Ashtanga 14

Another rough practice this morning. I AM getting past my ambition to get to this or that asana and simply keeping enough ambition to get to the mat. That sounds rough, but really it isn't. It's just that I've not been as over zealous as I have. It's more of that settling in that I wrote of last week.

Though I hate to write about it here, I have been in quite a bit of pain of late. It's getting me in my legs and the sides of my torso. I know the side body stuff is from the twists and that the legs are from all the forward folds. I don't think it will continue past a month of solid practice, but if it does I will consider making some changes. It's not debilitating, and it probably stems from sitting at a desk all day. When I get up from sitting for a long time it really HURTS to move my legs. I think it would lessen if I was up and about more often.

I rolled into the loft at 5:30 and finished Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana before chant at 6:00. I made it through to Marichyasana B without an adjustment and then Matthew came over while I was in "upward dog" and addressed a concern that I had never even thought of. In "upward dog" my back legs open out and my ankles twist quite a bit. Matthew advised that I should put the weight onto my big toe and attempt to point the ankles up rather than out. I think that he realizes that my legs are rather bowed and thinks that these adjustments will assist me in other asana, which I am sure they will. He also advised me to roll back my shoulder bones and open up my chest before I bring my body fully forward into the full expression of "upward dog." More
excellent guidance from Matthew. Due to time I ended at Marichyasana D with Matthew helping me with the bind on the left.

In the next week I want to be more focused on my leg feet placement in all the asana. I've been conscious of the angles on my feet during the forward fold binds but now I need to bring that consciousness through my entire practice. Next week I am also going to get more time for practice so that I can work beyond Navasana in prep for NYC. I'm signed up to do the full primary at 6 AM and even if I have to take modifications on a few asana I want to work my way through the whole thing during the week. I don't consider this ambition, but rather making the most out of the opportunity to practice in the presence of Guruji.