How are you?

Arrived at Volleyball Guy's just as he was opening the doors. The lights still off, so it was dark and as I padded over to my corner, he asked "How is Karen today?" I said, "I have no idea," and kind of laughed. It was early, the morning was dark and quiet, I'd had chai instead of coffee, so I didn't have much in the way of self going on. The Sanskrit Scholar arrived momentarily, and we all did Vande Gurunam together in the morning darkness.

Practice was good--the usual: stiffness and suffering at the beginning; warmth and a bit of grace at the end. I'd been despairing of my intractably crummy transitions between chaturanga and up dog throughout the end of the summer--what in the world happened that it was suddenly so choppy?--but that seems to have been resolved this month, after The Other Dave looked up one morning and said, "Hey, your driste keeps sinking down in chaturanga." Bingo. Problem solved.

So the current question revolves more around hamstrings and lower back (psoas, I wonder?). I am feeling fear as I move into these places deeply. Like my attention wants to skitter away and avoid the situation. Why, though? I booked (my birthday present!) three Rolfing sessions with the Philosophy Monk--we chatted a bit yesterday and I suggested my desire to be rolfed might really be about greed and impatience--and instead of trying to talk me out of that idea, he conceded that it might be. So we will see. But fall is here in the desert, the mornings are a little cool, and more people are showing up at the Volleyball Guy's. For quite a while, it wouldn't be odd for practice to just be me and him and maybe the Sanskrit Scholar. Today, folks were coming in throughout the time I was there. If I keep getting over there by 5:30, though, I should be able to enjoy the quieter time.