Another year

Birthday eve practice, full primary with nothing left out, not even Garbha, a decent attempt at Pasasana and some good backbends and 2 dropbacks, I can still do this demanding practice as the years tick by. It’s a good time of year to look back at where my practice was this time last year, I was struggling with the intensity of dropbacks, seemingly light years from doing it on my own, little did I know that just a month later on an aussie beach I would do it on my own for the first time. Now I can do it, well the percentage of head crash landings is down at least and I am actively working on the standing up again thing. I was also officially given Pasasana in this last year too, something I never thought would happen. So though I don’t feel like my practice has progressed much I know it has. Practice is solid and is still largely the thing that keeps body and soul together.

Well today is the beginning of my 47th year on the planet, last night I did my last practice on my old blue mat, which has served me well for about 10 years, I can do things on that mat at the end of its life that I could not have contemplated doing when I first bought it all those years ago. That mat has some serious airmiles under its belt, its first foreign trip was to France back in 2000, when I first started to develop the ashtanga habit, after that its been to all kinds of places Sweden, Germany, Spain, Italy, Turkey, Thailand, Bali, Australia and Singapore to name but a few. This as well as hundreds of hours in London Shala’s. But its literally so thin now that it’s time has come and for my Birthday my sister bought my new Sadhana Mat. I just unwrapped it and rolled it out, surprisingly its about 5cm wider and longer, but the most noticeable difference is the weight and thickness, only now do I realise just how thin old bluey was. I can’t wait to give it its Shala christening on Sunday, though I may go local again tomorrow if I wake up.

Do old yoga mats go to yoga mat heaven I wonder, Susan suggested taking it to Battersea dogs and cats home, my only problem with going there is that I would probably go in with a mat and come out with a puring Tabby fur ball, I’m not keen on Dogs, but Cat’s I love.