Got to be honest, Christmas party season and yoga aren't the best mix. Had four drinks last night, then a 9am mysore class. Didn't eat breakfast. Took me a stonking three hours to make my way through the Primary Series. A record, even for me. Probably a combination of not eating and the toxins sweating out of me, but I just couldn't remember very much of how to do the sequences. I'd sit for ages, tapping my fingers against the mat, and suddenly it would come to me, but often it wouldn't, and I'd have to ask Sarah. Looking at my books, I am now aware that I did something that very much wasn't paschimottanasana, and all my sun salutations were pretty lame. I could barely find the energy to get up into downward dog at the end of them.
However, today was interesting for other reasons – in supta padangusthaasana A and B and C, Sarah helped me lift my back off the floor for literally the first time ever. At first she was trying to help but she was having to do too much of the work, so she suggested I spun round and placed my foot firmly against the wall. From there, I used an infinity strap around my foot and held onto it to bring the leg back. Then I was able to grasp the big toe with the fingers, and then with her helping foot, grounding my errant thigh, I was able to lift off the floor in a way that's never been possible, whether in Pilates or yoga. I was so excited! It just shows that more is possible than you think. I really don't use my muscles and my breath correctly yet – there's a long way to go
Second thing that was pretty cool was a discussion after doing a shoulder stand against the wall. She suggested I might like to try handstand as it would be more freeing for my neck, shoulders and boobs. She demonstrated a starting point for it, which is working your legs up the wall. You start with one foot firm against the wall, and then you use all your arm strength and core to get your second leg up. As ever, she makes it look so easy, and when I tried it it was WAY harder and I could barely get my second foot off the wall, but that's what a daily practice is for, right? I have to start thinking about the long-term here.
She also said again that I was coming on leaps and bounds, which is lovely to hear when you've had what feels to you like a particularly crappy practice, but I guess that some of the things achieved are really different. I did get a bit chatty at the end though (she was talking to me and then I got carried away), and there was still one person practicing in the room, so I have to really focus down on how I behave in the room too, and think about how I feel as a student when people do that, or how I would feel as a teacher trying to focus on safe teaching.
I was meant to be going over to my friend's tomorrow for various fun things, including a bit of yoga teaching (I mean that in the most informal sense) – she has fibromyalgia and was hoping to hear some options for her body. I was also meant to be doing some legal stuff with her and a bit of singing too, but all that will have to wait as she is sadly sick. Part of me is faintly relieved as we're in Christmas party week, which is a heavy week for me this year, and I could do with a quiet afternoon. But the other part of me is sad we don't get to hang, even though I know we'll rearrange – and her bug sounds like no fun). The other part of me is like, dude, you have to be at a band rehearsal at 9am in Poplar. Calm it down.
It never ceases...