This morning's class was kick-ass but good.It was a full house of more than 20 students. We had Megin subbing in for the Diver, who was away for the weekend teaching somewhere in Canada. We had a bit of a shaky, low-baritone opening chat that had people scraping their lungs down on the floor in order to reach the notes, but she did make it up to us by taking us through a hybrid vinyasa class of many asymmetrical poses and lots of lunging that were even more taxing than what the Diver does (Lax, you missed all the fun!). She focused on a lot of hip openers or the kind of poses that would benefited from having a crowbar or can-opener nearby. Some of the highlights:
1) A set of variations on the one-legged downward dog including one lifted leg straight in a 45 degree angle, bent lifted leg, side plank, vasistasana and a raja-type back bend ("look behind you and try to touch your head with your right toe" Mmm-kay).
2) Lunge-y warmups before going into the "crowd pleasing" hanumansana: virabadrasanas with variations, twisty prasarita padatonasanas. Then an eka pada rajakapotasana series that was capped off with a one-legged pigeon and other leg in bhekasana-foot bind and finished off with our free arm pointing at the sky in a lovely gyan mudra.
3) We even did a series of handstand variations with the wall that incorporated some backbending: "At the wall, do your headstand and sit your butt on the wall as your lower back extends and bends. Don't collapse into it. Also, don't forget to expand your chest outward."
Great stuff for my non-slutty guy hips. Some of the words from my old iyengar teacher were even echoing in my head: "This is where your body doesn't like to move." Fer sures.
Pi' ikea, who had her mat next to me, loved the class, even though she whispered, "this is hard" and Zen Rolling Ball commented afterwards that we did a lot of poses that we don't usually do in ashtanga. Laks was MIA. As was Carl.
In the crowd while we were doing handstands, I recognized an older student, Mr. Resistance Man, who used to practice with me at another studio. He wore his trademark grey headband. I know it's totally bitchy of me to say, but I remember him totally frustrating my teacher. He seemed never to absorb any suggestions from her and insisted on doing all of second even though she said that he wasn't ready. I mean, what do you get out of doing the 7 headstands at the wall? Anyway, she tried valiantly to give him notes in different ways before caving in and letting them do his whatevers.
P.S. The photo above is not of Mr. Resistance Man. It is from Mr. Speedcat Hollydale's blog page. Thanks. Rock on, sir!
6 comments:
I'll be back next Sunday. I'd offer an excuse but I want first to hear Laksmi's alibi. I wanna make sure mine is more bulletproof than hers so that I can continue to razz her.
hi Armani
I understand the Diver's frustration with Resistance Man, but I think I may understand RM because I was in his shoes once. He might have been someone like me who learned the whole 2 series at once from someone, even if that meant with substitutions. The teacher's recourse in that situation is sometimes to let the person do their thing. They just don't get adjusted. Or, if there is confidence built, the teacher can say with kindness, outside of class, with both people seated, "hey i understand your interest in progressing, but if we're going to work together, here is what I think we should do" and then tell him what version of the practice the teacher thinks he should be doing, such as where to stop. my teacher had me start with primary all over, then started adding a pose every month. then she left for India and we forgot where we were, but eventually i progressed.
I can do the 7 head stands in the middle of a room, but not Pincha Mayurasana. Isn't that weird?
That link at the bottom of your post did not work; however, i googled the name and got to the blog you mentioned.
cheers,
arturo
carl: for next sunday's class, be sure to score a spot next to the door so you can monitor who goes for their bathroom breaks.
arturo: i can't believe you would compare yourself to Mr. RM! you are much more open to receiving notes than he is. it was a female teacher not the diver who was adjusting and he just didn't respect her instruction.
Armani, if it makes you feel less bitchy (you're not bitchy, by the way), I got a bad vibe off Mr. Resistance Man when I walked by his mat. I couldn't tell without my glasses on, but it looked like he was giving me stink eye.
Carl, I have a possible solution for your sore/stiff muscle problems that you mentioned before either on Squirrel Cage or your blog, but you have to haul your ass into class on Sunday to hear about it. I've seen Lax's excuse, and it's a good one. What's yours??
P, I hurt too much Saturday to be able to consider going to T's on Sunday. The classes at Nomad
Shala just aren't sweaty enough to allow me to practice when things hurt.
i love your class review. sorry it took so long for me to officially explain my absence, but I was flat out in bed with the flu.
Carl you 'hurt too much'--man up, mothafucka.
and armani, whose side are you on, trying to get the bathroom monitored? now I have no way out! but maybe i'll be out of town...
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