Zingy!
Posted in ashtanga yoga on 11/11/2009 02:04 pm by karenOoh, one of those practices this morning where you go to work afterwards and notice that you’re vibrating at super-speed. My gums and ankle bones were almost ringing with zingy-ness.
And the weird thing is that all I did was primary. I realized I was building a little superstition in my head about not being able to do good backbends unless I did part of second series. And for some reason, I am hypervigilant about superstitions. Always have to react against them. So I did primary, and then I had plenty of energy for lots of work in urdhva dhanurasana, dropbacks and assisted dropbacks.
And to my happy surprise, I find that strong attention to those backbends at the end of primary is enough to propel me into energetic zingy-ness. A very good thing to know.
***
Coffee after practice with The Poetess. No more Tuesday and Thursday Mysore: the numbers weren’t high enough. Damn you, occasional Mysorians! “Attendance is mandatory!” I said, when she told me some of the reasons people weren’t participating.
The Poetess made a good go of it, though. She even started recruiting new Ashtangis. A coincident that most of them were men? 
Honestly, I’m happy for some home practice time. I was religious about atendance because I wanted to contribute to the success of the community. But if it’s not to be (at least not right now), then that’s okay. The Poetess was philosophical.
***
Tabby Cat said something really interesting recently. He was talking about the cultivation of tai chi energy. But I have been thinking about it in relation to my practice, and to pretty much everything: “You don’t get it by grabbing more stuff, adding more to yourself. You get it by shedding and subtracting.”
Think about it. The whole “next pose” phenomenon is about grabbing for more. How about subtracting the desire and the grasping and just practice? Funnily enough, that’s exactly what’ll get you to the next level for real.
11/11/2009 at 6:45 pm
I’m emerging from longterm lurkerhood to say Thanks for your blog. I’ve enjoyed reading it! I’m also sad to hear about the end of Tuesday/Thursday Mysore practice here in Phoenix. I’m not at a stage where I can attend (young kids to take care of in the morning), but I like to dream…
11/11/2009 at 7:57 pm
Heya! Just wanted to say thank you for this post. The last 2 paragraphs are exactly what I’m struggling with. I have to keep reminding myself to just practice and let go of that grabbing desire!!
11/11/2009 at 8:58 pm
Hey Karen,
This cracked me up so hard: “I am hypervigilant about superstitions. Always have to react against them.”
I’ve noticed that I’m finally making my upward dogs feel more back bendy. It’s taken years for me to crack open my chest so that I can actually feel a good bend in my back. When I get the juicy upward dogs going in primary, I have good back bends!
About shedding and subtracting- What I finally figured out, maybe just in the last year or so, is that I’m really in love with the idea of refining my practice, not necessarily adding to it. I want to take out the “power” effort… which I think you can probably relate to. I want to minimize the brute strength and beef up the subtle strengths that make a practice flow with real beauty and control. But then, I’m not stuck at Marichyasana B or Supta Kurmasana, so maybe it’s easy for me to say that. Is it just me, or is it easier not to desire things when you’ve already received so much?
11/12/2009 at 2:38 pm
Whatever your reason for reacting to superstitions, it’s always a delight.
And that Tabby, yes, love that cat. Glad you’re still reading him too.
11/13/2009 at 6:22 pm
After a while, “the next pose” might not be a goal, but the next stage of a pose could be. It’s easy (for me) to think of oneself (myself) as being “beyond” grasping for “the next pose”, but really, there’s still the grasping for “deeper”.
11/14/2009 at 5:22 am
Ugh, Karen, you came to gail storms in London! I apologize on behalf of the British weather.
11/14/2009 at 9:55 am
Uh, yeah, Vanessa. The landing? Pretty scary! But I’m at my hotel & wired (except the power source for my laptop has three prongs, and my US-to-UK adapter is for 2 prongs. Sigh. I will solve tomorrow…
11/14/2009 at 11:15 pm
Ah, the rain has just stopped… silence…
You can stick a plug with two prongs (old-style) into a socket with three openings (new-style), even if it looks like it doesn’t fit. Really.
I think that’s what you mean… if not, I have a box full of various adapters, and I actually know where it is!
11/14/2009 at 11:48 pm
Actually, what I’ve got is a 3 pronged UK wall socket that I put a 3 pronged US adapter into. The adapter, though, only adapts for a 2 pronged US device. Haha! It’s too early to try to explain this! See you at practice in a few!