Bit by bit by bit by bit

I was feeling frustrated today. Burnt out. Bored. Wondering if I can ever make any real improvement in my backbending. Feeling like I am the only student at the CT Shala who never seems to get a new pose, despite that I am one of the only ones who can do all the poses that I've been given.

Then I took some photos. And this is what I saw. No, I'm no Tiff. Never will be. I'm not even close to being as good a backbender as the young girl at my shala who hasn't yet progressed past Supta K but can now stand up from a backbend. I adore her. And hate her just a teeny bit. Kidding. But I've made it a long way from where I was a few years ago. And I've even made progress from a few weeks ago:





I have been working so ridiculously hard on backbending. Yesterday, I discovered a new way to drop myself back using a belt and my back porch. I simply tie myself up and drop back, as if I had my very own Iyengar wall.

I am trying not to get too caught up in extracurrriculars and research. But I could use a little extra time on backbending. I have been neglecting backbends, after all, for about four years.

Here's a question I have. Why does my chest lift higher if after coming up into my back bend (or dropping back into it), I lift my chin as if to touch it to my chest, and then bring it back down? I've seen others do this too. And in the course of taking photos today, I could actually see a difference when I did this, versus when I didn't. Just wondering.

Oh, and just for my own personal record, I did a rather unusual practice today. All of Standing, then Bakasana A and B, then straight to the Marichyasanas, then all of the Leg Behind Head poses (I can ALMOST hold my leg behind my head with no hands in Eka Pada Sirsasana now), then Garba Pindasana, Upavishta Konasana, then straight to Second, through Ustrasana, skipping Laghu and Kapo and then, finally, Supta Vajrasana, knees secured under a sofa. Backbending was light and easy after that. Suprisingly. It is always surprising when backbending is enjoyable.

Well, tomorrow is Saturday, and I get to slack. Yay.

YC