tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62012732011-12-16T06:15:12.152-08:00Diary of a yoga nobodhi"For God to visit there must be nobody home"
A journal of inner experiences in the life of an urban yogi...
Contact: nobodhishome@yahoo.com.aunobodhihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317933215802735104noreply@blogger.comBlogger1231100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6201273.post-81860893541958657902007-06-28T20:37:00.000-07:002007-06-28T20:40:43.019-07:00Friday 29th June 2007RedirectionThis will be my last post on this blog.I’m moving house soon, so it seems like a good time to spring clean a few other things, blog included. A nicer looking blog page (with comments at last) is up and ready to go now so if anyone out there wants the new weblog address, send me a quick email to nobodhishome@yahoo.com.au. (To keep it simple, just put “new weblog nobodhihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317933215802735104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6201273.post-64537798105411691672007-06-27T01:00:00.000-07:002007-06-27T01:01:58.659-07:00Tuesday 26th June 2007On the days when I do a morning Ashtanga practice, I have a different kind of day: my body blossoms, my mind is sharper and more focussed at work, I get twice as much done and my outlook is positive and confident.When I don’t practice I feel like crap: the image in the mirror is unkind, my age shows, my head is bogged down with things to be sorted out and things I should do,nobodhihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317933215802735104noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6201273.post-67480102544471978922007-06-08T22:17:00.000-07:002007-06-08T23:20:49.961-07:00Saturday 9th June 2007Yoga stuffI must not drink espresso before practiceI must not drink espresso before practiceI must not drink espresso before practiceI must not drink espresso before practiceI must not drink espresso before practiceI must not drink espresso before practiceSimi’s Saturday morning class doesn’t start until 8.30am - abnormally late for me to be doing yoga. By 8.30am I've nobodhihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317933215802735104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6201273.post-36330235833344904972007-05-28T02:59:00.000-07:002007-05-28T03:13:02.448-07:00Monday 28th May 2007Now that I don't teach yoga on Saturdays, I'm free to go to Simi's Saturday morning Mysore class before I start work in the Gallery at 11am. The class starts at 8.30am so the timing is perfect. I grab a coffee from Cebo's after class and get to work just on time.Perhaps its the later start, or maybe its the brigher morning light in the shala, or the female energy, or Simi's nobodhihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317933215802735104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6201273.post-86855676596673916692007-05-25T23:13:00.000-07:002007-05-25T23:28:23.693-07:00Thursday 24th May 2007After the opening chant, David playfully described Thursdays as “hump day” for Ashtangis. The shala was only half full so I guess for those dedicated souls who practice 5-6 days a week, Day 5 is the most difficult one to face, sort of the final push to get to the apex. Day 6 is a breeze – in traditional Ashtanga practice which most shalas observe, Friday is always a led nobodhihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317933215802735104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6201273.post-3610594635825095302007-05-11T01:22:00.000-07:002007-05-11T01:54:34.983-07:00Friday 11th May 2007A mindless summary of the past 5 days of practice(OK, 3 days actually):Monday: 6am Mysore practice at the shala with David. I looked like a crash victim – right arm bandaged (the burn), right ankle bandaged (the sprain).David left me alone.After one standard adjustment in Utthita Hasta Padanguthasana the rest of the practice was all mine. I felt him observing me a couple of nobodhihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317933215802735104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6201273.post-51497196518117852462007-05-07T02:53:00.000-07:002007-05-07T02:57:19.572-07:00Friday 4th May 2007Meanwhile, back at the shalaEarly Thursday morning…I climbed up the 4 flights of stairs to the shala door and arrived slightly breathless. I listened. It was only 5.45am and the chanting on the other side of the door was in full swing with Simi at the helm.Walking in would have been rude, not to mention every set of eyes suddenly on ME, so I waited until the cue at 6am when nobodhihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317933215802735104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6201273.post-91155476135708852462007-04-28T23:37:00.000-07:002007-04-28T23:48:11.028-07:00 Tuesday 24th April 2007 This morning was my first real practice since the accident with the pressure cooker exactly two weeks ago that burned both my forearms. Minestrone exploded all over me and the kitchen. My right forearm copped it the worst and is still bandaged and being treated. I spent three nights in the burns unit of the city hospital after passing out unconscious twice from the pain nobodhihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317933215802735104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6201273.post-84585825523936853302007-04-28T23:24:00.000-07:002007-04-28T23:29:10.746-07:00Thursday 12th April 2007I tried to do some yoga this morning but couldn’t. Two nights ago I burned my arms after I opened the lid off a pressure cooker before it had de-pressurised. The blisters on my forearms extend to my wrists so I couldn’t even do a Dog Pose and the bandages are grazing the raw flesh whenever I move my arm.I’m trying to find the message hidden in this recent spate of nobodhihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317933215802735104noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6201273.post-86617049081683025422007-03-13T22:59:00.000-07:002007-03-13T23:20:33.048-07:00Wednesday 14 March 2007To teach or not to teach,that’s the issue currently tormenting me day and night, night and day.I had to cancel the two yoga classes I teach in the Gallery on Saturdays for 4 weeks because the space is filled with a ceramics exhibition – 25 individual, beautiful, very breakable things on plinths.It’s been such a relief not to teach on Saturdays that I’m now realising how nobodhihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317933215802735104noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6201273.post-987301539051207002007-03-04T23:32:00.000-08:002007-03-05T00:59:49.565-08:00Monday 5th March 2007No Ashtanga practice today - day 2 of menstruating, probably brought on early by sleeping on the mysterious moonrock in the Barossa Valley under the full moon on Saturday night. It's a strange, otherworldly thing to do, but this insane society I'm pretending to live in is feeling so superficial lately, I have to dip more often into the 'other world' for authentic nourishment nobodhihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317933215802735104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6201273.post-62624785430573864852007-03-01T14:32:00.000-08:002007-03-01T16:40:07.607-08:00Wednesday 28th February 2007Plain Sailing and Deep Sea DivingDespite twisting my ankle last Sunday, I went to the shala, and I practised anyway. Totally modified the practice, but figured better that than nothing.David left me alone to do what I had to do today so I only got a supporting adjustment in Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana