Tiny things that are VERY SAD

*throatclearing*

Well, hello there!

Yes, I'm still here, barely enduring the Cold and Ugly Season in the Great White North. To be honest, I haven't felt very inspired to write lately. It's probably due to a combination of seaonal ennui, boring practices and, oh yes, 'blogosphere controversy'. Last week, everyone was abuzz with a certain certified teacher and her (un)reality show.

I'm almost embarrassed to 'fess up to my reaction to that entire debacle, but here it is: I sat in my window seat and wept. There are a few different ways to interpret this behaviour:
~I'm a bit depressed
~I'm overly attached to the practice and my own idealistic conception of it

or (and this is my favourite!)

~teensy-weensie-tiny-yoga short are just VERY SAD.

*sniffle*

Take your pick. ;-) Moving on...

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I have been practising! Here's a rundown of the past...wow, has it really been a week? Yes it has.

Wednesday: I attended Peanut's Bikram's class. I wasn't feeling particularly energetic, so I was kind of 'going through the motions'. I don't imagine for a minute that Peanut doesn't notice stuff like that. And halfway through the class, he made a little speech about how it's possible to 'do the poses without *really* doing the poses'. It wasn't aimed at me specifically, I'm sure, but I got the message all the same: "If you can, you must!"

Thursday: In a nod to the Moon Day, I did my Primary-only practice. It was okay.

Friday: Moon Day. I didn't practice at all. I think this may be the first Moon Day in about two years that I've not done any yoga. I'm beginning to like this whole 'taking days off thing'. :-D

Saturday: I practised Primary and my Intermediate. I had an ordinary, but good practice.

Sunday: Day off! I didn't even take time to stretch my hamstrings (and boy, did I ever feel it on Monday!)

Monday: I attended Almond's Bikram's class in the morning. I really enjoy Almond's classes and I've missed going to them, so this was a treat. I like the way he cruises through the dialogue. His efficiency in teaching is one of the things that helped me break out of the 'futzing habit', both in Bikrams and my Astanga practice.

Tuesday (that's today!): Back to Astanga, I practised Primary and my Intermediate poses. My left hamstring was a bit sensitive, but I had a good, futz-free practice.

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In general, I'm feeling better about my practices these days and Astanga is starting to feel like a place of comfort and healing again.

For the past month, I've been practising Astanga four times a week and Bikram's two, adding up to a six-day week in combination. Starting this week, I've decided to add on an Astanga practice on Friday to bring my Astanga week up to five days (continuing to practice Bikrams one day per week).

I'm also working towards a more consistent Astanga practice with fewer breaks. Toward this end, I'm going to try to go to my weekly Bikram class on Monday, so I can practice Astanga 5 days in a row.

And here's some good news: My shoulder is healing!

Evelyn asked if I was icing the shoulder. I do own one of those fancy-schmancy velcro ice/compression packs but to be perfectly honest, I haven't been very diligent about using it. It's so cold here, the last thing I feel like doing is curling up in the window seat with an icy ice pack resting on my shoulder. But all of my non-ice-related activity/inactivity seems to be working for me.

Last week, I upgraded my Granny Vinyasas to include the transition from Upward Dog to Downward Dog. This was a big trigger point for pain when I first injured my shoulder, but there's no pain as I move through it now!

Also: I grabbed my wrist on the right side of Marichyasana C today and I'm binding to fingers in Marichyasana D (and close to getting the wrist on the left side).

And the biggest news of all: I'm doing three Urdhva Dhanurasana in my daily practice. Even better, today I walked my hands in! I walked in once in the second backbend and twice in the third. This is HUGE!

I'm pretty excited, because this means that I can begin to work towards regaining flexibility in these backbends. My shoulder was mostly pain free (there was a bit of sensation pushing up). I was able to straighten my arms and my breathing was smooth and consistent.

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Finally, here's a random photograph of manhole cover on a subway platform.


