Astanga

Back to my routine! It's fun to get away for a while, but it's also fun to get back to cycles of daily life.

It was absolutely gorgeous today. As soon as I saw the clear blue sky this morning, I knew I would be spending the afternoon in the Big Park. I walked there with the dog as soon as my morning shift ended.

The Big Park is a wide open space. I love it because I can see the sky - there are few trees. This is somewhat of a problem for the dog, though, who loves a bit of shade. Fortunately, I've discovered a compromise. There's a spot next to a high light pole which provides a small, dog-sized, travelling patch of shade in the afternoon. It's cute to watch the dog get up every few minutes and follow the shade as the sun moves west and the shady spot moves east! By the time I finish my practice, the dog is on the other side of my mat!

I had a great practice today. It was blissful being in the sunlight (don't worry - I use sunblock) and the heat was fantastic. I never seem to sweat a lot these days (though I'm sure I would be if the temperatures were more seasonal, which they're not). I did the full Primary Series, using the Beach Beryl MP3. I'm back to doing Kurmasana and Supta Kurmasana. Headstand was super-fun. I'm having as much fun with headstand as Ursula is having with her drop-backs. :-D

Speaking of which, in place of Urdhva Dhanurasana, I practised a standing backbend today, in preparation for dropbacks. I'm planning to continue with this over the coming week. I have an area of soreness in my right shoulder (very similar to the soreness I experienced last year in my other shoulder). I'm absolutely positive this is related to pushing up into Urdhva Dhanurasana, so I'm giving it a break. I see this as a great opportunity to work on drop-backs. There's no better place to do them - in the park, the ground is soft. Now, I just have to work up the nerve.

A nearby sunbather was so impressed by my Titibasana exit (which is decidedly NOT impressive...lol) she walked over afterward to ask for my business card. I also gave out a few cards at camping (after nearby campers spied my practice from their sites). Yoga teachers are encouraged to maintain a daily practice, but this is the first time my practice has served as an advertisement for my teaching!