where I was wobbly on the injured ankle.No jumps or vinyasas and nobodhihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317933215802735104noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6201273.post-1169016928386932452007-01-16T22:52:00.000-08:002007-01-16T22:55:28.400-08:00Wednesday 17th January 2007As I was walking out of the shala after practice on Monday I purposely told David I’d see him on Wednesday. My word binds me so if I say that to the teacher, I won’t abscond. One hour later, my period started – no practice for three days.With no place to call home at the moment and a son in crisis, my outer life feels quite fluid and formless like I have no control nobodhihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317933215802735104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6201273.post-1168661598336842412007-01-12T20:00:00.000-08:002007-01-12T20:13:18.390-08:00Saturday 12th January 2007Almost a week of yogaThe plan for last week was to do an Ashtanga practice 5 mornings in a row as well as Glenn Ceresoli’s five evening workshop sessions. A week of yoga.Well I almost did it…I made it to 8 of the 10 sessions.I skipped the Wednesday morning Mysore class at the shala because I’d stayed up late 2 nights in a row talking with my son and was chronically nobodhihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317933215802735104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6201273.post-1160724017528677822006-10-13T00:16:00.000-07:002006-10-13T00:20:17.540-07:00Thursday 12th October 200699% practice, 1% bloggingMy morning Mysore practice has been absolute joy which explains why I’ve been able to get up at 5am, four days in a row, and do a full primary practice.Over the last two weeks I’ve been adding poses one by one back into my practice that had been off the menu for months because of the shoulder injury. Today I attempted the Garbha Pindasana rolls -nobodhihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317933215802735104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6201273.post-1159408527655417442006-09-27T18:53:00.000-07:002006-09-27T18:55:27.670-07:00Thursday 28th September 2006“Those who believe that they can speak of what is in the depths of their own soul betray their own inexperience.”Carlo CarrettoLetters from the Desert________________________________________________________________________________________________________nobodhihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317933215802735104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6201273.post-1158898653478110052006-09-21T20:57:00.000-07:002006-09-22T22:16:00.460-07:00Thursday 21st September 2006More incoherent rambling about the indescribableThe circumstances I’ve found myself in this year have provided some pretty profound learning opportunities.And if I stand back just a little and get a bird’s eye view of the year so far, it looks disturbingly meaningful. there's no doubt the higher part of my being is directing the entire show from behind the curtains, nobodhihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317933215802735104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6201273.post-1157781377330709202006-09-08T22:49:00.000-07:002006-09-08T22:56:17.526-07:00Thursday 7th September 2006I got over the biggest hurdle and went to early morning class at the shala today (my last class there was late in June). Normally they’d have mysore class on Thursday, but due to the moon day tomorrow, the ‘Friday led primary’ was put forward to this morning instead. In actuality it turned out not to be led primary, but an investigative class directed at bringing nobodhihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317933215802735104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6201273.post-1157191204858580722006-09-02T02:51:00.000-07:002006-09-02T03:04:42.706-07:00Saturday 2nd September 2006Since I’ve let go of my attachment to the physical practice of yoga, I’m less inclined to talk about the poses and the minor epiphanies that surface during practice. Instead I’ve silently made an agreement with myself not to limit my blogging to what I think the reading audience may be interested in. I figure if anyone does read this blog, they most probably do Ashtanganobodhihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317933215802735104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6201273.post-1155885884443699342006-08-18T00:17:00.000-07:002006-08-22T22:12:31.370-07:00Wednesday 16th August 2006Dancing About ArchitectureWarning: my very poor writing skills are on full display in this post because it's a completely unedited ramble that wanders all over the place.Where to start?I haven’t posted in over a month, because my Ashtanga practice got curtailed by this shoulder condition. And the prognosis that I have to live with it forever has not been all that easy tonobodhihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317933215802735104noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6201273.post-1152256219147264572006-07-07T00:02:00.000-07:002006-07-07T00:10:19.170-07:00Friday 7th July 2006Slipped againBlogging can be useful if only for getting the mess of thoughts out of my head so I can see them clearly for the mess that they are. After reading what I wrote yesterday I can see how I’ve been caught up in the “I’m so busy, I don’t have time to practice and reflect” merry-go-round. By ‘practice’ I don’t mean my Ashtanga Vinyasa yoga practice, but rather my REAL nobodhihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317933215802735104noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6201273.post-1152169421626751232006-07-05T23:55:00.000-07:002006-07-06T00:03:41.636-07:00Thursday 6th July 2006Metaphorically speaking“Slow down and enjoy life. It’s not only the scenery you miss by going too fast – you also miss the sense of where you are going and why” - Eddie Cantor.Where are we going and why? What are we doing right now to get there?If you’re asking these questions over and over, rest assured you’re going in the right direction, even if you don’t know wherenobodhihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317933215802735104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6201273.post-1152158359387329872006-07-05T20:59:00.000-07:002006-07-05T20:59:19.500-07:00Horsenell Gully, a walking trail not far from home that I escape to regularly.nobodhihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317933215802735104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6201273.post-1151480549568359042006-06-27T23:59:00.000-07:002006-07-05T21:11:14.423-07:00Wednesday 28 June 2006Short posting because I've neglected the blog. I'm feeling a bit guilty.But I have a good excuse. My mind has been completely preoccupied with deciding whether or not to apply for this.Should I or shouldn't I?Am I wasting my time?Well, I figure I won't get chosen anyway so it doesn't matter. It's been an interesting exercise pondering the questions on the application form nobodhihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317933215802735104noreply@blogger.com35tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6201273.post-1149502345436780022006-06-05T03:05:00.000-07:002006-06-28T00:45:15.626-07:00Sunday 4th June 2006Insult to InjuryWhat I thought was a little tweak in my right shoulder gradually worsened as the tissues became inflamed. It’s a familiar injury – a tear in the rotator cuff, very painful. Had it a while back in the left shoulder I think. No way can I raise my right arm up to get my clothes on over my head or even to turn a door handle.But