Day 96

Took a day of rest yesterday. I felt strong and light today.

There are definitely days when the possibility of jump backs/throughs doesn't seem quite so remote and this was definitely one of them. I seem to have plateaued at the crossed-legs-toes-on-the-floor phase, mainly because Lolasana feels impossible to me (read: I can't do it). I could throw around all the usual excuses (”My torso is too long!” “My arms are too short!” “My toes just enjoy being stubbed”), but I know now that it's probably only a matter of time and these breakthroughs will come when they're meant to come. So I'm waiting patiently.

Marichyasana C felt was really good today! Instead of binding right away, I focused on the twist, kept twisting deeper and deeper from the hips until I could bind without very much effort. Lesson learned: force doesn't work (or doesn't bring ease to a posture).

I played around with doing Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana against a wall. I taught it this way in my Saturday class. It seems to be helpful because it takes the balancing aspect out and helps students move deeper into the stretch (then we bring the balance back in and they're better for it). But today, I found that I wasn't liking the wall because it made me feel disconnected with the earth. My standing leg didn't feel as strong, spine didn't feel properly aligned.

As an alternative, I tried not leaning into the wall, but instead bringing my opposite hand (the hand-on-the-hip hand) flat against the wall while balancing on the standing leg. This was good: I felt grounded through the leg and could lengthen up through the torso, while the wall offered some stability for balance. I may try teaching it this way in the coming week.

This is one of reasons my practice so important. I need to practice yoga regularly in order to teach more effectively. When I don't practice, I simply don't have as much to offer to my students. It's a direct correlation: the more I practice, the better feedback I get from my classes.