Things I wish I'd done sooner...

Recently I've learnt some new face exercises that promise to lift, tone and reshape the face..well..what has all this got to do with practice?? First of all, skeptical as I was at first, face exercises work. Perhaps not as well as plastic surgery or botox (not that I'd know since I've not done any), but yeah..I've managed to see some nice changes in my face..a smoother forehead, firmer jawline, nicer eyes and better shaped lips...subtle..but it sure works.

The concept is similar to exercising any part of the body, work a muscle enough and with resistance..it gets bigger and stronger..or if you want to keep resistance low..at least it increases tone. Thats a concept I'm sold on, because I've seen so much change in my muscle tone and strength in ashtanga (for me anyway).

So I was thinking, how nice if I had understood this way earlier in my practice..I would have been so much stronger if I'd done somethings sooner instead of later. Its been 2 years 2 months since I've started ashtanga..and I now have a list of stuff that I would have done from day one..if I had the chance to start over..

1. Always use the chest and hip extension when working backbends. Don't let the feet splay. Keep the knees pointing forward and feet planted on the ground. Not doing this has caused me quite a lot of lower back and SI discomfort earlier in my practice. Lunges and quad stretches are great for getting further into backbending, its opened up my hips and stretched out my quads a lot.

2. Keep the hands planted on the floor and don't lift them up anytime. Not even in trini..especially not in trini I think. I learnt this from John Scott first and then from J. I think thats one of the first things thats helped me shift weight into the hands to help me with jumpbacks and jump throughs. If I'd learnt this earlier on, I think I'd have learnt the float much sooner rather than later.

3. Spend heaps of time sitting in siddhasana, sukhasana, doing the frog thing (its a torture I think) and doing a janu variation with the straight leg bent and facing inwards to improve leg behind the head. The janu variation thing really works, cause I end up in more or less with one leg just next to the ear or in front of my head just like when doing LBH. I did that for a whole year instead of janu shirshasana, sometimes with a block under the foot to let gravity assist in bending me forward. I think its helped immensely in getting me to the point where I can get the leg behind quite comfortably.

4. Don't jump back by planting the hands in front and hopping back. Put the hands right next to the hips and get through the arms to go backwards. Even if it means it's more a push yourself to stand up and then stepping back. This really was a bad habit I think, and one which I spent almost 1 year doing. It didn't help very much in terms of really learning how to go backwards..it probably helped with some arm strength but thats about it.

5. jump through with crossed legs, right from the start..or at least jump up, cross and sit down behind the hands. And even when landing behind the hands, squeeze through the arms no matter what. This is another thing that I think really helped me build strength. I used to jump through pretty easily with straight legs, but I realise now it seems to use more flexibility in folding forward, hips flexor strength and upper back strength than bandhas..

6. Backbends can wait if you are flexible...for me anyway. Being able to do tonnes of backbending seems to have effect of stretching out all the muscles I need to be strong to do vinyasa properly. Of course its glamorous to be able to put my feet on top of my head, but I think it certainly didn't balance out the front and back of my body..

7. Follow the vinyasa count..and enjoy the breathing. I think it would have made my practice much more enjoyable right from the start...instead of stressing out over getting deeper and further..etc etc.

At the shala..

I was across the causeway the last few days for work and also took some time off for a holiday there. Spent a good deal of money on all sorts of clothes, skin care stuff, yoga tops etc;P

Anyway, I didn't check whether J would be around..I'd assumed that he was, but turns out he was in Mysore..he did come back though 2 days later and so I only got to go for 1 class with him.

Anyhow, there wasn't anything much that he worked on with me..I guess most of the stuff he taught me I already do..just a few things which I'd list later. We did have a rather dramatic time grabbing ankles..which is seriously intense..but doable. He was trying to make me grab without putting my hands down, which was a horrible experience and felt like my shoulder was gonna pop out or something..he said I was much closer when I was hanging back then when I put my hands down. Anyway I told him it was too much, so we worked at walking the hands in. that was alright..but still was intense..jeeezz..apparently my shoulders tend to turn out, I reckon because shoulders were tight so he told me to keep them pointing straight ahead as much as I could.

As for other stuff, well...the last time I went to him, I could get into dwi pada sitting up and then into supta k...but since I've not actually practiced it much at home, I just got into from the floor...he didn't seem to remember that..so he let it pass. Otherwise I though he was picking on all the stuff he never picked on like putting my chin on shin in ardha baddha padmotanasana (which makes me lose my balance), shin to the floor in bhujapidasana (which makes me feel like smashing my face)and telling me not to bend my elbows in my jump backs..

Apparently, unknown to me, I tend to bend my elbows too fast in all my jumpbacks..whether from standing, sitting or even bakasana. He wanted me to jump back into a plank instead of chatturanga. Hmmm...to tell you the truth, I always thought I keep my arms pretty straight...I thought I did keep my arms straight after that, but according to J, I was still bending them...I got to bring back the mirror and look at myself when I practice to know..he said I'd have far more control if I kept my arms straight..sigh..thats what happens when your teacher was a gymnastics coach...he expects us to do gymnastics stuff as well...I'm sure this is one of those gymnastics thingys..not bending the elbows...

OK..I have a confession...I complained to J that he wasn't giving me poses...but to be honest I know he's not supposed to teach beyond primary..but there were people at the shala who practice beyond primary series..so I more or less told him I'd progress myself if he wasn't giving me poses (I know..I'm a greedy, grasping girl hungry for new poses;P) I didn't tell him my other teachers teach me second series though..cos he's been on my case about practising with too many teachers anyway. Anyway my ploy didn't work...J told me instead of asking him to teach me a new pose..he'd rather I go read the sutras...sigh...he's been saying that to me for ages...its VERY frustrating!

Anyway, we also talked baout Mysore..and J asked me when I would be going..so I said I'll go someday..just that I haven't saved up money to do it. I guess I may go someday...