Saraswati: Day 5

Today, Saraswati rocked up in the same yellow hiphop Adidas trackpants, but she was keeping it oldskool on top by wearing a pale green cotton salwar kameez top! It was so cute! FYI - this is what a salwar kameez looks like... like a long-ish tunic top. Not as fancy as this, but you get the idea... Hiphop you don't stop!

(Photo credit here)

She's really cute, like a grandma. In fact, she even smelt like one today! It was a familiar scent, my grandma used to use too... not sure what it's called in English but Pak Fah Yeow would be translated as White Flower Oil... kinda like a minty camphor smell (not quite as strong and overpowering as Tiger Balm). I dunno why I notice these things... but she gave me a leg hoist assist in UHP again today, and my lungs were still bursting with minty-fresh tingles for the next few asanas.

I jumped out of bed when the alarm rang at 4.45am today. Very rare coz I'm friends with the snooze button. I was just raring to get to dropbacks again. "I have to practice for a little over an hour BEFORE I can get there?! Sheesh!"

But when I finally got to dropbacks, I felt myself hesitate. "C'MON! You've been itching to get here! Why are you stopping now?"

The only way I could describe it is performance anxiety. I know I'm not "performing" for anybody at all, but it's the thought of "Shit. What if yesterday was a fluke and I can't do it again today?" Y'know... like how I got that mini Supta K 3-finger-bind and IT HAS NEVER HAPPENED SINCE!!

So there I was, doing my hangbacks, reverse namaste hangbacks, psyching myself up for it. But I was pretty anxious. Then Saraswati magically appeared by my side and said "Stop trying so hard".

Ouch!

Then she said something like "Just do". The fact that she was standing there gave me the confidence. So, I dropped back again on my own 3 times. Good golly, I hope and think and wish that maybe just maybe, these dropbacks are here to stay.

She helped me back up to standing, but each time with a little bit less help. The last coming-to-standing was pretty much all me, except for a last gentle hip tug towards her (AHA! This is why I've been stumbling around at the top of the mat when I do it on my own! The hips don't push forward enough!)

I realized today on the mat that getting to this dropback is just the first step. Now it's time to refine it and put it all together with the standing up, timing it with the breath, working with the inhales & exhales, getting rid of the spatchcock feet... The work doesn't stop! (See yesterday's comments)

My Twitter pal, @miss_om articulated it really nicely this morning, she said "There IS a place for achievement in yoga: just that it's a start point, not an end point."

Beautiful. :)

On a completely separate note, Happy Thanksgiving to all my American friends! (it's no longer Thanksgiving here in Sydney, but it's still where you are!)

My sister lives in NYC and she sent me these hilarious photos of the floats from Macy's Thanksgiving parade. Except they're from the night before the parade, when they're being inflated with helium by Central Park. They've got nets over them to weigh them down too. Apparently it was already super crowded with people rubber-necking and elbowing their way through to watch the spectacle.

Here's Spiderman.


And Spongebob Squarepants.


Enjoy the food coma! :)

Saraswati: Day 4 (YIPPEE DAY!)

HOLY GUACAMOLEEEE!!

HUUUUGE NEWS TODAY!

Let's just say Christmas came early. Half-early, coz no I didn't get that damn Supta K bind.

BUT!!! Yeah... I did unassisted dropbacks ON MY OWN today!! And to prove it wasn't a fluke, Saraswati made me do it 3 times. Yes, THREE times!

So after 3x UD, I hauled myself to standing, got hands in reverse namaste behind my back and did a mini hangback, like what Grimmly's been doing. It really helps get the initial opening going. Then, I did 3x hangbacks, and a couple of times between that I hung back with hands moving down my hamstrings slowly, reaching the back of my knees. When I felt confident here, I stretched out my arms.

The few times I did this, I could see my hands stretched out to the floor and thought "The distance doesn't seem THAT far" but didn't trust myself to dropback fully. Coz when you're upside-down, your perspective is all off and my spatial awareness ain't the most reliable. When I came back up from here, Saraswati was walking past me and she said "Almost coming. You do once more."

I said "Scared". She replied "No scared".

So I tried again. This time, I wasn't thinking about my Spatchcock Feet, or how I might headbutt the floor again, and I wasn't even thinking about whether I should lift my heels or not, soften the elbows or not... none of the "Should I be doing this"... or "Should I be doing that" distracting stuff. The only thing I was focussed on was - GET THE HANDS TO THE FLOOR. And I had tunnel vision for this sole purpose.

