Candy cane! Half handstands! Bobcat!
Posted in ashtanga on 08/13/2009 04:47 pm by karenHome practice Thursday! Official day of okay-to-do-strange-things-in-your-practice (per Matthew Sweeney!). I did half primary, then a bunch of weirdo backbend stuff. Including a supported viparita dandasana on my Iyengar chair. Lax talked about doing VD (giggle) for time, so I set my watch for 5 minutes and lay back — toes on the wall and arms stretched out straight. Minute 1: I wonder if the tips of my toes are supposed to fit into the corner where wall meets floor, or if my toes are supposed to curl up the wall? Minute 2: Why aren’t my arms straight? Why can’t I lift them over my head & keep them straight? When I was in virabhadrasana A, David Swenson unlaced my fingers, pushed my upper arms closer to my head and internally rotated my forearms — Gah! I wish I could lift my arms over my head! Minute 3: Wow, my hands are on the floor. Go, gravity! Minute 4.5: Crap, I’m not gonna like sitting up when this is done.
Owie! Sitting up after that 5 minute stretch was NOT fun. But it did remind me that I have to pay attention to the candy cane! I was all focused on it for a while there, then forgot about it. I can’t keep up with all the things I have to pay attention to…
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Half handstands. First I did a bunch of so-called “shakti kicks” near the wall. Fine. Caught some air on a few and didn’t freak myself out too much. I do not trust my arms because 1) they won’t straighten properly & embarrass me in front of David Swenson, and 2) they are attached to my shoulders, which are notoriously untrustworthy.
Anyhow, the kicks worked out okay. Then I did some less-momentumful presses. (Note: I did not say NO momentum. Just less.) Those worked out okay, too, though they were much lower. Still, I managed to balance on my corneas a couple of times, and that was totally fun. Then I put my hands close to my feet to press up (as MM instructed yesterday) and got, well, nowhere. I need to just practice this and get used to it. Then I can figure out next steps.
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We have a bobcat in the neighborhood. The Cop told me about a sighting he had, then called me into the livingroom yesterday morning so I could see the back end of the cat as it hopped off our wall into the neighbors’ yard. I brought The Cop a camera, and he stood on the Buddha birdfeeder to get a few pictures of the bobcat drinking out of the neighbors’ pool.
I was teleworking, and as I sat at my desk by the window, I watched the cat pass back and forth across our front yard numerous times as he went about his business. Once he walked past with a bird in his mouth. I don’t mind having him around, except I’m afraid he could actually hurt Maxine, who is very delicate with arthritis at this point, and I know that Waylon would not understand that a bobcat is not a good thing to try to make friends with.
We had dramatic thunderstorms last night, so I’m hoping maybe the cat decided to head back to the mountains. Now that I write that, I realize those two things have nothing whatsoever to do with each other. Nevertheless, I hope he’s decided to go elsewhere. I’ve been afraid to let the dogs go outside without me, and I’ve been bringing a trowel with me when I go out to watch over them, and it all seems very inconvenient and vaguely ridiculous. The Cop suggested the stun gun last night, but I’m pretty sure I can hit with a trowel and not at all sure I can shoot with a stun gun.
08/14/2009 at 6:15 am
The Cop got pictures of a bobcat and you did not post them??? For shame!
08/14/2009 at 7:31 am
I was SO certain, when I saw the title of this post, that you had discovered some prop-intensive crazy backbend called the BOBCAT. Awesome.
08/14/2009 at 2:07 pm
I’ll try to get the pictures uploaded, S. I’m lazy about transferring files from the digital camera. I’ve been ruined by the iPhone which just mails the pics wherever I want them to go.
Patrick. I laughed my head off about the BOBCAT backbend. I will invent something! I was really frustrated with my shoulders in backbend today, and I think I need a prop-intensive intervention of some sort. And it will be scary and stealthy! And it will be called the BOBCAT!
08/14/2009 at 6:54 pm
Yes to photos and YES to coming up with something called THE BOBCAT!
That’s pretty scary that a bobcat is roaming around. I’d keep my dear pets inside too!
08/14/2009 at 8:22 pm
hi Karen
the subject heading is hilarious and entertaining, making one feel it’s not necessary to read further. VD. an Iyengar teacher used to refer to it as a yoga cocktail, to be had right after work for an attitude adjustment. i’m going to reach for my mat and do it right now!
hugs
Arturo
08/15/2009 at 12:12 am
Youze guys might enjoy this write up from Karen’s home state-A bobcat, run over by a car, walks into a bar, demands a drink and starts a brawl. In retrospect it would have been more humane if they had used a stun gun.
08/18/2009 at 7:22 am
Hello,
I’ve been enjoying your recounting of the Dave Swenson adventures. I, too, include a supported viparita dandasana (with the timer set on 5 minutes!) with chair props. I often use 2 and keep my legs up as demonstrated in the most recent Iyengar book. I can completely concur that coming out of a 5 minute hold can be pretty intense. I generally come up in stages….first the head, then hands on the chair legs to come 1/2 way up, set bandhas on alert and grab the back of the chair and return to upright. I loved this video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eEFlYVff4Q) of Iyengar doing his backbending practice.
Thanks for the posts.
Jeff
08/18/2009 at 12:42 pm
Oooh, I like the video! Thanks, Jeff. It doesn’t look too comfy, though, when he’s pretty much face-down in viparita dandasana. Which most recent Iyengar book do you mean?
08/18/2009 at 1:12 pm
The book I was referring to is: Iyengar Yoga: Wisdom & Practice. (http://www.amazon.com/Iyengar-Yoga-Wisdom-Practice-B-K-S/dp/0756642833/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1250626036&sr=8-2)
I’m liking it as it’s all over the place…asana, pranayama, theory, teaching, props…the usual suspects.
As I have a really difficult time with backbends, I have given myself over to exploring trying to open up with props….balls, bricks, bolsters and now the chairs. I know it doesn’t sound much like an Ashtanga yogi, but really, I am! : )
Presently without a teacher, I’m letting practice teach me and continuing on as best I can.
Best,
jeff
08/18/2009 at 4:15 pm
I hear you on the backbends thing. They’re really tough for me, too. I did a LOT of work with props for a while, and it made a tremendous difference. These days, I suspect I may be going into a new phase of backbend-specific work…
I used to HATE them, but now I’m mostly just curious about them. Still kind of daunted, but in a good way.