Astanga

I went for a long walk this morning in the sunshine and I'm so glad I did, because it clouded up by afternoon. There's something about these early morning walks that really feeds the soul. I never manage to find the same serenity in walks taken later on in the day. It makes me want to get back into a routine of early waking. Maybe soon, but not this week.

I practised the full Primary today. I've been struggling with a number of poses lately. The bind in Supta Kurmasana is elusive. Yesterday, I gave up entirely but today I manage to almost-but-not-quite clasp two of my fingers. This pose has been so do-able for weeks, so it's disappointing to lose it.

Garba Pindasana was a disaster yesterday, but deep and elegant today. Backbends are so-so. And then there's Sirsasana.

Sirsasana is a daily dose of terror. I have a Lululemon poster with a variety of tips for living fully. One of them says: “Do one thing a day that scares you.” I certainly have that one covered! I'm still doing the pose in the middle of the room and I haven't yet fallen out of it. And yet, I've retained my fear of falling, even though I haven't fallen in well over a year and I've even 'practised' falling out of the pose on the soft grass of the park.

I always move my mat to the left so if I *do* fall, I won't smoosh the dog.

Sunday: Great headstand day. I came into the pose quickly and with ease. During the hold, I felt perfectly, calmly centred and as comfortable as if I was standing in the middle of the room. I did half-bend, didn't come back up afterward, but came out of the pose smoothly.

Monday: Terrible headstand - felt awkward going up, tense during the hold (like I was holding on for dear life; fingers clenched). No half-bend today.

Today: I felt a bit unstable coming into the pose, but found my centre once I was there. I did half-bend and (for a microsecond!) I came back into the pose before exiting.