Progress

1.) Padmasana has arrived after nearly four years. Uth Plutih is fun!

 2.) Marichyasana D is coming - the bind without any external help is progressing.

 3.) Urdhva Dhanurasana: not only can I very consistently stand up without staggering across the room, I managed to drop back (in a very controlled fashion, to my great surprise) on Friday. Three times. I repeated the performance yesterday in a led Primary class, so it's not completely a fluke. Tips, tricks? Can't think of one. I hung back for a long as possible before pushing against the wall to come back up several times. Then, reaching to the wall seemed further than reaching down to the floor.

 Supta Kurmasana: after losing a few pounds and teacher training, I can bind the hands and move the soles of my feet together every day. Exit happening, too.

 Overall, Primary is becoming more fun and less work.

Last week I also confirmed that drinking too much coffee before pranayama leads to utter failure. If your heart is beating like a drum retentions become completely untenable. Further reflections: curious how yoga is portrayed in Western culture as peaceful, graceful, love, happiness, and a frosted cupcake. But in practice it always feels sweaty, painful, and hard. Elements of grace and levity, but the practice seems to teach the real lessons when it pushes your nose up against the wall.

 Tim might be on to something: "If Anusara is the yoga of Yes, then Ashtanga is the yoga of No".