A Comment

That I left on someone's blog:

I attended the Confluence. It was a profound experience. I was in a haze for a week following.

The lobby and vendor booths made me uncomfortable and claustrophobic. But stuffing yourself sardine-style into the Mysore room was liberating on a different level - I felt like I was wholly anonymous. Perhaps 2% of the people in that room would recognize me, and only one of the teachers would. So in a sense, it was more pure than practicing alone, where I am focusing very much on my self. A huge crowd let me slip into something a little more detached from myself and that particular iteration of my practice.

Bhekasana

Sunday: first half of Intermediate.

I got hoisted into Bhekasana, and had an excellent Kapo.

This morning's practice - not so much.

I Hurt In New and Novel Ways

After yesterday's moon day and Wednesday's Marichyasana panic, I was suffering from great trepidation today. The top of my left foot felt sprained and hurt like hell on Wedneday, and the intensity of the experience stayed with me all day, feeling unsettled and unsteady.

I woke up a little earlier than usual this morning (4:25), giving me an additional five minutes to take an epsom bath before practice - anything to fend off the teeth of the practice. Then I walked the dog, took a bath, and drank too much coffee, and quickly found myself practicing an upset-coffee-stomach opening sequence.

I was forgetting the sequence, and put all I had into the seated postures, trying to loosen my hips and ankles. I repeated many, and was clearly looking very nervous (Holly commented). I bound to wrists in the Maris, intent on opening quads, hips, ankles, lats, shoulders, etc, etc. In D, Tim grabbed my wrist, braced his foot against my knee, and pulled. After five breaths my armpit made contact with my knee, he pinned my bicep, and pulled my arm around into the bind. I panicked less than Wednesday, and I didn't explode into a heap upon exit.

Keep in mind that I've got 5 inches and 15 pounds on Tim. His precision and efficiency are incredible.

After all that I managed a legitimate albeit ugly padmasana instead of my usual half-lotus bastardization of garbha pindasana.

Tim squished me in baddha konasana, which felt thoroughly pleasant compared to Mari D.

Backbends were a respite, and felt like a reprieve. Holly dropped me back a few times before I flopped into savasana.

I hurt in new and novel ways.

Progress

Tim got me into Marichyasana D both sides, despite panic and an explosive exit from the left side.

Then I enjoyed my first-ever padmasana.

The rest of the day was internal turmoil.

As Tim says, squeezing out the nonsense.

Confluence and Mari D

The big news: this morning I was wrenched into Mari D on my right side. That's new.

The little news: I spent three days having my mind blown at the Ashtanga Yoga Confluence.

The Confluence was, shall we say, expanding.

The warmth, openness, and genuine humanity of the Big Five was powerful. The convergence of 350 people, many of whom have dedicated a very large part of their existence to the practice, was potent. The physical practices were beautiful, but entirely secondary.

Quick personal note: shoulder still a little sore. Gotta be careful with all that jumping.