Can it be possible that this can happen? My hamstrings have always been one of those things I never worry about, well until now. From the time I was really young, I could more or less get the hands flat on the floor. With persistent practice, at least for this year, I more or less lay my torso on the legs with almost zero warmup. The strangest thing is that lately, I have been feeling a persistent tug on the back of my butt and near the knees whenever I forward bend. Strange and scary thought..I did pull my adductors on both sides while doing some silly stuff without warmups, but hammies have never really suffered much from it.
I have tried isolating what I have been doing different lately.
1. Doing kurmasana by skipping ahead of the series because I was too lazy to go through all the forward bends - did that sometime last week.
2. Trying hanumansana on the wall and doing a kinda of oversplit cos B was asking me to press the back of my legs in to the walls and perhaps I overdid that?
3. Not being warm enough because of my slower pace while practicing at home?
It probably is a combo of all the above, because today while practising at home, I felt really gripping of the hammies. In fact while in tiriang mukha I felt my extended right leg shaking! Haven't happened for almost 1 year, since I started a more consistent practice.
Shucks, just hope they would ease up because I'm really not used to it.
Well on to my record of what I have been up to past week. I have done home practice much more, except Saturday when I went for mysore. There was a new girl in class who had fantastic flexibility, I was pretty amazed. For someone who said she'd never done mysore she was good. Very open. Anyway despite the "slight" tinge on envy, I believe that I can be just as good or even better with practice. OK sour grapes me.
Anyhow did home practice most of past 2 days. Today was nice, just did numerous sun salutations and concentrated on the jumping forward and back. I am trying to work on sliding, because I reckon it activates the bandhas much more. When I jump I often use my legs to propel myself, and I think it does nothing in helping me to build a stronger core and the ability to float one day. So I did work on a slow lift activating my abdominals as much as possible. Nowhere near floating, but I did slide quite nicely a couple of times. Also replaced all the updogs with cobra again because I am working on getting more curve into my upper spine. I read in yoga journal that we are not supposed to use the lumbar so much in backbending but aim to have smooth curve all the way up the spine. I reckon my pain in the SI joints comes from crunching the lumbar because I tend to clench my butt and externally rotate the legs. This is supposed to be real bad and causes compression. So...I was thinking the only thing I can do is work on getting a bigger curve further up the spine to avoid relying so much on the lumbar only.
I have also been working on holding a block between my legs in UD whenever I go up to train my hamstrings to activate so that I don't externally rotate the legs as much. It works! Today, after a few tries with the block, I took it off and my legs didn't turn out when I went up. It really felt like a relieve on the lower back. All the curve just went into my thoracic. The feeling was fabulous. Also worked with the feet close together instead of hip width apart. Feels great and pushes the curve all the way higher. B once made me do that in class and told me it was a "WOW" backbend;) So am working on that for now.
Did a class last week, and B focused mostly on backbends, Natarajasana, rajakapotasana and eka pada rajakapotasana. That was a whole load of backbends and it was kinda fun. I was pretty ok with them, but didn't try natarajasana without a strap cos I was kinda stiff. But the pigeons were good. For rajakapotasana B had us lying on our stomachs close to the wall and letting the shins go up the wall. Then we worked on bending back as per the usual cobra until we were close to our feet. Then he just came over and moved my feet to my head. Cool. I have done that quite a few times, but usually with a compressed feeling in my back. That day all was great and I felt thrilled. However, I noticed my pelvis was pushed off the floor like this. So I reckon that some more flexibility is definitely called for.
Other than that, nothing new to report, just that recently my baddha konasana is improving immensely. At mysore, I got my forehead to the floor pretty easily. I credit my self adjustments for the new development. Really seems to be helping!
Anyhow, thats about it...ciao bella;)
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
Thursday, December 21, 2006
Self Practice
No class today, just self practice. Nice session though...I am beginning to realise the merits of self practice. When B mentioned it during TTC last time, I never really thought about it, but recently I have had to do some asana everyday, mainly because the body protests if I don't. Feels like the knots and tightness in me just craves asanas.
So self practice usually lasts for about 1 to maybe 2 hours. And I am actually very slow and deliberate during self practice, unlike in mysore or class where I am either rushing through the whole primary or waiting for cueing from the teacher. I took extra time with the Surya Namaskrars, only doing A (my bad..I don't like B, which might be all the more reason to do them, but I will have to consciously remind myself to do it.) Anyway I don't know how many times I repeated it, maybe 8-10 times, and I went through them reeaallll slow, and closed my eyes most of the time. Its heaven to feel every move of the body and try to be aware of what I am doing in the different parts of the body.
I started off with modified chaturangas instead because I find once I get into the real deal I am not so conscious of what I feel, with a more gentle practice, you get more aware of the sensations. And cobras instead of upward dog. I read something abut Patricia Walden saying in all backbends to inwardy rotate the thighs to create space in the sacrum and I tried to do that in all my backbends today. More on this later..
Anyway after the suryas, I did utthita hasta padangustasana and ardha baddha padmotanasana, and then forward bends - paschimotanasana, janu A, tiriang mukha, and just allowed myself to get to the most comfortable place, no striving or compulsive getting chest to thighs etc. It was nice, felt good, I just breathed into it and the body just yielded. In fact it might have taken a little longer than 5 breaths to get to my max, but it happened anyway in a much more comfortable way.
