Diary of a Yoga retreat - Day 4 - more thoughts

DAY FOUR - MORNING CLASS

New pose - yippee!!

The Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga system is a very systematic and simple style of yoga where your teacher gives you new poses along the sequence as your flexibility and strength allows. It is a very simple way to move through the sequence. Nearly all ashtanga teachers will tell you not to want or wish for the next pose and all of us practitioners try to do this. But, I bet if we were all honest with ourselves and our teachers (really the teachers all know this) we long for the day when the teacher says "next pose".

Today was that day for me. Karandavasana, a very tricky pose. Reasonably far down the line in the 2nd series of Ashtanga Yoga. I've been trying to perfect the one (Pincha Mayurasana) before and it is difficult. Today I actually felt something fall into place within me and I got up there. I moved my body in such a way as to take the position and to find myself stationary. I have been working towards this for many months and actually as is mostly the case for me, today I forgot about the next pose and the wanting. Wondering when it would be. I simply continued with my practice. The teacher said "new pose", "yippee" I thought.

In this posture, many people kick the teacher in the head when they are helped into position. This was a big concern for me that I not do this. As with most things the posture was not as difficult as the anticipation leading up to it. I completed it, teacher smiled. I am happy, I feel good. New pose means forward motion.

I am 39 and my body is learning new tricks. It is a fantastic day. Practice was beautiful this morning. It is raining today. Im sitting in my room, post class, looking out over the majestic view, palm trees, coconuts, rice fields and terraced hillsides. It's a beautiful day. I am not aiming for the pool, I am not aiming for anything but muesli, fruit and yoghurt and a strong cup of coffee.

I made it here again, it is a great day. A little bit of solitude goes a long way for a busy mama. This is the first time in eight years I have had this and I am grateful.

New pose baby!!!

Susan Plesser
I am a Yoga instructor, but first and foremost i practice yoga. i became an instructor so I could share the joy that Yoga brings me, with others. I run classes, small retreats and have an online Yoga Products Shop.

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