despite the shoulder AND the still nobodhihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317933215802735104noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6201273.post-1149061305751153112006-05-31T00:34:00.000-07:002006-05-31T00:41:45.770-07:00Wednesday 31st May 2006For future reference I’ve taken the reins and self-diagnosed the back injury I’ve sustained 5 times over the last 12 months (since no medical authorities have been able to). It seems to be a lower back sprain/strain which I’m afraid just doesn’t sound as dramatic as it actually is when it happens to you.Damaging the muscles responsible for moving and supporting the lower nobodhihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317933215802735104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6201273.post-1148700450234111852006-05-26T20:26:00.000-07:002006-05-26T20:27:30.260-07:00Saturday 27th May 2006Slight relief today. Walking isn’t aggravating my lumbar so that may signify the beginning of the healing process.After all my raving about the injury yesterday, I don’t wish to go on about it any more, but one thing I should say is that upon further reflection, I don’t think it was caused by the strong adjustment in Parsvakonasana.I was definitely stiffer than usual on nobodhihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317933215802735104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6201273.post-1148627774331991462006-05-26T00:00:00.000-07:002006-05-26T00:16:14.353-07:00Friday 26th May 2006Injured againMy lower back condition hasn’t improved at all over the last 5 days. Since damaging my lumbar spine again in practice on Monday I’ve been getting around like a total cripple. Every movement hurts. Walking hurts. Turning over in bed at night is excruciating. Getting in and out of the car hurts. I can’t lift or carry anything over 2 kilos without feeling like nobodhihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317933215802735104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6201273.post-1147333142732978982006-05-11T00:25:00.000-07:002006-05-11T00:39:02.746-07:00Thursday 11th May 2006Close encounter with a koalaIt’s THAT time of the month again and today is Day 3 of no practice.My physical yoga practice is getting me to the mat regularly, but it’s not satisfying my deeper spiritual thirst. Beneath the surface, a kind of ominous rumbling is shaking the ground I stand upon and change is imminent.More about that later.So being a good girl for a change, I nobodhihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317933215802735104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6201273.post-1146193606454292202006-04-27T20:04:00.000-07:002006-04-27T20:06:46.506-07:00Thursday 28th April 20063 days of practice and mystical musingsRelief - my lumbar healed itself very quickly this time – in fact it’s made a remarkable recovery. I was expecting to be out of action for at least 7-10 days, but it was really only 4 days before I felt it starting to improve. After spending the weekend in agony, on ice packs, immobilised and feeling sorry for myself, I skipped nobodhihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317933215802735104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6201273.post-1145864143309313132006-04-24T00:29:00.000-07:002006-04-24T00:35:43.320-07:00Monday 24th April 2006My lower back completely locked up last Friday for no apparent reason.This has happened twice in the past year – last June I think it was caused by an over adjustment in Supta Kurmasana two days in a row, then it happened again last August and I put that incident down to overdoing some backbends.But this time I can’t link it to a physical cause at all.Looking back at the nobodhihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317933215802735104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6201273.post-1144911728003223652006-04-12T23:17:00.000-07:002006-04-13T00:10:32.866-07:00Wednesday 12th April 2006I’ve had two grumpy morning practices in a row. My logical brain wants to know why, especially after having such a good week last week.Possible reasons:- Sudden appearance this week of chocolate Easter eggs and hot-cross buns before I could summon enough discipline to resist the temptation.- Slight increase in work related stress, not a lot, but enough to dull my smile a nobodhihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317933215802735104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6201273.post-1144816639122174352006-04-11T21:25:00.000-07:002006-04-11T21:37:19.173-07:00Monday 10th April 2006I was dreaming that my son had a leech like spider on him, eight gripping legs spread flat. Propelled by blind panic, ammunition exploded out of my brain and into my arm as I swiped it off his skin. I felt a huge lump forming in my throat and I woke up to the familiar sensation of thick blood sliding down my throat. Nose bleed. I rolled over to lay on my back. It was nobodhihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317933215802735104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6201273.post-1144395072107928372006-04-07T00:25:00.000-07:002006-04-07T00:31:12.126-07:00Friday 7th April 2006I did it...Six consecutive mornings of full Primary practice this week. That marks an important psychological milestone in my approach to this practice.Why am I so excited about this? Why does it mean so much to me?Firstly I’ve never managed to practice 6 mornings in a row since I started Ashtanga almost 3 years ago. I was even willing to count half practices and even nobodhihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317933215802735104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6201273.post-1143763835951784402006-03-30T15:34:00.000-08:002006-03-30T23:10:00.826-08:00Thursday 30th March 2006Simi often used to play music during practice but I haven’t noticed any music playing in David's Mysore classes at the shala. This morning Angie brought in a CD which David put on after the opening chant. Music is almost primordial in the way it can draw a response from our very soul. My entire mood is easily coloured by whatever music is playing in the background.Today nobodhihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317933215802735104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6201273.post-1143267983509106292006-03-24T22:06:00.000-08:002006-03-24T22:26:23.530-08:00Friday 24th March 2006Practice NotesI blatantly ignored the Ashtanga rule not to practice for the first 3 days of the menstrual cycle. Yes I did take off Day 1 (Wednesday) which is usually my shala day; then on Day 2 (yesterday) I practiced in the Gallery with Renate. Because I was feeling physically and mentally really well, I only slightly modified the Primary sequence, leaving out the nobodhihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317933215802735104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6201273.post-1142661859377773092006-03-17T22:04:00.000-08:002006-03-17T22:04:19.383-08:00The Gallery space where I teach and practice.nobodhihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317933215802735104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6201273.post-1142661682977076472006-03-17T22:01:00.000-08:002006-03-17T22:01:22.986-08:00One of Renate's Sculptures from the upcoming exhibition in the Gallery.nobodhihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317933215802735104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6201273.post-1142661384301071742006-03-17T21:45:00.000-08:002006-03-17T21:56:24.316-08:00Thursday 16th March 2006I am not an islandHow much I’m affected by the