Then I went a little off the track from primary, agnisthambasana and then baddha konasana against the wall with the block behind to push on. It think its the best self adjustment I could have done for baddha K. Usually my other prep poses like sukhasana forward bend and a janu shirshasana kinda asana just does give me so much opening in the hips. After a loonggg hold for maybe 1-2 mins in that position ,I swear my thighs were about 1 inch away from the floor on its own, no need to open the soles for it to drop! And I could really feel like I was being adjusted by a teacher by doing that, and best of all no discomfort in the sacrum or lower back which I get when I bend the lumbar to get the head down.
Next I went into pasasana, krouchasana and the second series backbends. I tried rotating my legs in, but didn't really feel that effect in most of the backbends. Even though I repeated ustrasana about 3 times, I just didn't really feel the spaciousness that peopl talk about. Anyhow then I did UD a few times, and decided to bring my feet together like B asked me to do once. And when I lifted, I concentrated on squeezing the outer thighs in, and heaven that was a different backbend altogether, felt no crunch in the lower back and all the bend was in the thoracic and cervical I am pretty sure. Felt really good. Was able to press my chest forward over the arms by then and it was such a good stretch to the shoulder and chest! Then I did another one with my legs straightened, like in viparita dandasana, but with the arms straight. Nice too, worked the shoulders like crazy, but good feeling.
I then finished with shoulderstand, plow and headstand.
Overall it was a good session for me to experiment with what people say but I never really get in class, and I gotto remember to do the same action as the UD feet together and inward rotation thing I did today. I think it might really be the answer to my backbend crunch recently. Yoga rocks! I am so glad I found this practice;)
Next I did Mari A and C, leaving out the lotus
So self practice usually lasts for about 1 to maybe 2 hours. And I am actually very slow and deliberate during self practice, unlike in mysore or class where I am either rushing through the whole primary or waiting for cueing from the teacher. I took extra time with the Surya Namaskrars, only doing A (my bad..I don't like B, which might be all the more reason to do them, but I will have to consciously remind myself to do it.) Anyway I don't know how many times I repeated it, maybe 8-10 times, and I went through them reeaallll slow, and closed my eyes most of the time. Its heaven to feel every move of the body and try to be aware of what I am doing in the different parts of the body.
I started off with modified chaturangas instead because I find once I get into the real deal I am not so conscious of what I feel, with a more gentle practice, you get more aware of the sensations. And cobras instead of upward dog. I read something abut Patricia Walden saying in all backbends to inwardy rotate the thighs to create space in the sacrum and I tried to do that in all my backbends today. More on this later..
Anyway after the suryas, I did utthita hasta padangustasana and ardha baddha padmotanasana, and then forward bends - paschimotanasana, janu A, tiriang mukha, and just allowed myself to get to the most comfortable place, no striving or compulsive getting chest to thighs etc. It was nice, felt good, I just breathed into it and the body just yielded. In fact it might have taken a little longer than 5 breaths to get to my max, but it happened anyway in a much more comfortable way.
Then I went a little off the track from primary, agnisthambasana and then baddha konasana against the wall with the block behind to push on. It think its the best self adjustment I could have done for baddha K. Usually my other prep poses like sukhasana forward bend and a janu shirshasana kinda asana just does give me so much opening in the hips. After a loonggg hold for maybe 1-2 mins in that position ,I swear my thighs were about 1 inch away from the floor on its own, no need to open the soles for it to drop! And I could really feel like I was being adjusted by a teacher by doing that, and best of all no discomfort in the sacrum or lower back which I get when I bend the lumbar to get the head down.
Next I went into pasasana, krouchasana and the second series backbends. I tried rotating my legs in, but didn't really feel that effect in most of the backbends. Even though I repeated ustrasana about 3 times, I just didn't really feel the spaciousness that peopl talk about. Anyhow then I did UD a few times, and decided to bring my feet together like B asked me to do once. And when I lifted, I concentrated on squeezing the outer thighs in, and heaven that was a different backbend altogether, felt no crunch in the lower back and all the bend was in the thoracic and cervical I am pretty sure. Felt really good. Was able to press my chest forward over the arms by then and it was such a good stretch to the shoulder and chest! Then I did another one with my legs straightened, like in viparita dandasana, but with the arms straight. Nice too, worked the shoulders like crazy, but good feeling.
I then finished with shoulderstand, plow and headstand.
Overall it was a good session for me to experiment with what people say but I never really get in class, and I gotto remember to do the same action as the UD feet together and inward rotation thing I did today. I think it might really be the answer to my backbend crunch recently. Yoga rocks! I am so glad I found this practice;)
Next I did Mari A and C, leaving out the lotus
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
When students ask you things you can't answer, what to do?
I taught my colleagues yoga today, basically just a intro to some ashtanga...I know i am not authorised to teach any of it, but I am a certified teacher from the local studio, so I just taught them as a vinyasa, flow style class.
Anyway the sequence was basically the surya namaskrars, standing asanas and some sitting asanas. Then a gentle bridge and then shoulderstand and plow and savasana. They were all curious and receptive, which is really great.
But then 1 of them asked me after class what yoga to do when about her spine being a bit crooked. Yo! was i stumped. Well I knew some basic anatomy from my TTC, but I was no doctor. From what she told me, I reckon she meant her sacrum was affected by the birth of her son and x-rays by doctors showed one of the vertebrae had somehow become forced to the side. She asked me what yoga postures to do, and I told her truthfully that I wasn't a doctor and couldn't possibly give her a knowledgeable answer, but I told I'd ask my teachers if they knew anything about this.
