good slow class - sun salutations, lunges, crescent, one bakasana thrown in, half moon, and ustrasana. Really relaxed and slow, with fairly strong poses.
My left shoulder cuff is reallllly injured. Hurts to even lift it up.
Tuesday: easy hatha with Amy I. did not even break a sweat, but it was a simple good session to stretch. I failed at the half moon arm circling thing btw!
Friday, November 2, 2012
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!
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!
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Week roundout
Tuesday I did a nice hatha with Dharren R. He wasn't really my favorite after 2 classes with him but I like that he gives good strong poses, and his flow was good. He threw in locust, bow, UHP and its 2 sisters (which I loved), half moon! humble warrior (another favorite) and best of all the last pose he threw out was astravakrasana! That was a surprise, a good one because I really love that pose. Nailed it somewhat, even with gimpy arm.
Wednesday was my last day practicing primary before my period came.
It was a much needed exercise. I omitted chaturangga from the whole practice just to give more space for my left shoulder to heal. After all, there is a mysore style class I will be going to next week and I plan to really practice to get better adjustments.
Things were good from the practice. I took my time, focusing on my breathing, aligning my awareness to what I am doing. I really took my time for this one; I was on leave, therefore I was not subconsciously rushing myself through these poses. My Bhujapidasana needs work... it is not improving probably because I am not currently pushing at the moment, with my shoulder and all. UHP of course is getting better and better. Navasana always the hard one, this time I was too tired to lift my seat up but managed. Suptakurmasana I felt was still tight... wondering when I'll able to lift my feet off the floor but I am enjoying my time, no rushing. It was a sweet practice that came Urdvha Dhanurasana my back wasn't really hurting, and I managed to stay up for 5 breaths (albeit a shorter version) 3 times... plus 2 more times for strength and endurance. I was really a good practice.
Thursday I decided to do a long sianna s flow... which to be honest, wasn't really nice. I didn't really enjoy it because I felt she chatted a lot and in my opinion she sounded high. Maybe high on yogi endoprhins. But she gave good poses like half moon, bound half moon, reverse half moon, reverse UHP, natarajasana. Anusara definitely isn't my style.
Today due to my period I skipped ashtanga and did 2 csimple classes - hatha with dice and yin with tiffany. These two are one of my favorites! I love dice because his classes are always challenging and worth it. And tiffany because hers are always so painful but it works. I love her variation and flow from warrior 2 with gomukhasana arms leaning towards front leg, then flowing to side plank, which she said strenghten the whole rotator cuff and shoulder girdle.
so arm balances saturday and backbend sunday!
Wednesday was my last day practicing primary before my period came.
It was a much needed exercise. I omitted chaturangga from the whole practice just to give more space for my left shoulder to heal. After all, there is a mysore style class I will be going to next week and I plan to really practice to get better adjustments.
Things were good from the practice. I took my time, focusing on my breathing, aligning my awareness to what I am doing. I really took my time for this one; I was on leave, therefore I was not subconsciously rushing myself through these poses. My Bhujapidasana needs work... it is not improving probably because I am not currently pushing at the moment, with my shoulder and all. UHP of course is getting better and better. Navasana always the hard one, this time I was too tired to lift my seat up but managed. Suptakurmasana I felt was still tight... wondering when I'll able to lift my feet off the floor but I am enjoying my time, no rushing. It was a sweet practice that came Urdvha Dhanurasana my back wasn't really hurting, and I managed to stay up for 5 breaths (albeit a shorter version) 3 times... plus 2 more times for strength and endurance. I was really a good practice.
Thursday I decided to do a long sianna s flow... which to be honest, wasn't really nice. I didn't really enjoy it because I felt she chatted a lot and in my opinion she sounded high. Maybe high on yogi endoprhins. But she gave good poses like half moon, bound half moon, reverse half moon, reverse UHP, natarajasana. Anusara definitely isn't my style.
Today due to my period I skipped ashtanga and did 2 csimple classes - hatha with dice and yin with tiffany. These two are one of my favorites! I love dice because his classes are always challenging and worth it. And tiffany because hers are always so painful but it works. I love her variation and flow from warrior 2 with gomukhasana arms leaning towards front leg, then flowing to side plank, which she said strenghten the whole rotator cuff and shoulder girdle.
so arm balances saturday and backbend sunday!
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