Every Wednesday I have a conference call at 1pm which makes it hard to do the noon classes at AYC. I've never embraced the idea of getting up at 6am to go to Mysore classes (plus I was using the T/TH deal as a way to get my feet wet with Mysore) but last night, given that I hadn't practiced since Atlanta, I told The Husband to wake me up and I would see how I was feeling. 6:15... was finding excuses in my head... 6:20 I said "fuck it, I might as well just go." Brushed my teeth, threw on clothes, turned the heater up to 90 in the car and drove over. The room was already fairly full so I was on the other side of the room from the heater :( My back was very tight and sore today and my muscles clearly took a toll with all the tension I had filled inside yesterday. The first few downward dogs were a bit nerve wracked but then I started to get warm and things were well. When I originally started, the teacher wasn't there yet so I didn't get to mention that my back was tender and a bit sore before he came over in twisting triangle to adjust me. Since usually the teacher leans a bit in and stretches from one end to the other I whispered "Please don't touch that!!" He says "What?!" I said "That!" indicating my back... as he stretched me I could feel it stretching out... so when we were done he stood me up and had a good look at it, asked me what it meant and when I said that the bottom leaf said yogini he said "No, YOU!????" I'm not quite sure what that meant ;) I went on with my practice, standing was fine... when I got to seated and attempted to do Purvattanasana I felt my back so badly that I had to stop. I tried it a second time, going more slowly, breathing more deeply but as soon as I dropped my head back I knew it wasn't good for me to be doing. The rest of seated postures I had to think through how to position the stretch of my back so that it didn't feel so strongly... the assistant came over and exclaimed "Oh you got it done! I saw it when I first walked in!" (she had seen the sketch last week after yoga during tea break). She helped me in a couple postures and when I got to kurmasana she came over and told me I shouldn't move too far into supta today.... I decided not to roll in garbha pindasana so I just held it then moved into kukutasana... baddha konasana the assistant laid over me being careful not to put any of her body over my upper back... it was painful and I ended up having to come out of it. After that she told me she could see some blood vessels bulging so we decided it would probably be best if I stopped my practice then and there and not do anything else especially anything that required laying on my back. I did a short headstand, child's pose and left.

Though I'm sad I only got a half a practice in, I'm so happy that I got my butt out of med and actually went!!!! I discovered that I actually like getting up early and practicing and I might try to find a way to work in 1 or 2 more days of Mysore if I can swing it. When I got home I had to have the Nanny help me apply the ointment to my back.... I bet she didn't think helping mommy apply tattoo ointment would be part of her job description ;)