Day 285

I was up early like a good little Ashtanga trooper and on the mat by 5:30 a.m. After practice, I went for my walk. It was novel to have all of my 'essentials' covered by 8 a.m. It's nice - gave me the rest of the day to be a lazy beast. I spent the day on the beach, sunning myself, and riding my bike. Don't have a job yet so might as well live it up.

My upper back/shoulder area is still bugging me. Certain movements cause a dull ache in the area around my left shoulderblade. The mobility in my neck is very limited. There's some pain in axial rotation, a bit when I look to the right, but a lot when I look to the left. Still, it feels at least 60% better than it did yesterday. I'm trying to limit my time on the computer be mindful of the tension in my shoulders.

I'm loathe to admit this bit of personal weirdness in a public forum, but it's likely the cause of my current 'injury'. Here it is: I like to sleep on the couch. I grew up on a sailboat and frequently slept in spaces that were not beds - couches, benches, v-berths and the like. I like to 'lean' into a wall as I sleep and I find limited space comforting. Last month, when I was struggling with some insomnia, I started sleeping on the futon folded up as a couch. It was the only way I could sooth myself to sleep.

Alas, I think this may have triggered the current problems with my back. So I'm sleeping on my futon like a normal person again. I'm massaging heat-rub into my upper back and taking muscle relaxants before I sleep.

I went easy on myself during practice this morning, making modifications in spots. Supta Konasana and Sarvangasana are out of the question, so I sit those out. I've also been modifying the entrance into Ubhaya Padangusthasana and Urdhva Muka Paschimottanasana, then skipping the bridge that I usually do as a substitute for Setu (a modification for my modification, oh my!).

I did backbends and they felt okay, but very shallow.

This can only get better, right?