After lovely breakfast (hummus-cocomber-tomato toast and spirulina-fruit juice) in Santosha, we headed to the organic food market near Green Hotel. It’s a small market, where locals are selling for example fresh salads, spinach, basilica, spices and honey. You have to be there on time, because food-conscious yogis are ready to shop, when they see some quality stuff. I was happy to buy some home-produced honey, fresh gouda cheese and strong cinnamon. Now I can have my natural yoghurt with sweet honey, cereals and cinnamon.
It’s quite difficult to find good cheese here, but I got lucky this time. Now I am only missing proper rye bread, which is impossible to find here and I can’t bake it myself, because I don’t have oven. My top five cravings regarding food here are sushi, rye bread, fresh salads, Mami's pulla and candies. Indian desserts are in general too sweet even for me.
You also learn to respect drinkable tap water here. I mean, I am using bottled water to brush my teeth, to have some tea or cook noodles. I have to carry water bottle with me all the time, because I never know, if I get thirsty and there is no shop nearby to buy some water.
I like Indian food, but Indian lunch once or twice a week would be suitable amount for me. I get bored with food quite easily, so it’s great that in Helsinki we have so many different restourants to try. Here is Pizza Hut, which I haven’t tried yet. I have been really careful here with food and I haven’t got ill yet. Yesterday I had my first cup of home-made chai and it was fantastic. When it’s raining or cold, nothing is better than a cup of spicy and sweet chai.
25 Oct 2010
Led Class
This morning was hard. I had a very restless night, I couldn’t get sleep and I woke up many times during the night. The alarm rang at 3.30 a.m. and that was bad. I walked to the Shala and met hyperenergetic Maria. We both watched to the moon and it was big, so this might be one of the reasons, why we both were really over-excited. And maybe after two days off, we just needed our dose of discipline and sweat.
I was practicing next to Ann and I got a really nice spot again. When I started, I felt really tired, but the energy grew during the practice. I got a very good adjustment in Paschimottanasana, which was really deep and I felt that the adjustment was so good for my back. I have been a bit worried about my back, because I have felt light pain in it, but today I didn’t feel pain before or after the practice. I am quite oversensitive with my back, but this is just so long travel, that I want to keep it in good shape. Sharath assisted me with Uthita Hasta Padangusthasana and I was able to touch my knee with my chin. I have to create a lot of more flexibility to be able to close my hands in Supta Kurmasana, but it’s getting better all the time. Today I was very pleased with my Sirsasana, because I stayed up the whole counting and I also manage to keep my Navasana up through the five breaths. Small victories, but really cool ones… But Utplutih, it just not coming yet. It hasn’t been that difficult asana for me in Finland, but here it’s almoust impossible. It’s totally phatetic! And I would really, really like to learn to close my hands in Yoga Mudra, it’s so close, but still so far away. Sharath helped me with it today, too.
After my practice, it was time for a coconut. It’s very good for my recovery to have one coconut after the practice. It gives me enough energy to walk home…hahaa. Today, I watched again the other group practicing Second Series. I really enjoy following their practices and today quite many of them got new asanas. It is also good to see that some of the girls are so strength as well as flexible that they can easily do the Second Series as well as the guys. My favorit asana from Second Series is Karandavanasana. It is so beautiful, when somebody has such a control over his body. It’s very interesting to see, how different body types have their own challenges and how they learn to pass the obstacles and make the best out of their bodies.
I was practicing next to Ann and I got a really nice spot again. When I started, I felt really tired, but the energy grew during the practice. I got a very good adjustment in Paschimottanasana, which was really deep and I felt that the adjustment was so good for my back. I have been a bit worried about my back, because I have felt light pain in it, but today I didn’t feel pain before or after the practice. I am quite oversensitive with my back, but this is just so long travel, that I want to keep it in good shape. Sharath assisted me with Uthita Hasta Padangusthasana and I was able to touch my knee with my chin. I have to create a lot of more flexibility to be able to close my hands in Supta Kurmasana, but it’s getting better all the time. Today I was very pleased with my Sirsasana, because I stayed up the whole counting and I also manage to keep my Navasana up through the five breaths. Small victories, but really cool ones… But Utplutih, it just not coming yet. It hasn’t been that difficult asana for me in Finland, but here it’s almoust impossible. It’s totally phatetic! And I would really, really like to learn to close my hands in Yoga Mudra, it’s so close, but still so far away. Sharath helped me with it today, too.
