We tried

to get Friday night re-instated, e-mail please went unanswered, am sure they are going to phase it out. I got on my mat with a heavy heart last night, practice at home is good, but it does not have that focus of those two hours at Sangam.

But I did all the standing postures and up to Upavistha Konasana of the seated. Marichyasana sequence is strange, A,B & C are now pretty good again. D is weird last Friday I managed a finger grab and thought OK we are on the way again. But the last few times I have done this asana, although its comes off a deep twist in C, I either cannot quite get there or for some reason cannot get my arm around the knee and back behind without it flying out, my arm seems to have lost its ability to go round the knee, its frustrating as my knee and hip are getting better, either a little discomfort/pain or I’m OK. When at home I am spending longer in Upavistha, 5 breaths in formal practice does not give me the time to “let go” and relax into the posture.

Nearly another week survived at work, but I will miss not going to practice tonight, its the thing that separates the week from the weekend. I dont know if I will be able to blog over the weekend as workmen broke the fibre optic phone cable that serves the town and its still off 24 hours later.

No Friday

This week has been crap and I have been looking forward to those two precious hours on Friday night when I get my sanity back. I was looking forward to visiting the new “L” shaped room. Yesterday I checked the website, Counted practice was on, with one booking at that point. Last night I checked again and found a horrible black line through it with “Cancelled“. I e-mailed them to check and the reply was that because they need at least 4 bookings they had cancelled the practice. Most of the people who come rush from work and are reliant on public transport etc, so don’t book in advance, knowing that there is the possibility they wont make it. That said there are at least 4 and often more there by the time we start Surya A.

I fear this new policy will mean the end of the Counted Practice as I cannot see they will get 4 online bookings. Considering they have moved to a new building they are not giving the Counted Practice the chance to re-establish itself. Who knows more people may have been wanting to try the practice from the local area as well as the regulars.

I have nearly survived another grim week in this shit hole, but the thing that gets me through it has been taken away.

A better Tuesday practice

As the rain hammered down I was considering not venturing out to the Town Hall, but that’s a slippery slope, so donned the raincoat and headed out.

Now nobody that I know of there, knows about my blog, but am wondering if C has cottoned on to it as last night we practised through to Prasarita Padottanasana A, via a good adjustment in Utita Padangusthasana. She then missed out a few until Utkatasana and the Virabadrasana sequence. I though here we go, she’s heading for second series, but I am glad to say I was wrong instead we actually did all the seated postures that I feared we would miss up to Supta Konasana including all the vinyasas, though a few were beginning to struggle. I managed Titibasana coming out of Supta K, but cannot manage to get my legs back to my knees, my weight is in the wrong place, I think this posture is definitlely one where it is more about technique than strength or flexibility. Mari A-C were good and I am again getting a good twist in D, but alas can’t quite get there, but my knee is happier lately, though my hip still seems to be “trapped”. Upavistha Konasana is a posture I could now do with spening more than 5 breaths in, its not the gasping struggle that it was a year ago and I am beginning to move forwards.

We did all the closing postures as well, which makes a change. For once I left the Town Hall feeling I had done a “practice” and not just exercised. Another soaking on the way home, oh for some sun and practice in a warm place.

No Energy

When I walked home from the station on Sunday after the workshop I had that “gone” feeling, no energy, I usually listen to the concert version of Hung up by Madonna as I walk, I can walk home in the 9 minutes the track takes to play, but Sunday I got through another 2 tracks before I go to the front door.

Last night this lethargy was still there, so rather than attempt a whole practice, knowing it wouldn’t happen I did Surya A & B and then did the seated postures. I wanted to do the postures that I know we probably will not do with C tonight at the Town Hall, such as Mari D, though despite getting a good twist my fingers did not come together. I experimented in Upavistha Konasana, 10 breaths trying to let gravity happen, rather than pulling on my feet. Also Badha Konasana just trying to let go, keep my back straight and aim beyond my toes. I again had a degree of control in Ubhaya Padangusthasana, once balancing on my butt, but I find this a hard one to get up and over in.

I then managed a short closing sequence. This practice was what I needed. Listening to the body, rather than just slogging through the practice has to be the way to go.

Back at Nepotism UK Ltd the backlash of the snow day is still going on. Comments still being made by those who came in have lead to the Commercial Director not talking to certain people, who are unhappy at being stitched up. This is set to run and run, we await some more of the white stuff.

Sunday

I wish I could think of better titles for my entries. I did consider jealousy after looking at those stunning pictures on Yogini’s Quest blog, I wish my Mari D looked like that. 

Up with the sunshine but the nearer the train got to London the darker it got and it rained as I walked up Southampton Row to meet I at our little cafe near the museum. Alas it was closed so we had to find another, but a nice couple of hours chatting, its good to catch up. She gave me some of her goats cheese for my mother, I never saw I as a “big cheese”, but she’s heading that way.

Then on London’s favourite bus, the No 73 to SN to do the Workshop with Dawn. An interesting 3 hours meant to open our hips and shoulders. Small movements can be very uncomfortable, as if I didn’t know this already. Ashtanga is hard, but when you are used to doing it to some degree, suddenly doing something else, whose movements, postures are not particularly challenging can be difficult. I like Dawn, she’s a teacher with a sense of humour and I always enjoy my time with her. We did Pinchu Mayarasana, which it is nearly a year since I tried, but having been trying handstand for a while I kind of managed it, not for long but I found I could get up there. Then handstands, I now love trying this in a furniture free room where I feel I can go for it and experiment moving around to find balance knowing I am not going to demolish anything when it goes wrong. Thoughg I did wack my foot on the beam overhead which I had not spotted, ouch..

