Today was a busy and fast paced day.
After the initial yoga class at 11:15 and the meditation that
followed we went over Jonny Kest's article "Five Myths of
Alignment in Yoga" from our manual (pg. 124) discussing
mainly our own misconceptions and how this article went along
with the Paul Grilley segment we watched (last week's homework was
to watch "The 8 Major Joints").
As a group we took a walk and did a
short outdoor meditation, mainly to take advantage of the
beautiful weather we had in Saint Paul! As we came back we
walked in silence to observe nature and be more mindful of our
bodies in motion.
Once we were back in the studio we
began learning the remaining standing/balancing postures from
the Ashtanga Primary Series (#12: Utthita Hasta Padaganustasana
A – #19: Virabhadrasana B)
and then started learning the short
form seated postures (#1: Dandasana – #7: Marichyasana C).
Our homework for the week is to watch
more Paul Grilley and then to practice with a partner from class the
entire Ashtanga Primary Series through the seated
posture Marichyasana C. This should take us about 45-50
minutes. That is almost the duration of an entire class! My
partner will be Aviel.
Waiting to get an email from him to see
what days work best. I also plan on practicing with Amy; she
said she is available Wednesday evening. So hopefully I'll get
at least those two opportunities in! Jan also mentioned that I
should come to her classes this week and be ready to lead Sun A and
Sun B. I think I can do this, especially if I am prepared/not
caught off guard.
Again, here is a record of what I did
today:
Yoga Meal Record: Ate with
Lynda, Sarah and Patience at Chipotle. I had a burrito bowl
with almost everything on it! I had a scoop of brown rice,
black beans, fajita/peppers and onions, carnitas (pulled pork), salsa
verde, tomato salsa and corn salsa, sour cream and queso fresco.
It was so wonderful and filling; I was not overly full (I
am sure my serving was slightly more than two handfuls). We
took turns in conversation and were not distracted by anything
outside our meal and conversation. I learned a bit about Lynda
and Patience's teacher practices and a little more about Lynda and
Sarah's lives as mothers. After our meal, Patience and I walked
down by the river for about 20 minutes, then we returned for our
siesta.
Daily Practice: Astanga
class at 11:15 with Jason/Jan. We spent a lot of time doing Sun
As and Bs, so that when it came time for standing postures we skipped
from Parivrtta Parsvakonasana (lunging twist/reverse prayer) to
Prasarita Podottanasana C (hands are clasped behind back, feet 3/4
feet apart, bending forward, holding for 5 breaths) in order to
complete the series of postures in our class. Although I
noticed this adjustment, I was not bothered and still felt like I got
the stretch I needed in order to move on to balancing postures and
then seated postures, etc.
Daily Meditation: Today in
group meditation I emulated a seated posture I have seen
Michelle and others do, which incorporates a bolster, sitting on it
hot-dog style (if this makes any sense - the bolster is between
the thighs, and the knees are on the ground on either side). This
worked really well. I had a blanket under my knees and I was
able to stay upright and not experience any discomfort or fidget
during the meditation. This contributed to a more stable/quiet mind
and a more enjoyable meditation experience. I felt more loving
and joyful during mettā-meditation today, I think that was
because I was not so fixated on my body/desire to eat lunch. I
hope I can continue this in my at-home practice!
Daily Gratitude: I am
thankful for Jan who took away my manual today and forced me to teach
from my memory. This was good. I did fine without my
crutch and figured out (for the most part) what movement came next
with which breath. There were a few confusing
seated postures but with practice I will "crush"
this! Happy to have had lunch with others today (and enjoy
Chipotle, it's been a while). Also incredibly thankful for
getting to go on two walks today, see the river and experience the
crunching of leaves underfoot. What a great blue sky we had and
what lovely sun gracing our skin. Only a slight soft breeze, I
think it was about 55ª F, which is quite great at the end of Oct.
Happy to have the week ahead of me to practice with others
and dedicate time on my own. My yoga practice has
been daily but taken the back seat these past few weeks with job
search anxieties, etc. So happy to thrive in my live with a
mini vacation before I start my new job next Monday. Whoohoo!
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