After my practice, it was time for a coconut. It’s very good for my recovery to have one coconut after the practice. It gives me enough energy to walk home…hahaa. Today, I watched again the other group practicing Second Series. I really enjoy following their practices and today quite many of them got new asanas. It is also good to see that some of the girls are so strength as well as flexible that they can easily do the Second Series as well as the guys. My favorit asana from Second Series is Karandavanasana. It is so beautiful, when somebody has such a control over his body. It’s very interesting to see, how different body types have their own challenges and how they learn to pass the obstacles and make the best out of their bodies.
23 Oct 2010
Shopping and Indian Head Massage
I think that I made my personal record here, what comes to sleeping. I slept until 8 a.m. Hah. Of course, I woke up around 5 a.m. but today wasn’t a practice day. I saw Ravi later afternoon and we went to the downtown with his bike. I wanted to see, what kind of mats I can buy here and what is the variety of prices and quality. I found really nice cotton mats and the prices varied between 120-350 r. That isn’t a bad price for a mat, which you can basicly use as long as you want.
After that I went to Himalaya shop. I was positively suprised by Himalaya products here. I bought some muscle and joint rub in Goa a couple of years ago, but I started here to use footcare cream and I am now a big fan of Himalaya products. And the prices are so moderate here!
It was raining today in Gokulam, but the rain isn’t really making the air fresh. I am always so dirty after a motorbike ride, because of pollution and dust, that I have to wash my face. I always forget, how clean Helsinki actually is. When I lived in Paris, my skin actually started to react because of all pollution. Gokulam is quite green, but the amount of dust is big, because here isn’t so many asphalt roads.
I met Maria and Ahu later and we went to a beauty spa next to the Shala. I had a head massage with oil and the treatment was quite rough. You know, how it is, when you go abroad to a beauty salon and the level of conversation is ”Where you from?”, ”What’s your name?”, ”Pressure ok?” and that’s about it. I wouldn’t mind just sit still and be half-asleep, but abroad the culture is of course different and you just can’t be impolite Finnish person sitting still and mute. I have to say that the head massage was quite painful. The lady was literally pulling my hair and mumling: ”Lot of hair falling. ”, when she added the oil to my hair. I think that I have never loosen so much hair during one hour, but at least the coconut oil smelled really good and my hair (what was left after the treatment) was really soft.
However, I love to go to beauty salons abroad, because it’s so cheap comparing prices in Finland (my treatment here was 150 r) and it’s always very exotic experience. My absolutely favorit is foot massage, because it’s so relaxing after long tourist walks and nobody can really hurt you, when massaging your legs. I think that I have to now start to build up my courage, because I know that at some point during this travel I have to cut my hair somewhere. My hair was cut so badly in Italy, that my hairdresser in Finland couldn’t stop laughing, when I returned to Finland, and I really hope that I don’t have to go through that again…
After that I went to Himalaya shop. I was positively suprised by Himalaya products here. I bought some muscle and joint rub in Goa a couple of years ago, but I started here to use footcare cream and I am now a big fan of Himalaya products. And the prices are so moderate here!
It was raining today in Gokulam, but the rain isn’t really making the air fresh. I am always so dirty after a motorbike ride, because of pollution and dust, that I have to wash my face. I always forget, how clean Helsinki actually is. When I lived in Paris, my skin actually started to react because of all pollution. Gokulam is quite green, but the amount of dust is big, because here isn’t so many asphalt roads.
I met Maria and Ahu later and we went to a beauty spa next to the Shala. I had a head massage with oil and the treatment was quite rough. You know, how it is, when you go abroad to a beauty salon and the level of conversation is ”Where you from?”, ”What’s your name?”, ”Pressure ok?” and that’s about it. I wouldn’t mind just sit still and be half-asleep, but abroad the culture is of course different and you just can’t be impolite Finnish person sitting still and mute. I have to say that the head massage was quite painful. The lady was literally pulling my hair and mumling: ”Lot of hair falling. ”, when she added the oil to my hair. I think that I have never loosen so much hair during one hour, but at least the coconut oil smelled really good and my hair (what was left after the treatment) was really soft.
