Flexibility

One thing a yogi learns is flexibility. Both physically and as a mindset. Go figure! I had my bags and mat all packed and excited about Mysore tonight but couldn't make it as I had a deadline to meet at work and of course right when it got to the crunch my computer decides to go cross-eyed! Oh well, it teaches patience, commitment, flexibility and living in the now. Still learning all of them! So I did a home practice instead with my faithful "The Rocket" dvd. 

I love The Rocket it's supposed to propulse you forward through primary, second and third in lightening speed. lol! It's a fusion-mishmash series of ashtanga by Larry Schultz. And it's a lot of fun and challenging. I use it as a supplement to ashtanga to give me variation and opportunity to work on postures I'm not exposed to in primary but would still like to do like hanumanasana, side splits, the backbends of second and the hand balances of third in an accessible and approachable manner. It helps to open my back, gain lift and balance, gives me variety and really benefits me in my ashtanga practice especially in the lift/bandha aspect. Because well, you see, you need alot of bandha control and lift in hand balancing, you can't be sinking into your arms like a heavy weighted sack of potatoes. Bandha and lift come into that.

I had a great practice with it. Video'd it and all! That's the mirror thing. Felt a little stronger, more controlled and felt a wee more open too. I'm again seeing a touch more flexibility gains such as in my hamstrings and hips in hanumanasa. I was almost to the floor! Like an inch! And my face pretty much went to my shin in parshvottanasana on the right side. Wow! Left side, we won't talk about that. I did bakasana jump back, side bakasana but still can't open my legs. Yet. lol! Tried to go into bakasana from tripod headstand but my head wasn't budging! Waaaa! I used to be able to do this. Oh well 2 steps forward 1 step back. Ashtavakrasana was good and was able to do the transition back to chatarunga on right side. It was a little weak, have done better before my wrist injury. But still not bad. Still need to work on left side. My atrocious nemesis of a left side! My brain needs to learn to love left as much as right. lol!

Enjoyed the feeling of the teeny weeny incremental progress and to experience once again in tiny ways that "practice and all is coming."

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