"When you hear hoofbeats....

think horses, not zebras...."

I have to remember that old adage. Today, I had the best practice I've had in weeks. And it became immediately obvious why, from the first breath: I am done with my Z-pack. That crap really does me in. Sure, it kills potentially dangerous bacteria, even flesh-eating bacteria, but like chemo, it goes a bit overboard. Once it starts killing, it doesn't know where to draw the line. So, along with the bad bacteria go the good bacteria....and there goes the ability to digest food properly. And with that comes heartburn, bloat and a general inability to twist and bind.

But like that other old chestnut - why are you hitting yourself over the head with hammer? because it feels so good when I stop - well, the nice thing about antibiotics and feeling crappy in general is it feels so damn good when it stops. It's like I suddenly have this new burst of energy. I feel as if I have to hold myself back slightly in my practice - from the jump throughs and jump backs - so that I don't cause my joints to stiffen up by the time I get to certain poses that shall remain nameless. Because my body wants to leap and spring and swoop and dive and float and fly. When I am done with my practice, I want more. When I get home, I want to walk Lewis, rather than passing out on my sofa.

What a delight to not have to grimace and crank myself in order to get into Parivritta Parsvakonasana! What a treat to not have problems in Mari D. And it all culminated in....let's just say that I was pleased with today's work in the pose I am not permitting myself to talk about. I think it's okay to talk about it in positive terms and generally speaking.

A Leetle Birdie told me that Sir lets people move on from that unmentionable posture if they stop being attached to it. "He'll let you move on if you stop talking about it," she said, or something like that. "But not just not talking about it," she clarified, "Really not obsessing over it." Now, I don't know if that is just some Ashtanga Urban Legend, but, well, that's very interesting. Doesn't matter anyway because (a) Sir is gone for three months as of the end of this week and (b) I am going to get this pose, possibly on my own before he gets back; I just know it. The only potential glitch is my surgery and the six weeks off I have to take afterwards.

Well, at any rate, I don't want to spoil a great practice with a whole thing about self-doubt and worry.

It was good. It's gorgeous out. My hair looks healthy again, my eyes aren't watering (damn you, Z-pack) and it's time to do something besides sitting here...

YC