I knew something was up!

Today was the fourth day in the past week or two that I taken the subway to Shala X. And today was the third time out of four that there was a significant problem on the subway that led to my trip taking close to an hour. Today, for no apparent reason, for no explained reason, the conducter announced, after a loooong stop at 14th Street, that the train would skip Astor Place and stop instead at Bleecker Street. Astor is, of course, the closest stop to Shala X - a few avenues worth of walking, or a quick crosstown busride. So, with snow falling from above and piles of unplowed and unshoveled snow below, I walked from 14th Street and 4th Avenue all the way to the East Village's Avenue B and 8th Street. It took me nearly an hour. Thank goodness I had walked Lewis BEFORE taking the kids to school and thus had left for downtown right from school. If not, I would not have made it to practice at all.

In retrospect, I remember that there was a lot of horn blowing on today's ride. Every time we neared a station, the conducted blew the horn, loudly and for a long time. I thought that odd. And I thought it odd that three times out of four that I have taken the subway in the past week, I have had to endure extreme delays, slower trains, lack of information, generalized chaos and generally unusually unpleasant conditions.

Then this afternoon, I read this article in the Times: As Transit Talks Drag On, Some Suspect a Slowdown - New York Times.

In spite of this, my practice was really nice today. I love the snow, and I love being inside someplace warm and cozy when I know it is snowing outside. I really enjoy Mari C now that I can do it independently. Talk about cozy...it feels like a big hug that I am giving myself. And Mari D doesn't give me any angst, despite that I need an assist on the first side (second side is pretty much happening on its own).

The pose that's not really gellin' for me, and never really has is Parivritta Parsvakonasana...you know, the second twist in the Standing Series, but the first really CRAZY twist. I still can't quite wrap my armpit around my knee such that I can get my palm to the floor. As a result, I am still beginning the pose with my back heel off the ground and with my back knee on the ground, or close to it. As I breathe and soften, I pick up my back knee and then plant my back heel. But I am still keeping my hands in prayer at my breastbone and using my arm strength to tork my twist deeper (as recommended by Sir). It is really helping me to get the sense of what I need to be doing in Mari C and D, although I know it is not textbook-correct.

I don't know if this is done in other shalas.

Anyway, I am really enjoying practice right now. Which, of course, I will live to regret having said...Sunday will no doubt be a resistance-fest. We shall see...

YC