Well, I am googling this up at the moment, but I think I'd ask B when I have the chance and see if he knows what I can say. Apparently her doctor told her to do yoga and see if it could be realligned. I'd love to know what to do, but frankly I can't answer it...
I'm gonna go post it on one of the yoga boards too to see if anyone knows of this condition..
Anyway the sequence was basically the surya namaskrars, standing asanas and some sitting asanas. Then a gentle bridge and then shoulderstand and plow and savasana. They were all curious and receptive, which is really great.
But then 1 of them asked me after class what yoga to do when about her spine being a bit crooked. Yo! was i stumped. Well I knew some basic anatomy from my TTC, but I was no doctor. From what she told me, I reckon she meant her sacrum was affected by the birth of her son and x-rays by doctors showed one of the vertebrae had somehow become forced to the side. She asked me what yoga postures to do, and I told her truthfully that I wasn't a doctor and couldn't possibly give her a knowledgeable answer, but I told I'd ask my teachers if they knew anything about this.
Well, I am googling this up at the moment, but I think I'd ask B when I have the chance and see if he knows what I can say. Apparently her doctor told her to do yoga and see if it could be realligned. I'd love to know what to do, but frankly I can't answer it...
I'm gonna go post it on one of the yoga boards too to see if anyone knows of this condition..
Kapotasana...sigh...
Another led class....mix of first and second series. Everything was cool until kapotasana...this time even worse...than the 1 inch from foot that I did last week. I had a problem even lifting from arms behind shoulders into a fully extended kapotasana B. Sigh....
Lower back seems to be seizing up...I gotto admit that maybe the full pose may just have to wait for the time being...
Gotto console myself that I haven;t even finished primary seriously. Supta kurmasana bind is still a problem, coming up from backbend requires assistance, my bhujapidasana is still nowehere near chin on floor, and garbha is almost non-existent since my knee problem trying to get into it 2 months ago. So...I guess why should I even worry about kapotasana right now??? kinda jumping the gun right.
But the ego kinda asserts herself and says that I should be able to do it...after all my backbends have always been kinda good, My feet can touch my head in bhujangasana. It doesn't make sense I can't do kapotasana when raja bhujangasana is essentially the same bend except for the arms not reaching back...
practice..practice..and more practice... i guess..thats my new mantra ...
Lower back seems to be seizing up...I gotto admit that maybe the full pose may just have to wait for the time being...
Gotto console myself that I haven;t even finished primary seriously. Supta kurmasana bind is still a problem, coming up from backbend requires assistance, my bhujapidasana is still nowehere near chin on floor, and garbha is almost non-existent since my knee problem trying to get into it 2 months ago. So...I guess why should I even worry about kapotasana right now??? kinda jumping the gun right.
But the ego kinda asserts herself and says that I should be able to do it...after all my backbends have always been kinda good, My feet can touch my head in bhujangasana. It doesn't make sense I can't do kapotasana when raja bhujangasana is essentially the same bend except for the arms not reaching back...
practice..practice..and more practice... i guess..thats my new mantra ...
Sunday, December 17, 2006
Updates..
Lets see, what have I been up to recently..Well lets start with the last Thursdays vinyasa class. B teaches the class and its quite interesting sometimes, he changes it up quite often, which like I mentioned before I like coz there's all sorts of surprises in there.
But he seems to have remembered my dismal epidose with kapotasana a few days before and decided to throw in all the prep poses and kapotasana itself into the class. I knew he was gonna get into it when he asked up to do some padangustha dhanurasana preps. He starts by asking us to use a towel to pull 1 foot at a time and then reaching with the foot without the towel. I have a very flexible left hip which extends back quite a bit, but an annoyingly stiff right hip (thanks to the sacroliac joint problem I think) that is a good few inches behind in flexibility. So left side was great, but pulling with my hand on the right side is always harder. Anyway after trying it a few times with and without towel, he'll get us to do some supta laghuvajrasana stuff, head on floor, hands on ankles etc. After that he asked us to put our hands behind our shoulders on the floor and lift into kapotasana B. I was fine with that and infact got my hands to about and inch from my toes.
B came by to see if I needed help (and yes I DID), but a bendy girl with the most impossibly flexible spine was already putting her head down and had managed to catch her foot. Shucks! and B walked off to help her catch her ankles. And I was left to my own devices...which basically means I gave up after holding kapotasana B for about 5 breaths. Its the right side which I feel resistence in my spine/sacroliac joint. More on that today too...but am coming to that.
Well, yeh I was a little disappointed that I didn't get it again, and extremely envious of the bendy spine girl who seemed to get her ankles effortlessly. OK OK I was watching her because I noticed her backbend in cobra way earlier in class already. I admit watching people, and comparing myself to them all the time. Very non-yogic of me. I remember reading someone's blog last time and he mentioned he likes to watch others, and looks for the person with a well rounded practice. Thats what I do too....human nature I guess. When I see someone with a nice posture, I start wondering if they have the same expertise in other asanas. So far I came across 1 person that really really impressed me overall. I think she teaches, and has a really beautiful practice. I mean I have seen some senior foreign teachers have practices like that, but local teachers where I live, thats kinda rare..
Anyway this girl which really impressed me had loads of flexibility and bandhas of steel. Good grief! She was floating effortless in class and it was hard for me not to stare a bit. And she has great flexibility as well, forward bends, backbends, twists, arm balances, inversions. Everything was incredible. I don't know how she got like that, is it natural talent or did she actually had to practice to get that way??? Anyway I hope to get that way one day...maybe far into the future..hahah
Ok off topic, back to class, after kapotasana, B did more restorative stuff, nothing of note. sometimes he goes into inversion mania and makes us do headstands, arms balances, handstands etc, but not on Thursday. For the record my inversions are not exactly great. I think I have a lack of core strength, so in headstands I kinda sway around, pincha is not much better and the best time I had was with blocks and straps. Handstands...well I suck at them.
