T minus 1 day to Removalisation

Yes. I said "Removalisation".

I finally got to the shala today. Yay!

I practised the full Primary (including the extended standing sequence I usually cut out on weekdays), up to Parsva Dhanurasana in Intermediate. I figured I'd jump right in and not be a wuss today.

Interesting how the body is SUPER STRONG after 3 days' break, and ultra flexible too (THANK YOU SUMMER!). I felt like Wonder Woman today. Until I got to the Parsva Dhanurasanas of course. These still kick my ass. Even more so after 3 days' break. I still absolutely HATE THIS SEQUENCE with a passion.

I've been reading Maehle's book on the Intermediate series, and it's interesting seeing it from his perspective of upward energy - these back strengtheners all send your energy upwards, which I totally feel... but at the same time, once I'm done with them I feel absolutely floored and pinned to the ground - like someone's just punched me in the solar plexus and I'm out of breath.

I need to stop whining about this, it's not the first time I've whined about this!

By the time I finished all my backbends/ dropbacks/ standing ups and got to the final Paschimo-squash, I felt like I was going to throw-up into my thighs. FATIIIIIIGUE!

So anyways, with the full primary till the Parsva D's, I finished just in time - the usual time I finish. EXCEPT... my practice today was definitely a lot more hurried and rushed. The breathing count was a lot faster than usual. Haha, practise FAIL. (OK OK, it's not about winning or failing... but y'know...)

It kinda reflects my current state of mind. The removal company comes tomorrow. I spent last night organizing files then old stuff for the Salvation Army, organizing and re-organizing... dropped off a stack of old Yoga Journal magazines for my teacher at the shala... And tonight I'll have to pack my suitcase, weigh it, and anything else over 25kilos gets put in the pile for the movers to be shipped. (I'm not paying for additional check-in baggage weight!)

Did I forget to mention that my last day of work is Jan. 28th? And that I'm leaving Sydney on Feb 2nd? And I'll be home in Singapore for about a week before I head to Cape Town on Feb. 13th? For some reason I must've forgotten to tell my parents when and how long I'd be home coz my dad was surprised yesterday when he heard how soon those dates are. Oops.

I just need to remember to breathe. And slow the breath down too!


(Picture credit here)

I'm Full But Not Satisfied. And Tired.

9.55pm and I'm having dinner in front of the computer while banging out MORE emails and uploading more stuff on this sloooooooow 3G connection. Er... at least it's room service in a nice hotel?

Wah-heyyyyyy! I'm in Brisbane now. The only vegan things on the in-room dining menu are minestrone soup (they topped it off with cheese that I had to scrape off) and a side order of steamed veggies. B.O.R.I.N.G. (I suspect they tossed the veggies in... BUTTER). Blech.

Why am I telling you about my dinner, that's even more boring.

I am exhausted. Got another 2 big days of shoots ahead of me. I shared a cab to the airport with the editor on another job I've got on. It's been so manic and down to the wire that he was editing on the Avid on his laptop IN THE CAB as we were speeding to the airport. He almost threw up on himself.

Just before I left the apartment this morning, I checked the mailbox and guess what arrived today?



Mr. Swenson, I heart you and Imma let you finish your Practice Manual and all, but right now Gregor is muh hero.

WOOHOOOOOO! Time for some bedside studying tonight.

(First thoughts: Okaaaaay, so it's printed on 100% recycled paper. But does recycled paper quality have to be SO CRAP?)

The Lola Pendant & More Intense Back Work

When I have time to start designing more jewelry, I'm gonna have to design one with that title... "The Lola Pendant". It will have nothing to do with nubile young nymphs though, and everything to do with the vinyasa-jumpback. HAHAHA! (Sounds like an ugly pendant already!)

Patrick had mentioned Maehle's little tip in the comments from my "take it up the lotus" posts a few days ago, and I've been industriously working at it the past few days.

I've snapped a picture of Maehle's tip on Lolasana for those of you who don't have Gregor Maehle's book. And if you don't have this book, you're missing out! It's a super-duper great reference!

(This is from Page 70 of the book. There's another similar tip at the end of Padmasana which roughly speaks of the same.)

It's kinda making the jumpbacks make more sense to me. I've been doing "take it up" (as Sharath says), and pointing the feet back... then instead of cheating by using one foot to kick off the floor as I jump back (coz who am I really cheating right - Myself!)... the past couple of days I've been swinging on the spot like what Maehle recommends.

I'm hoping by building up that moementum, it'll help me to swing back (yes yes, momentum is still a cheat, but let me use momentum first, then build strength later!) I'm still not fully jumping back and my feet are still grazing the floor slightly as I'm swinging and I'm still slightly kicking off in order to get that final jumpback... BUT!! It's feeling quite different for me already.

For a split-millisecond yesterday, I had a flash of that point where everything connected and the stars were aligned and I actually got enough lift to shoot the legs back to chaturanga. It was only a split-millisecond... and in that time, I also had time to think : "OH MY GAWD. It takes THAT much MORE bandha control to achieve THAT?!?"

And er... this morning when I woke up, my abs were sore (I haven't felt sore in a while, mind you)... the muscles on top of my chest (oh dear, here comes my shocking anatomy knowledge)... I think it's the pecs? The muscle on top of your boobs that connects to your armpits (y'know... the ones that makes those weightlifters look like they have man-boobs) Yeah, those ones. They were also slightly sore today.

Hmmmmm... what am I doing that's new? I'm not sure if it's the Backbendus Maximus new poses I was given yesterday (maybe the sore-man-boobs-muscles could've been from Bhekasana)... but I suspect maybe I'm engaging different muscles with this new way of lola-pendant swinging back (coz I'm rounding the back a bit more and dipping a bit lower at the end of the swing, maybe?)

Today, when I came to Baddha Konasana, I had the thought to "Conserve energy! You've got a bastard of back strengtheners coming up!" (Thanks Susan, for pointing out that those are more like back STRENGTHENERS than backBENDS). Er... I remembered to conserve energy a bit late into the primary series coz I was already at all the supine poses which aren't that tough!

I like Salabhasana and Bhekasana, those are pretty easy to nail. What gets me is that LAST Dhanurasana after the Parsva Dhanurasanas. Coz... the sideways Dhanurasanas kinda knock the wind out of me a little... I'm not pushing at my maximum in an effort to "conserve energy", and also just thinking of which muscles to relax, and which to bend into a little more... but after coming up from the left side-backbend I have nothing left to give that last Dhanurasana.

And by this time, my quads are SCREAMING. It's these weak legs of mine. Grr. I had to take a little rest again before the closing sequence.

As I was starting my practice today, Teacher asked "How are you doing from yesterday? OK" I nodded and said "OK. But it was INTENSE." And today was no different.

PS. Liz dedicated a whole blog post to ME?!? Did you see it? I LOVE IT!!! :) :) :)