Friday Morning

Okay- so I had another full day yesterday.

I got up early to go to the Mysore practice, which was great. Juan gave me a fantastic teaching on the Ashtanga Vinyasa view of teaching and practicing ardha badha padmottasana and a correction that as it registered I realized, "Right, of course. It's Inner Spiral!" Interestingly enough it was exactly the instructions I give for eka pada raja kapotasanaa in my endless attempt to eradicate lazy pigeons everywhere. At the risk of sounding like a newly converted zealot, I must say that the majesty and integrity of that system is really best communicated through Mysore-style approach. I am finding it quite illuminating.

I went back to The Castle at 4:30 for my Level 2-4 class. We worked in deep hip opening and press handstands variations and eventually got to some work with getting our legs behind our heads. I got to make some use of the insight I had gotten in practice that morning and so that was fun.

The Group Practice at Breath and Body was great. I worked again with longer holds and less flow-based combinations so that the strong work would stay grounded. We did a fairly well-rounded practice and worked to keep the back bends in our legs. We did some work with drop backs and standing up. Right now, I am really into helping people sort out the mechanics of urdhva danurasana in preparation for the deeper bends. To me urdhva danurasana is a gateway back bend. It makes no sense to go much further in the back bend syllabus until that pose is free and clear. If we are enduring pain in that bend we are going to be guaranteed of pain when we get to kapotasana. We have to sort it out or we are just asking for trouble later. And when you ask for trouble, well, you tend get it!

Okay then- I have some time today to go swimming and practice before THE IMMERSION STARTS TONIGHT!!! Now that is exciting and worth a whole entry of its own.

Oh- and check out my new website. www.christinasell.com Desirae did it for me.