Today's practice was pretty good. If I get in around 6:00 am, then I know that I'll have enough time to do a decent practice, clean up and get to work by 8:00 am. Crazy, isn't it? And this is coming from someone who is not a morning person. At all.Two hours is ideal. I know. Crazy, but those days are gone, now that I have a less flexible job and more early morning meetings (try putting together a coherent thought at 7 am). Shit, I hate it when work interferes with my yoga schedule.
When I got my first 9-5 job after graduation, I was terrified and worried about how I was going to be able to get up every morning. How do people do it? Prior to entering the work force, I was living the high life of a carefree student. Late nights hanging out (on weeknights no less) and sleeping in until 10 or so, thanks to a carefully selected class schedule. I even missed a class or two (or a bunch, can't remember) if I was feeling a little sleep deprived. Geez, you school-age kiddies don't know what a life you have. Just so you know how good you have it, listen to this brilliant riff by Ernie Cline: When I was a Kid. (Word up, it's got some profanity in it, which should actually appeal to some of you out there.)
Nowadays, I'm liable to start making my way to bed by 10. Woo! Life as such for a yoga nut. I live for the weekends just so I can sleep in, work in a nap or go to bed EARLY.
Oh, getting back to today. I found it rather amusing how everyone was doing their own thing in morning mysore, but in such an unconventional way. I LOVE IT. Other than Mr. A, we're all being crim, doing mods and using (dig this...) props. Balls, blocks, slant board, straps, and even a ballet barre. I liked watching Lax squeezing a handstand over the big black cube with The Diver spotting. (I still can't believe what I'm seeing when he does it.) You'd think that we were in Iyengar-land or something.
Hey, I'm just as respectful as the next person about the method and SKIPPY J, and I will do the classical practice if I'm visiting another shala. But that's the beauty of what The Diver teaches. After 10+ years of practice, I've concluded that it's an intense, hard-core practice where you can quickly accelerate your progress in gaining strength and flexibility, but it can also contribute repetitive stress to your body and you can hurt yourself if you don't clue in to your limits, what your body is telling you and practice ahimsa. That's a huge part of the practice. Mr. A is definitely the exception to the rule, although he says it's tough for him too. He really does have an amazing practice, on and off the mat. For me, kapotasana is going to be lifelong effort. I'm not in any hurry to get it cuz I know there's going to be another freaking impossible pose around the corner that I won't be able to do. It just doesn't end.
8 comments:
The Diver is definitely doing ALL the work in those handstands. I said to him that I feel like somebody should throw me a fish after I've done my work on the cube and the ball. And really, I was not crim yesterday. I was doing primary straight up until The Diver came over and made me do handstands. Hey, I like the name 'skippy j a lot.
LOL, it looks good! That's another image that works--a three-ring circus. We're all training for Cirque du Soleil!
Glad you like the name. I was a bit worried about this post folks being crim, except you of course. :) I don't mean to diss the Method at all. So watch my back in case Skippy J's peeps come after me. Hey, look over there, go hang with the scientologists!
I'm training for Cirque de Crappe
Hi Armani
Yoga crims, that's a good topic. Today I shared some insights with one of my first Mysore teachers. He gave me a ride back to the city. He has relaxed a bit on his own view of the practice, seeing some certified teachers be a bit more lenient in allowing props, or letting a person who simply cannot practice daily practice as many days a week as their time will allow... Skippy J. That's funny. But the initials do look like that.
Cheers, Arturo
Armani, you can already do the one after kapo--i have held your little hands myself. After that, it's easy peasy bakasana--you can do that too. then it's bs twisting. So come on, grab your feet and let's get moving.
You MUST POST. You MUST POST
Lax: ok, ok, thanks. I had a snooze and went to Home Depot, which was also a snooze like a sonambulistic way.
Keep poking me with the cattle prod. I'm getting fingers busy as we speak. :) I'll use the HK power to help me work my way through 2s.
Arturo: Thanks for your post. I'm glad to hear that there is some accomodation out there. I think a key thing is that t's important to know what The System is and when you're consciously breaking the rules. Flotation Device made a good comment today about this. He spent 9 months in Mysore and some where he injured himself and couldn't lotus anymore. Guruji et al were cool with it and cut him some slack. Flotation observed that the students were more hard-core about the rules at The Shala than even the Gurus were.
Skippy J! Love it!
I used to do the whole no props thing, but in the past year I've been working with a back issue and using a ball for backbends has been really helpful.
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