My worried shoes

"One day I looked around and found the sun shining down and I took off my worried shoes"
-Daniel Johnston

I think that I can finally say that I have gotten used to waking up before 5am to teach and practice. It is painful and hard to believe when it is happening, but I came to the conclusion that even when I sleep in, I don't hear birds singing and squirrels aren't trying my hair in bows, while bunnies bring me tea.

I walked in to teach this morning and paused, looked around, and realized that what was completely throwing me off was that there were only men in my class. About a minute later, a female student walked in, did the same double take and was not at all sure as to where to put her mat. In Mysore, I really feel that most of the time, the male to female student ratio was usually equal. Sometimes the numbers swung one way or another, but in New York, it is almost guaranteed that there will be mostly ladies in class. Just thought that was interesting.

After I taught, I headed downtown to the Ashtanga Yoga Shala to practice. Russell was teaching (I'd really like to practice with Sally but don't know when she's teaching). Practice was going on and on and I noticed other people stopping early in primary to start second and faught back pangs of jealousy. Its not the poses that make me ache, so much as the time. After class, Russell mentioned that in the past, people got split at Karandavasana, which means that up until they "get" that pose, they would practice full primary AND second series up until that point. This would mean a two and a half hour practice! Getting split means that once you get karandavasana, you could save primary for fridays and just work on second series the rest of the week. Now in Mysore, I noticed that they are usually splitting people at Eka Pada Sirsasana. I wonder if it has to do with time and the number of students that are going.

When I got to Bakasana B, I gave it 2 strong tries but slid down, and on the third, I stuck it. Feeling satisfied, I jumped through for backbends and Russell walked over to give me bharadvajrasana and ardha matsyendrasana. Unique to ashtanga is that feeling you get of a new pose. It is like Christmas. Physically, your body is so used to the patterns you usually make, that the new movements are like crack. Mentally, you feel so giddy you want to drunk call all your friends, family, ex-bosses, 411, etc.


http://thumb6.webshots.net/s/thumb2/7/52/80/144775280PzGeDf_th.jpg

The picture above is from a really great set of photos of people practicing led second series at AYRI Mysore. Here is bharadvajrasana.

This picture of ardha matsyendrasana is of Bill of
absolutelyashtanga.com.