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Felt yucky at practice this morning. I’ve had what keeps promising to be a cold for about a week. But nothing really ever comes of it. Last night I had a sore throat and runny nose, and I thought about taking the day off, but then of course I decided to just wait and see in the morning. But who knows how I feel at 4:30? Basically I am just an insensible entity padding into the kitchen and pouring coffee. I took my temperature to see if that might give me a hint, but it was fine. Did I feel bad? Heck, I don’t know! I wasn’t even awake.

So I went to Mysore practice. Felt a-okay once I got started, except for a kind of runny nose. And dizziness. Which is what always happens when I get a little cold. Parivritta trikonasana was pretty tricky, with the weird equilibrium and all. I had to actually abort two attempts on the first side, stand back up, and start from scratch. LOL! It brings yoga to a whole ‘nother level, when the internal monolog is simple: “Don’t fall! Don’t fall!”

Despite the dizziness (whoa! look out for parsvottanasana!) I felt quite good. Strong. Zipped right along through practice. Everything felt lovely and stretchy and pleasant. And then Volleyball Guy adjusted me in upavishta konasana. Usually I have my chin on the floor and my shoulders, but not my tummy. Today, though, I sure did! It was one of those dealios where you actually get scared. I was tempted to say “five” as soon as he smooshed me, because I could tell I was going to go way further into the pose than usual. It is fun, though, to be really scared and then just see what happens, without calling it off prematurely.

I rolled through practice at a really good pace today (in part because I had a meeting at 8), and plowed through the beginning of second (some day those poses will shape up into something more than the formless blob I force my exhausted self through at the end of primary). Then I got up to go to the restroom. Not actually because I had to pee, but because for the past couple of practices I’ve taken this little walk before urdhva dhanurasana. I know, it’s dawdling. Honestly, I do NO other dawdling ever! Still, though, it was noticed. I was almost out the door when Volleyball Guy threw his arm out to catch me and said, “I know what’s coming up next. I know the series!” I had to laugh. Okay, time to knock off the weird little walk before urdhva dhanurasana.

Tomorrow is home practice and then Friday Mysore. Saturday is a day off because of the retreat at the zendo. I’m looking forward to it, though the zendo is an even worse place for a cold than the shala. You are not supposed to move AT ALL, or make ANY noise. What’s the advice if your nose runs? Just let it. Yeah, no kidding. Everyone gazes at the floor of course, so I suppose if I need to I can stick wads of Kleenex in my nostrils. Some of the monks are pretty strict. I wonder if that’d get a chuckle out of them.