Sunday, April 6, 2008

Day 226

My day off was rather busy, with the morning spent teaching and the afternoon spent catching up on work. I did find some time to browse at the St. Lawrence Market and take the dog for a long walk though. It was very pretty out - the entire weekend has been nice.

Late Saturday afternoon, I turned off the computer and put it away for almost 24 hours. On Sunday morning, I slept in. Sundays always feel like a fresh start to me for many things, including my practice. More than anything, I wanted to start out my practice for the week strong and focused. I was in the mood for a led class, for being in a room with other students. Often, I think it would be nice to go to a local shala on Sundays, but it's too cost-prohibitive for me. Being a full-time yoga teacher is abundantly fulfilling in many ways, but not financially; studio classes are a rare special treat for me.

Instead, I pulled out my old Power Yoga DVD. I haven't used it in months. It was amusing to observe how 'easy' and comfortable is has become. The DVD provides a real basis for comparison because I struggled with it for so long. Beryl Bender Birch teaches Bakasana in that DVD and I was surprised to discover that I could jump back from Bakasana. I felt very strong in the standing poses. Inversions were fabulous and I felt like a total rockstar during the three backbends (when I first started out, I couldn't do three, and I couldn't hold one backbend for five breaths).

The DVD also provided a bit of an ego-check: my jump backs are weak and sloppy. My jump throughs are okay, but not particularly strong. At this point in my practice, I'm struggling with the transitions. And breath. And bandhas.

I had a really good practice. I'm back in a headspace where I'm excited and eager for my practice again. And I'm feeling strong.

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