UGH.... I just spent about a half hour making a post and lost the whole thing. I don't even know what I did but BOOM suddenly it was all gone and I couldn't even log into Ashtangi.NET. I doubt I can recreate it so I'll just have to start over.

Given that yesterday was Friday, at noon I taught my Yoga for Kids class. This time all 15 5 year olds were present and accounted for and just as into it as they were the first day if not more so. I had a really good time teaching... in fact, I'm surprised at just how fun it is to teach kids yoga. We did standing poses and seated poses and then in the middle I let 4 of my friends teach us yoga poses that they made up.... One girl made up a pose which just happens to be the first pose of 3rd series. I found this interesting because there's no way she could know that and it goes to show you that some of our yoga poses, as mysterious and difficult as they appear, are quite natural movements of the body. This teaching engagement is somewhat difficult in the grand scheme of things as it takes just a bit over two hours to change my clothes, get to class, get setup, teach, tear down, get back, change my clothes and get back to my desk. So I was a bit stressed as I watched the traffic start piling up on the 5 north from noon on.... I wondered how I would ever make it to the 5:30 intro class.

In the end, I left a few minutes early and got there with plenty of time. I was surprised to see about 4 people who were on their second practice of the day (having done Mysore in the morning). I seem to remember during some conversation with Tim he indicated that it isn't a good idea to practice twice in the same day... but maybe I misheard that or simply hallucinated hearing it :)

So Intro to Second was good... and surprising. We did a lot of research poses since it is an intro class. The research for Pasasana is a quad burner from hell. Squatting with your thighs parallel to the ground, one arm on the wall behind you, shoulder outside the knee. Once we actually did Pasasana I tried to lift my thighs a bit so that they were more parallel the way that Tiffany does it with her heels down. I could actually get there but it put too much pressure on the twisted side implant and it scared me a bit... so I chose to keep my heels up a bit and let the pressure subside. I have a feeling it might be a long time before, if ever, that pressure goes away. I really enjoy Krounchasana. It feels like my leg is perfectly straight but I always feel like my lower back is somewhat rounded. I've really been trying to feel straight but I never quite feel like I am. Shalabasana is a good pose but since we moved into the temporary space with the hard wood floors, it has become an exercise in dealing with the pain of my protruding hip bones pushing into the floor. I wonder that putting a blanket under me would help but I hate dealing with "props" during practice. We did a lot of research for Bhekasana. Since surgery this pose is really difficult for me. I can get my heels to the ground with no problem but I can't maintain the push on my heels and engage the front of my body in order to lift my chest. In fact, when I try this really really hard, I can feel the implant shift in it's pocket which is a pretty gnarly experience just for the record.

One of the things I really liked about class last night was the additional instruction that you don't necessarily get in Mysore. For example, in Dhanurasana, I've been concentrating on getting my ankles together with my feet flexed a bit. Last night Tim said "Toes pointed!" Maybe I need to read the asana books more :) After Dhanurasana came Ustrasana. Tiffany told me in Bikram's they tell you to push the tops of your feet into the ground as hard as you can so I've been trying to do that.... I don't have the nice pretty bend in my back though but this posture has always felt a little wierd to me.

Once done with Ustrasana and, therefore, my regular practice, came the real fun. Next up was Laghuvajarasana which is just as hard to say as it is to do. Tim instructed us to grab our ankles then keeping our arms straight put our head on the ground. Quite frankly, I don't see how this is humanly possible for me. To keep my arms straight, head on the ground, I'd basically have to lie essentially flat. Notice in that picture, his hands are on his calves, elbows bent, head on the ground... that I could get to though it felt better to have my hands closer to my knees (as done in his exit picture). I struggled almost the whole pose with how I could keep my arms straight on my ankles and my head on the ground. I cheated getting up -- I don't even remember what I did to cheat but I know I did. After that came Kapotasana which I was really afraid of. Funnily enough, this pose didn't hold the same level of discomfort and fear as Laghuvajarasana does. I did put my hands down before putting my head on the floor but once my head was on the floor, I could easily touch my toes keeping my elbows in. I couldn't get further than my toes but it's also only the 3rd or 4th time I've ever even tried this pose. So I hung out for the count, fingers and toes together and just experienced the pose. I know a lot of people talk about overwhelming emotion during it but I really liked it. To get up I put my hands down but I didn't understand the count Tim was doing and I tried to come up and bit the dust... to which I was rewarded with one of his "eh, exit incorect" looks/smiles.

Next we partnered up and did Supta Vajarasana which is a pose I actually like. I remember, a long time ago, doing this pose and being able to hold onto my feet but that isn't possible anymore. Bakasana was next... I was actually surprised that I held A as long as I did although Tim came over and said to Tiffany and I "Toes up! Up! What these are supposed to be your tails!" I ended up having to come down and he looked at me with a question so I pointed to the stitched side and he mouthed "ah." Bakasana B is something that will happen on a cold day in hell for me. I suppose this takes Bandha control but I still haven't mastered the jumping around stuff.... I can barely get my legs off the ground when I attempt to jump for like handstands or something. Fear?

I really enjoyed Bharadvajasana but I was surprised at my discomfort in Ardha Matsyendrasana. The bent leg hip had the same exact pain that I get in Mari C (which I don't get in Mari D). I always see teachers use this pose in place of Mari D so I was a bit surprised that it held so much pain for me. Next was the Eka Padas (one leg behind the head). Tim had us lay back and attempt to put our leg behind our head and if you could get it there and it was secure to roll up and do the forward bend. I could get my leg back there but it wouldn't stay there so I stayed laying back.

For finishing we only did 3 backbends in honor of the full moon which meant that, even through the second series backbends, I didn't get a chance to get into my backbends and when Tim tried to help me up with the one handed lift, I flailed and almost fell back... he had to catch me. I didn't rock appropriately and my back felt stiff. Finishing, however, felt great for the first time in a long time... until I got to headstand which is still one of the most challenging poses for me. I fell on my first attempt to get up which made Tim come and stand in front of me and then the assistant tried to adjust me and I had to come down and explain to her that she couldn't adjust me... that it's a tentative balance between pain pulling up my side and finding a center.

After class I spoke to the assistant who does bodywork about doing some bodywork to maybe help out the scar tissue. I haven't done any bodywork because I can't lay on my stomach (yet... will I ever?). Maybe I can hook that up and it will make a difference...

After class, Tiffany and I went out for sushi and wine. We had a great time and Tiffany is thinking of coming to Chicago with me. I'm staying at the W Chicago so she'll get a great hotel for free and time during the day to do whatever she wants. The firm that I'm going to meetings with is compromised of a bunch of single whipper snappers who have "entertainment" (i.e., bars, bands, alcohol and food) planned for me (I'm not real happy about it and have been figuring out how to get out of it only I don't think there is a real way to get out of it) so having Tiffany around will make the drudge of evening festivities a little funner.

Happy Moon Day! :)