AND IT WORKED!! Solo dropback complete. Mission accomplished. Sometimes it just takes someone else to believe in you.

I almost jumped for joy, but that's kinda hard when you're in a backbend. I might have let out a tiny whoop though. Then Saraswati told me to walk hands in and she helped me come back to standing.

Then she said "Again".

Crikey. (The brain goes "No way, slave driver! I'm happy with ONE!")

But then I tried again, and dropped back the second time. This time, I realized that my previous concern with stiff elbows like concrete (thus breaking my arms) versus jello-elbows (thus landing on my head, breaking my skull) was a non-issue AT ALL. It wasn't a concrete-hard landing, there was a slight cushioning bend in the arms which still held me up, preventing the floor-headbutt. Sweet. Getting the arms outstretched first really helps me here. Maybe you're supposed to be doing this anyway, but I never realized it before. It just feels lots better for me.

After helping to bring me to standing a second time, Saraswati says "Again? Dropback 3 times yourself? ...Now you stand up by yourself."

And off I went and dropped back a 3rd time. YAY! YAY! YAY!

I walked hands in a bit closer and tried to haul myself up again, but my legs were so tired, when I stood up I landed on my knees instead. Saraswati's arms were outstretched, ready to grab where my hips would've been, except because I landed on my knees, she grabbed my boobs! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

I was so over the moon that the rest of my closing sequence was complete and utter RUBBISH. But who cares?! I dropped back! THREE TIMES!! ...But seriously, I fell over sideways in Urdvha Padmasana (huh? That NEVER happens, it's such a solid, stable pose for me. Usually.) and I couldn't even get up to Sirsasana in my first attempt... I fell over sideways too coz I was too busy replaying the dropbacks in my head to concentrate on what I was doing! Hehe.

I was beaming from my ear-to-ear and gave Saraswati a dripping-like-a-man SWEATY bear hug of THANKS on my way out. On my way to the bus stop, I looked down and saw that I was sooooo sweaty, I even had... a sweaty crotch patch. Ugh.

But who cares?! I dropped back! THREE TIMES!! :)

Time to bust-a-groove with Jazz Hands in cool sunshades.

(Photo credit here)

Planning a Post-Saraswati Practice Reward!

2 posts in 1 day! Golly gee, me!

I forgot to add earlier that today, Saraswati was pimpin' in a pair of bright yellow trackpants with super-phat Adidas 3-stripes running down the sides. WORD.

I am already planning my post-Saraswati reward and was so excited I had to write about it (and did anyone mention it's a slow day at the office?)

So, this is how my mind works... she started teaching on Monday, and will teach led classes on Saturday & Sunday, so if Wednesday next week is when she's leaving... that means I'll have 9 days of practice in a row. Phew!

Since Wednesday is also a moon day break which coincides nicely with her departure, what better way to reward myself than with... a detox cleanse on my system?

Don't ask stupid questions, you already know I'm a bit loony. So in my world, a detox cleanse is the perfect way to wrap up a solid month of awesome new yoga experiences.

Enter Urban Remedy. A brand new company I've just discovered through Twitter. They're so shiny and new, the wrapping's barely come off but what an AWESOME business idea! In a nutshell, they bring the detox drinks to you - all carefully measured out, chopped up, juiced and delivered to your doorstep. Easy peasy!

I've been following the founder of the company, @emmas_well, who's also been following me, and then I discovered her new company. Don't you just love Twitter?

I dunno if you've ever done a detox before, but I've done a couple. First one was about 4 years ago in Ko Samui, Thailand - I got a pretty hardcore introduction to the world of detoxing by way of a 7-day fast with 2 colonics everyday for the full 7 days (yes, that's shoving that plastic tube up your bum and... y'know... if you've watched "Spa of Embarassing Illnesses", it's exactly like that).

I wasn't blogging then or you would definitely have gotten the full rundown. MUCOID PLAQUE and all (Go on... Google that... You know you want to.)

I came home glowing and healthy-shiny that even my boyfriend has now been asking every year when I'm going back again coz he also wants to go too. (I asked him on that first trip if he wanted to come with but he looked at me like I was mad. I mean, y'know... Straight guys and tubes up bums isn't exactly the best combo. Come to think of it, neither is straight girls and tubes... but I'll stop here before I dig myself deeper into this.)

