My 12th Practice / Led Class

Tomorrow is a moonday, so we had a led class again. Today, we had two groups, but both did only Primary Series. I was in the second group, which started at 6 o’clock. I woke up quite early and I went to the Shala, because I thought, that I could watch the first group practicing, but the door was closed and I waited outside. Soon came another girl, Mexican Sofia, and we sat on the stairs and talked about yoga. She had practiced rocket yoga before ashtanga. Here is so much fun to hear about other yoga styles, which exist around the world. People have created some pretty interesting yoga styles abroad. Sofia told that rocket yoga is a mixture of asanas from Primary, Second and Third Series.

I am happy with my pure ashtanga and strict limits before new asanas. It just fits better for me. I think that all the time I figure out new aspects towards ashtanga. It’s so brilliant system, that I really want to keep my practice as pure as possible. It’s like behind every asana, there is a meaning. It’s purifying your body some way, it’s a counterpose for another asana, it’s preparing you for the coming asanas in the sequence. Of course, modifications are ok, if you have injuries, and sometimes you can get wild breaking the rules, but generally speaking, I don’t like variations, specially if you still call it ashtanga. Because I am beginner in ashtanga, I also think, that I am not ready to break the rules. If I know the asanas and vinyasa completely, maybe then I can consider some variations, but I am quite sure, that then I will respect this system even more. I like very much the style, how Hanne is teaching ashtanga. She is very demanding, when she knows, that you are able to do the required asanas correctly. And if you are not ready or you have injuries, she will give you good tips, how to manage with the current situation. All our bodies are just so different, that it takes very long time to do even small changes…

Australian Susan gave me a nice tip, what to think about during led class. She said that think that it’s like metronome. Swinging back and forward. When you catch the rythm, the class is definitively easier. For some reason I get easily over-exicited with led class and I want to go forward before the countings. I wanted today twice start the next asana, before we had finished the previous one. It’s like at school, I never listened the teachers. My mind started easily wander outside the classroom and I had no idea, what the teacher was talking about. For me, it’s very difficult to be actually present, not just physically present.

Today Sharath assisted me with Uthita Hasta Padangusthasana and it actually went a bit better than before. And unfortunately, he wanted to assist me with Sirsasana, too. I mean Sirsasana is a killer here. You have to stay there ages and when Sharath is standing next to you, you don’t really want to take it down. I had decided before, that I am not going to be the first person to take it down today, but I didn’t plan to be under Sharath’s eyes all the time. When we did the second variation, Sharath wanted me to take my legs even lower. I was so dying there, but luckily I didn’t faint. And what comes to Utplutih, I am totally hopeless. I mean, I came down before Sharath said one. His one breath in Utplutih is my breath ten times.

But all together, today’s practice felt a bit easier than last week’s led class and I feel now that my two days off are well-earned. Dinner with the girls tonight is so needed!