David Swenson and John Scott all in a day;P

haha..I wish! I mean their DVDs. My order finally arrived, so I watched these two senior teachers do their thing on my laptop just now.

I got both David Swenson's first and second/third series..and its really eye opening watching third series. Its definitely gravity defying. I don't know if I'd get there...well probably one day in the far far future maybe. I loved David's encouraging words and pacing. I have fast breaths and his counts were comfortable for me. He's also very comforting and encouraging..asking the viewers to take things easy and concentrate on the breath.

John Scott on the other hand has a more clinical approach to the way he teaches..on this DVD anyway. And I found myself giggling over the way he likes to say "inhaale.. exhaaaaale..." Anyhow again its eye opening to see how he practices and all those handstand vinyasas.

I practiced primary along with David's DVD. Its great..and I think it might be the one I'd most like to practice with in the future. I've also got Richard Freeman's as well, but Richard although gives some great alignment and tips, has a pace thats WAY too slow for me.

On another note, my classes today at the gym were great! I taught a hot class in the morning..which is very beginnerish, and then a flow/vinyasa type class after. I love teaching this particualar flow class, mainly because the people who come are already very experienced and have been practising for a while. I'm really honored that they decide to come to my class, considering that I'm such a new/junior teacher. These people have amazing abilities, and I get to do all sorts of stuff in class that I typically cannot teach in other classes, even if they are flow or Ashtanga classes.
Ahem..and since my recent "almost" proficiency in koundinyasana, I also decided to teach it as an option in class today..good thing I didn't fall out of it while demoing;P However, I'm running dry in ideas on new stuff to teach nowadays, especially since the run of the mill stuff has been taught over and over already. Got to find some new material soon...

Okie, I'm going out karaokeing tonite..so my post ends here...

Arm balances and inversions..

Went to D's class today. Its one I try not to miss cos I'm forced to do the stuff I don't really like...inversions and arm balances. Strength is not my strong point, so I usually have to put in lots of concentration and focus to nail most of the poses.

Considering my recent psoas injury, I think I did pretty ok, sticking my balance in pincha and handstands for a decent couple of breaths. I even managed to lift the right leg off the floor in koundinyasana B, the splitzy thing which has always been a major pain for me. I couldn't lift the left side at all though, but then my left side has always been harder to do..just like in koundinyasana A, I had to keep working on the left side way after I could lift on the right side with no problems.

My back hasn't been behaving too well lately. I have this SI problem on the right which gets aggravated everytime D decides to sit on my knees for bhekasana. I might have to tell him to back off for a while. I didn't feel like doing kapotasana today although I know its part of the standard menu in this particular class that D teaches. I stayed in some supta virasana/matsyasana thingy hoping D will just leave me alone, but of course he came over and hoisted me up into a majorly backbend and put my hands on my feet. No heels...and I haven't attempted the heels since B left many months back. I reckon I'm not at the pose yet in the series, so no rush to go for it now..besides the time I did get my heels, I felt a major crunch in my lower spine, so I reckon I may have to work a while on opening my shoulders and hips a little more instead of taking everything in the lower back.


I signed my contract with the new studio...starts in December..I'd be teaching 30 classes a month for them part time. I'm gonna miss the Yogaworks training which the studio is fully sponsoring for me...and its starting next month. I can't do it cos I'm working 2.5 days a week at my proper job..and I really am not ready to quit and teach full time. Its a shame..but what can I do??

I'm gonna plan my classes for tomorrow after this post, I reckon I'd like to theme my class around backbending tomorrow..just for a change..

Mysore 27 Sept 2007

I've really been neglecting my practice lately. Had to go down to Singapore for work earlier in the week, and only practiced yesterday on my own after almost 3 days of nothing..No wonder I'm stiff as a block today..I could barely grasp my fingers in pasasana..and that has not happened for a good while..

