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Con call at 5 AM. Not my favorite way to start the day. I got up even earlier than usual (4 instead of 4:30) so I could be ready to dash out the door & head to the shala as soon as the call ended.

Despite my best intentions, I got entangled in a follow-up chat with a co-worker as I drove to the shala, then spent 20 minutes standing outside on the phone, pacing barefoot over some smooth stones in the back parking lot.

So I got off to a late start. Not a huge deal, as today is a telework day, and my boss is super flexible about my yoga schedule. But still, I am a creature of habit, so it was a little stressful to be off schedule.

Standing poses. Hmmm, what shall I do for practice today — perhaps something a little shorter than usual since I’m starting late? My lower back feels great. Whatever that glitch was on Monday is gone. But hmmm, what’s this I feel? Oh, I know. My traps are tight as a drum! Argh. They feel like they’re make of cement. Is this the result of my add-more-primary-on-a-daily-basis experiment? Or maybe the I-have-a-job experiment?

Transitioned from parsvottanasana into pasasana. Decision made.

The Poetess assisted MM this morning. She mentioned yesterday that she wanted to practice the kapo assist this morning. So both she and MM showed up at my mat as I was finishing up laghu vajrasana.

It is decided that MM will do the assist first, then The Poetess will give it a go. Fine. So I’m on my knees, dropped back, and MM is supporting my lower back and talking to The Poetess about something. I’m hanging there, when I see a glimpse of myself in the mirror on the wall. Hey, my feet look pretty close… and without thinking, I reach and grab my foot. Of course, since I was doing this on impulse, I forgot about protocol and just chicken winged my right arm to grab the foot. And yes, foot — not toes. Interesting. I start to reach for the other and realize MM and The Poetess are watching. And kind of horrified, apparently.

“Does that hurt?” MM asks.

“Not at all.”

“It looks really freaky,” he says, and The Poetess murmurs her agreement.

Then I get to do it all over again with The Poetess assisting.

“Thank you SO much for doing it twice,” she says.

“It’s good for me,” I say. “Extra practice.”

“That’s a great way to look at it!” she says, seeming rather surprised.

Okay, so I know we’re not supposed to chicken wing this entry, but come on! I can barely get my hands behind my head when I do prayer-hands over the top of my head. Side arm, I’m grabbing my feet.

As I was driving home, I recalled the time I did rotator cuff rehab years ago (for a climbing injury), and how the techs always noted the weird mobility of my shoulders.

I’m gonna have to think about this. I’m pretty sure I’ve read about people transitioning from a side arm to a correct kapo entry…

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And from this Massachusetts girl: RIP Teddy Kennedy. You did good work.