Been awhile

It’s been awhile since I’ve had a chance to blog here. I’m still dealing with the knee issue which seems to change day by day. I’ve recently been able to get into a very loose sort of half lotus with it. Incredible progress based on how stiff it had been, though there is sometimes some strange sort of cracking and releasing going on inside the knee that is both alarming and seems to be an incredible relief when it happens. So its day by day, and we’ll see what happens.

Last weekend I had the pleasure of participating in the Annie Pace workshop in Denver. It was a much needed for me, as it has been almost a year since I’ve had any formal teaching. She cleaned up my act and got the vinyasas going traditionally…without knowing it I had strayed from the traditional way of things. I’m almost inspired to go back to the studio again it felt so helpful to have a teacher and the community. Not to mention the puddled sweat, which I’ve definitely missed…the 100+ degree temperatures helped with that. I loved learning from Annie, her experience is obvious and she was both strict in her teaching, but very loving and humorous about it. A little strictness really works well for me, and she didn’t let me get away with any of my cheating.

Over the next month or so I’m going to try to arrange things so I can make it to mysore at least once a week. Annie showed me some further modifications for the knee which allowed me to work the pose rather than essentially avoiding many as I had. Most of these modifications revolve around using a strap as ‘knee floss’ as she put it. Essentially I fold the strap in half as a spacer in the closed knee (relieves much of the pressure), and move the strap in and out, flossing the knee to find out where I can relieve pain and torquing in the knee then holding the strap around the knee as a support with one hand. I used this in Ardha Baddha Padmottanasana, Ardha Baddha Padma Paschimottanasana, Janu Shirshasana C (also using a block to sit on), Marichyasana B, D. A block was also used in Janu A, b on the left side to give the leg something to push into and open the hip. I was amazed that I could practice and keep the knee so happy. Feeling positive about practice again is probably the best thing that came out of the weekend. Annie reminded us ’slowly, slowly’ and if we couldn’t quite get chin to shin in Ardha Baddha Padmottanasana ‘More Chapatis.’ When I first heard her say this I laughed so hard I fell out of the pose.

She also fixed my headstand, and it actually feels therapeutic for the first time ever. She assisted me with Chakrasana, and it felt so effortless…have not been able to duplicate the effects. Also got my question answered about how far to go in the practice….she watched me closely and allowed me to do full primary, so full primary it is from now on.

A highlight of the workshop was having the wonderful pleasure of meeting Yogamum and her yoga posse…great people, very nice and welcoming, who I hope to hook up with again soon to practice.

I still feel like I’m integrating all of what I received in the workshop, I’ll write more as it occurs to me.