Rocky start, just the way I like it

If it was smooth and easy, and I came here burbling on and on about how awesome my practice felt and how incredible it is to be back at the shala, you could be sure that tomorrow I would either (a) sleep through my alarm, (b) come down with a brand new cold or (c) make it to practice and be sorely disappointed. A cannonball shot out on the first practice back is just asking for a letdown. It's like a really insanely amazing first date, after which you never hear from the guy again.

Instead, I had a good practice. A fine practice. A bit of trouble in Mari D, which I could have predicted since (a) I ate a banana, had 16 oz of coffee and a Diet Raspeberry Snapple before practice, (b) I was sweaty and slippery and it's been a month since I've had to contend with the slippery factor in Mari D and (c) being back at the Shala, I can't really add in my R&D poses that make Mari D flow soooo much easier. Sir didn't help me either. Which I was relieved about, actually. I really didn't care much about whether I could bind easily in Mari D today. My focus was on just doing the practice and making it to Supta K without hestitation, fear, dread or sheer exhaustion.

And so it was. Probably my best Supta K ever, even better than it has been at home. What the sweat taketh away from Mari D, the sweat giveth freely in Supta K: shoulders slipping juicily beneath knees, ankles sliding freely upward, creating a horizontal energy from tailbone to toes, rather than a pounding compression of thighs mashing down on upper arms. What was particularly lovely was that it took me about half the time today that it has been taking me at home lately to get settled into my "I'm ready for my adjust, Mr. DeMille" position. It took me so little time and effort, in fact, that I found myself hanging out for a long, long time...so long in fact that I found myself drumming my fingers on the floor after a while as I waited for my assist. I heard a chortle or two, not sure from whom. And then Sir put my hands together. Unfortunately, my left-hand ring-finger is still tender from the sprain, and I couldn't really do any aggressive grabbing. But I visualized it. And in the past, I couldn't even manage that.

Backbends were easier than at home, and I almost stood up on my own today. Probably because without all of the R&D, I had energy to spare. I didn't want to go down what might be an uncomfortable road of asking Sir to assist me in drop-backs. I want him to tell me when it's time. So, for now, I just did my backbends and then Sir smooshed me in Paschimo.

Nothing like being back at the shala to motivate me to not simply phone in my closing sequence. Thank goodness. My phone bills were getting awfully high this month. Time to keep it real again.

Came home, ate some sesame and sunflower seed crunch (I bought it at 7-11 of all places, but it gave me the idea of making my own at home), and now Adam and I are going to see a movie. Later on, the YC family will be ringing in the new year at a quintessentially New York City party just because we still can, seeing as we are still living here. I'll explain tomorrow. The Husband seems to think that if I tell people where I am going, some crazy-ass stalker type out there might go there too. And he hasn't even read the comments from Zee on Linda's and Susan's blogs! Whatev.

YC