Then you might have remembered the Candida & Parasite detox my Kinesiologist put me on. (Can I please reiterate that it was a fungus in my gut and NOT, I repeat, NOT thrush in my privates). That was a way less invasive detox and a lot gentler on the digestive system... although it was a good month where I had to cut out ALL sugar, wheat, yeast and fungus... including everything and anything that was preserved in case it had fungus in it. Which is pretty much everything that comes in a bottle. If you read labels, you'll be horrified. This detox really made me think about the concept of "you are what you eat".

I would do the occasional 1-day fruit only diet if it felt like my digestive system needed a bit of a break. Not quite a "detox" but more of a "digestive system rest". Some of my friends back home in Singapore would periodically go on some kind of juice detox, *waves to Sam & Pam* but it just always seemed like SUCH A MISSION to me... to have to get all the "weird" ingredients together, measure them all up, buy a juicer and then do different ingredient combos at different times of the day, etc. Who's got time for that when we've all got lives to live?!

So this is the deal with Urban Remedy and why I think it's such a great idea.


You go online, pick between a 1, 3 or 5 day cleanse, and you pick the level of cleanse you want.


They deliver the detox drinks to you the night before (it's 6 detox drinks you get per day), and Boom! Bob's your uncle. All at the click of a mouse. So if you're a healthy-living but lazy Sydneysider like me, listen up! ;p

They start their service proper from Dec. 7th, but I'm lucky to be on a trial cleanse while they work out details before they open (for cool people like me only) (JUST JOKING). I am in no way affiliated to the company, but thought it would be fun to give daily updates of the entire experience. Including the whole pre and post detox prep and what life is like without food for 3 days, only surviving on the detox drinks, lots of water and occasional trips to the steam room to amp up the cleanse. I'd like to see how this can fit into real life during a work week too! I mean, I love to write, you love to read what I write... so... away we go.

I've signed up for a 3-day Level 3 cleanse and will start the day after Saraswati leaves - that's Wednesday next week. And on the moon day, so at least I give my body a day of rest to adjust. I can't wait!!

I am by no means an expert with detox info, but know enough about its cleansing effects through first-hand experience. If you want to know more, you probably should read their FAQs or ask them on Twitter, @urban_remedy. Coz I repeat: I AM NOT AN EXPERT!!

So look out for more detox updates coming your way! :)

Saraswati: Day 3

The last rumour I heard was that she's here till Wednesday next week. (Coz if she's here for a total of 2 weeks, and arrived a few days before the opening... by the powers of deduction vested in me... that means she'll only be here for another week). Or so "they" say.

BUT! I can confirm that she will be teaching the morning LED class on Saturday at 10am and again on Sunday at 10.30am. (Gawd, I know I'm gonna regret broadcasting this when I'm squished up by the wall at the weekend... but always share a good thing, right?)

I got an assist in UHP today - I love going deeper in this pose, and love it when someone cranks my legs higher too. But either I'm breathing really slowly (it's all Sharath's fault!) or Saraswati got bored with me and was in a hurry to move on coz each variation was only held for about 3 breaths.

You know how messing with my breathing messes with my head, right?

Today's Kurmasana assist was from Sharmila - my first assist from her. She's so gentle! Almost like she was afraid to crank me into the bind in case she broke me. I guess coz she doesn't know me/ my body yet.

I was midway TRYING to get into Supta K when she came and hovered around me and gently pulled my hands together. But it was a gentle tug and my fingers were nowhere near touching, then she went and shuffled my feet together, again gently placing them by... my ears. I was like... "HUH?! No, GO HARDER, Hun!" (those damn voices in my head) So in the end, I was still huffing and puffing to get both hands & feet together.

Oh man. I can't wait for the day I finally get this bind on my own. I'm sure YOU can't wait either so you can finally stop hearing me whine about it.

So I said to her out loud "Let's try again!" and flopped back down to Kurmasana. (On hindsight now - was that rude of me to have done that?) I just figured that because I wasn't in full Kurmasana when she came round the first time, maybe she couldn't get the bind right coz I had screwed it up with my awkward fussing around on my own. But a similar thing happened still. I think she was just hesitant to go any harder coz she didn't know me and what the heck I was trying to do!!

