Intermediate: all you need is a manduka mat

UPDATE: My mat is in the country and being delivered Monday.

I should have waited. Wednesday I did Intermediate. Had done it up to Bakasana several times but never gone through start to finish. I admit to looking down on it a bit, I mean I LOVE primary, It's perfect, such balance. Intermediate seemed like a poor relative a bad book or movie sequel. It didn't seem that strenuous, a mish mash of half hearted jump backs and jump throughs, no flow to it.

How wrong I was! I'm still aching and I never ache from Primary. I sweated so much I was slipping and sliding all over the place, and the Jump backs! How the heck are you supposed to jump out of Matsyendrasana without veering off to the left or right and crashing through your arm or get your leg off your shoulder in time in Eka pada sirasana. Oh and one leg jump backs from Vatyanasasna, do I love THAT idea. Vatyanasana, what is that about anyway and how can you do Titibhasana C without falling over in a fit of giggles...grown yogis are not supposed to giggle.

Anyway I could hardly walk yesterday but have realized my error. Intermediate can not be attempted on any old mat It's the Manduka sequence and come tuesday morning i'll be flying effortlessly through it. My only concern is that my nine drishti's will be replaced by one, the loving gaze to my manduka drishti.