Yesterday I got up at 6:30 with the intent of practicing at home and then going into the office. I put on some clothes, turned on the heater (we built my office as a yoga room too so I have a great heater in there), lit a candle on the altar, said the invocation and bent over to Uttanasana when it hit me. My hamstrings, they were in rebellion.. all those backbends, oh sure, they felt good in the moment, but 12 hours later my body as saying "uh huh, no way, don't even think about it." I did 4As, 4Bs, tried to do some of standing, skipped some, tried some more and then when I got to Prasaritas and I basically had to go into half Somakonasana to get my head to the ground, I gave up. I sat on my mat and read Rumi and tried to tell myself that at least I got on the mat and that reading Rumi and digesting Rumi was a pretty good start to the day anyway.

For the rest of the day, whenever I had to get up from my desk, I thought my thighs would break in half.

This morning I got up with the intent to start my practice in the other room while Pranayama was still going on. I figured if I started by 6:30, I'd probably be somewhere in standing by the time 7am rolled around only, somehow, I got up really early and ended up getting to the studio around 6:15 and I was to Janu Shirasana by the time 7am rolled around. It was sorta wierd to be doing seated while everyone else was just starting. Practice itself was okay.. not great and not bad. Rich helped me get into Dwi Pada before Supta K but I was leaning too far back and so after he got my legs crossed I almost rolled back into him! Once he righted me and I put my head on the ground, I got my hands bound by myself... first time on the west coast since surgery. He, of course, helped me get them more bound and I hung out in Supta K for an extra few breaths.

For some reason I could NOT bind in Pasasana on the first side today. Not even with the mat under my heels. That is the first time ever that I couldn't bind. I tried a bunch of times and it just didn't happen. I rarely get help in Pasasana and Tim and RIch were on the other end of the room so I eventually just gave up. Strangely enough, the second side was perfectly normal. I had a great time in Bhekasana today. Bhekasana on the right side is feeling back to somewhat normal but I can't engage my pec enough to push my left foot down and lift at the same time... too much push and pull so I can't get a good rendition of the pose out without help. Lately, even with help, it's been somewhat strained but today my back felt great and I ended up with my forehead on Tim's.

Then came backbends. I now have a mental component to this. Now that I know I can do it off a cheese wedge, I'm itching to do it off my practice mat. On my 6th backbend Tim came over and asked if I was ready... he then asked if I did "extras" today because apparently the look on my face was one that lent itself over to, I suppose, agony. After he helped me up I explained that I had spent an hour standing up off the cheese wedge. He asked me how far off the ground my hands were and I explained how I had started at the top and moved to the end... so on the last drop back when he put his hand on my chest I didn't freak out, in fact, I knew I could do it and I did. Tim's response "It's coming."