Day Fourteen

Image from http://inspiration-resource.com/tag/vegetables/

Apparently November 14 is National "Loosen Up, Lighten Up" Day - according to the radio station I listen to when I drop one of my teenagers at intermediate and the other at college in the mornings. I tried to keep this in mind when I practiced at Albany this morning in Luke's 9.30am class. Great class - lots of energy and heat in the room, lots of bodies on the carpet, lots of sweaty relieved faces in the changing room after class.

I am trying to work on a few of my "trouble spots" in class at the moment, when I have enough extra energy to focus on them. Today I was trying to touch my toes in triangle - which actually worked on one side (I never used to be able to do that and not fall out) though there is still a little way to go on the other. My balancing stick is improving - I used to fall out of that all the time and was a "broken umbrella" before falling out as well. Now I am starting to get the hang of it, starting to really stretch, though still a bit hamstrung on one side. I realised the other day I was starting to feel it in my bum (after class) so this has been a bit of an extra motivator. *lol*

I've also been really working on listening as intently as possible to the teacher during the set up of some of my problem poses to sort out if I am doing anything wrong that might put me off going into the pose. It doesn't matter how long you come to classes it seems to me there is always room to improve and often, I notice with myself anyway, I don't hear all of the instructions because I am too busy getting something else right. If you miss a step in the dialogue it can really make a difference to your posture. I saw a guy in front of the mirror today (I was next to him, just off, in second row) and he was doing everything he could to stay in standing bow, while hopping around on a bent knee. I didn't laugh but I'm guessing he'll work out eventually that without that standing leg as stable as possible there is never any way in hell you're going to be able to stay balanced in that pose (or any of the others in the balancing on one leg poses). He was trying really hard (how did I notice this? I was actually calmly staring at myself in the mirror as I was getting deeper and he kept popping up in my range of vision, pretty hard to ignore) and getting so goddamn frustrated that I wanted to tap him on the shoulder and say, "Mate, listen to the teacher. Follow the steps! It will all come together in good time". It wouldn't have made any difference of course, because you only hear each step when you NEED to hear it. Or rather, when you're ready to hear it. And I'm not sure this guy was quite ready.

Before class I overheard a brief conversation with the same guy. Someone asked him if he was doing the 30 day challenge. He replied, "No, I'm here to extend my life, not shorten it." I wanted to say something, I may have murmured something, but really, I doubt he would have understood. I am sure this yoga will make whatever life I have left much much better, regardless of whether or not it extends it. I feel certain it will make me a more active grandmother and that it is unlikely I will need a hip operation later on or medication for arthritis or any of those other ailments where the joints are affected in old age, as long as I keep up my yoga practice. How do I know this? Not sure I can explain that exactly yet but for now let's just say I feel it in my bones.