Day 4--Monday, July 16, 2012

9:00 AM class

I finally had an easier class!  No class is truly "easy" since it is always a major challenge to me just getting through the series, especially the hardest (to me, right now) part--Cobra, Half Locust, Full Locust, and Wheel.  But today was way easier than Saturday and Sunday.  It was less humid outside, and several classmates commented that yesterday was harder for them too, so maybe it was just weather-related.  Having 24 hours between yesterday's class at 9 AM and today's probably helped, too.  Saturday and Sunday were too close for comfort.  I am not probably going to be one of the challenge folks who ever does a double.  At least right now I cannot imagine spending 3 hours in one day practicing. 

Besides not wanting to run out of the room today, there were some other good points.  I managed to touch my forehead to the floor again today in Standing Separate Leg Stretching.  My next goal is to get more weight onto my toes, roll forward, and touch my forehead BETWEEN my heels.  It is somewhere nearer to my toes right now.  I also managed to hold Standing Bow Pulling on the right side for a whole 30 seconds in the second set.  I think I even had my right knee locked most of that time too.  Standing Forehead to Knee is still tough for me--my current goal in that posture is to just stand with one foot in my hand and the standing knee locked, truly locked, for 1 min.  My ankle is really wobbly in that posture, too, and I think it will need to be lots more solid before I can truly kick out with any integrity in the posture.

I am also having trouble with my backbend during the warm-up series.  I inhale deeply, drop my head back, then push my fingers back, but I seem to lose my breath really easily.  Maybe I am "collapsing" into my back, or maybe it is fear.  I can see what feels to me like waaay down the back wall, and that is a little scary and intense.  But I love love love doing backbends, so I am not sure if it is more physical, like I am squishing my lungs somehow. 

It feels great to go to class in the morning and then have the rest of the day to feel great!