day 7. good teachers.

8am came early but, I am determined to show up for this practice. It gets harder the busier my day gets. I’m just in the first week so I want to just rest and relax afterwards, all day...until the next class; devote my life to yoga, water, food, sleep and enjoyment of flowing with whatever I want to do next. For now that doesn’t pay my bills so I’ll have to find my balance.

That’s what it’s all about anyway.

8am came earlier today than it did yesterday, so I arrived just in time to secure a spot...in the front, away from all sources of fresh air. awesome. here we go.

it took a while for my consciousness to show up. it toddled in somewhere around head to knee posture. until then, I was sort of on autopilot.

now that I have a fixed picture of a japanese ham sandwich, I was able to hold the image in my mind and pull myself towards it. The first one is quite challenging for me because my left hamstring injury is really not so eager to unfold or let me have even an inch so I am folded over with my chest to my thighs and seriously bent knees while my hands are just barely holding towards my heels. Between the hamstring and the disc herniation in my back, it’s one posture that starts the day of right with a huge dose of patience, humility and compassion. it is what it is. not what it was.

but, by the second round there is considerably more space and this assures me I’m on the right track. with what it is. not what it was. I can do this.

standing head to knee is slowly progressing, too. my left knee standing is coming closer into the lamppost they speak about but, it still caves in. so, here, on day 7, I continue to simply hold my right foot in my hand, work on the left leg straight and just feel the impulse to kick my right heel and see in my mind’s eye where i’m going someday.

the other side is growing more quickly.  even with the hamstring injury, there is more organization in my right leg and side and so, there is more space for me to move in.

I feel the impulse of the left heel kick and, even though my left knee is significantly bent, I’m in the right form. where I am with what it. not what was. I can do this.

other places are feeling the smallest and subtlest of spaces. 

The postures where I have the most physical challenges are:

half locust, locust, standing head to knee, the other standing head to knee where you tuck your chin and roll forward with arms in namaskar....

these are my good teachers so, I will bring them apples and ride my bike past their houses.

I tolerated the heat without needing to rest, there wasn’t any funky smell distracting me, I smiled, I didn’t beat myself up once, I didn’t project my angers or frustrations on anyone else, I didn’t compare myself to anyone else, I had compassion and acceptance with where I am and I felt gratitude. THAT’S a kickass yoga practice if you ask me.