Friday 26th August 2005
A very brief summary of the last week or so.
Beginnings: my yoga classes started last Saturday and they were great. I had 4 really good, solid students in the 9.30am Level 1 class, 3 of them are students I’ve been teaching at Rebecca’s studio for the last year and they’re really loyal and committed.
The 5 week beginners course at 4pm had 10 people in it and another 3 are starting this Saturday. When the course finishes I’ll turn the 4pm timeslot into a level 1 class so hopefully at the end of the course some of them will continue coming. All in all a really positive start so I feel quite inspired about teaching in my own space, in my own way, and having a core group of students to accompany me on this journey.
My back improved just in time for the first class and I've been fairly pain free for the last few days through still very stiff across the lumbar during practice.
Endings: my partner and I have separated after five and a half years together. We’ve survived many break ups over the years, but I think I’ve now finally accepted that the intensity of this relationship is impacting on the rest of my life and despite our many honest discussions about all the issues that bubble beneath the surface and the insights that have emerged about our patterns of behaviour, the time has come to make a final decision to let it go. Last night we cried in each others arms after a week filled with long, protracted, late night conversations trying to get it all clear. We’re both very sad.
So practice has taken a back seat this week as late nights and strong emotions have taken their toll. I managed a good practice on Tuesday morning in the Gallery with Kosta, then I got up and went in to the shala on Wednesday morning but was fairly weak in energy and went to finishing poses after Navasana. Thursday was a female kind of restorative practice in the Gallery, the kind you do to nurture yourself when you're too fragile and tired to move.
David returns from overseas to teach the early morning Mysore classes next week. We’ve had no teacher at the shala for the last 2 months, and I guess my full on Ashtanga commitment has dropped off a bit. Right now, I’m feeling very tentative about going back because of the impact of this relationship break up. Next week things may be clearer.
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