As in I was always too chicken to go up until a few weeks back. And without a wall, forget it! I can kinda kick up with one leg at a time against a wall, but thats all the progress I have made so far. Ahem, but I figure they are not really part of primary series anyway, so not really in a big hurry to get it at the moment.
So, today I had another class today, this time D's class. D 's sequence is pretty standard, and I think I have mentioned it before already.Nothing much new today, but I was determined to get my backbends back, and did the full eka pada kapotasana both sides today, right side was difficult again. Anyhow I think going into it from the side by grabbing the opposite big toe overhead by putting the foot into my elbow and then swinging around back face forward is bad form in my opinion. I figure I better reach overhead straight and grab the toe, but I haven't gotten to trying that yet. I think it kinda crunches my side waist and its not really symmetrical for the spine. Anyway will try it another day.
Anyway new discovery past few days. I found that if I sit against the wall in baddha konasana and put a block behind and push against it, I can give myself a cool adjustment in baddha konasana A. Usually I rely on B to squash me into it, but he ain't around or available all the time to do it, so this is really the next best thing. By levering my arms, I can push my spine straight and use my body weight to push my hips open and knees down. I think this is the best way I have discovered to help myself in this pose. After a 2 minute hold, I can actually see my knees sink down to floor by about 1 inch! cool...its gonna be part of my everyday research pose from now on.
Now I just need to find something to open my shoulders more for kapotasana. Tried the block between hands and elbows on chair trick I read on Yoga journal, but its really painful, so I gotto come up with an alternative. Will update once I get it!
But he seems to have remembered my dismal epidose with kapotasana a few days before and decided to throw in all the prep poses and kapotasana itself into the class. I knew he was gonna get into it when he asked up to do some padangustha dhanurasana preps. He starts by asking us to use a towel to pull 1 foot at a time and then reaching with the foot without the towel. I have a very flexible left hip which extends back quite a bit, but an annoyingly stiff right hip (thanks to the sacroliac joint problem I think) that is a good few inches behind in flexibility. So left side was great, but pulling with my hand on the right side is always harder. Anyway after trying it a few times with and without towel, he'll get us to do some supta laghuvajrasana stuff, head on floor, hands on ankles etc. After that he asked us to put our hands behind our shoulders on the floor and lift into kapotasana B. I was fine with that and infact got my hands to about and inch from my toes.
B came by to see if I needed help (and yes I DID), but a bendy girl with the most impossibly flexible spine was already putting her head down and had managed to catch her foot. Shucks! and B walked off to help her catch her ankles. And I was left to my own devices...which basically means I gave up after holding kapotasana B for about 5 breaths. Its the right side which I feel resistence in my spine/sacroliac joint. More on that today too...but am coming to that.
Well, yeh I was a little disappointed that I didn't get it again, and extremely envious of the bendy spine girl who seemed to get her ankles effortlessly. OK OK I was watching her because I noticed her backbend in cobra way earlier in class already. I admit watching people, and comparing myself to them all the time. Very non-yogic of me. I remember reading someone's blog last time and he mentioned he likes to watch others, and looks for the person with a well rounded practice. Thats what I do too....human nature I guess. When I see someone with a nice posture, I start wondering if they have the same expertise in other asanas. So far I came across 1 person that really really impressed me overall. I think she teaches, and has a really beautiful practice. I mean I have seen some senior foreign teachers have practices like that, but local teachers where I live, thats kinda rare..
Anyway this girl which really impressed me had loads of flexibility and bandhas of steel. Good grief! She was floating effortless in class and it was hard for me not to stare a bit. And she has great flexibility as well, forward bends, backbends, twists, arm balances, inversions. Everything was incredible. I don't know how she got like that, is it natural talent or did she actually had to practice to get that way??? Anyway I hope to get that way one day...maybe far into the future..hahah
Ok off topic, back to class, after kapotasana, B did more restorative stuff, nothing of note. sometimes he goes into inversion mania and makes us do headstands, arms balances, handstands etc, but not on Thursday. For the record my inversions are not exactly great. I think I have a lack of core strength, so in headstands I kinda sway around, pincha is not much better and the best time I had was with blocks and straps. Handstands...well I suck at them.
As in I was always too chicken to go up until a few weeks back. And without a wall, forget it! I can kinda kick up with one leg at a time against a wall, but thats all the progress I have made so far. Ahem, but I figure they are not really part of primary series anyway, so not really in a big hurry to get it at the moment.
So, today I had another class today, this time D's class. D 's sequence is pretty standard, and I think I have mentioned it before already.Nothing much new today, but I was determined to get my backbends back, and did the full eka pada kapotasana both sides today, right side was difficult again. Anyhow I think going into it from the side by grabbing the opposite big toe overhead by putting the foot into my elbow and then swinging around back face forward is bad form in my opinion. I figure I better reach overhead straight and grab the toe, but I haven't gotten to trying that yet. I think it kinda crunches my side waist and its not really symmetrical for the spine. Anyway will try it another day.