energy of the person next to me reflects how absorbed I am in my practice. The physical surroundings do influence our practice to some degree – think of the heated or cold room, whether its brightly lit or dark, the choice of music or silence, layout of the mats, number of people there etc.Renate didn’t have her usual pep nobodhihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317933215802735104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6201273.post-1142319521491134442006-03-13T22:47:00.000-08:002006-03-13T22:58:41.506-08:00Sunday 12th March 2006This morning’s 20 minute trip into the shala for Sunday morning self practice promised to bring my tally up to a 6 day practice week which would be an exceptional achievement for me but sadly it’s not when I look at it honestly. The exceptional part is that I haven’t had even one “getting out of bed at 5am” battle this week – it’s been surprisingly easy and even a joy. Butnobodhihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317933215802735104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6201273.post-1141779372840545412006-03-07T16:31:00.000-08:002006-03-07T21:22:00.443-08:00Wednesday 8th March 2006Yet another mediochre practice, barely working up the energy to stay with it all the way through. Wisely chose to put my mat on the other (left) side of the shala this morning, instead of my preferred (right) side. There were about 8 people lined up on the left side and only 2 on the right so I was number 9 in the long row and down by the door, which meant I was tucked nobodhihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317933215802735104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6201273.post-1141282427417505392006-03-01T22:40:00.000-08:002006-03-02T15:03:15.406-08:00Wednesday 1st March 2006Here’s the reason I’ve been spending every Sunday bushwalking and blackberry picking lately:Hazelnut Berry Friands185 g butter, melted and cooled150g (1.25 cup) finely ground hazelnuts (walnuts/almonds are OK but definitely not as good)6 egg whites200g (1.25 cups) icing (confectioners) sugar75g (.75 cup) plain flour150 - 200g blackberries (blueberries/raspberries OK too)nobodhihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317933215802735104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6201273.post-1141173865983461182006-02-28T16:37:00.000-08:002006-02-28T16:44:26.000-08:001st March 2006Better late than never.I wrote this on Tuesday 25th December but decided not to post it for some obscure reason.Girls and yogis can, and often do, change their mind.Toon townDriving in to yoga practice at 5.30am this morning, heading towards a magnificent neon pink sunrise, I drifted into contemplation about my personal place in the universe – potentially big kind of thoughts.A nobodhihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317933215802735104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6201273.post-1140675747042935502006-02-22T22:08:00.000-08:002006-02-22T22:38:20.903-08:00Wednesday 22nd FebruaryI spent the first half of practice worrying about the ache in my right hip. Moving ever so carefully and slowly, I then started thinking that I wasn’t actually doing Ashtanga – yes I was doing the primary sequence of poses in their proper order, yes I was in the shala surrounded by other people doing their practice, yes it was before sunrise. The similarities stopped nobodhihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317933215802735104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6201273.post-1140598010921691072006-02-22T00:44:00.000-08:002006-02-22T00:46:50.933-08:00Monday 20th February 2006The alarm startled me out of a deep dream state at 5am. I laid in bed recovering from the shock for about 10 minutes. 10 minutes of confusion.After all the mental preparation and planning I’d done over the past week to get myself back to the shala and into regular morning Mysore practice starting today, I lay there paralysed and dangerously close to talking myself out nobodhihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317933215802735104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6201273.post-1140072762429760072006-02-15T22:46:00.000-08:002006-02-15T22:52:42.446-08:00Wednesday 15th February 2006After pondering all the pros and cons of returning to the shala two mornings a week in a bid to reestablish some kind of a dedicated 4-5 morning Ashtanga practice,after listing each of the reasons why I wanted to and discovering all the fears I’ve constructed around it,after getting this all out onto paper so the honest truth would be plain to see,after obsessively nobodhihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317933215802735104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6201273.post-1140072109386935232006-02-15T22:22:00.000-08:002006-02-15T22:41:49.403-08:00Wednesday 15th February 2006After pondering all the pros and cons of returning to the shala two mornings a week in a bid to reestablish some kind of a dedicated 4-5 morning Ashtanga practice,after listing each of the reasons why I wanted to and discovering all the fears I’ve constructed around it,after getting this all out onto paper so the honest truth would be plain to see,after obsessively nobodhihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317933215802735104noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6201273.post-1136166126129036162006-01-01T17:33:00.000-08:002006-01-01T17:42:06.163-08:00Sunday 1st January 2006The New YearEarly on in the evening of New Years Eve I did a yoga practise, followed it with dinner, then settled down for the night with “Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali” by Mr Iyengar, a book I rediscovered 2 weeks ago, dusted off, and have been immersed in ever since.In the next street, the crowds were gathering in the beachside square, thousands of them, enjoying nobodhihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317933215802735104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6201273.post-1135994526966026472005-12-30T17:27:00.000-08:002005-12-30T18:08:47.133-08:00Friday 30th December 2005PracticeI slept in a bit this morning, indulging fully in holiday mode. Drifted out of bed and into a large creamy espresso and deliciously decadent chocolate croissant, then wandered to the local shops and back again. Shall I practise now? Hmmm. Practicing after having coffee and breakfast just didn't seem right. I went through all the reasons why I should, and all the nobodhihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317933215802735104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6201273.post-1135832971449865232005-12-28T20:58:00.000-08:002005-12-28T21:09:31.466-08:00Tuesday 27th December 2005I like those few minutes during the pre-practice stretches when you’re feeling out how your body and mind are today. What will practice show up today? You try and predict the flavour of the next 2 hours on the mat, based on past experience. You put your bets on what today’s performance will be like.Even after 2 years of regular Ashtanga, I’m right as often as I’m nobodhihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317933215802735104noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6201273.post-1131338861269987832005-11-06T20:42:00.000-08:002005-11-06T20:47:41.283-08:00Monday 7th November 2005"One of the most frequent worries that nags beginners on the spiritual path is that there is some secret of life that eludes them; some secret knowledge that could answer their deepest questions; some understanding that would unlock the deepest mysteries.There is such a secret, but it is so close, so obvious that few recognise it.We overlook the secret of life because we nobodhihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317933215802735104noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6201273.post-1130481363024939232005-10-27T23:33:00.000-07:002005-10-27T23:36:03.036-07:00Friday 29th October 2005Weird PrimaryFriday led primary with David was very unconventional this morning, not an Ashtanga class at all really.At one point in the class we were lined up at one end of the shala and had to waltz step our way forward to the other end. Most people looked really awkward and stiff with the unfamiliar, looser dance-like movements as David tried to get us to swing the nobodhihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317933215802735104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6201273.post-1130320027703041392005-10-26T02:34:00.000-07:002005-10-26T17:45:01.583-07:00Wednesday 27th October 2005AnticipationI’d planned a big comeback to Mysore classes at the shala starting this week and what do you know, I got my period Monday morning.So instead I did a full practice in the Gallery on Tuesday minus the inversions, and this morning I just practiced the class sequence I’ll be teaching this Saturday.My debut back at the shala will have to be this Friday for led nobodhihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317933215802735104noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6201273.post-1128651773290915522005-10-06T18:59:00.000-07:002005-10-06T19:28:24.716-07:00Thursday 6th October 2006Full Primary from start to finish this morning – no short cuts, no missed poses, no cheating - a very fulfilling practice, one of those that you give a silent, gushing thanks for when you rise from Savasana and are momentarily overcome with awe.After reading this article yesterday (and being so easily blown in the direction of whatever I read) I spent the first part of mynobodhihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317933215802735104noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6201273.post-1127803366224659462005-09-26T22:59:00.000-07:002005-09-27T00:00:37.303-07:00Tuesday 27th September 2005Sitting down to reflect on and record the experiences of this morning’s practice has ended up once again in a page of disconnected, crossed-out, failed attempts to describe nothing of great consequence. Although asana practice continues to call me to the mat for regular meetings, there are few revelations, surprises, breakthroughs or great insights to note lately. nobodhihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317933215802735104noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6201273.post-1126247694447237272005-09-08T23:17:00.000-07:002005-09-08T23:54:11.836-07:00Friday 9th September 2005Finally got back to Darren’s 6am led class this morning.It’s nice to do some quiet solid Iyengar work when you need to work carefully around an injury.But it’s just nice to get back to a class, any class.I ran into Darren in the café yesterday (we yogis love caffeine) and mentioned I’d be at practice this morning – always a good ploy for me to verbally commit so I nobodhihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317933215802735104noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6201273.post-1125989441794742152005-09-05T23:06:00.000-07:002005-09-05T23:50:41.800-07:00Tuesday 6th September 2005InjuryNo such thing as steady progress up the asana ladder for me. I just seem to be going backwards on all fronts.Another injury to my lumbar last Wednesday has set me back yet AGAIN. This has happened way too often to be ignored now.An episode of lumbar pain, radiating from lumbar to hip, flared up about 3 weeks ago due to a strong backbending session. It was on my nobodhihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317933215802735104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6201273.post-1125545785473793262005-08-31T20:21:00.000-07:002005-09-01T00:30:22.756-07:00Wednesday 31st August 2005The teachers are back this week: Darren (easily the most senior Iyengar teacher here) has returned from his stint in Pune so I’m looking forward to his led practice this Friday. I heard that in the teacher’s practice he led on Monday, he was inserting a Sun Salute between every standing pose which is refreshingly unorthodox for a stoic Iyengi (is there such a term?).nobodhihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317933215802735104noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6201273.post-1125014553807941082005-08-25T16:50:00.000-07:002005-08-25T17:02:33.813-07:00Friday 26th August 2005A 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 nobodhihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317933215802735104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6201273.post-1124328497107322462005-08-17T18:07:00.000-07:002005-08-17T20:21:10.633-07:00Wednesday 17th August 2005Looks like the backache from hell is back again. It’s a familiar gripping ache through the lumbar area that radiates out to the left hip. I know it’s from the megadose of backbends yesterday (most probably Kapotasana), which puzzles me because the last time I went through this back nightmare (a couple of months ago) it was caused by Supta Kurmasana which arches the nobodhihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317933215802735104noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6201273.post-1123833117058723762005-08-12T00:37:00.000-07:002005-08-12T00:51:58.000-07:00Friday 12th August 2005Piking OutWell I’m beating myself up good today and I deserve every bit of it. I promised Kirsty I’d meet her at the shala at 5.45am for practice this morning but when that alarm went off I turned it off and said stuff it. I was half expecting her to do the same. Kirsty has often planned to come to Gallery practice and not turned up, so I figured she’d probably pike outnobodhihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317933215802735104noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6201273.post-1123572696035377402005-08-09T00:25:00.000-07:002005-08-09T00:31:36.043-07:00Saturday 6th August 2005PracticeI sort of expected to be practising on my own in the Gallery this morning. I set up the heaters, the mat and the blankets with this lovely feeling of joyful anticipation as if I was finally coming home to practice after an extended absence of leave. Approaching the practice in that frame of mind releases a lot of the burden and tension around it. You’re not nobodhihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317933215802735104noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6201273.post-1123227077416478412005-08-05T00:12:00.000-07:002005-08-07T16:30:08.193-07:00Wednesday 3rd August 2005Got to the shala at last. There were 6 others practising there this morning, holding up the fort in the absence of our teachers (David’s back in 4 weeks, and Simi in about 8 weeks I think).Two of the girls have Amazing Grace, floaty practices, so beautiful to watch. At the end of my practice I watched one of them doing a preparation for Viparitta Chakrasana. She pushed upnobodhihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317933215802735104noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6201273.post-1122535859612303562005-07-28T00:18:00.000-07:002005-07-28T00:30:59.620-07:00Thursday 21st July 2005Well I came home from work tonight, ate a salad, cooked my son’s dinner, washed dishes, went out and did my weekly shopping, came home and walked the dog. By that time it was 9.30pm. I picked up Light on Yoga again. The lingering