Back to work.

Yesterday was a long day... but a rewarding one. After four days in NYC visiting friends and drinking champagne, it was back to work. I knew I'd want to do a little something in the morning so I hooked up my yoga closet and did a class with the bikram cd. I didn't blow it out at all, it was just a way to get moving - I'd say I did about 50-60% effort. In the winter in New England it is impossible to get my yoga closet above about 90 degrees (unless I leave space heaters on all night long). So it's more of a gentle practice when I do it at home these days. It's weird to do bikram gently and with pants on, but whatever - it feels better than not doing it!

So then I realized we're moving to the new schedule and there was going to be a 4pm class for me to take before I taught the 6pm class. Woo hoo! Today I woke up feeling... well not really... but I got the sensation that I had done something nearer to a double than anything I've done since training. Class last night was good, I didn't blow it out too much because I didn't know what it would be like to teach afterwards.

It was fine! In fact, there was no time to second guess and recheck my pranayama dialogue (not that that is a bad thing to do in general). Just practice, then change quickly and check people in, then teach. Wow. I continue to listen to my recorded dialogue in my car... and I work with different poses on repeat to beef up dialogue. So teaching was fine, class timing was totally cool. We lost our big clock (it was old) so there's only a handheld clock to check. I didn't check much but hit the floor somewhere between 52 and 54 minutes. It's still a challenge to get the whole floor series in but I did it, only ran over by 2 minutes.

Practice... well... I'm committed to practicing extremely regularly, and just experiencing my body in the poses. I still feel all whacked since training. Head to knee is better (for me) but still of course I dream of the days when it really improves. Probably in another year or two it will be rock solid. Standing bow - my form is beautiful and balance is abysmal. This is one that if I were to fret - I would fret about my continuing lack of balance in this posture. It's like I know standing head to knee is hard for me, and I accept it. But I can't accept as easily where I find myself in standing bow.

Sigh ;) Really I just like to practice and be in the room practicing. It's just flat out easier for me. Like I could stress out like I used to, but I also have that off switch for the stress and I just chill and practice, knowing that it's years that make the difference, not days. I have nowhere to be. It's not like I'm going to "finish" bikram.

On New Years day, I was asked by two friends to lead a class at a friend's apt. I taught a vinyasa style class (with a few bikram poses thrown in for fun). It was great fun. I noticed how much Bikram is so command based - I had the chance to talk more about experiencing the poses during this class, but I didn't take up that opportunity much. I did end with a nice meditation and reading and I liked that.