Yoga Update

First, to those who celebrate it, a blessed Mahashivaratri! I didn't attend temple yesterday but today I'm thrilled as a coworker presented me with prasad that her mother made this morning! I need all the help I can get! :)

So, it's been far too long without a yoga post! My friends at ashtangi.net must be wondering what's going on. I'll just say that the exhaustive yoga posts while in Mysore had a bit of a backlash, as my practice has had actually. As I had written about briefly here I was battling an onslaught of bacteria when I returned from India. My 8-5 is a massive petri dish and I think I was exposed to just about every form of illness this place could muster. During the month I was gone my immune system shifted gears to deal with the pollution in India and wasn't ready for the shift back to western office illnesses. In addition to this last week it was revealed that my thyroid problem (I was diagnosed with an under active thyroid four years ago.) had flared up. So a compromised immune system and inadequate thyroid in my blood equals a pretty screwed up Gregg. Fatigue is the primary symptom of low thyroid and that has hit me pretty hard.

All that being said, two weeks ago I took a week off practice simply because I couldn't get out of bed in the morning. Last week I returned to the mat Monday and practiced through the week. Matthew was out of town so it was a great opportunity to work with S. She gave wonderful adjustments. Thanks! I'm still finishing the entire primary though I feel as though I still don't know exactly what is going on. I guess that is one way to keep it exciting! I'm coming up on my one year anniversary of practicing with Matthew, which means my one year anniversary of Mysore practice and "proper" instruction. I feel really blessed to have gone to Mysore this early on in my practice. I think it has provided me the best foundation I could ever ask for. I'm also quite grateful that we have Matthew here. His connection to the traditional practice of Ashtanga is palatable and sincere.

This morning, another student asked me how Mysore has changed my practice. I've now been back a full moon cycle and I must admit that the effects are subltle and change everyday. I have fallen back into some of my old habits but I'm now aware of them more than I was before and that does make a difference. What else? Since my return I hear Guruji counting during the Surya Namaskaras. When I'm in the heat of practice I often feel and sometimes see the shala superimposed on the space around me. When these things happen I find that I relax a bit more and any tightness or restriction falls away. Of course, while in the shala I used a barrage of NLP techniques to establish a connection to the place that could be recreated anywhere. Even though I have not been feeling best, it appears that these techniques were successful. I think this next moon cycle will bring it all together. My thyroid levels should be balanced out in the next week or so and my immune system is getting back to it's typically amped up operating level.

I'll also be practicing with Guruji in NYC at the end of the month so this will serve to strengthen the connection.

So that's yoga for February. Have a great moon day tomorrow, enjoy your rest!

It's all coming.