Wow. I feel SO much better now!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Warm heart, cold nose

Cutest thing ever: When Princess Fur sits on the floor near the window seat and begs to come up for cuddles. My heart MELTS. Also: there are few things more blissful than cuddling a warm, furry dog in my arms while sipping tea and gazing out the window at fluffy little snow flakes drifting around. The Princess is still up here, her head nestled against the instep of my left foot as I blog.

*happysigh*

I'm well-prepared to soak up every blissful moment of this weekend. Yesterday, I woke at the usual time, but instead of doing yoga (I went to the evening Bikram class instead), I did the grocery shopping, cleaning, some extra laundry, prepped meals for the coming week and ran errands. With all of these tasks complete, I was able to sit around and read a book in the afternoon. And It feels good to move into the weekend with these mundane little tasks complete!

And thank goodness I cleared the time, becauseI have big plans for this afternoon: Tax preparation. *sigh* On the bright side, once it's done, it's DONE and I can pass if off to my accountant. I'm hoping to get through it today.

I have an excellent incentive. I can return to this book:


It's wonderful! I'm dying to see the film now...

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A brief practice report, such as it is...

I heated the apartment this morning in preparation for my full Astanga practice then realised that my LH had arrived. Boo! So I did the Suryas, fundamental standing poses, my Intermediate poses, three Urdhva Dhanurasana and Padmasana. Then I put my legs up a wall and chilled. It was the perfect compromise!

My shoulder is feeling pretty good. Actually, *both* my shoulders are a bit sore right now, but that's to be expected (Hello, Chaturanga...it's been awhile, hasn't it?).

There are a few postures that trigger the pain of the injury, mainly anything that introduces an intense inward rotation of the right arm while reaching my arm around my back (Prasarita Padottanasana C, most binds). Bhekasana is still not fun, but Dhanurasana is fine until I move into Parva Dhanurasana, which is VERY painful. I don't generally do it unless I've laid a blanket to the side as my 'shoulder landing zone'.

The next few days will be light on yoga and heavy on rest, but I'll keep in touch...

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

That precious extra hour

Home practice is harder than going to a class because I have to find a way to coax myself onto the mat every morning, but I forgot about one of the big fringe benefits: time.

Going to Hot Central daily was time consuming! The commute was about 10 minutes (yeah, decadent, I know!) but in order to get into the class, get a good spot in the yoga room and a convenient shelf in the change room, I had to get there 20 minutes early.

Once class was over, I had no time for for Savasana because I needed to make a quick exit. I had exactly 15 minutes to get out of the room, shower, dress, dry my hair, slap on some makeup, pack my sopping wet clothes/yoga towel/mat into bags and jet for the subway in order to make it to my noon class on time.

Each morning was a frantic marathon and when I *finally* found myself on the subway, sipping Emergen-c and eating my oatmeal, I felt a tangible sense of relief. After dragging that knapsack full of wet stuff plus a heavy mat around the city for hours, I hauled it all home and dedicated another half-hour to bucket-laundry.

And then, I could eat lunch, maybe take a nap, tend to Princess Fur and head off to my evening classes.

I did this for 30 days. Phew!

Home practice has given me this: Less laundry to do and over an *hour* of free time in the morning to sip tea, eat breakfast, check email and blog. I sit in the window seat with my hands wrapped around my warm tea cup and gaze out at the morning light streaming over the city. I cuddle Princess Fur. I read. I day dream.

Then I finish my bucket laundry and carry on, business as usual. Such a small thing, but it feels so precious!


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Day 2 of my full Astanga practice: My right shoulder is a tiny bit tender, particularly pressing back to Adho Mukha Svanasana from Urdhva Mukha. But it's not agonizing.

Headstand feels perfectly solid again. Urdhva Dhanurasana is uncomfortable, but I hold the backbends and breath, walk my hands in more each time. I'm toughing it out. My shoulder is a bit uncomfortable, but nothing dire.

Overall, aside from my vinyasas (I'm not doing jumps, but stepping my feet forward and back), my practice feels stronger than ever.

Tomorrow, I'm going to an evening hot class at Hot Central. I'm on the fence about Saturday. I may actually opt to do Astanga on that day. I'd like to try for a four-day week and see how it goes.




- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad