Getting back to it

Back to Volleyball Guy's this morning, after three days off due to illness. I can't believe how quickly that cold, or whatever it was, hit me and then resolved. I wonder if my practice helps keep my immune system particularly efficient.

Anyhow, got up at 4:30 AM and wondered if perhaps I shouldn't sleep in another day. That was wishful thinking, though, because I really felt perfectly okay to go to practice. Not energetic, but not ill, either.

It felt lovely to move and stretch. Even just starting off with the Surya As felt delightful. This is the longest stretch of time off I've had since I started practicing Ashtanga (5 months ago). And it seems the rest did me some good. I didn't feel stiff, or like I'd lost ground, stretch-wise, but I did feel resilient, muscularly. Like when I was climbing alot and took a couple of days off. You go back and your muscles feel particularly powerful.

Endurance was a little lacking, though. By the time I got to backbends, I was ready for a nap and my nose felt a little stuffy. I was lying on my mat, contemplating going right into closing poses, when Volleyball Guy came over with the strap and asked me how many backbends I'd done so far. "Uh...zero?" was my plaintive reply. He didn't pick up on that, though--or maybe he did. Nevertheless, the backbending was on. Five on my own, the last with a spot to standing. Then five dropbacks. Then it was over! Yay!

My knee felt okay--off, but not painful. So I tried ardha baddha padmottanasana, gingerly, and then ardha baddha padma paschimottanasana. They were pretty ugly on the right side, but oh well.

It was great to be back.