Prison stripes

Posted in current events, things i like on 04/10/2009 11:08 am by karen

About once a year, I’ll have an extended period of criminal behavior. Generally, I avoid writing about it. Obviously, the potential for stirring up emotion about adherence to the system is pretty high. But you know, I am having such a good time that I am going to blog about my experience.

Back in the day, when I had one of these “vacations” from Ashtanga, I would be all concerned: “How can I call myself an Ashtangi? What if I never practice Ashtanga again?!” Yeah. Okay, well, here’s how it plays out: I have an alternate practice for about a month, I learn a lot, and then I miss Ashtanga so much that I can’t stand it and revert to regular practice.

It’s really not unlike times when I’d finish a book of poetry, then spend my time worrying about whether I’d ever write again. (Melodrama!) Yeah, I always write again, and so… um, whatever.

All of this started last Saturday, when I played around with a practice Linda outlined and was rewarded with an extraordinarily sweet savasana. Next day, all I wanted to do was this practice again. And then the next day. And then I spent time tormenting myself about what I should and shouldn’t be doing. And then I laughed at myself.

So this is what I’ve been up to this week:

Matthew Sweeney Simha Krama shoulder openers
Sirsasana – 3m
Marci Naujokat shoulder stretch – 1m / Backbend, at wall – 1m / Marci shoulder stretch – 5m
Pasasana – 1m / Uttanasana – 1m / Squat – 1m
Virasana – 3m / Supta Virasana – 2m
Pincha Mayurasana – 1m / Anjanayasana A – 1m
Vrischikasana A– 1m / Anjanayasana B – 1m
Vrischikasana A– 1m
Hanumanasana – 1m

Venkatesh Standing Arches
Hands on hips, feet together – 1m / 90deg bend – 1m
Hands on hips, feet hip width – 1m / 90deg bend – 1m
Straight arms up & over, feet together – 1m / Uttanasana – 1m / up & over – 1m
Straight arms up & over, feet hip width – 1m / Uttanasana – 1m / up & over – 1m

Bhujangasana – 1m / Ustrasana – 1m / Ardho Mukha Svanasana in wall ropes – 1 m
Kapotasana hangback – 1m / Kapotasana – 1m / Ardho Mukha Svanasana in wall ropes – 1 m
Urdhva dhanurasana – 1m
Dropbacks
Closing
Savasana

 

12 Comments

  1. Straight into the Sweeney stuff or sun salutes first? That seems like a tough warm-up!

    Are you vinyasaing or sort of moving pose to pose without the flow we’re used to?

    Sounds interesting, but my wee brain can’t handle other sequences or poses!

  2. Couple of sun sals and then I’m off and running. No vinyasa. Just pose-to-pose. It’s weird (and interesting) because it challenges my “superstitions” about how warm I have to be, the order that poses have to be done, etc.

    I have this perverse fascination with doing poses “cold” — no idea what it’s about, but I can’t seem to shake it. Some remnant of a past life, I guess. ;-)

  3. hi Karen
    isn’t this a hoot? i’m here at the gate waiting to board a flight to SF in this super modern terminal that was recently completed and i’m reading your blog. FUN. where did you find out Venkitesh’s routine (is it in the next post? hmm i’ve been slow to catch up on blog reading.) i hope to have a week of solid practice in San Francisco next week with Seven Petal Lotus.
    hugs
    Arturo

  4. Hi Arturo! A visit home so soon? How nice! Linda shared some info on a few of Venkatesh’s exercises. I’ve been looking for more about his system Atma Vikasa, but am not finding any teachers in the US. I’d like to learn more about it. Don’t think a visit to India is in the cards at this point, though…

  5. Karen, you are too funny. The funniest part is not that you “stray”, but that you keep it secret! ha ha!! Hey, if it helps you in the long run and it’s fun to do for awhile, go for it. No shame. I’m too much in robot mode to do anything but my daily practice, but I like reading about what others are doing.

    Hey, I’m about to cruise through your archives for some advice, so if you see Austin on your live feed for an extended period of time, that’s what’s happening!

  6. I tend to keep things to myself, Liz. I’m not sure why. I’ve always been that way, but it seems to be getting even more pronounced. I’d like to think some of it comes from trying to practice right speech (one practice of the eightfold path), but maybe I’m just too lazy to talk. :-)

  7. hi Karen,
    yes, i’ll be here about a week. i’d like to study with Venkatesh in Mysore. maybe in October or January.
    hugs
    Arturo

  8. Me too, Karen. :)

    The Editor says it’s not lazyness but impatience. I can’t be bothered to explain things I already have experienced or thought through.

    Blogging is good practice to balance that out, though.

  9. With me it’s laziness. LOL

    Fwiw, I posted on a Venkatesh weekend. Loved it!!

    http://susananda.blogspot.com/2008/07/venkatesh-part-one-connn-tinnn-uously.html
    http://susananda.blogspot.com/2008/07/here-is-nice-picture-of-hema-and.html

  10. Oh, one more:
    http://susananda.blogspot.com/2008/07/pranayama-backbends-lazy-yogi-dairy.html

  11. Oh, these are marvelous, Susan. I remember reading them when you first went to the workshop, but it’s an entirely different thing, now that I’m actually doing some of these exercises.

    The closed eyes thing is for real. I just fell into it — helps me stay inside the experience (a lot of sensation) instead of flying out of it (because then it turns –surprise!– into pain).

  12. Yeah, I just re-read them, that was fun :)

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