Anyway new discovery past few days. I found that if I sit against the wall in baddha konasana and put a block behind and push against it, I can give myself a cool adjustment in baddha konasana A. Usually I rely on B to squash me into it, but he ain't around or available all the time to do it, so this is really the next best thing. By levering my arms, I can push my spine straight and use my body weight to push my hips open and knees down. I think this is the best way I have discovered to help myself in this pose. After a 2 minute hold, I can actually see my knees sink down to floor by about 1 inch! cool...its gonna be part of my everyday research pose from now on.
Now I just need to find something to open my shoulders more for kapotasana. Tried the block between hands and elbows on chair trick I read on Yoga journal, but its really painful, so I gotto come up with an alternative. Will update once I get it!
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Aches and pains
Nothing much of interest to comment on today except that yesterday's led class with the multi back~breaking~bends has create much aches and pains throughout my body. Especially my rather sensitive lower right back.
Other than that today's led class was so so. Usual sequence.
There's mysore class tomorrow. Erm...I haven't been going for mysore for a few weeks..there are a few reasons for this, but they aren't exactly good ones, or reasonable excuses either. Anyhow, for some reason which I don't want to comment on here, I have decided that if I were to progress through primary series, given current circumstances, I will be taking the self practice and led classes route. If circumstances change, I will definitely be going however..
Other than that today's led class was so so. Usual sequence.
There's mysore class tomorrow. Erm...I haven't been going for mysore for a few weeks..there are a few reasons for this, but they aren't exactly good ones, or reasonable excuses either. Anyhow, for some reason which I don't want to comment on here, I have decided that if I were to progress through primary series, given current circumstances, I will be taking the self practice and led classes route. If circumstances change, I will definitely be going however..
Second series class...
Strange that I was complaining about not getting to do backbends in primary series and my teacher suddenly took it upon himself to teach second series in the led Ashtanga class today..
Anyway coincidence or not, my adrenaline totally skyrocketed. We did most of the first part of second series, except supta vajrasana and stopped around the leg behind head part..except some half yoganidrasana thingy. So all the backbends which I have been craving for including the dreaded kapotasana...
I haven't tried kapotasana that often, but i totally lost it today..could get my hands on the feet, but then that crick in my sacroliac joint just screamed for me to get OUT!! So didn't even bring my head down. The only time I did kapotasana well was when D adjusted me into it. He grabbed me by the waist and hoisted me up so that I could get a pretty big bend into the lower back, then grabbing the middle of my foot and putting the head down was pretty ok. Today, B kinda put my hand on the left foot, and supported half of my back, which kinda made me lopsided...and then when I tried getting the other foot myself, the screaming started!! hahahahah (well not out loud, but in my body) anyway I think if I were to continue with all that backbending I better start by walking my hands down a wall or something instead of jumping right into grabbing my feet. Anyway the sacroliac thing is really a bummer..sigh..just when the fun was starting with backbends.
Other than that we tried a half version of yoganidrasana. Always wanted to try that out, but my hips are a little stuck and wont budge too much in that direction. I have tried pulling the leg behind my head sitting up, and supta kurmasana is really just a sitting up version of the same thing. My Supta K isn't the greatest. Another hip problem for me I think, I can get my feet together (not binding) and hands binded. Then someone has to pull it behind my head for me. I always thought that primary series Supta K was feet on the floor binding, but B makes it a point to pull it all the way behind my head. Anyway I trust he knows whats he's doing, so its good also to get some leg behind head action in primary. So todays lying down version with one leg wasn't that bad..I could more or less pull it behind the head, but it won't stay there without some major assistance from my arms. Anyhow..practice..practice and more practice I guess.
So overall I was thrilled with class today. Something new to try at least. The usual led class was kinda getting a little repetitive. But I usually go because I need some adjustments still, and since I don't always practice all of the primary series at home, being in class just forces me to go further..same with mysore. I get more juiced up to go further in class it seems. Don't know if its the heat, the atmosphere or the exhibitionist in me!
Anyway cool. I'm still on leave tomorrow, and was thinking of going to S's led class tomorrow. She has a faster pace than B, which suits me, cos my 5 breaths are pretty fast. But I think B takes more time to explain the nuances of the practice than she does. But I think they are both good teachers, so S it will be tomorrow.
About my choice of teachers..I have to say that I go for teachers whom I think are advanced in their own practices. I don't really want someone new teaching me (which is probably what someone will say if I taught them..I'm really not that advanced in my practice and I think my teaching is even more dismal..more on that later). I think advanced teachers need to have their own advanced practices, otherwise how can you teach without that personal experience? I admit it, I look at other people's practice in class (tsk ..tsk). sometimes I watch other teachers who are taking classes along with me, and I make snap judgements about their teaching abilities. I am really bad..I know. But I think other people watching me will probably do the same.. and the judgement on me wouldn't be very complimentary either..
So anyway about my teaching...well yes I have waded into the pool of teaching before. In fact I teach some of my colleagues. Recently I got feedback that I talk too much during class and can't keep my mouth shut. hahah. So, I'm working on talking less and adjusting more. Anyhow luckily my students are seriously very new to yoga, otherwise they would also realise that I am not that advanced myself! But I also told them that upfront, so i guess I am not hiding the fact that I am really green in the yoga field.
Okie, enough for today. Wow, I can really type long winded posts...
Anyway coincidence or not, my adrenaline totally skyrocketed. We did most of the first part of second series, except supta vajrasana and stopped around the leg behind head part..except some half yoganidrasana thingy. So all the backbends which I have been craving for including the dreaded kapotasana...