Good news is that I have recovered from my psoas injury, and can do utthita hasta padangustasana C again..(or maybe D ..I don't know..its the one where you release the hands and stand with both hands on hips and straight legs). I couldn't straighten my legs in both that and navasana for a few days cos I think I had a case of psoas tendonitis or something along those lines. Anyway my jump throughs sucked today because I think my psoas were still slightly weaker than normal..and I made quite a few thuds while jumping through..but I reckon its better than not being able to do it at all.

Also I had a good time crashing on my stomach jumping out of bhuja and supta k. Gosh when am i ever gonna be able to do that properly??? D just said to me...more bandhas and pull in the abs...sigh..easier said than done!

And worse still I just COULD not get up from laghu at all! it was quite easy last week and during practice at home, I made it up with no problems..but today it was all in vain..cos I absolutely felt stuck to the floor.I did stick a nice balance in my handstands today..stayed there a couple of breaths.

All in all..it was a pretty dismal kind of practice...but I feel pretty good anyhow..just getting through it. I suppose thats the price to pay for not practicing..regression. hmmm. I just suppose I have to put in a more consistent practice if I want to improve...I'm gonna aim for a 5 day week next week if possible...hope that things will return to normal soon enough..

Mysore class 21 Sept 2007

I spent the whole class modifying poses today. I accumulated a whole bunch of injuries the last week, including a bruised elbow from slipping from the stairs, and a strained psoas after attempting a jumpthrough. No jumpthroughs or navasana today, my psoas was just too weak for it.

I did my "split" today and went on to intermediate right after supta k. D taught me laghu vajrasana today. It was fun..and I did come up..but I admit I used my hands to pull..hahahha...I told D this and he told me not to cheat next time..so we'll see if I'll be able to get up without pulling.

I hope my psoas heals soon..I'm really not used to not being able to jump through and all the other stuff..

Back to almost normal...

Alright..I'm back to normal. Maybe its because it's back to class..or whatever..anyway..am feeling quite strong and bendy today. Got through most of class uneventfully. However, for whatever reason, couldn't get my feet together for supta k, and D had to do a bit more squashing then usual to get me to bind..and even then my left ankle hurt (old injury) and we let it go for today. I've been pretty consistent with supta k recently so that was a step back..hmm.

Jump backs from bhuja and supta k are still mighty clumsy and feels like a tonne of bricks. Got to work on that more.

I got ustrasana today. Again I seriously wasn't expecting anything this week. I just got dhanurasana last week and I roll about like a beached whale to get into the parsva thing. I guess D didn't see that..and deemed it fit to teach me another pose. To be very honest my first reaction was.. "oh gosh my practice is gonna take FOREVER.." BUT, D told me to skip the primary poses from supta k onwards next week to go directly to pasasana..so in a way I guess I've kinda split..although the real reason is that my class is only 1.5 hours long and I really have no time to finish in that amount of time, so I guess splitting is the only way I've time not to rush through all my finishing poses to finish.

Overall, I feel great. Am glad I've shaken off the lethargy.

p/s: I've finally order David Swenson and John Scott's DVDs. Am excitedly waiting for it to arrive in the post. Can't wait!

Getting lazier...

Feeling really stiff and weak. Its been a few days of the same lethargic feeling..and along with it, the body has become pretty unbendable as well. sigh.

Not only did it feel like my muscles were stretching like dried up rubber bands..and I also lost my connection with the bandhas the last few days. No idea what the problem is..except lack of sleep cos I need to get to work half and hour earlier than before. and teaching too many classes perhaps.

I think I need a new challenge of sorts in my practice. I've been slacking and cruising along almost on autopilot lately, eventhough I'm weak and inflexible. Jumping back is still not coming..and I've kinda let the idea go that I'll do it in the very near future..so for now its just lift, pull ass through and bunny hop back.

OK..just to inspire myself, I'd like to do:

1. Eka pada (no hands!)
2. pincha mayurasana
3. Galavasana
4. Jumping back
5. koundinyasana II

probably will work on it after my backbends...