However, I love to go to beauty salons abroad, because it’s so cheap comparing prices in Finland (my treatment here was 150 r) and it’s always very exotic experience. My absolutely favorit is foot massage, because it’s so relaxing after long tourist walks and nobody can really hurt you, when massaging your legs. I think that I have to now start to build up my courage, because I know that at some point during this travel I have to cut my hair somewhere. My hair was cut so badly in Italy, that my hairdresser in Finland couldn’t stop laughing, when I returned to Finland, and I really hope that I don’t have to go through that again…
Who are they? Wizards!
It doesn’t matter, where I go, I always find the most amazing people. I have always been very blessed with lovely friends, with people, who are real and who have a good heart. I don’t know, why I am so lucky with people, but it seems that all the good ones always come and share their way with me.
Before this week I got a dinner invitation from my American Aimee (I spelled her name wrong before, she is actually called ”the loved one”) and tonight was my first meeting with Supper Club. Supper Club includes great company and delicious food. Me, Turkish (American) Maria and Turkish Ahu gathered to Aimee’s mansion (yes, we call it mansion, because it’s great studio up there and there is actually some open space, which I love so much) and the girls cooked a dinner.
And who are these wizards? There is a little wild cat Aimee, whose heart is pure rock’n roll and yoga. Maria is that girl with big smile. When she steps in, you won’t miss her great legs and exotic eyes. Ahu is a girl with something divine in her appearance. She is so elegant with her beautiful brown hair and colorful tattoos. These wizards are cooking their poisoning dishes, but this poison is good. It makes you smile.
And I can tell that the dinner was easily the best vegan dinner, which I have ever had. Aimee’s tofu-orange-vegetables mix was so good, Maria’s lemon rice with roasted nuts and ginger-vegetable soup was spicy in the way I like, but perfectly soft at the same time and Ahu’s chocolate-coconut milk pudding was the cherry on top. I mean seriously, these girls can cook! I was speechless and loving every second. There is nothing, what would make me more welcomen or happier than smiley girls, laughing, chatting and sharing a meal together.
It’s so perfect to hear about new friends’ lives, their yoga histories and experiences, which they have had before herein Mysore and all around the world. Those girls are real gems and I will save the memory of this night to face the more challenging days of my life. There is no better reason to be thankful every day, than your family, friends and all sweet people around you.
Before this week I got a dinner invitation from my American Aimee (I spelled her name wrong before, she is actually called ”the loved one”) and tonight was my first meeting with Supper Club. Supper Club includes great company and delicious food. Me, Turkish (American) Maria and Turkish Ahu gathered to Aimee’s mansion (yes, we call it mansion, because it’s great studio up there and there is actually some open space, which I love so much) and the girls cooked a dinner.
And who are these wizards? There is a little wild cat Aimee, whose heart is pure rock’n roll and yoga. Maria is that girl with big smile. When she steps in, you won’t miss her great legs and exotic eyes. Ahu is a girl with something divine in her appearance. She is so elegant with her beautiful brown hair and colorful tattoos. These wizards are cooking their poisoning dishes, but this poison is good. It makes you smile.
And I can tell that the dinner was easily the best vegan dinner, which I have ever had. Aimee’s tofu-orange-vegetables mix was so good, Maria’s lemon rice with roasted nuts and ginger-vegetable soup was spicy in the way I like, but perfectly soft at the same time and Ahu’s chocolate-coconut milk pudding was the cherry on top. I mean seriously, these girls can cook! I was speechless and loving every second. There is nothing, what would make me more welcomen or happier than smiley girls, laughing, chatting and sharing a meal together.
It’s so perfect to hear about new friends’ lives, their yoga histories and experiences, which they have had before herein Mysore and all around the world. Those girls are real gems and I will save the memory of this night to face the more challenging days of my life. There is no better reason to be thankful every day, than your family, friends and all sweet people around you.
21 Oct 2010
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!
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!
20 Oct 2010
My 11th Practice
Exhausted. So tired body, my muscles are sore. I had absolutely no energy this morning, but I went to the Shala anyway. I think, that this is one of the things, which people, who don’t practice themselves, don’t understand. That it isn’t actually so difficult to do those postures once a week, but it’s really hard to repeat those postures six days per week. Every morning, even when you don’t feel like it, even when it rains, even when you ate too much last night, even when you have a headache, even when your back is killing you, even when you couldn’t sleep, even when you feel that you can’t breath properly, even when you want to be childish, lay on the floor and cry. Even then, and specially then, you go to the Shala and do your best. And sometimes after that everything magically changes during your practice and you feel ok (or even great) afterwards.