I haven't tried kapotasana that often, but i totally lost it today..could get my hands on the feet, but then that crick in my sacroliac joint just screamed for me to get OUT!! So didn't even bring my head down. The only time I did kapotasana well was when D adjusted me into it. He grabbed me by the waist and hoisted me up so that I could get a pretty big bend into the lower back, then grabbing the middle of my foot and putting the head down was pretty ok. Today, B kinda put my hand on the left foot, and supported half of my back, which kinda made me lopsided...and then when I tried getting the other foot myself, the screaming started!! hahahahah (well not out loud, but in my body) anyway I think if I were to continue with all that backbending I better start by walking my hands down a wall or something instead of jumping right into grabbing my feet. Anyway the sacroliac thing is really a bummer..sigh..just when the fun was starting with backbends.
Other than that we tried a half version of yoganidrasana. Always wanted to try that out, but my hips are a little stuck and wont budge too much in that direction. I have tried pulling the leg behind my head sitting up, and supta kurmasana is really just a sitting up version of the same thing. My Supta K isn't the greatest. Another hip problem for me I think, I can get my feet together (not binding) and hands binded. Then someone has to pull it behind my head for me. I always thought that primary series Supta K was feet on the floor binding, but B makes it a point to pull it all the way behind my head. Anyway I trust he knows whats he's doing, so its good also to get some leg behind head action in primary. So todays lying down version with one leg wasn't that bad..I could more or less pull it behind the head, but it won't stay there without some major assistance from my arms. Anyhow..practice..practice and more practice I guess.
So overall I was thrilled with class today. Something new to try at least. The usual led class was kinda getting a little repetitive. But I usually go because I need some adjustments still, and since I don't always practice all of the primary series at home, being in class just forces me to go further..same with mysore. I get more juiced up to go further in class it seems. Don't know if its the heat, the atmosphere or the exhibitionist in me!
Anyway cool. I'm still on leave tomorrow, and was thinking of going to S's led class tomorrow. She has a faster pace than B, which suits me, cos my 5 breaths are pretty fast. But I think B takes more time to explain the nuances of the practice than she does. But I think they are both good teachers, so S it will be tomorrow.
About my choice of teachers..I have to say that I go for teachers whom I think are advanced in their own practices. I don't really want someone new teaching me (which is probably what someone will say if I taught them..I'm really not that advanced in my practice and I think my teaching is even more dismal..more on that later). I think advanced teachers need to have their own advanced practices, otherwise how can you teach without that personal experience? I admit it, I look at other people's practice in class (tsk ..tsk). sometimes I watch other teachers who are taking classes along with me, and I make snap judgements about their teaching abilities. I am really bad..I know. But I think other people watching me will probably do the same.. and the judgement on me wouldn't be very complimentary either..
So anyway about my teaching...well yes I have waded into the pool of teaching before. In fact I teach some of my colleagues. Recently I got feedback that I talk too much during class and can't keep my mouth shut. hahah. So, I'm working on talking less and adjusting more. Anyhow luckily my students are seriously very new to yoga, otherwise they would also realise that I am not that advanced myself! But I also told them that upfront, so i guess I am not hiding the fact that I am really green in the yoga field.
Okie, enough for today. Wow, I can really type long winded posts...
Sunday, December 10, 2006
Flow class
Had a flow class today at the studio. I go for this class almost every Sunday. Its an ok class, the sequence makes sense, think my teacher (lets call him D for Dancer - who I hear has an Ashtanga background) found a sequence that works..but has more or less stuck to that for most of his classes...I don't quite agree on that but I guess in a way you get to repeat the poses and try to get better at them. Its got some second series poses in there which I like coz primary series doesn't have that many backbends, and I don't want to wait till I finally get pasasana to try things like dhanurasana, bhekasana, shalabasana, ustrasana and kapotasana.
On the other hand sometimes I like my classes to be totally unpredictable and has a cool combo of stuff I have never done before...
Anyway the sequence pretty much starts with some shoulder and hip warm ups, standing poses - warrior1 & 2, side angle, crescent moon. Balance poses - warrior 3, standing splits, garudasana, standing dharunasana (kinda like natarajasana, but in a forward bend and hand just pulling the inside of the foot instead of the overhead version). Works to build the heat qite well.
Then we progressed to hip work - agnisthambasana which by the way is great for my hips. Major pain in the you know where literally coz my hips are really tight compared to every part of my body. External rotation is a major problem for me. Ardha baddha padmotanasana, and bharadvajasana..
Forward bends - paschimotanasana, tiriang mukha eka pada paschimatanasana
Some balances - tripod headstand, bakasana, eka pada bhujasana, astavrakrasana, eka pada pavrita koundinyasana (which I totally suck at..), vasisthasana
Backbends - shalabasana, eka pada rajakapotanasana, bhekasana, dhanurasana, ustrasana (which I had a strange reaction to..more later) and UD.
And we ended with some shoulderstand sequences
All in all I think it worked all areas of the body and was pretty comprehensive, now that I think of it maybe thats why he repeats it all the time...anyway more on the feeling i had in ustrasana..
Actually I get that weird suffocating feeling in ustrasana all the time, but I was just more aware of it today..felt a little light headed and felt some difficulty breathing..hmmm..maybe I was overdoing it? for the record my back is pretty flexy, but by no means to the extent that I can grab my knees (yet ..hahahha). Anyway recently I realise that deep backbends tend to compress something near my right sacroliac joint and it gets a little sore and stiff, so I have backed off the drop backs and things like kapotasana at the moment...I can tell D was quite surprised when I held back for most of the backbends. Anyhow I don't want to risk overdoing it. I think I gotto figure which part of my alignment is off, which I think is actually the clenching of my butt..gotto consciously relax that.
