Here we go! A bunch of things for updates.
First, and most importantly, a note to people practicing at the shala.
August was a good month. So much humble, devoted practice. And so many great things happening for people: acceptance to practice at the shala with Sharath in Mysore, headstands coming to fruition without fear, legs going back into bakasana position after the lift-up from bhujapidasana and suptakurmasana, coming up from dropbacks, binds made in marichyasana C, hands through in garbhapindasana, shoulder pain resolving, daring attempts at jumping forward and jumping back, going back into dropbacks, starting a practice, getting to the shala regularly, memorizing the sequence of poses, finishing intermediate series, learning to appreciate twisting poses, coming back from illness and medical stuff, practicing even when not feeling like it, calmly going past points that seemed impossible, touching heels in dropbacks, building one more day of practice into a busy life schedule. There were tough things, too: pain, distraction, job drama, family drama, fear, depression, I-don’t-know-if-I-can-do-it. But we did. We all did our best. This is us. This is our practice. Get to your mat, breathe, accept. And at the end of the month someone summed it all up, as she left the shala after practice: “I feel strong.”
We *are* strong.
As noted on the whiteboard this week: A belief is just a thought you keep thinking.
Daily practice is where we create belief about discipline, determination, and devotion. About strength and flexibility. We do it with our bodies, our breath, and our consciousness. Turning within and connecting with self, we see what is really important. Health, family, the earth, each other, this existence. It’s easy to get swept up in the swirl of life and forget. Practice helps us reconnect and remember.
Kudos to all of you. Keep going.
Evening Mysore
A full evening Mysore program starts September 2nd. We’ll have Mysore practice from 4:30-7:30 PM Monday through Thursday and led class on Friday at 6:00 PM. Morning classes will proceed as per usual. The schedule is always available on the shala website. <https://mysorephoenix.com
Review of Standing Poses
The standing poses are all about fundamental movements that are building blocks for our practice. On Sunday, September 8, at 9:00 AM, I’ll walk through each of the standing poses in detail.
I’ve timed this so you can come to led primary (starts at 7:30 AM) and be nice and warm for this session. Don’t worry, we won’t be doing another round of practice. Just looking at the individual poses. If your body is warm, it’ll be easier to feel what I’m talking about.
This is an excellent session for brand new folks. If you are not doing led primary class yet, come in at 8:50 and you can warm up a little with me. Don’t worry — warm up won’t be scary. 😊
Mark your calendar: Sunday, September 8, 9:00 AM. Standing poses.
Play Involves Risk
This is an interesting blog post. I’m always so curious about how people’s childhoods affect their feelings about movement and pain and risk. Have you ever thought about this? There’s a good chance that you think your feelings are “standard.” But I see so many different variations! The really fun part is that you can change your tolerance. It’s a pretty thrilling experiment to conduct. If you are interested, we can talk more about this.
https://www.bettermovement.org/blog/2019/play-involves-risk
Want to talk?
Questions about this update? Want to start practicing? Questions about Ashtanga? I’m here. Reach out to me via the website ([email protected]), phone or text (480-316-4509).