Dilemma

I'm in a bit of a bind..I just got another offer to teach..one that I can find hard to say no to..I mentioned some time ago that I went for an interview with a new studio thats gonna be set up in town..well I got the job..

Problem is, I just took on another 5 classes on top of my normal 2 at the gym, cos they have a new centre and needed someone to teach. Also, the guiy who gave me the clases were really nice to me and kinda have always looked out for me while I was teaching there. But the new place has great potential, slightly better pay per class and also offers a full scholarship for a Yogaworks teacher's training (of course that means I have to work for them for 2 years if I do it.) I even get a monthly education allowance to attend workshops and conferences etc. Its a hard choice..and I got to reply by Monday..sigh.

Other than that its tiring to teach 8 classes a week. Luckily I have time off between classes as they are usually staggered in the early mornings and evenings. It also kinda saps my energy for my own practice..no wonder some teachers say they find it hard to concentrate on both their personal practice and teaching.

Other than that practice wise..still no improvements in jump backs. Stuck where I was..which is lift, swing..get stuck with feet on the floor..and bunny hop into chatturanga. I did realise recently I can lift into a L-plant position though pretty easily. It surprised me too, cos sometime ago, the idea of doing that seemed out of this world for me..and now I can just do it. Surprising! No other inspiring breakthroughs though..

Mysore 6 Sept 2007

Still lethargic..and it shows...Anyway I still managed to get through practice ok. Although I bombed a few vinyasas..and only got 1 leg through..hmm.

I could also not get a clear connection with the bandhas today..and now I am beginning to be aware that somedays I have a very clear connection with bandhas, and I usually feel much stronger and more solid, while on certain days like today, I just didn't feel much at all. I don't know why, but I speculate its because I have a bit of gas today (haha..a bit too much info maybe)..and it messed up my bandhas a little...I crashed on my stomach while jumping out of both bhuja and supta k today, those 2 jump backs arew pretty indicative of my level of bandha control on a given day..

I got dhanurasana today though..with the parsva thrown in. I was seriously not expecting anything new for a while..cos my bhekasana hasn't really improved much at all. So when D told me to do 1 more today..and to get into dhanurasana..I thought he was asking me to get into urdvha dhanurasana..and I got on my back to push up..and had to be told that its the bow..not upward bow...shucks...he must really think I know nuts about sanskrit...so anyhow..I don't particularly like this pose..I don't like the getting the legs together part..nor the rolling to the side thingy...

But well..I guess getting through the series is pretty much like getting through life..sometimes there are things that aren't easy or enjoyable to do..but still got to do it to get to the nicer stuff that you want to do...there really is a lot of parallels between life on the mat and real life...and I am happy to say that I'm realising some pretty important lessons here that I think would help me deal with the other stuff in my life..

Lethargy

These past few days I've been pretty lazy practising..
I can't seem to get back into a very enthusiastic mood to practice..so I just skip poses and vinyasas etc..and basically do a sandwich practice of sorts.

Its also got to do with the fact that I've started to find primary series not as taxing as it used to be..not that I'm saying I'm good at it..but I guess it doesn't seem to drain me much anymore..and the few poses of intermediate that I do are not particularly difficult at the moment. I'm still working on jumping back.and that takes up most of my energy.

Also I have recently taken up another 5 classes at the gym..which takes up quite a bit of my energy..so I teach 8 classes a week..on top of working 2.5 days at my "proper" job. Its quite a nice arrangement..and I'm quite lucky to be able to work that out with my boss. Maybe all the teaching classes are burning me out..I don't know.

I taught a hot class at the gym this morning. Its too slow for my liking..but we have a fixed lists of poses to do and I had to make sure everyone was in the pose long enough so that I could stretch the class up to 1 hour..26 poses..no vinyasas. Its really veryy slow..I am not sure I'd like to attend such a slow class given my very fast 5 breaths..

Anyway have another class shortly..so going to get ready. Hope this lethargic feeling will pass soon.