So thats about most of my recollection of class today. I don't think D's led classes really help me deepen my technique, but they do work out every part of the body...but gotto give it to him for coming up with that sequnce..really opens you up for the next pose quite well..;)
Ok, on leave tomorrow, can't decide if I should go for the morning or evening Ashtanga class. Evening is my usual teacher's class , he is great, hmm think I'll call him B - becos of the great BANDHAS~ unbelieavable...I gotto admit one of the reasons I go for his classes so often is that I hope he will teach me how to have floaty jumpbacks and jump through like his...the first time I saw him do the jumps, I was like WOWWEE. Not many people that I ever see do that right in front of me...well there are but they just don't do it so well! Morning class is by a girl, I'll call her S. I usually go for her hatha classes, but sometimes I like a change and see if she has any new things to teach me..I would probably end up going in the evening, mostly because I'm so used to B's adjustments. But lately I noticed he hasn't been giving me much adjustments..which actually doesn't thrill me too much. Most teachers stop giving me adjustments after a while, maybe because I get better at the asanas, but I have a suspicion because I am pretty reqular they don't really pay so much attention anymore!;( Anyway enough of sulky talk, really I mean if I go for class I expect just as much adjustments as someone new right...there is ALWAYS something to correct in alignment...hmmmpppffff...
Anyway so we'll see tomorrow what happens in class..
On the other hand sometimes I like my classes to be totally unpredictable and has a cool combo of stuff I have never done before...
Anyway the sequence pretty much starts with some shoulder and hip warm ups, standing poses - warrior1 & 2, side angle, crescent moon. Balance poses - warrior 3, standing splits, garudasana, standing dharunasana (kinda like natarajasana, but in a forward bend and hand just pulling the inside of the foot instead of the overhead version). Works to build the heat qite well.
Then we progressed to hip work - agnisthambasana which by the way is great for my hips. Major pain in the you know where literally coz my hips are really tight compared to every part of my body. External rotation is a major problem for me. Ardha baddha padmotanasana, and bharadvajasana..
Forward bends - paschimotanasana, tiriang mukha eka pada paschimatanasana
Some balances - tripod headstand, bakasana, eka pada bhujasana, astavrakrasana, eka pada pavrita koundinyasana (which I totally suck at..), vasisthasana
Backbends - shalabasana, eka pada rajakapotanasana, bhekasana, dhanurasana, ustrasana (which I had a strange reaction to..more later) and UD.
And we ended with some shoulderstand sequences
All in all I think it worked all areas of the body and was pretty comprehensive, now that I think of it maybe thats why he repeats it all the time...anyway more on the feeling i had in ustrasana..
Actually I get that weird suffocating feeling in ustrasana all the time, but I was just more aware of it today..felt a little light headed and felt some difficulty breathing..hmmm..maybe I was overdoing it? for the record my back is pretty flexy, but by no means to the extent that I can grab my knees (yet ..hahahha). Anyway recently I realise that deep backbends tend to compress something near my right sacroliac joint and it gets a little sore and stiff, so I have backed off the drop backs and things like kapotasana at the moment...I can tell D was quite surprised when I held back for most of the backbends. Anyhow I don't want to risk overdoing it. I think I gotto figure which part of my alignment is off, which I think is actually the clenching of my butt..gotto consciously relax that.
So thats about most of my recollection of class today. I don't think D's led classes really help me deepen my technique, but they do work out every part of the body...but gotto give it to him for coming up with that sequnce..really opens you up for the next pose quite well..;)
Ok, on leave tomorrow, can't decide if I should go for the morning or evening Ashtanga class. Evening is my usual teacher's class , he is great, hmm think I'll call him B - becos of the great BANDHAS~ unbelieavable...I gotto admit one of the reasons I go for his classes so often is that I hope he will teach me how to have floaty jumpbacks and jump through like his...the first time I saw him do the jumps, I was like WOWWEE. Not many people that I ever see do that right in front of me...well there are but they just don't do it so well! Morning class is by a girl, I'll call her S. I usually go for her hatha classes, but sometimes I like a change and see if she has any new things to teach me..I would probably end up going in the evening, mostly because I'm so used to B's adjustments. But lately I noticed he hasn't been giving me much adjustments..which actually doesn't thrill me too much. Most teachers stop giving me adjustments after a while, maybe because I get better at the asanas, but I have a suspicion because I am pretty reqular they don't really pay so much attention anymore!;( Anyway enough of sulky talk, really I mean if I go for class I expect just as much adjustments as someone new right...there is ALWAYS something to correct in alignment...hmmmpppffff...
Anyway so we'll see tomorrow what happens in class..
Shucks can't stop..
Well like the title says, since I'm here already, I'd go ahead and write my game plan...and go to sleep after.
For hips (and my daily struggle with Baddha Konasana)
- Supta Baddha konasana (sacrum on block and supported back)
- Sukhasana forward bend
- Ardha Baddha konasana each side
- Agnisthambasana (sp?)
- Akarna dhanurasana each side
- Frog (erm.. mandukasana I think)
- Baddha konasana
For handstand
- Ardha Vrksasana against wall
- Supported handstand, back to wall, or couch, or bed...