Dhanurasana in pairs using a belt around the feet pulled over the head to help lifting up, it does work, but I think I need to play with this some more. But it was a good opener for doing Urdhva Dhanurasana, 4 decent ones and one even had straight arms, yes that makes me happy. We did a seated meditation before closing a really nice afternoon.

Friday-is D back?

Alas no practice in the city tonight, but in some ways just as well with this weather. So home to my mat for an practice interupted by the phone and other people. I did all the standing poses and then began my seated asanas, getting faster as I approached the Marichyasanas, A, B & C were good C especially, I was way around the corner and felt D had a chance. Left leg Lotus, right knee bent, my good side with no pain in the knee or hips, yet I still cannot do it, grrrrrr. OK vinyasa then set up on my bad side, right leg Lotus, though hip and knee uncomfortable rather than painful, right arm outstretched and round the knee and wow it happens my fingers for the first time in 2 months are not just touching but have meaningful contact for 3 breaths of Marichyasana D.

I only managed a couple of more postures before more interuptions, so decided to call it a day and do Savasana. The rest of the evening is boring, I dont know what to do with myself when the counted practice is not there, I read, I play Alchemy on my Palm, I am now a “Grand Wizard”.

Well I want a sun day!

Well another treacherous walk to work through the snow and the slush. Those who called in a “Snow day” yesterday managed to show up too. And just to rub salt in they were told they don’t have to use a holiday or take it unpaid, which sticks in the craw of those of us who did come in. We are all now planning when to have our revenge. A sickie on a nice sunny summers day seems to be favourite. Nepotisim UK Ltd are brilliant at knowing how to piss off their employees.

Its snowing again now, I hope it gets heavier then perhaps those who skipped a day will end up spending the weekend at their desks!

A white world!

We woke to a white world; around 4 to 5 inches of snow had fallen. This is really unusual; we rarely get snow, so much for global warming. A slippery walk to work, hardly anyone around, took in the canal, but no ducks today, just a frozen lifeless ice rink.

Many people had not bothered making the effort to get to work, including all the owners, what example does that set. The snow kept coming, we watched as vehicles tried to exit the road. The bumbling management peaked out of their ivory tower at lunchtime and made the decision that we would work until five as usual. Much grumbling ensued, to the point that most people were saying “well if that’s their attitude to the effort we made we are staying in bed tomorrow”. I think the disquiet penetrated those towers as they finally let us out at . So not one to let a gift practice pass me by, after surviving a snowball fight with my niece, who ambushed me in the park, I came home and got on my mat. Practice next to a warm radiator, the whole Primary, oh what a luxury to have the time on a weekday. I seemed to have a momentum; the standing postures were quick but good including a reasonable Utita  Padangusthasana. 

I did not intentionally rush, but I wanted to do it all, my practice was zipping along in quiet concentration, MarichyasanaD is getting ever nearer to making a return and again managed to actually hold my feet in Upavistha Konasana. I even managed Ubhaya and Urdva Mukha Paschimottanasana, not for long, but Udiyana bandha is having an impact, I am starting to get the balance in these postures, which gives my mind the space to remember to engage the bandhas.The only posture I did not do was SetuBandhasana, my neck does not appreciate it even though I can do it, but instead I did Ustrasana and some walking down the wall to open my back for Urdva Dhanurasana. The backbends were satisfying. The rest of the closing sequence to Sirsasana, my quiet concentration allowing me 10 breaths in this posture. It shows what a difference the environment in which we practice makes. At home and in the “L” shaped room I can do this posture, on a Tuesday at the Town Hall in a bright room with others crashing down around me, it rarely happens to be good. 

Savasana was not long enough, but at least having done my practice early I can enjoy the evening without those thoughts of when can I fit practice in and what will I do

Second series last week…

had the same effect as the last time C did this with a bunch of newly promoted beginners. This week we had more space for our mats. I really hope the newbies come back and do not lose their practice.

It was back to Primary this week, standing postures were ok, but the carpet in the Town Hall is not good and for some reason all the mats start making their way to the right as practice goes on. Seated asanas all the way up Triang Mukha, we missed out the Janusirsasana’s and went straight to Marichyasana A, B & C, shame we didnt do D as well. Modified Navasana, then 2 sets of legs straight. Badha Konasana, Upavistha Konasana and Supta Konasana, having missed outBujapidasana, Kurmasana. The intervening postures are there for a reason and I find that when they are missed out my Konasanas are not good.

No Urdva Dhanurasana this week, just Salamba Sarvangasana, Halasana and Karnapidasana. I like Halasana its one of my favourites as it was my first success all those years ago when I was dabbling with yoga, I still remember the day when instead of my feet being on the chair they touched the floor.

I have to accept that Tuesday is just exercise, I am doing asanas, but I am not connected mentally to the practice. One good thing that came out of last night was that before we began we were talking and I found that a yogi is a therapist who works locally. Since Bali and Dena getting my shoulders lowered every day, my shoulders have been creeping ever upwards towards my ears, my neck and shoulders are tight again. Hopefully Cris will be able to undo me and send my shoulders down.

E-mail yesterday to say no practice on Friday, boo hoo, I want my practice, so just got off the phone booking a workshop for Sunday, I need my fix, yoga junkie.

Same view out the window

The weekend goes too fast, Saturday in the city, Sunday catching up with Saturday’s paperwork. Eventually got on my mat after 4pm, though have to admit had been on the internet sending e-mails to try and get on a couple of workshops in the Summer, need something to look forward to. So all I managed was to plod through to Marichyasana D, though I did every posture and vinyasa. Practice felt good, even Mari D is almost there, touching distance, I’m sure its going to happen again soon.

Now Monday and not heard back about the workshops, I need confirmation in order to book vacation time off work and escape from this view, though we do get the odd duck in the car park, they come from the nearby canal.