fantasy of a regular evening practice was hanging around in the shadowy corners of my room, tempting me. When I first thought of it last nightnobodhihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317933215802735104noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6201273.post-1122017096475785072005-07-22T00:02:00.000-07:002005-07-22T00:24:56.483-07:00Tuesday 19th July 2005The Gallery space at 6am has been like an icebox lately even though I’ve been covering the entrance with a curtain, putting on two heaters and bringing extra blankets for Savasana. It’s been pretty difficult to get any heat happening in the body during practice. No heat means no progress. Heat is the transforming element that burns the impurities from the body and mind nobodhihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317933215802735104noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6201273.post-1121413406386704892005-07-15T00:38:00.000-07:002005-07-15T00:51:07.483-07:00Thursday 14th July 2005Winter...blahDid I say I had no trouble getting up in the mornings? I’ll retract that statement unequivocally.Today I actually did manage to get out of bed on time. Got to the Gallery and set up for Ashtanga practice. The town hall bell rang softly in the quiet chill of the dawn…6am. As the familiar bell rang out, instead of starting my sun salutes, I did about 10 minutes nobodhihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317933215802735104noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6201273.post-1121220674526105042005-07-12T18:29:00.000-07:002005-07-12T19:11:14.556-07:00Tuesday 12th July 2005Practice – MondayitisPractice has generally become consistently strong and really satisfying with the exception of Mondays. What is it in my psyche that smothers all good Monday practice intentions to death under the blanket of inertia? Bed holds me prisoner.Despite promising Angie that I’d practice at the shala yesterday morning, as usual on a Monday I failed to get out nobodhihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317933215802735104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6201273.post-1121152609209843002005-07-12T00:09:00.000-07:002005-07-12T00:16:49.216-07:00Tuesday 5th July 2005PracticeDid close to entire primary this morning still leaving out the poses from Bhujangasana to Garbha Pindasana. Full forward bends are returning and I can now get chest to thigh without compromising the safety of my lumbar spine. Finally the floppy disc has returned safely to its little slot between the vertebrae. I even curled up into the two embryonic Pindasana poses nobodhihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317933215802735104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6201273.post-1120204235079631532005-07-01T00:47:00.000-07:002005-07-01T00:50:35.273-07:00Friday 1st July 2004Ashtanga practice has fallen apart a bit over the last couple of weeks, well a lot actually.Last week I managed three Mysore practices in a row before my monthly female cycle started, but this week I did one practice on Wednesday and that was it! Thursday (yesterday) was Simi’s last day teaching before leaving for India so the morning Mysore students now have no teacher untilnobodhihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317933215802735104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6201273.post-1119329666024927582005-06-20T21:41:00.000-07:002005-06-20T21:54:26.030-07:00Saturday 18th June 2005Triang Mukha Eka Pada PaschimottanasanaKirsty and I practiced in the gallery together this morning. I’m giving her some guidance and a few pointers about how to work in the poses but it’s her spirit more than her body that’s being drawn to yoga. We talked about the breath, prana, moving energy, bandhas, chanting, and the power of the voice to express and align with the nobodhihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317933215802735104noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6201273.post-1119161618332002482005-06-18T22:49:00.000-07:002005-06-18T23:13:38.340-07:00Friday 17th June 2005I wanted to get to three morning classes at the shala this week (Wed, Thurs and Fri) which, along with two practices in the Gallery (Tues and Sat), would have made a grand total of five.But at 5am yesterday morning my bed was too warm and yummy so I snuggled in deeper and stayed there. Four practices is OK I guess – especially if I abandon my unrealistic expectations and nobodhihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317933215802735104noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6201273.post-1118878224363855892005-06-15T16:16:00.000-07:002005-06-15T20:50:04.616-07:00Tuesday 14th June 2005Bushwalking my favourite uphill track two days in a row lifted my spirits and general attitude to life. The fresh, pure air seems to blow away stagnant energy and stagnant thoughts. It moves and motivates me when I feel inert.So with increased vitality, I had a fairly strong practice today. Well, as strong as it could be while rehabilitating.I did all 10 Surja Namaskars, nobodhihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317933215802735104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6201273.post-1118388889495629672005-06-10T00:28:00.000-07:002005-06-10T00:34:49.503-07:00Friday 10th June 2005Testing, testing...I stayed back after work for a bit to play around with the formatting of my weblog: added a couple of my favourite blogs to the links section (successfully too!) and tried to add a comments tag, but until I publish this post, I won't know if it's worked - editing a template is a bizarre exercise in gobbledegook way beyond my comprehension.__________________nobodhihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317933215802735104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6201273.post-1118367039807805042005-06-09T17:04:00.000-07:002005-06-09T18:30:39.873-07:00Thursday 9th June 2005No trouble getting up this morning. I actually woke at 5am bright eyed and happy, 10 minutes before the alarm was due to go off, and got to the shala at 5.40am to start practice with the other early birds. There’s usually 4 to 6 of them there by this time – the apprentice teachers, the hard core yogis, and a couple of people that have to start early so they can leave earlynobodhihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317933215802735104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6201273.post-1118225132632037282005-06-08T02:47:00.000-07:002005-06-08T03:05:32.643-07:00Friday 3rd June 2005Led Primary was quite speedy this morning but fun – about 15 people in the class, not too full for a change. The sum total of everyone’s energy was uplifting at first, but as the class progressed and people tired, sloppy crept in and vinyasas became disconnected from Simi’s count. I’m glad I got there early as it meant I could be near the front, close to Simi. She did the nobodhihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317933215802735104noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6201273.post-1118126609405885982005-06-06T23:40:00.000-07:002005-06-06T23:43:29.410-07:00Wednesday 1st June 2005Woke up with an agonising ache in my lower back and hips this morning – practice hurt. Every forward bend and every back bend stressed and weakened my spine further; I dreaded every one of those 50 (or thereabouts) Upward Dogs as each one got incrementally worse than the last. By the end of practice I was feeling nauseous from the crescendo of pain I’d stubbornly and nobodhihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317933215802735104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6201273.post-1115444458357929662005-05-06T22:27:00.000-07:002005-05-06T23:46:41.343-07:00Wednesday 4th MayTurning up to Mysore class this morning was real tough after these last two weeks. Quite the antithesis to meditation. I felt shaky for most of the practice and lay part blame on the two strong espressos I had yesterday. At the retreat there was only herbal tea and black tea with breakfast and lunch so I drank very weak black tea (one tea bag dunk strength). Any stronger than nobodhihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317933215802735104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6201273.post-1115275332879410382005-05-04T23:35:00.000-07:002005-05-04T23:42:12.896-07:00Sunday 1st May 200510 day Vipassana RetreatDay 1I had such noble intentions of serving at this Vipassana retreat helping out behind the scenes with things like peeling vegetables, stirring enormous pots of oatmeal, cleaning toilets and filling up water containers, but when we all arrived on the first evening and I checked into the kitchen I was made ‘Female Manager’. This is a primary role, nobodhihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317933215802735104noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6201273.post-1113884060668352962005-04-18T21:08:00.000-07:002005-04-18T21:14:20.670-07:00Tuesday 19th April 2005Just finished my final practice for 2 weeks. I head off for 10 days of service at the Vipassana retreat at lunchtime today. Drinking my final coffee for a while too – it’s like being read your last rites!Practice was slow, laboured and a bit of an effort today thanks to indulging my love of sweet foods over the past few days. The impending retreat was a great nobodhihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317933215802735104noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6201273.post-1113549959202269392005-04-15T00:01:00.000-07:002005-04-15T00:25:59.210-07:00Friday 15th AprilRandom Thoughts on Teaching Well this definitely feels like a period of endings and beginnings.Last night I taught my final Thursday night class at Rebecca’s yoga studio and tomorrow I’ll teach my last Saturday class there.Next Tuesday I head off for 10 days of solitude and doing service at the Vipassana retreat, sitting part of the course and doing kitchen duty for the rest of nobodhihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317933215802735104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6201273.post-1113462986159010352005-04-13T23:57:00.000-07:002005-04-14T00:21:13.133-07:00Friday 8th April 2005Had to get up at 4.30am this morning to catch the 6.10am sunrise flight to Sydney – my first time in a plane for 24 years and my first trip to Sydney. Despite only being here until Monday (3 days) with my boyfriend, I arranged to squeeze in at least one class at Yogamoves.To get there we caught a train from North Sydney over the Sydney Harbour bridge into the city centre; nobodhihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317933215802735104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6201273.post-1112780655808998382005-04-06T01:14:00.000-07:002005-04-06T02:49:36.920-07:00Wednesday 6th April 2005There’s an interesting research article on Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga here.___________________________________________________________________________________________________Saturday 2nd April 2005An acutely odd week of practice brought on by trying to do more than I can physically cope with.I had my last Mysore class with David on Monday as he’s going overseas for five nobodhihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317933215802735104noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6201273.post-1112227546242881402005-03-30T15:56:00.000-08:002005-03-30T16:05:46.246-08:00Thursday 31st March 2005There's a new exhibition of paintings by two artists - Brigid Noone and Mary-Jean Richardson going up in the Art Gallery where we do our morning Ashtanga practice. Brigid's artist statement was so poignent and real, that I wanted to post it. What a refreshing change to read an artists statement that exposes vulnerable feelings so honestly..."I paint to make sense of my nobodhihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317933215802735104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6201273.post-1112226765774330842005-03-30T15:18:00.000-08:002005-03-30T15:52:45.776-08:00Easter Monday 28th March 2005Walking from my car to the shala at 5.45am this morning, my stomach grumbled its voice of empty discontent. The sound echoed through my lower regions like an oceanic swell pounding around in a coastal cave. I realised then that I’d forgotten to eat any dinner last night. I checked into my physical/mental pre-practice state and noticed I felt light and clear, but nobodhihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317933215802735104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6201273.post-1111644642326274112005-03-23T21:43:00.000-08:002005-03-23T22:10:42.330-08:00Thursday 24th March 2005Post practice.Sitting in the café, adjusting to the sounds and sights of a bustling morning, people starting to move into second gear, gathering momentum.My coffee arrives, the bitter aroma almost overpowering, deep earthy sienna brown froth hides the dangerous liquid below. Phillip has made it perfectly and topped it off wit a masterful heart shaped pattern in the middlenobodhihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317933215802735104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6201273.post-1111129674971480802005-03-17T22:59:00.000-08:002005-03-17T23:07:54.993-08:00Friday 18th MarchReflections on having a bodyAs we get older - more mature I mean – our yoga practice will change and naturally deepen and evolve. That is the nature of any long term practice. I am more drawn these days to practices that will open my mind and heart to the divine, and less inclined to spend my precious time on anything that doesn’t support this direction.Yet I get on the mat everynobodhihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317933215802735104noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6201273.post-1108893704567117532005-02-20T01:59:00.000-08:002005-02-20T02:01:44.570-08:00Thursday 17th February 2005Meditation10 past 6 and I’m in the quiet Gallery space this morning and no-one had showed up for our Ashtanga self practice session. I took it as an opportunity to sit in meditation for a change. Readjusted the blankets, moved the heater a little closer and put my thick fluffy bedsocks back on. Assumed a balanced half Padmasana and began the descent.Then Sasha turnednobodhihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317933215802735104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6201273.post-1108708332974276522005-02-17T22:09:00.000-08:002005-02-20T01:34:46.526-08:00Monday 7th February 2005My first Mysore class for a few months, and my first real practice for a few weeks – not a good combination.I had to get up at 5am this morning to get to Mysore class with David Roche, because I’m housesitting my boyfriend’s beachside place for a couple of weeks. It’s much further away from the shala, my workplace and the city. But I was determined to get to Mysore class. nobodhihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317933215802735104noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6201273.post-1106891186745060112005-01-27T21:13:00.000-08:002005-01-27T21:46:26.746-08:00Notes from the Glenn Ceresoli workshop where I digress from my Ashtanga practice for one week only.
