Blocks, nausea, rain
Posted in ashtanga yoga on 01/31/2007 12:13 pm by karenI’m noticing that three words will cover most of the info I’m likely to include in any given entry.
Mysore practice this morning. On Mysore days, I get up at 4:30. This morning, though, I was awakened at 3:30 by the sounds of an astonishing deluge. My mind was sleepy, and my first thought was of my fuzzy slippers and how they would get wet as I walked out to the car. I think first-thoughts of the morning are most amusing. They tell me a lot about where my mind is at. Lately, it seems I have anxious thoughts first thing in the morning. Not sure how to adjust that, though awareness of it is a kind of step, I suppose.
I thought about the camera on my way out the door, but didn’t take it. I was busy being anxious about whether I had enough gas in the Jeep to make it to the gas station for a refill. And I also ditched the camera because I didn’t want the pressure of “looking” for a good shot. I like the idea that if I wait, good images will appear. And one did. The moon, almost full, in a cloudy sky. Oh wait, I ditched the camera so I wouldn’t be pressured. Hmmm. Obviously there was a flaw in my logic
Practice was HOT. Volleyball Guy cranks the heat on cold mornings, and I love it. It was the first time I’ve felt really warm in days. Yay! I was telling The Cop last night that I have huge respect for people who maintain practices in cold climes. I don’t know how you people do it.
During urdhva dhanurasana, Volleyball Guy decided to have me do the pose with two blocks under each foot. Ah, a challenge at 6 AM! My inner monolog was very clear that it is NOT SAFE to do backbends with my feet on a stack of blocks. It was kind of fun, though. And I could get my arms straighter. Especially when Volleyball Guy cranked on my upper back by pulling it away from my feet. Yikes!
Then dropbacks. At which point I felt nauseous. Was my nervous system kicking up a fuss? I know I used to get nauseous when I lifted really heavy weights for reps. This, though, mostly just felt like I shouldn’t have had my coffee.
Is that possible? Could I make my way to practice without the benefit of coffee? I’m trying to imagine, but it’s very difficult. I really don’t want to give it up, but I really did feel awful this morning. I don’t want to hamper backbend progress by my unwillingness to give up the coffee. On the other hand, I would hate to give up something I love SO DEARLY if it isn’t absolutely necessary.
I might try tomorrow at home practice. It’ll mean I can sleep in for the amount of time it usually takes me to drink the coffee. Mmmmm. Now I’m starting to feel a little sold on the idea…

01/31/2007 at 12:35 pm
I run into this same dilemma when I drive down to Santa Barbara for practice. On one hand, I hate practicing with just coffee in my system… i feel shaky and a little nauseous. On the other hand, I can’t drive 90 minutes at 6 a.m. without a little caffeine in me.
At home, I wake up, start the heater in my room, then go make coffee. I set the timer on the coffee maker so it finishes brewing just as I finish my practice. I find that even just SMELLING the coffee before my practice helps out a bit, as does the ritual of it all.
01/31/2007 at 12:54 pm
Oh, what a great idea! It will help immensely. I’m going to try it tomorrow.
01/31/2007 at 2:38 pm
i have a similar problem with backbending. when i have talked to other people about it they seem to think i am crazy. the more deeply i get into my backbending, i will go through a phase of feeling very dizzy and nauseated. it comes and goes, and it actually seems like the dizziness and nausea accompany an opening, by which i mean, it doesn’t happen when i feel tight, rather very open, and i am stopped going further by my dizziness and nausea not by muscle tightness. i had one teacher who got me to bind my ankles but i felt so ill and i thought i might pee myself, but i wasn’t in any pain. and i wasn’t at all sore the next day. i am bewildered.
oh, and it seems to have no connection to coffee. i wouldn’t dream of giving that up
02/01/2007 at 9:30 pm
I like to search any blogs that use the title of the day’s work, today it is “backbend” and I found yours. I’m from Cleveland where it is very cold. Coffee always trumps yoga when it’s 18 degrees out and the snow is deeper than my cat is tall.