"8 O'Clock Must Be Your Time"

So sayeth Sir.

I had just held Supta Kurmasana ALL BY MYSELF for I what must have been at least five breaths.

I surrendered, as Sir suggested. I pretended I was a rag doll, as my shala friend, M suggested. More than anything else, due to the fact that I had two parties to attend at the boys' elementary school starting at 8:45 a.m., I woke up at 5, bathed at 6, and got started practicing at 7:10 a.m., and as a result, I was simply too tired to (a) think, (b) fear, (c) resist, (d) fight and (e) all of the above.

It was a rockin' good feeling.

Believe it or not, I don't care about the next pose or the next or the next or the next series or anything else along the Ashtanga contiuum I really just wanted to get my body into this wonderful, insanely pretzelly pose that actually feels GOOD when it comes right down to it. It took me the better part of a year, and I am sure I have the better part of year or two ahead to work through it still and more before beginning to focus on anything else even half as challenging. And that is just FINE with me.

I just wanted to climb that mountain. But that doesn't mean that it was yoga. Now I have the opportunity to include Supta Kurmasana into my yoga.

YC