DAY 4: Thursday 13th January 2005
Surfing
Once again I didn’t get a chance to write up my notes after Glenn’s session this morning. We all went for coffee afterwards, then me and Sasha headed straight off down the coast for a surf. Great waves too.
I was hoping Sasha would do the driving so I nobodhihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317933215802735104noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6201273.post-1106633785311196922005-01-24T21:16:00.000-08:002005-01-25T14:03:35.733-08:00Notes from the Glenn Ceresoli workshop where I digress from my Ashtanga practice for one week only.
Day 3 : Wednesday 13th January 2005 – morning session
Gayatri Mantra
We started this morning’s session by chanting three Oms, followed by three repetitions of the Gayatri Mantra, then one Om and three Shantis.
Chanting the first three Oms is like tuning an instrument. The final Om is always very nobodhihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317933215802735104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6201273.post-1106103896380887152005-01-18T19:02:00.000-08:002005-01-18T19:04:56.380-08:00Notes from the Glenn Ceresoli workshop where I digress from my Ashtanga practice for one week only.
DAY 2: Tuesday January 11th 2005 - morning session
Felt a little tired when I got up this morning – not tired from lack of sleep or bad eating habits, but more like that vague sort of lethargy which overcomes the body after it’s been through a stressful situation – the nervous system shuts itselfnobodhihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317933215802735104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6201273.post-1106031607842575252005-01-17T22:52:00.000-08:002005-01-17T23:01:41.176-08:00
Monday 10th January 2005
Yoga Intensive with Glenn Ceresoli where I digress from my Ashtanga practice for one week only.
The sun’s disappearing on this hot summer’s night and the café here is buzzing with activitiy. It’s the end of Day 1 of Glenn Ceresoli’s 5 day workshop so I’m decaffing and debriefing.
The workshop is a 2 hour morning and evening session each day for these five days. I tooknobodhihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317933215802735104noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6201273.post-1103075641228869672004-12-14T17:07:00.000-08:002004-12-14T17:54:01.226-08:00Saturday 11th December 2004
6.30am teacher’s practice at the studio this morning, but it was only me and Kosta today; Rebecca’s holidaying in India for a few weeks and Sandy needed a sleep in.
I did a full strong Primary practice then felt like going on to some second series poses so after Urdhva Mukha Paschimottanasana (still can’t roll up with straight legs in this pose), I did the vinyasa upnobodhihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317933215802735104noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6201273.post-1100846323572690562004-11-18T22:33:00.000-08:002004-11-18T22:38:43.573-08:00Friday 19th November 2004
Darren’s class was cancelled this morning because of a workshop at the Iyengar studio with Alan Goode (which I couldn’t afford to do) so I went to Simi’s led Primary practice instead.
When I entered the shala, I glanced to the front of the room to greet Simi but she wasn’t there. I didn’t look around at who was where, just walked anonymously to my habitual spot and nobodhihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317933215802735104noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6201273.post-1099635620264361342004-11-04T22:11:00.000-08:002004-11-04T22:20:20.263-08:00Tuesday 2nd November
With a sprained big toe joint, it would have been foolish AND painful to do any jumpbacks this morning. Even the Chaturanga foot position (toes in flexion) wasn’t possible so I had to modify and step carefully through every vinyasa. That made it a more focused practice than usual, quieter, but with a nice, meditative kind of intensity – really strong and even ujjiyi nobodhihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317933215802735104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6201273.post-1098248156668281732004-10-19T21:42:00.000-07:002004-10-19T21:55:56.666-07:00Monday 18th October 2004
The Ashtanga Relationship
It seems I’m not the only one who talks about a ‘relationship’ with their Ashtanga practice. Lately for me it’s been a love/hate relationship, occasionally a co-dependant one (can’t live with it, can’t live without it). At times it’s obsessive because the practice makes me feel so alive and I want more of it; but come the tough times when nobodhihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317933215802735104noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6201273.post-1097293737471743232004-10-08T20:48:00.000-07:002004-10-08T20:48:57.470-07:00menobodhihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317933215802735104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6201273.post-1096616272771909282004-09-30T23:40:00.000-07:002004-10-01T00:37:52.770-07:00Friday 1st October 2004
Maybe I’m just going through a bad patch. Maybe I’m just getting old(er).
I look at long time Ashtangis, mostly teachers I guess - my teachers and the more famous ones – they have such incredibly open bodies. I wonder if they too spent the initial years struggling through injuries and questioning the practice. Stories about people like Lino Miele who went through nobodhihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317933215802735104noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6201273.post-1095242157646020882004-09-15T02:52:00.000-07:002004-09-15T02:55:57.646-07:00Wednesday 15th September 2004
Renate, Sascha and I had a girls night out last night (for us yogis unfortunately that doesn’t mean the pub). We went together to an Ashtanga class, then had dinner at Renates and watched a video (not even a schmaltzy movie, but a documentary exploring the connection between religious experiences and the temporal lobes of the brain). I’ve definitely turned into a nobodhihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317933215802735104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6201273.post-1094798404875786532004-09-09T23:40:00.000-07:002004-09-09T23:40:04.876-07:00The gallery space where we practice. At the moment our practice begins with the sacred chant to the lampshades, but a new exhibition will be going up next week which should be just paintings and drawings on the walls.nobodhihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317933215802735104noreply@blogger.com0