Saturday, August 22, 2009

Astanga

Just got back from seeing 'The Time Traveller's Wife'. Hm. It was *okay* but I had many eye-roll moments. I didn't read the book. Perhaps I would have enjoyed it more if I had? The whole suspension of disbelief thing wasn't happening for me.

Today's practice was half-primary, self-led, outdoors and completely spontaneous.

I was up early this morning running an errand before class. As is the norm with me, I totally over-planned the whole thing and ended up getting to the park an *hour* earlier than I needed to be. So I decided to do my practice right then and there. I didn't work very hard and to be honest, I skipped a few poses: Janu Sirsasana C and Marichyasana D (to save some time). I was finishing up the closing poses as my students arrived.

Then I taught the Erich Schiffman shoulder sequence for my class. Fun! They loved it. One student did reverse Namaste for the first time ever. You should have seen her face!

And hey, *I'm* doing reverse Namaste in Parsvottanasana daily in my practice and it's getting easier and easier! Magic! The Schiffman shoulder sequence ROCKS! Thanks for the tip, Karen!

Tomorrow is going to be an intense day. I'm at the Festival starting at 7 a.m. for the meditation, then I'm in an asana class/workshop (Astanga-based, so it should be good!). My volunteer shift at the registration table starts after that, then I'm taking an afternoon workshop. I'm planning a mad dash home during the supper break to reassure the dog that I still love her and offer a potty break, then heading back for the closing party.

*phew* Just thinking about it makes me tired! Bedtime...

3 comments:

Jen Stevenson said...

Where do I get ahold of the Schiffman shoulder sequence? I'd love to know!!

Thanks for your daily inspiration to push me towards a daily practice (that I haven't started yet). I catch 3-4 classes a week but I really should be doing more on my own.

Nicky said...

Interesting about the Time Traveler's Wife. I loved it, but I did wonder if it was because I'd read the book and therefore didn't notice any plot holes because the story was already in my head! So many reviewers have said what you did that I had to wonder. Mind you, I really do enjoy suspension of disbelief, and I thought the movie did a good job of the relationships.

Kaivalya said...

@Jen
I'm glad to point you to the Schiffman shoulder sequence. You can find it here: http://tinyurl.com/kj3wbu

I'm continuing to feel the joy: I bound in Marichyasana D for the first time in 6 months!

Good luck with your home practice. Here's my best advice for getting started (it's what I tell my students): make a list of 10 poses that make you really, really happy. Choose a time each day to practice and set a timer for just 10 minutes to start. Use that time to do your favourite poses (and more if you like). Gradually practice for longer periods. The magic comes from consistency!

@Nicky
I have a feeling that I'm a touch too cynical. Everyone else I've talked to (including a few guy friends) have enjoyed the movie.