- Pike with gym ball
- Navasana
Drop backs and standing up
- UD 5 times every day
For hips (and my daily struggle with Baddha Konasana)
- Supta Baddha konasana (sacrum on block and supported back)
- Sukhasana forward bend
- Ardha Baddha konasana each side
- Agnisthambasana (sp?)
- Akarna dhanurasana each side
- Frog (erm.. mandukasana I think)
- Baddha konasana
For handstand
- Ardha Vrksasana against wall
- Supported handstand, back to wall, or couch, or bed...
- Pike with gym ball
- Navasana
Drop backs and standing up
- UD 5 times every day
Saturday, December 9, 2006
Purpose of this Blog
This is a blog of my perpetual journey as a yoga student. I'm not really expecting an audience here, although I guess if I go ahead and start a blog, some people may read this. Anyway, considering I keep bits and pieces of paper of my yoga sequences, practice details and all things yoga related, I might as well take the next logical step....blog it.
Which brings me to my first post.
I'm not an expert, nor have I been a serious yoga student for long. I took a teacher's training earlier this year, and I must say have learnt some fundamental stuff that 5 years of on off asana practice has not taught me. Anyway as far as learning goes, I think I have barely skimmed the surface of this practice.
I am a mixed bag when it comes to asana practice. I've had a whole spectrum of teachers over the last five years, mostly teachers who teach at the various gyms around here. I don't know if I am fortunate or not, but I have learnt from teachers from a whole assortment of traditions - Sivananda, Iyengar, Ashtanga Vinyasa and even some pilates teachers.
I do practice ashtanga, the primary series..that too I only started mysore classes this year. Hard to get mysore classes where I live. And harder still in my opinion to find good teachers who can teach it well. However I am nowhere near being a hardcore ashtangi. I actually enjoy going for an assortment of flow and hatha classes to try out new stuff that is not part of primary series.
I guess I am very much a more an asanist than yogi. After all, the main form of pranayama I do is Ujjayi, the only time I think I am stilling the mind is when I am totally immersed in the physicality of asana practice. I never said I am too proud of that, but I do hope that the other aspects of the eight limbs will catch up with me in time to come.
Anyhow my typical practice each week consists of 3-4 classes at the local studio (not necessarily Ashtanga either), and on the days I don't go for class, self practice for about 1 to 1.5 hours. I actually hope having a blog will help me track my progress or non-progress and sort out exactly what kinda practice I actually want.
I kinda like the fact that the Ashtanga series has a set sequence that I can gauge whether I am actually doing better. But looking at what I wrote, I realise I am really contradicting myself..after all yoga is not about chasing after a perfect asana practice, but I can't help it, maybe there is a semblance of a type A personality in me after all. But if I follow that strictly, I'd be far off from doing the fun backbends, inversions and arm balances that only come later in the series.
Ok enough of ramblings, I think I better put it down here...so I know what I am actually aiming to do. I am working towards a few things at the moment and what better place to record this for all the world to see than on my own blog...
1. Open my hips in baddha konasana enough to get the knees down
2. Kick up into a handstand
3. Stand up and drop back with ease
This by no means implies that everything else is fine and dandy, just that I think those are my milestones in relation to what I think I should be capable of achieving next.
Anyway the game plan will have to be next post, cos I am getting kinda sleepy..
Which brings me to my first post.
I'm not an expert, nor have I been a serious yoga student for long. I took a teacher's training earlier this year, and I must say have learnt some fundamental stuff that 5 years of on off asana practice has not taught me. Anyway as far as learning goes, I think I have barely skimmed the surface of this practice.
I am a mixed bag when it comes to asana practice. I've had a whole spectrum of teachers over the last five years, mostly teachers who teach at the various gyms around here. I don't know if I am fortunate or not, but I have learnt from teachers from a whole assortment of traditions - Sivananda, Iyengar, Ashtanga Vinyasa and even some pilates teachers.
I do practice ashtanga, the primary series..that too I only started mysore classes this year. Hard to get mysore classes where I live. And harder still in my opinion to find good teachers who can teach it well. However I am nowhere near being a hardcore ashtangi. I actually enjoy going for an assortment of flow and hatha classes to try out new stuff that is not part of primary series.
I guess I am very much a more an asanist than yogi. After all, the main form of pranayama I do is Ujjayi, the only time I think I am stilling the mind is when I am totally immersed in the physicality of asana practice. I never said I am too proud of that, but I do hope that the other aspects of the eight limbs will catch up with me in time to come.
Anyhow my typical practice each week consists of 3-4 classes at the local studio (not necessarily Ashtanga either), and on the days I don't go for class, self practice for about 1 to 1.5 hours. I actually hope having a blog will help me track my progress or non-progress and sort out exactly what kinda practice I actually want.
I kinda like the fact that the Ashtanga series has a set sequence that I can gauge whether I am actually doing better. But looking at what I wrote, I realise I am really contradicting myself..after all yoga is not about chasing after a perfect asana practice, but I can't help it, maybe there is a semblance of a type A personality in me after all. But if I follow that strictly, I'd be far off from doing the fun backbends, inversions and arm balances that only come later in the series.
Ok enough of ramblings, I think I better put it down here...so I know what I am actually aiming to do. I am working towards a few things at the moment and what better place to record this for all the world to see than on my own blog...
1. Open my hips in baddha konasana enough to get the knees down
2. Kick up into a handstand
3. Stand up and drop back with ease
This by no means implies that everything else is fine and dandy, just that I think those are my milestones in relation to what I think I should be capable of achieving next.
Anyway the game plan will have to be next post, cos I am getting kinda sleepy..
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