Kino weekend – This Lifetime maybe!

I love this saying of Kino’s when we are stuggling and finding it hard to believe that we will ever do a posture, “This lifetime, next lifetime, it doesn’t matter!”. She has this way of giving students belief, she’s up front and says its going to be hard, “Janusirsasana C, your toes will hate it, but that’s ok!” Also had to laugh as someone came up and over from Supta Konasana and took out the demonstration Skeleton!

Lead Primary on Saturday morning, no long spiel just the chant and off we went, she keeps a nice rythm, but gives you long enough with her slow count and love of the number 3 to get into some of the more challenging ones like Mari D and Supta K. Having had Friday off I was a bit stiff and creaky. A lovely assist in the second side of Supta Padangusthasana. And for all those who don’t think there are enough backbends in Primary OMG did we do some, and mine were surprisingly good, I think it ended up being 6 Urdva Dhanurasanas. Glad I did it but glad when it was over! Nice to chill out and hang out in Halasana, before a long Savasana when my mind as usual began to turn to thoughts of tea and Pastry’s!

Pastry time @ LPQ

Sunday morning 8am start for the Mysore practice, staggered start times, but pleased to get an early one so that I could take my time and really give everything to it. And what a surprisingly superb practice it turned out to be. Completely focussed, steady breath, body open and willing to do this crazy stuff. Nice Kino squish in Padahastasana and a complete surprise when she got my head on the floor in Prasarita Padot A, how did that happen? After a very wobbly UHPin the led class, todays was steady and balanced.

Today it just seemed to all come together for some reason, all the seated binds, a deep Kurmasana leading to a nice Supta Kurmasana. I even managed to get my arms through in Garbha Pindasana. I had previously given this posture up as a bad job and a bit of a waste of time if I am honest, the lotus hurt my knees and there was seemingly no space big enough to stick a finger through let alone an arm. I had fleetingly done it once on a sweat drenched day in Thailand but not since. But over the last few weeks there has been some cyber shala discussion about the various techniques employed to do this. It just felt right to have another try today, so I took a looser Lotus and forced my arms through the still seemingly too small gap, lifted a little, started to rock and got beached “Suuuuuusannn!” alas she was not in a position to come to my rescue this time, so I had to untangle myself!

Mysore practice

Garbha may not have been a great success, but it was certainly better than I previously managed. Maybe I will even try it again, well ok maybe next Sunday when Susan is next door to come to the rescue! Steadily through the rest of seated until time for my one and only second series pose, I had to do it today as Kino was the one who gave it to me. Pasasana is coming, on my own to start with getting a decent balanced twist, then Kino appeared so we could do it all again as she bound me easily on both sides. I am beginning to wonder if sometimes its not my Pasasana that is not as good when the bind doesn’t happen, even with assistance, I am beginning to come to the conclusion that it could also be down to the technique of the adjuster, some teachers just seem to easily keep you steady and help you take the bind, Kino certainly comes into this category.

Backbend time, how would it go today, I had managed to keep my mind off the backbends, usually my mind starts to turn to them after Supta K, but today my mind and breath not to mention the old drishty thing had been where they are supposed to be, so backbends had not come up in the internal. Doing so many in the led class somehow made it easier today, I did 4 Urdva Dhanurasanas, walking in remembering Kino’s sayings “your legs may burn” and “Strength is a choice you make“. Then stood up to do my dropbacks, no wall to warm up against today, so I did a few hang backs until I could see the floor and then went for it, yay 5 safely landed with a bit of walking in and rocking. Kino had watched from afar then came over for 3 more, she assisted me down at the last second, then had me walking in, rocking and coming back up. I had asked her about the standing up question before we started, she said when i work on my own to not think about trying to come up and being disappointed because it never happens, but instead to try and rock and bounce the hands, she said eventually it will come. On the last assisted one she initiated the coming up but seemed to disengage and I managed to come up most of the way on my own, at the top she was smiling and said “you did most of that one on your own, your nearly there!” It still doesnt feel like it, I remember Cary saying something similar months ago!

Savasana Corner

I was glad to have started early as the room was really filling up, there had been 12 of us at 8am, by the time I layed down for Savasana it was closer to 40. I had got assists and advice in the things I needed and layed on my mat with the thought that this had been the best practice of the year by a mile, it had all gone right, no dodgy crash landing on my head or wrist, all the binds bound, no thoughts of such and such was crap today. I said to someone after that maybe I should declare for the year as I doubt very much whether I will get a practice that good again anytime soon!

A long leisurely brunch, well needed refueling of body, my mind was in a happy place, that feeling of being where you want to be with people you love being with, yoga chatter.

1pm Second series Introduction workshop

This was a very basic introduction, focussing on the main points of backbending, all those illegal poses I play around with at home, Salabhasana is far harder than I thought! Leg Behind the Head and dynamic control, moving into strength with flexion and extension. Below are my notes from my Iphone.

2nd series nerve cleansing
1) backbending is about testing the spine and muscles. Lifting energy up the spine
2) LBH
3) dynamic control over flexion and extension. Move into strength
PASASANA- stability in the pelvis. More important to bind than to squat. Marichyadana C is good preparation.
SALABHASANA-lift kneecaps off the ground, big toes together eventually heals together
LAGHU VADRASANA- develop strength in quads and hips
KAPOTASANA- work your way in, don’t freak out if you see a toe! Don’t try and climb the toes and feet
DWIPADA- knee out to the side.
Pincha mayurasana
KARANDAVASANA – from headstand
NAKRASANA
SEND THE SIGNAL EVEN IF NOTHING HAPPENS, eventually this lifetime next lifetime it may happen