Tuesday, December 26, 2006

It's been almost a year in Supta K

I got it last year in the spring. That makes it like 3/4 of a year. In the beginning I used to count the practices at which I got adjusted in it, thinking I might come up with some grand total someday of "this many practices until I bound in Supta K". I abandoned that when it got too depressing. Either that or I just can't count that high.

But here I am, finally making progress. And by progress, I mean that my arms are finally being freed up on their own (without an adjustment) from the squeezing pounding pressure that had heretofore been exerted by my legs. And this, to me, is the light that I am finally seeing at the end of the tunnel. Used to be that I had no concept of how this pose could possibly happen for me. It just didn't feel possible. I remember feeling like that about Mari C several years ago, and then instantly seeing the "how" of it once I came to discover the Mysore style of practice. The way Mark put me into Mari C helped it make sense to me - the centrifugal pull of the bent knee to make space for the torso to turn, the reaching of the "grabbing" arm. But for the life of me, I couldn't see how the pieces of Supta K fit together.

There was that crazy "double-Mari A" bind, first of all. But there had to be a "trick" to that. And I imagined that the "trick" had something to do with the legs being made "compact" by spiraling inward. And I knew that it was important for the hips to be open enough so that the legs could lift away from the upper arms as well as track straight over the shoulders, rather than out on the diagonal. But it all seemed so disjointed. Kind commentators here would suggest wiggling my shoulders deeper under my knees. But I might as well have attempted to wiggle my left nostril: it just didn't translate.

Suddenly it does.

Yesterday, the Husband got my fingertips to touch again. Today, I had no one there to help me since I am practicing at home (kids are on vacation), but I felt that "wiggle room" that seems to be the holy grail for me.

I can't help but wonder (excitedly) what might happen when I get back to the shala again.

But what if nothing happens? What if this is just a big mirage, and I'm actually no closer to Supta K than I was 8 months ago?

YC

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I think if you go backwards in Supta K everyone will think you're a big looser and you'll have to drop out of teaching, teaching ashtanga that is, and start teaching yoga in some community hall to fat old ladies that drive 4x4s and vote republican. Your head might explode too.

Boodiba said...

Who is this reblog???

I've found that when I make progress, initially it goes back & forth for awhile, and then it stabilizes.

I'm glad The Husband helps you with asana!! Go team!

Debpc said...

I think reblog has a point.

Anonymous said...

Sir has an uncanny ability to sense when someone is desperate to move along in the series - by move along, I mean in the unhealthy way. The next asana being some sort of holy grail or outside validation of the self. Until you let go of that - and I mean for good - it won't matter if you can grab your own wrists in Supta K. You are not "improving."
I would focus more on the fact that its almost a year since you began agonizing over this pose and there may be progress in the pose, but not in the attitude towards it...

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Northern Westchester, New York, United States
I live by a duck pond. I used to live by the East River. I don't work. I used to work a lot. Now, not so much. I used to teach a lot of yoga. Now not so much. I still practice a lot of yoga though. A LOT. I love my kids, being outdoors, taking photos, reading magazines, writing and stirring the pot. Enjoy responsibly.

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