I highly admire those people, who are practicing alone every morning at home. They must have so much more discipline than I have. In Mysore, you meet those people a lot. Some of them have even started ashtanga alone, reading books, watching videos and trying asanas themselves. I feel here ridiculously spoilt to be able to practice in Helsinki every morning with extremely good and experienced teachers. In Helsinki, we have great possibilities to practice ashtanga and we can actually choose the shala (and the teacher) which is the best for us. My home shala has always been in Annankatu (Helsinki Ashtanga Yoga School), but many Finnish students are pleased to go and practice in Moola, Studio 8 and Shanti, too.
I am every day thankful to Annankatu’s teachers. To Taina (Sandelin), who was my first teacher and showed me first time, how to practice Sun Salutations. To Virpi (Karjalainen), who watched over one year me trying to close Marichyasana D, supported me and gave me a big smile, when I finally did it alone. To Marke (Murtomäki), who is so patient and so mellow, that you can only admire her beautiful personality and hope that you could get one day even small portion of all those good qualities, which she has. To Sami (Mälkiä), whose adjustments are so good and to Pia (Lehtinen), who always sees something else than the other and gives you so good advices. And to Juha (Javanainen), who taught me a lot during my first yoga retreat in Houtskär.
And every morning, when I stand up, I think about Fatima (Witick), because Fatima is one of the reasons, why I am here and why I can walk as well as practice yoga without pain again. Fatima is a huge personality, quite character and very inspiring person. During last spring, I learned from her so much about pilates, proper breathing technique, good posture and deep stretching that I will always owe her a million. I can guarantee, that if you take her lesson, she will give you very much hard time, but afterwards you will feel like somebody gave you a jackpot. My advise is that every Finnish yogi should try Fatima’s deep stretching class. After that you are like a new person!
Yes. Today’s practice wasn’t flying. It was sweaty and tired. I did the whole practice anyway, Sharath assisted me with Supta Kurmasana. And I got ”good” again, when he saw me sweating like a pig as well as pushing like a maniac to close my hands (which I actually did) in Supta Kurmasana. I was laughing aloud finally, when I jumped back last time, because I was so tired and sweaty, that I was hardly able to see anything. But hey, it was totally worth it!
I highly admire those people, who are practicing alone every morning at home. They must have so much more discipline than I have. In Mysore, you meet those people a lot. Some of them have even started ashtanga alone, reading books, watching videos and trying asanas themselves. I feel here ridiculously spoilt to be able to practice in Helsinki every morning with extremely good and experienced teachers. In Helsinki, we have great possibilities to practice ashtanga and we can actually choose the shala (and the teacher) which is the best for us. My home shala has always been in Annankatu (Helsinki Ashtanga Yoga School), but many Finnish students are pleased to go and practice in Moola, Studio 8 and Shanti, too.
I am every day thankful to Annankatu’s teachers. To Taina (Sandelin), who was my first teacher and showed me first time, how to practice Sun Salutations. To Virpi (Karjalainen), who watched over one year me trying to close Marichyasana D, supported me and gave me a big smile, when I finally did it alone. To Marke (Murtomäki), who is so patient and so mellow, that you can only admire her beautiful personality and hope that you could get one day even small portion of all those good qualities, which she has. To Sami (Mälkiä), whose adjustments are so good and to Pia (Lehtinen), who always sees something else than the other and gives you so good advices. And to Juha (Javanainen), who taught me a lot during my first yoga retreat in Houtskär.
And every morning, when I stand up, I think about Fatima (Witick), because Fatima is one of the reasons, why I am here and why I can walk as well as practice yoga without pain again. Fatima is a huge personality, quite character and very inspiring person. During last spring, I learned from her so much about pilates, proper breathing technique, good posture and deep stretching that I will always owe her a million. I can guarantee, that if you take her lesson, she will give you very much hard time, but afterwards you will feel like somebody gave you a jackpot. My advise is that every Finnish yogi should try Fatima’s deep stretching class. After that you are like a new person!
