Home Practice with David

I always practice at home on Tuesdays and Thursdays (and will, until I can talk Volleyball Guy into offering Mysore on those days ;-) Usually I get up and surf the web a bit while I have a cup of coffee. It's nice to read fellow Ashtangis' blogs before I start in on my own practice. Usually I feel kind of envious of their Tuesday and Thursday shala practice as I try to get inspired for my home practice. Today, though, I had the company of the NYC folks who are practicing at home because of the transit strike. I hope that is resolved quickly, so you all can get back to your morning Mysore.

I had a bad dream just before the alarm went off. The Cop was off pursuing bad guys and I was trying to get some back-up help from the Police Department, but they just didn't show up. It was scary and gut-wrenching, and I didn't feel very good when I woke up. My mind and my emotions were all stirred up.

So after some coffee, I decided I'd practice with David Swenson's DVD. If my mind is all busy, it's helpful for me to do "led" practice at home. I haven't used Swenson's DVD for a long while, so it was nice to hear his voice again. I like to listen to the details he points out about the poses, much like I occasionally listen to Richard Freeman's DVD, to hear the details RF chooses to emphasize. I can't imagine narrating an Ashtanga sequence--there's just so much going on! But I do like words, so I enjoy hearing how teachers talk as they teach.

Instead of urdhva dhanurasanas, I went with my current program of ustrasana and dhanurasana. And I spent a bit of time trying to stretch out my shoulders and chest. I think I will stick with this program throughout January, and see how my urdhva dhanurasana looks as a result, when I get back to it in February. I love having a little project...

Off to work, now, for an early meeting with my boss. Planning strategy for 2006. This time of year is rather stressful--with everyone wrapping up a year's worth of work and looking toward next year's goals. I'm psyched for the four day Christmas weekend! Volleyball Guy is putting together a Christmas Eve Bikram field trip. Again I am confronted with my Bikram resistance. And still not sure why I feel it.