Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Day 234

Life is exhausting me. People are exhausting me. People are SO COMPLICATED.

Seriously, my brain is tired from trying to figure out the people in my life. I'm weary of trying to understand them and trying to please them. I know, I know, it's impossible to please everyone, but I still dislike the feeling that I'm stepping on invisible toes and being irritating to others purely by accident.

Stepping on my mat and doing yoga has been far easier lately. No toes there except my own.

A shout-out to the more advanced Ashtanga practitioners out there - I need some advice:

In Baddha Padmasana, the pressure of my left leg pressing into my right (near the ankle) causes me pain as I fold forward into Yoga Mudra. My left knee doesn't come all the way to the floor in Padmasana. Will this improve with increased flexibility and mobility in my hips? I can't stay in Yoga Mudra for very long, because of this pressure on my legs.

Also, in transitioning from Upavista Konasana B to the floor, I can't seem to do that landing without pounding the backs of my heels painfully into the floor. Any advice? I'm muscular in the upper legs but average in the calves. I feel like I need bigger calves, but I know that's not the answer! ;-)

Ah, the devil is in the details. eh? I had a good practice today!

I've been enjoying headstand a lot and feeling very strong (and more confident) in the pose. In particular, my entry is strong and light. Badhas bandhas bandhas!

I went through a tight-hamstring-phase recently and I seem to have broken through that. I haven't been bringing my chin to my shin in Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana because I was feeling tension in my lumbar spine - I simply held my toe and kept a long spine instead. In the past few days, I've re-added the forward bend and it feels good (though I need more practise keeping my balance during the transitions to Utthita Parsvasahita and Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana B).

I didn't want to leave Savasana today. I felt very safe hiding under my fuzzy blanket, but alas, it was only a brief respite. Off I go.

P.S. Hockey finals last night! The game was close right up until the bitter end. In the last few minutes of the game, I got a penalty for tripping while chasing after a player on a breakaway (she went down like a sack of bricks; it really *was* an accident). My team beat the penalty and scored a goal (I was jumping up in down in the penalty box, cheering). The game ended in a tie and we lost in overtime, 5-4.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

re UK and pounding into the floor, try pulling your legs towards you while they are descending.

Morningside Yogi said...

Yoga Mudra hurts at first where the shin bones collide, but with time and practice it will ease. Try sliding a towel between shins for a cushion. In UKB pull up knee caps and quads to life the heels and use the bandhas to slow the descent to the floor. best of luck with it.

Kaivalya said...

Thanks for the tips, Yogablue. I tried a towel between my shin bones and that seemed to help a bit. I think your point about the bandhas in UK is key. I coming down very quickly and though my calves tend to cushion the landing, my heels hit the floor right after. If I could decelerate a bit, it would be helpful.

It always comes back to the bandhas, doesn't it? ;-)