Yes. Today’s practice wasn’t flying. It was sweaty and tired. I did the whole practice anyway, Sharath assisted me with Supta Kurmasana. And I got ”good” again, when he saw me sweating like a pig as well as pushing like a maniac to close my hands (which I actually did) in Supta Kurmasana. I was laughing aloud finally, when I jumped back last time, because I was so tired and sweaty, that I was hardly able to see anything. But hey, it was totally worth it!
19 Oct 2010
My 10th Practice
Today, all in the Shala was very quiet. I got a nice spot near Guruji’s picture. When I started, I had to watch out a bit, because one woman was practising flip-flops in front of me, so I backed off a little and gave her some space. Still every time when I heard her landing, I watched her heels in the level of my eyes. And I hit accidently the guy next to me three times today during my practice. I bet, that he wanted to be next to someone else…
I had very strong and deep practice today. I am trying to learn, how to jump through and I am looking for my point of balance. I am reading John Scott’s Ashtanga Yoga book and I think that jump through is very well explained in that book. This might be the first time, when I got the idea, that I don’t actually have to jump through, but ”jump up to the point of balance, and then sit down”. I have a feeling that jump through is more about good technique than strength. So I just have to repeated it one time after another, so that I will find out, what the trick actually is.
I also like the way, how John Scott explains in his book Kurmasana and Supta Kurmasana. He says that: ”The very nature of a tortoise is slow – an indication that this posture is not to be rushed.”. He writes also that: ”In addition, this asana is the ”gateway” pose to Nadi Sodhana, or purification of the nervous system.”. I totally agree with him. Kurmasana and Supta Kurmasana are so heavy for me. I was yesteday so tired before lunch and today I fell a sleep after breakfast. The practice is so intense now, that it really eats my energy. I am getting my energy back during the afternoons, but I can already see, that it isn’t really a piece of cake to get my strenght back. I mean, I can remember the time, when my Primary Serie was actually light. Luckily I don’t have to do this in the middle of busy work days and cold weather. And I really feel that I am getting stronger here.
Sharath wasn’t assisting me today, but he still asked, when I was moving to my finishing poses, how everything went, was I able to close Supta Kurmasana and who assisted me. He is so watching me! I have to keep him confident and build up my strength. I am not doing my practice for my teacher, but when I can show, that my asana is stable, it shows at the same time, that my mind is stronger, too. Sometimes I think that ashtanga is like a school for stubborn people. You have to accept your weaknesses, be quiet, take yourself to your physical and mental limits day after day, face enourmous difficulties, repeat same asanas thousands of times, collapse and start all over again. And finally (if you are smart and patient enough) you might realize, that there is no hurry and you actually learn to listen to yourself.
I had very strong and deep practice today. I am trying to learn, how to jump through and I am looking for my point of balance. I am reading John Scott’s Ashtanga Yoga book and I think that jump through is very well explained in that book. This might be the first time, when I got the idea, that I don’t actually have to jump through, but ”jump up to the point of balance, and then sit down”. I have a feeling that jump through is more about good technique than strength. So I just have to repeated it one time after another, so that I will find out, what the trick actually is.
I also like the way, how John Scott explains in his book Kurmasana and Supta Kurmasana. He says that: ”The very nature of a tortoise is slow – an indication that this posture is not to be rushed.”. He writes also that: ”In addition, this asana is the ”gateway” pose to Nadi Sodhana, or purification of the nervous system.”. I totally agree with him. Kurmasana and Supta Kurmasana are so heavy for me. I was yesteday so tired before lunch and today I fell a sleep after breakfast. The practice is so intense now, that it really eats my energy. I am getting my energy back during the afternoons, but I can already see, that it isn’t really a piece of cake to get my strenght back. I mean, I can remember the time, when my Primary Serie was actually light. Luckily I don’t have to do this in the middle of busy work days and cold weather. And I really feel that I am getting stronger here.
Sharath wasn’t assisting me today, but he still asked, when I was moving to my finishing poses, how everything went, was I able to close Supta Kurmasana and who assisted me. He is so watching me! I have to keep him confident and build up my strength. I am not doing my practice for my teacher, but when I can show, that my asana is stable, it shows at the same time, that my mind is stronger, too. Sometimes I think that ashtanga is like a school for stubborn people. You have to accept your weaknesses, be quiet, take yourself to your physical and mental limits day after day, face enourmous difficulties, repeat same asanas thousands of times, collapse and start all over again. And finally (if you are smart and patient enough) you might realize, that there is no hurry and you actually learn to listen to yourself.
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