I seem to be obsessing over Supta K and Dropbacks now. These are the 2 poses in Primary that I AM GOING TO GET!! (Christmas, pls. come early!) Or, on a more positive note... the way I'd like to see it is that these are the 2 things standing in the way of me finally "properly" getting to the Intermediate series. I mean, the rest of my Primary is fine, really. There I said it. Oh, Hello Ego! Nice to be acquainted with you.

That's probably why I'm still struggling with them. This stupidstupidstupid wanting to be moved on. S.I.G.H.

I'm cranky today, can you tell. Again, I had too much coffee-infused water from my travel mug yesterday and couldn't get to sleep properly. I was ready to skip inversions and have a full-on sleep during Savasana, but I soldiered on (in a lame-ass way).

I got a good laugh from this cartoon from The Oatmeal, though. (Yes, it's MORE Twilight-bashing. I still wanna watch New Moon even though I know it's gonna be bad. I can't help it. Edward Cullen's HAWT. And it'll be so bad till it's good!)


(Cartoon credit here. And this cartoon is really worth the read!)

Saraswati: Day 2 (!)

OK, I'm going to make all you non-Sydney Ashtangis jealous now.

It's true.

Saraswati & Sharmila were both in da house AGAIN this morning! WOOOT!!

We've been kinda spoilt, innit? First Sharath, then the KPJ School opening, and now apparently she's here for TWO WHOLE WEEKS!!

I'm usually one of the earlier ones to arrive (I'm subject to the public transport timetable, so would rather be early than late), so after setting down my mat, I realized no one else had started yet. Everyone was kind of tentative and there was a weird energy in the room.

So I walked over to one of the Teacher's Assistants who was oberving today and asked him if Saraswati was gonna be here again this morning and he said "Yes". That's when he told me she'd be here for 2 weeks. Couple of the other Intermediate cool kids then asked him if they could go back to practising 2nd series rather than Primary. He seemed surprise... "Yeah, it's a Mysore class, do what you're practising, why are you back to Primary?" (umm... coz she told them to?)

Then after class, I heard a conflicting account from someone else - that yes, she's here for 2 weeks but not teaching for the full 2 weeks. Hrmph.

So folks, never thought I'd ever quote Forrest Gump, but this yoga practice is turning out to be like a box of chocolates... you never know what you're gonna get!

And such is human nature... after practice, I had a quick chat with some of the yogis in the stairwell, and while everyone is grateful for the all the wonderful new Ashtanga opportunities and experiences we've had in the past month (Sharath, new school, Saraswati & Sharmila), everyone is starting to miss the routine now. There were some grumbles that "I want my regular practice back!" ..."Everything's been so topsy-turvy!" ..."So many great new experiences but it's enough now! I want the routine back!"

Aren't people insane?! ...always wanting what isn't there. But I think that explains that weird energy in the room at the start of this morning too. The hesitation of... What to expect next?

Quick practice update: At Kurmasana, I decided to huff & puff my way into Supta K on my own again. Then Saraswati, who was assisting my neighbour, said "You do Kurmasana, I come later."

Cool. Another assisted bind!

She definitely does it differently from my teacher. See Gledespiken's comment from yesterday. That's a good explanation of how my teacher usually gets me into the bind (although it's left first, then right, coz then later you hook the right foot over on top). It's that initial lifting of the leg over the shoulder that helps get more of an opening, then she binds the arms behind the back. And then after that, she gets the legs fully behind the head, and you hook your feet over each other.

Saraswati just goes straight to binding your arms first, then hooking legs over. It feels a lot harder on the legs this way - I haven't been able to properly get them behind my head like I usually can when my teacher does this. Oh well, different teachers, different binding styles. It's just a matter of getting used to it and working with it.

In the lift up to Dwi pada transition to Tittibhasana, she kept her hands on my shoulders (she did this yesterday too but I was a bit perplexed at what she was doing that for) but figured she probably wanted me to lean forward more in Bakasana to get that jumpback. So I leaned into her today all the way through the jumpback. And she said "Good!" :)

This morning, one of the assistants had put out a bottle of water next to Saraswati's chair. When I got up from Savasana and looked over, the bottle of water had been replaced by a takeaway coffee cup.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

I wonder if she'll like these vampires and their... Orange Mocha Frappuccino!!