Last week I couldn't go to the studio very often. I was very happy to be at the studio yesterday and be able to do practice with a group and teacher. It's different when you practice at home and it's different when you have this group energy available and obviously different when you have a teacher. Although home practice surely has a lot of value, I like to go to the studio so much. It's a place I like to be. I had one place like that before, which was my school, Merce Cunningham Studio. It was a place to be. But, I'm not in New York anymore, and even if I was, there is no Merce Cunningham studio anymore.
First I would like to share with you a video that Kino MacGregor posted on her YouTube channel. It's a Q & A with students, it's an hour long and it's super interesting and thought provoking.
See for yourself here.
Kino MacGregor talk
First encounter with handstand (or standing on your hands :)
Yesterday I had some adventures during practice. First, after Virabadrasana B, I wanted to go down , step back and just lower to Chaturanga. But the teacher said I should try to hop, I just didn't know how :) it turned out i should go to sort of not full handstand, and then drop flat to Chaturanga. She assisted me so quickly i actually didn't have time to think, which was great, because after I started to think about my toes and stuff, but then I think maybe if you keep it flexed and ready then it will be ok. Nothing hurt and I landed in Chaturanga, and then I fell flat on my face which was funny, because I was already in Chaturanga, so why did I do that. It was kind of fun to try it, I know it will be long time before I will ever be able to do it correctly, but I don't worry about that.
Some hard stuff...
....lies not only in the asanas itself ( when speaking about the physical dimention of the practice) but also in vinyasas. Sometimes when you look at the Primary Series chart, you might think at first, that thats all, and so did I but it really isn't.
Some asanas look really scary at first, like Bujapidasana. Others look impossible and complicated like Supta Kurmasana or Garbha Pidasana. Others are really scary and hard like Supta Konasana, i still cant get my legs straight and the hands are on the ground. I tried to took one off yesterday, but i quickly put it back down. ;)
Something i was really unaware of was the difficulty and variety of vinyasas and transitions provided in the Primary Series.
Some of them I'm familiar with but still work on them every day. The jump back part is like my major struggle. I don't walk my feet anymore, but they do touch the ground at some point. Jump through if far beyond my understanding yet ;) I don't know how to even attempt it.
Another transition that I had problems with was Chakrasana. At first didnt understand how one can roll directly on the neck. That was scary! (It actually still is :) I do roll now, but my legs aren't doing the right thing. They are like always bent. I don't know, I think they should stay straight.
I also saw some more advanced people do very hard vinyasas, so out of curiosity, because I was introduced to one of this break a neck things yesterday, I sat myself and watched YouTube video of Primary Series with Guruji. So I saw: the exit of Bujapidasana, heheh, my god, they straighten the legs, and then go to Bakasana, and from there jump back... And then they do Garbha Pidasana, they roll, take the hands out and jump back FROM THE LOTUS, like, DIRECTLY. I also saw the full exit from Virabadrasana and I was like, yeah right. :) I don't want to even mention jumping into Bujapidasana. :)
Anyhow, not everything is stated on the Primary Series chart so beware ;)
Supta Kurmasana revelations
Yesterday I experienced some small successes in Supta Kurmasana. The teacher said I should try to at least cross the legs in front of my head, and I did it.
But then she took it behind my head, she let go, and they STAYED, they didn't slip down. :))) yay. That's like the first time it ever happened.
Today, Supta Kurmasana demystification continued. I came to the studio with a will to ask how can I enter, and is it possible that I enter Supta Kurmasana on my own. Meaning, can I place legs behind my head on my own? When lying down. Cause they go there, I just don't if it's possible to put them there by myself.
I actually didn't ask, but it got the answer. So the teacher said today there are two ways you can enter. Either lying down you put the legs as high as you can, so the shins are almost on the shoulder blades, and you take left with hand, put it back, and then try to wiggle in the right on top. Wiggle in is the right term, with some swaying from side to side involved. :) So I tried that way, and it actually worked. (Only for a short moment before the entire construction fell apart and exactly in moment when I finally found my hands :D )
She also said there is another way, you can sit down, and put your legs behind your head, and then go down. I can try that maybe tomorrow. I unfortunately can envision another face plant. Oh well, things happen. :)
Dropbacks revolution
Today I dropped back on my own, for the first time. With the teacher standing in front of me. Actually it wasn't scary. I just feel that I should relax my elbows more or bend it a little, since the moment of hitting the ground was a little to hard. Should be more controlled. I dropped like that twice then one with assistance. I also tried to get up but it didn't work yet :) then we did this drop backs with arms on chest, then we dropped back again, stayed for 5, then I think again. I don't know. I counted something close to 10 drop backs today.
Hopefully everyone is fine and enjoying their practice. Wish me luck with getting up at 6am tomorrow, and going to the bus stop in this snow and cold. :)
Joanna
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